I'm in need of assistance here. I'd like to pick the brains on the Forum who have been to Hawaii.

I'm interested in your thoughts in the following areas- if it's your first trip there should you try and stay with one island or try and combine Oahu with Maui, Kauai, Hawaii, etc?

What's the things one should not miss, and conversly the things one could live without.

I'm looking for hotels, resorts that you might reccomend also (Heck, throw in restaurants if you like) Neither I or Esther are golfers so that is not important to us.

I'm looking to spend about 8-10 days total including travel time. I of course would like to get in some Lighthousing, but here's the heresy part- it's not my most important thought on this trip. Which island gives the most bang for the buck with lighthouses (especially if only one island is done).

I appreciate any assistance you can give to me in this.

Dennis

Oh my goodness what a trip. We went to Hawaii for our honey moon. Went to Honolulu stayed at the Outrigger Hotel (one of only 7465 by the same name) On Oahu see the Beach, Diamond Head, also the light house. Be sure to see the Polinesian Culture center on the west side of the island. Pearl Harbor is optional if you have a connection to the war. Oahu is quite commercial and very touristy. Spent 2 days and saw everything we were interested in.

Then went to Kuaui and spent almost a week. It is the oldest island and also the most beautiful ans least touristy. See the "sleeping man" rock formation, Napli Coast (skin diving trip is fantastic).

Wiamia Conyon is a must. It is Hawaii's answer to Grand Canyon and just as beautiful. Kilawea Lighthouse is right off the main highway. The main highway of which there is only one, is a dead end on both ends because the Napoli coast is so steep, only a trail can be use there. Nothing on the island is allowed to be built higher than the tallest palm tree (about 3 storys). Also, there is a wonderful boat trip to a cave. Take the Wiali-Ali trip (phone book). The wettest place on earth is also on this island ontop of mount wiali-ali.

We stayed at a condo time share to the right on the main hiway as you leave the airport. We traded one we owned for one there. That side of the island is real quiet and very friendly.

Advice, if you go and stay in a private, semi private place, remember there are cockroaches everywhere even the cars. So don't leave any food out anywhere. Also there are many Geckos. The non-speacking relatives of the one on TV. They are harmless but crawl every where, so keep the screens and doors closed.

There is much more than space allows. Go every where, do what you can, and don't worry about the afternoon showers. The plane trip takes about an house as I remember, maybe less from Oahu.

Have a wonderfull time.

I thank you for your info, but I have one question- what measure of time is a house?

Dennis

Not much help Dennis, I was stationed there in 74-75 with the Coast Guard. Im sure it has all changed since then. Ron

Hi Dennis,

I have been in Hawaii many times over the years and twice in the last 15 months. One thing I would not do is try to see too many islands in the time frame of 8-10 days. Three different times I went for 10 days and stayed on 4 islands. We wasted more time packing up and waiting at airports than it was worth. I would suggest 2 islands in that time frame.

I really like going to Pearl Harbor. When I first started going to Pearl Harbor as a kid, the boat tours to the USS Arizona were run by the Navy. You had to stand in very long lines with not much to do. The NPS now runs Pearl Harbor and they have a very nice visitors center. Get there early and they give you a free tour ticket. Once your tour number is called, you go preview a movie of the day that Pearl Harbor was bombed. Once the movie is over, you board a tour boat that docks on the Arizona.

Don't waste your money on any of the harbor tours because they are not allowed to dock at the Arizona. We also really enjoyed touring the U.S. Missouri battleship. This ship is very well maintained and is interesting to see the huge guns on this ship. This is the ship where Japan signed their official statement of surrender to end WWII.

Another area to visit on Oahu is Hunama Bay to go snorkeling. In that same area is Sea Life Park( like Sea World) and you can also see the Makapuu Point Lighthouse from there.

If you stay on Kauai, I would highly suggest you stay around the Poipu Beach side of the island. It is the driest side of Kauai, (if there is a dry side). It has beautiful beaches and great snorkeling areas with lots of big sea turtles. The Spouting Horn is very close by and it is close to Waimea Canyon. We stayed the last 2 times at the Hyatt on Poipu but it is quite expensive. There are several nice condos next to the Hyatt. The Kiluea Lighthouse is in the Nataional Wildlife Refuge. There are many birds and it is also a good whale watching area. One of my favorite activities on Kauai was taking a helicopter tour over the island. You see beautiful scenery and lots of waterfalls and fly over the Waimea Canyon and the Napali coast. It is outrageous!

