Hawaii Vacation Tips (Non-Golf)

[games]

Hi All.

Want to surprise my wife with a trip to Hawaii in late February, early March. She's been there in college (over 30 years ago); I've never been. My initial planning shows I can get a week in early March on my hotel points, and non-stop tickets for $925 each plus luggage fees.

 

A few things stopping me because of my lack of knowledge:

 

1. Southwest announced they're going to start booking to Hawaii in 2018. I assume this might bring airfare down. Should I wait?

 

2. Some air/flight packages I looked at seem to be the same price as my planned airfare plus using points. Air options are not non-stop, though, and some appear they are trying to book two stops on the way out to avoid the price of the first hotel night.

 

3. Car rental versus public transport?

 

4. Should we consider other venues besides Oahu / Honolulu?

 

Thanks in advance to all willing to share their knowledge and experience. I might sneak away for a round, but would probably just rent clubs, if I did...

[bellken]

no ideals about 1 & 2, but, a car rental to me is a must, since, we like to venture all over the island we are at. If you are a Costco member, it is worth taking a look at their packages, including car rental.

 

Each Hawaiian island has its own charms and blemishes, and, I have enjoyed each one, we have visited. A good resource for Hawaii travel is the Hawaii forum on tripadvisor.

[chickenpotpie]

Each island has its own vibe, so depends what you and your wife want to do. For example, Kauai is most scenic but has very little good beach frontage. Maui has a good mix of the two, but is more developed for sure.

 

Highly recommend getting a car and second what was said about Costco. Everything is more expensive there, but Costco has the cheapest gas by 20+ cents per gallon.

 

Buy the book "-insert island name here- Revealed". There's one for each island, and they do a great job of laying out activities by their type.

[Springsteennut]

Definitely rent a car. Stay away from Oahu/Honolulu. It’s really crowded and hard to get around. I’ve Been to all the islands except Lanai. Each island has it’s own experiences and you can’t go wrong. We even had had a great trip on Molokai which is the least touristy of all the islands. If you could find a way to do both Kauai and Maui that’s the way I’d go. The Big island is great and Volcanoes National is really interesting but you have to travel long distances to get around the island so you really need a whole week so you don’t feel your in the car all the time. If you’re doing two islands go for ten days if you can. Like the other poster said do your reading and find the activities that are best for you. Now you’ve got me thinking about our next trip.

[golfandfishing]

Echo the above - been to Honolulu on business and Maui and Kona for vacation and I’ll keep it that way. Maui was awesome scenery and the beaches are great. Kona lacks the long stretches of beach but lots of access points for snorkeling. If you go to Kona take the night manta ray trip. Maui - molokini was fun but we had excellent snorkeling and loads of turtles at our beach in black rock. Guided tour of road to Hana was a good day.

Car is a must - so many beautiful places to see in Hawaii. Seemed to me Maui was more affordable in terms of food, etc but I may have just been more mentally prepared for it.

 

Honolulu is basically Los Angeles.

[bscinstnct]

Definitely rent a car. Stay away from Oahu/Honolulu. It’s really crowded and hard to get around. I’ve Been to all the islands except Lanai. Each island has it’s own experiences and you can’t go wrong. We even had had a great trip on Molokai which is the least touristy of all the islands. If you could find a way to do both Kauai and Maui that’s the way I’d go. The Big island is great and Volcanoes National is really interesting but you have to travel long distances to get around the island so you really need a whole week so you don’t feel your in the car all the time. If you’re doing two islands go for ten days if you can. Like the other poster said do your reading and find the activities that are best for you. Now you’ve got me thinking about our next trip.

 

Agree. I think maui would be best if only can do one island.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

1: Regarding the Southwest I don't think they are going to officially release a schedule and actual routes until later next year. Only thing that has been announced has been them eventually going to Hawaii. Also they will only have a few airports with flights so depending on where you are coming from it might be more trouble than it is worth with the connections.

 

1A: I've found at least with Hawaiian Air the best rates come 30-60 days out, but we usually go Sept-Oct so usage may vary on that strategy. ~$500 round trip per person from PHX non stop

 

2: We usually use Airbnb wayyyyy cheaper than hotels and can stay in better spots than say downtown Honolulu.

 

3: Car rental and I usually keep an eye on prices, last minute the price seems to drop, there has been 1 or 2 times I have actually cancelled my Enterprise reservation and re booked at the last minute and saved a couple hundred.

 

4: I actually love Oahu but man Honolulu/Waikiki absolutely suck. We never spend any time down there other than dinner at the restaurant my wife works for here in AZ. So many tourists and homeless. Walking around the streets there is nothing that screams hey were in Hawaii, tons of high end retail that the Asian tourists love. Crazy to walk down there and see uber expensive winter jackets and boots in the window displays.

 

5: Some of my favorite spots on Oahu

Windward/Southside

Kailua town

Kailua Beach

Lanikai Beach (seriously one of the prettiest beaches anywhere in the world)

Sandy Beach Park south of Waikiki (be very careful of the shorebreak it will F you up)

 

North Shore.

Haleiwa, Turtle Bay North Shore beaches Sunset, Pipe (Ehukai) Waimea Laniakea(sea turtle beach)

 

Things we enjoy doing on Oahu

Breakfast at Liliha in Honolulu the original one on Liliha St. Honestly the place I miss most when we leave

Hiking tons of trails everything from waterfalls to beachside hikes something for all kinds of skill levels

The village of Haleiwa just a cool north shore village. Matsumoto shave ice is a must. Clark Little Gallery. Really cool surf photographer.

Ted's Bakery Just North of Sunset beach another good breakfast spot.

Waimea Falls and botanical gardens.

 

 

Our days pretty much consist of getting breakfast going on a hike, get lunch, go to the beach get dinner, go to sleep. Usually on play 1-2 rounds of golf as the golf is not that great on the Oahu. I could sit and watch sea turtles at the beach all day too. I love the Honu. If we are there for 7 days usually split it up 3 days in Kailua and 3 in North Shore

 

Doing Maui/Oahu in the fall Eventually really want to go visit Kauai too heard it is super laid back and if you are the outdoorsy type it is fantastic.

[glk]

We did 10 days on Maui with a day trip to Oahu in October 2016. Booked through Costco. Stayed in the Lahaina Shores Beach Resort - just a short walk from downtown Lahaina.

 

Snorkled Molikini crater and turtle town - also Lanai - the crater and turtle town were great - Lanai, meh.

Hike and biked Haleakala - biking meh, hiking bring extra lungs - pretty cool. Lounged on the beach. Did a Luau just cause - probably not a repeat.

Ate lots of good seafood. Liked Leoda's Kitchen, Star Noodle, Maui Brewery, and would eat at Paia Fish Market at lot in downtown across from the Banyon tree.

We did not drive the road to Hana - busy with other things - drove to the Nakalele blow hole though.

Unfortunately some really heavy rains came through a week before we arrived and flooded the Iao valley - we planned to hike it but it was closed. Disappointing.

We were too early for whale watching believe it is Dec-March - Lots of boats right in Lahana harbor.

 

Costco is the only place to go to get gas - prices were around 70 center or so cheaper than anywhere else - it's right next to the airport.

 

We bought stuff for breakfast in our condo - had a nice view of Lanai - and ate out the rest of the time. So we went cheap on the condo cause we didn't really spend much

time in it - didn't golf. Being walking distance from downtown Lahaina was great.

[GolfNuts4]

North Shore of Kauai....do not go to Hawaii and not go there, been to Hawaii a lot....it is the best spot. Princeville and keep going north to the end of the road.

[chickenpotpie]

With regard to the Road to Hana, my wife and I were kind of done with it after a few hours. The highlight for us was finding a private spot on the coast to eat lunch. If you do go, I'd suggest taking a tour unless you like to drive 25 mph or less for 8 hours

[golfandfishing]

^^^

100% have someone drive you on the road to Hana.

[swats]

^^^

100% have someone drive you on the road to Hana.

 

Just for another opinion, I am not a big fan of tours in that I like to plan my own schedule and take as much (or little) time as I want. My wife and I drove Hana back in 2013 and had a great time. Used an app called Gyspy Guide and it points out all of the great stops on the drive, using your gps to indicate when you're close to something interesting and then tells you about it and where to park, etc.. The driving part does get a little tedious but my wife loves to drive so that made it manageable. The best part by far was the Pipiwai trail, just past the Oheo pools. Fantastic hike upriver, through bamboo forests that ends at a large waterfall. We started at 6:30am to make a full day of it. I used the forum at Trip Advisor for a lot of my research for all of our Hawaii trips.

[games]

First, thanks to all of you who responded. I'm grateful for the insight. Based on the responses, I think I am going to change our destination to Maui.

 

Also, it sounds like Costco membership may be justified, not just for the gas prices, but possibly trip booking as well! I need to look at that option, too. Might have to pick up a few packs of K-Sigs if the darn things ever show up again...

 

I am truly blessed to be in a position to take my wife to one of the few places on her "bucket list." Thanks again for the tips and hints!

[swats]

First, thanks to all of you who responded. I'm grateful for the insight. Based on the responses, I think I am going to change our destination to Maui.