My favorite island to stay on is Maui. I love the weather and hanging out on Kanapali Beach. It is right outside of Lahina and has a nice beach walk and outdoor shopping and dining. There are several nice hotels on this beach to stay at. We were at the Marriott in November but they will be under renovation starting this May until sometime in the fall.

Sorry to be so long but I have two suggestions for dining. The first one is in the Outrigger Hotel on Waikiki Beach and is called Duke's. Get there around 5:00 and sit outside. You will be able to watch the most beautiful sunset over Waikiki Beach. The second choice is Roy's. I think his resturant is on most of the islands.

I hope this helps a little. There is just so much to see and do.

In my opinion, the best lighthouses in Hawaii are on Oahu (particularly Diamond Head and Makapuu) followed by Kauai (particularly Kilawea). I agree with some others that seeing too many islands in one trip isn't the most relaxing trip. Therefore, I would recommend spending 2 or 3 days on Oahu and the remainder on Kauai. I also agree with one of the above posts about staying in the Poipu Beach area of Kauai - better weather, good beaches and lots of restaurants and other stuff to do.

Have fun and aloha!

Larry

Thanks for the advice. I'm leaning towards doing something like 3 days 2 nights on Oahu, 2 days 1 night on the Big Island and 5-6 days on Maui or Kauai.

I want to get a taste of as much as possible, but not be doing the "Island " of the day thing.

Dennis

Hi Dennis,

If you haven't already made your plans for Hawaii, I wanted to say that I agree with Lorie's recommendation about not trying to visit too many islands in one trip...especially if you don't live on the west coast and have a long plane ride just to get there. When going from one island to another, you'll waste a good part of the day, returning the rental car, packing, waiting at the airport. With the heightened security, it took us a while to get through security at the Maui airport. We ran into other travelers who were visiting multiple islands, and they seemed exhausted.

We recently spent 10 days in Hawaii...February 25 through March 7... It was my third trip. It was fantastic. Definitely the best Hawaiian vacation. The weather was perfect everyday. We also flew first class (just one way) for the first time, and it made the 8 hour flight much more bearable.

We stayed on Oahu for just two days. I had never stayed there and wanted to visit Diamond Head and Makapu'u Lighthouses. We decided to skip Pearl Harbor since we wanted to take a break from war. We didn't have time to do too much else, and we didn't stay long enough for it to feel like home. (We stayed at the Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki Hotel.) I'm also not a big city person. However, we enjoyed the 2 mile hike to Makapu'u Lighthouse. The weather was nice that day, and we watched whales breaching off the point of the lighthouse for a while.

Then we headed to Maui where we spent a week doing the standard tourist attractions (helicopter, drive to Hana, Haleakala sunrise, snorkeling, visited Lahaina, and watched the whales). We also went scuba diving twice. I can recommend a good choice for diving if anyone is ever interested... This was my second trip to Maui, but it was my husband's first. That's why we did the drive to Hana, etc. We still had time to relax, which is important when you go to Hawaii.

On my last trip to Maui, we stayed in the Kahana-Kaanapali area, which is very nice. This time we stayed in Maalaea. I had heard that the humpback whales had their babies in the bay. After I made our reservations, I bought the book "Maui Revealed." They weren't very positive about the area I stayed in because it's supposed to be the windiest place on the island and they burn surgar fields around there. Well, it wasn't very windy at all during this trip, and they weren't burning sugar. Maybe we got lucky. Anyway, I enjoyed the central location, the whales, and the view from our lanai. Plus, it's a little quieter in that area and a little less expensive than the Kaanapali area.

Kauai is also nice. Kilauea Lighthouse is cool. I think someone mentioned the Poipu beach area and gave you lots of advice. Unfortunately it rained a lot during our January 2000 vacation to Kauai. And I can recommend a great hospital! Well, maybe they only have one. But it's a good one.