 

Also, it sounds like Costco membership may be justified, not just for the gas prices, but possibly trip booking as well! I need to look at that option, too. Might have to pick up a few packs of K-Sigs if the darn things ever show up again...

 

I am truly blessed to be in a position to take my wife to one of the few places on her "bucket list." Thanks again for the tips and hints!

 

We have used Costco travel twice for our Hawaii trips. They are usually similar pricing to others or cheaper but Costco includes a rental car as well (typically) and sometimes other incentives. You can find some really good deals. On our Maui trip we stayed at the Ritz Kapalua and the Costco trip included a $500 hotel credit, which we used to play the Plantation course (which was great).

[Argonne69]

With regard to the Road to Hana, my wife and I were kind of done with it after a few hours. The highlight for us was finding a private spot on the coast to eat lunch. If you do go, I'd suggest taking a tour unless you like to drive 25 mph or less for 8 hours

 

My suggestion is to rent an open air Jeep for the day. I parked my rental car at the airport, and rented a Wrangler. Rather than return from Hana on the same route, continue around on the south (leeward) side of the island on the Piilani Highway. It's an amazing experience. Unlike the windward side that gets a lot of rain, and is thus a rain forest, the south side is a desert. On your right is Haleakala at 9740 feet. To your immediate left is a large cliff along the ocean. The steep slope from the summit to the ocean is an amazing sight. I thought I was driving on Mars.

 

The road is off limits to non-4wd rental vehicles, so unlike the crowded, twisty road leading to Hana, the road past the Seven Pools is nearly empty. I think I saw one or two other vehicles. I certainly saw more cattle than cars. An added bonus is that this direct route is 53 miles from Kahului, ~2 hours driving. Heading back the way you came can take an 1+ hours more depending on traffic.

 

 

 

Speaking of Haleakala, make sure you take a trip up to the visitor's center on the rim to watch the sun rise. You'll need to leave a few hours before sunrise. It's frikin cold up there, so grab the blankets from your hotel room. I left very early to beat the traffic, and caught some sleep in my car before hiking to the visitor's center. After the sun rose, I caught a few more hours of sleep in the car before heading back, once again to avoid the heavy traffic heading down from the summit. Whether you like star gazing or not, the view of the Milky Way from the clear air on the summit is amazing. You've probably never seen that many stars.

 

Another option is a Haleakala Sunrise Bike Tour that drives you up to the summit to watch the sun rise, and then you coast down the volcano on big cruiser bicycles.

 

 

Lastly, do you scuba? When I visited there was an outfit that worked out of Maalaea Bay that took you out to Molokini Crater. Rather than spend hours learning to scuba, they gave us a short lesson while we were heading out there on the boat. It was my first scuba dive. The crater is a fairly safe spot, and the instructor swam with us, so the limited training didn't feel unsafe.

[tocino]

Definitely rent a car. Stay away from Oahu/Honolulu. It's really crowded and hard to get around. I've Been to all the islands except Lanai. Each island has it's own experiences and you can't go wrong. We even had had a great trip on Molokai which is the least touristy of all the islands. If you could find a way to do both Kauai and Maui that's the way I'd go. The Big island is great and Volcanoes National is really interesting but you have to travel long distances to get around the island so you really need a whole week so you don't feel your in the car all the time. If you're doing two islands go for ten days if you can. Like the other poster said do your reading and find the activities that are best for you. Now you've got me thinking about our next trip.

 

Agree. I think maui would be best if only can do one island.

 

I also concur. Maui is my favorite so far although I still haven't made it to Kauai yet. However, don't dismiss Oahu entirely, Honolulu/Waikiki can suck but most of the rest of the island is pretty nice. If you do decide to go to Oahu and you want to go visit the USS Arizona, make sure you reserve your tickets way in advance. If you try and grab a pair during your visit, expect to be disappointed.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Definitely rent a car. Stay away from Oahu/Honolulu. It's really crowded and hard to get around. I've Been to all the islands except Lanai. Each island has it's own experiences and you can't go wrong. We even had had a great trip on Molokai which is the least touristy of all the islands. If you could find a way to do both Kauai and Maui that's the way I'd go. The Big island is great and Volcanoes National is really interesting but you have to travel long distances to get around the island so you really need a whole week so you don't feel your in the car all the time. If you're doing two islands go for ten days if you can. Like the other poster said do your reading and find the activities that are best for you. Now you've got me thinking about our next trip.

 

Agree. I think maui would be best if only can do one island.