If possible, wherever you stay, I recommend renting an oceanfront condo and allowing time every day to relax on the lanai, watching the sunrise or sunset...depending on your location. It really renews your spirit.

Good luck with your vacation planning and have a great trip if you go.

Tammy

p.s. I had an unexpected surprise at Diamond Head. I decided that I wanted to get some photos of the lighthouse from the beach. So, my husband and I walked down to the beach. I like to get photos without people in them when possible. I was disappointed to see sunbathers on the beach below the lighthouse. When I was busy taking pictures, my husband pointed out that there are only men on this beach. I ignored him and kept taking pictures. When I finally looked up, I was shocked to see that several of them were not wearing anything. I was so busy taking pictures at first that I didn't notice. I travelled in Europe for several months. Normally this wouldn't shock me. Public nudity is illegal in Hawaii, though I've heard about a nudist beach on Maui. I just hope they know that I was taking photos of the lighthouse!

Tammy,

I've made my plans and I took some advice to heart and did not quite listen to everything.

We're going to spend 10 days in Hawaii. We'll do 3 days on Oahu, basically 1 full day on Hawaii and 6 days on Kauai.

I'm stopping overnight in CA on the way out and on the way back we will be spending 6 days in CA visiting relatives and catching some Poco concerts.

Unfortunately I couldn't do all four things- Hawaii, Poco concerts, Relatives and the San Diego Regional. I had to cut the Regional out of my planning.

I also could not quite swallow the difference in costs between Coach and First Class.

I know I may be pushing it a little, but I wanted to try and experience as much of Hawaii as possible and still have the relaxation part of it. That's what Kauai's for.

I'm not going to drive myself crazy seeing every possible Lighthouse on the 3 Islands. We'll get to whichever ones we get to.

Here comes the heresy- ther's more to life than Lighthouses sometimes.

Dennis

Sounds like a good plan Dennis! Make sure you do the helicopter ride out of Princeville. It's right a the edge of the Caynon, and you're immediately in Paradise. The ones at the other end of the island will waste time over regular stuff. I hope the Volcano is active on Hawaii!
have fun,
Bob

Bob,

I've made hard copies of the advice that you and the other's have given me.

I'm hoping the Volcano is active- but not too active- while we're there. It's the reason I'm making the one day stop on Hawaii. I'll fly from Honolulu at 6 PM on Wed and then fly to Kauai at 11 AM on Friday. I figured that way I get the maximum out of my short visit.

Dennis

I'm headed to Hawaii myself tomorrow. I have a meeting in Honolulu for a week and then will be spending a week's vacation on the big island on the Kona coast.
Aloha!

Doc,

Must be tough having such a long commute for a meeting.

Take notes and report back so we can compare your thoughts to those already expressed.

Have fun!

Dennis

I just posted some of the photos from my trip in the photography forum Dennis...how many did you get to visit?

Doc,

I'll go check out your pictures. I don't go to Hawaii until July. I tend to try and plan ahead a bit.

I figured I get inpressions of Hawaii from many sources and plan from there. We will be on Oahu for 3 nights, Hawaii for 2 nights and Kauia for 5. We'll also be spending 1 night in CA on the way out and 5 on the way back

Dennis

For some reason, I thought you had already gone Dennis. Of course you should take it at your own pace...there is alot to see. When I first went 13 years ago, I had a tour package deal and did 4 islands in 14 days. It was very nice of course, but I felt like I was always packing and unpacking. This time I was there for a meeting so my first week was decided for me in Honolulu and then I decide I would take an extra week vacation and spend it on Hawaii. That was the one island where I especially felt like there was alot more for me to see. I also got to do things at a slower pace this time...having 7 days there this time rather than 3.

Whether or not its on your agenda, I think THE thing to see on Hawaii is the volcano. When I first went 13 years ago, I did a whirlwind tour and just drove on the Crater Rim Road and went on my way. I spent maybe an hour and a half there then. I thought it was cool but didn't realize I had actually missed the best part of the park. This time I spent a whole day there, drove down the Chain of Craters Road and hiked out to the active lava flow at sunset (not that far of hike...about 45 min...but I also took a flashlight, water and had on good shoes as they recommended). Its an experience to watch the earth make itself. Any way just my 2 cents to make things more difficult for you to decide on what to do!

Doc,

Your two cents don't make my decisions any more difficult.

The main reason I am going to the island of Hawaii is to get to the Volcano Park. I expect to spend the day there.

I'm changing my original plan because I didn't take into account the time frame to go from Kona to the Volcano.

Thanks to some sage advice from a fellow Wacko We're going to fly into & out of Hilo and stay in that area. That was my original thought, but it seemed I had more lodging choises in the Kona area.

This way I'll have that much more time to spend at the Park, instead just gettint there.

I understand the advice given to not try and do too many islands, but I'm not sure when I'll get back again so I want to get to as much of Hawaii as I can without going overboard. That's the main reason I'm not going to try and make it to all of the Lighthouse. This trip it's just a part of the whole.

Dennis

Hi Dennis,

Be careful when walking around on the lava at Volcanoes National Park. The lava in places is quite smooth and "glassy" and it also gets covered with a powdery pumice. It gets very, very slippery. Carol slipped and fell while we were there and got a gash on her knee that bled like crazy. Had to take her to the ER of a hospital in Hilo and after done there had a long drive at night in the rain back to where we were staying in Kona on the other side of the island.

You might consider taking a helicopter ride on Hawaii that goes over the active volcano. We didn't do that while there but heard that it was awesome. The last time we were there you could see the steam pluming up from where the lava was dumping into the ocean. I have an extra National Park Service Hawaii Volcanoes brochure w/map .. if you're interested I can bring it along to the Grand Rapids Regional for you, or if you would like it sooner, I'd mail it to you if I had your address. Let me know.

Another place I'd recommend going to while on the Big Island would be the Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park located on the southern Kona Coast (i.e. west side of island). It's right on the ocean, is very scenic, and has a very nice self-guided 1/2 mile walk that is quite interesting.

In Kailua-Kona, if you're into the shopping thing, there's a Gallery called the "Rift Zone" at 75-5801 Alii Drive that has beautiful arts and crafts done by local Hawaiian artists. Some of the very thin wooden bowls that are carved from Norfolk Pine are translucent and beautiful when they are backlit.

Hawaii .... you'll love it. Carol & I have been there twice before and are planning to go back for at leat two (2) weeks next January.

Dan

Glad to see that Volcano National Park is the purpose for going to the big island Dennis...definitely the high point of my trip. To follow on what Dan brought up in the last post, let me add a lttle about safety issues. If you are going to be hiking on the lava...which you are invariably going to have to do if you want to go to the active flows, the park service recommends that you have:

Good enclosed shoes (no sandals)
Long pants to protect your legs
Gloves to protect your hands
2 quarts of water per person
Flashlight (with spare batteries) if you are going to be there after dark...BTW they sell them in the park too if you forget

They have a 15 minute orientation and safety video they show frequently at the visitor center...you should watch it.

After you leave the Chain of Craters road, the trail over the lava out to the active flow is well marked with reflective markers that make it easy to find your way even in the dark. It isn't a bad hike...there were lots of families with children walking it just fine. The area is also well staffed with rangers. They do everything to make it as safe and enjoyable as possible...and it is if you are prepared, careful and follow the guidelines.

If you are there for one day to go to Volcano, you definitely got good advice about flying into Hilo. Kona has a lot more resorts and hotels because it has the favorable weather. But Hilo is about 30 mins from the park and Kona is at least 2 1/2 hours. If you haven't made your accomodation arrangements yet, consider Volcano House which is the lodge in the park. I looked it over during my visit and when I go back (note I say "when" not "if"), I definitely would like to stay there!

Thanks to all who gave advice.

We used it well. We manged to get to see all 3 Lighthouses on Oahu and the two on Kauai. We did not have time for any on Hawaii.

I don't have any way to upload photos on this laptop so that will have to wait until we get back to NJ. I'll ad the narative later when I have more time.

Thanks again!

Dennis

Looking forward to the trip presentation. Glad it was a good time.

Sorry for the delay.

I was unavoidable detained in Detroit. I wasn't even supposed to go to Detroit, but as they say God works in mysterious ways.

I was flying home on 7-22 from my Hawaii CA Lighthouse Poco trip and when we got to Minneapolis the second portion of our flight to Philadelphia was cancelled. We were sent to Detroit with a third leg added for Philadelphia.

When we got to Detroit all flights to NY & Philadelphia were cancelled until at least 8 PM and by the time we got through on the phone the only available seats were on Wed 7-23 so we shuttled over ti the Fairfield Inn toi spend the night as I could not contact my Nephew who lives in the area.

I awoke unexpectedly at about 4 AM with various chest, neck and arm pains. I hadn't been feeling the best for a good bit of the trip, but had put off doing anything thinking it was just a different diet, climate, etc. I thought it was indigestion on previous occasions.

It wasn't- I had a heart attack. Literally, not figuratively. Esther contacted my Nephew and we got the name of a hospital and called 911.

I went in had some tests was given a cardiac catherization which found one artery completely blocked and two others partially blocked. The Doctor performed an angioplasty and installed a stent in the one artery and left the others for the Doctors in NJ to deal with.

I got out of the hospital Friday evening and stayed with my Nephew and his wife on Saturday and flew home today.

Of course when we got to the airport our flight was canceled, but it only delayed us 1 1/2 hours this time, not 5 days.

I'll get to editing the pictures as soon as possible. The narrative may be a bit shaky this time- I can't find my notes, yet.

I have this to say- if you think it's indigestion and you are a white male over 40 , overweight with diabetes or high blood pressure- it probably isn't and go to the Emergency Room immediately. They won't call you names, and it may save your life.

Luckily, I didn't learn quite the hard way- I'm still here. I lucked out. I won't make the same mistake again.

Dennis

Sorry to hear that you weren't feeling well, but glad that you are doing better!

Good advice for all, not just men.

Take care of yourself.

Dennis, that is not the way to end your vacation! But your advice is right on the money. The exact thing happened to I.O. 4 years ago and he's fine today. Another half hour and he would have been a goner. I can't begin to imagine the number of lives that have been saved by this relatively simple procedure.

Take care of yourself and get that follow-up treatment if necessary. Your photos and write-up can wait!

Dennis...I'm so sorry you had to end your vacation like that...but also very thankful that you were able to get help in time.

Just possibly your experience and advice will save someone else. Take care and follow your doctor's instructions. Sue's advice is very wise...many things can wait until later. This is a time to put yourself first. Truly glad you're here!

Judy

Don't worry. I'm doing what I'm suppossed to do.

I have an appointment with my primary Doctor tomorrow and will go from there. I just wanted to let people know why I hadn't put any info out yet.

And give people a heads up on a common problem- hardheadedness.

Dennis

Dennis,

So sorry to hear about the heart attack, but very happy to hear that everything is turning out well for you. God does work in mysterious ways. Thanks to Him you were in Detroit and not at 35000 ft away from any help. We will keep you in our prayers for good health and a quick recovery. Take it easy and take good care of yourself.

Bert

Dennis,

I'm sorry to hear about your heart attack. Like everyone else, I'm glad you're OK!

Thanks also for the advice you gave and Diane's comment about the advice not just being for men. I just spent the last several days visiting my dad in the hospital. He had coronary bypass surgery last Wednesday. He's doing great and got to go home today. Yeah!

I hope everyone who reads these posts follows your advice. Also, people should consider getting their cholesterol checked now and then.

Take Care!

Tammy

Dennis,

I'm sorry to read about the ending to your trip. Thank goodness you were in a location to receive quick medical help.

I hope you continue to improve quickly. I always enjoy reading your posts on the forums.

Take care.

Lorie,

Don't worry- it would take more than a heart attack to shut me up.

I tend to speak first and then think sometimes, but I probably won't change much there either (I'm still usually right- except when I'm wrong )

Dennis

Dennis,
Sorry to here about your hart attack, glad to here everything worked out for you. They say knowing the feelings and signs can be a life saver and in your case im sure it was. Take Care Ron

Dennis,
I just read your post, and like the others, I'm glad you're ok. Looking forward to seeing pictures from your trip. Take it easy.

Jared