 

I also concur. Maui is my favorite so far although I still haven't made it to Kauai yet. However, don't dismiss Oahu entirely, Honolulu/Waikiki can suck but most of the rest of the island is pretty nice. If you do decide to go to Oahu and you want to go visit the USS Arizona, make sure you reserve your tickets way in advance. If you try and grab a pair during your visit, expect to be disappointed.

 

100% agree, most of the resorts are in Waikiki, with Ko'olina and Turtle Bay as the exceptions, Once you get outside of Waikiki the island is fantastic, Windward side is awesome and so is the North Shore.This is where Airbnb has been huge for us, being able to stay well outside of Waikiki so not spending half the day stuck in traffic is a big plus.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Couple of our go to spots on Oahu

Turtle Bay

[fried121]

North Shore of Kauai....do not go to Hawaii and not go there, been to Hawaii a lot....it is the best spot. Princeville and keep going north to the end of the road.

 

Seconded for both Kauai and Princeville as well. Gorgeous beaches, scenery, food, and golf as well if you can fit it in. I have to say, if you can make time for a few rounds it has the most beautiful golf courses I have played on(Tied with Scotland-->history alone). The courses are so beautiful that I'd recommend walking them for the views alone.

[pappaf2]

First, thanks to all of you who responded. I'm grateful for the insight. Based on the responses, I think I am going to change our destination to Maui.

 

Also, it sounds like Costco membership may be justified, not just for the gas prices, but possibly trip booking as well! I need to look at that option, too. Might have to pick up a few packs of K-Sigs if the darn things ever show up again...

 

I am truly blessed to be in a position to take my wife to one of the few places on her "bucket list." Thanks again for the tips and hints!

 

We have used Costco travel twice for our Hawaii trips. They are usually similar pricing to others or cheaper but Costco includes a rental car as well (typically) and sometimes other incentives. You can find some really good deals. On our Maui trip we stayed at the Ritz Kapalua and the Costco trip included a $500 hotel credit, which we used to play the Plantation course (which was great).

 

We used the same Costco Ritz deal last time we went to Maui. It's a great resort but it doesn't have a great beach (windy). The pool is great and the staff are on top of it. If you do end up at the Ritz Kapalua there is a Mai Tai at the pool bar (no longer on the menu as it's "too strong"). I think it's called a 1938 or 1943 or something, get yourself a few of those.

 

If you go to maui and want to go to Mama's fish house to eat I recommend doing it the day you come into the island as it's right by the airport. It's relatively far from most of the resort area's of the island.

 

Merrimans in Kapalua is a nice place to eat and right on the water.

 

Eating breakfast or Lunch at the Plantation Course is a good way to go, that way you can see the views you miss in the dark for dinner.

 

Waikiki is certainly different. Big city right on the ocean. It sort of feels like you are not in the US when you go due to all the Asian and Australian tourists there. It's interesting to check out for a couple days. We've like stayed at the Moana Surfrider when we've gone to Waikiki.

[tocino]

First, thanks to all of you who responded. I'm grateful for the insight. Based on the responses, I think I am going to change our destination to Maui.

 

Also, it sounds like Costco membership may be justified, not just for the gas prices, but possibly trip booking as well! I need to look at that option, too. Might have to pick up a few packs of K-Sigs if the darn things ever show up again...

 

I am truly blessed to be in a position to take my wife to one of the few places on her "bucket list." Thanks again for the tips and hints!

 

We have used Costco travel twice for our Hawaii trips. They are usually similar pricing to others or cheaper but Costco includes a rental car as well (typically) and sometimes other incentives. You can find some really good deals. On our Maui trip we stayed at the Ritz Kapalua and the Costco trip included a $500 hotel credit, which we used to play the Plantation course (which was great).

 

We used the same Costco Ritz deal last time we went to Maui. It's a great resort but it doesn't have a great beach (windy). The pool is great and the staff are on top of it. If you do end up at the Ritz Kapalua there is a Mai Tai at the pool bar (no longer on the menu as it's "too strong"). I think it's called a 1938 or 1943 or something, get yourself a few of those.

 

If you go to maui and want to go to Mama's fish house to eat I recommend doing it the day you come into the island as it's right by the airport. It's relatively far from most of the resort area's of the island.

 

Merrimans in Kapalua is a nice place to eat and right on the water.

 

Eating breakfast or Lunch at the Plantation Course is a good way to go, that way you can see the views you miss in the dark for dinner.

 

Waikiki is certainly different. Big city right on the ocean. It sort of feels like you are not in the US when you go due to all the Asian and Australian tourists there. It's interesting to check out for a couple days. We've like stayed at the Moana Surfrider when we've gone to Waikiki.

 

Don't forget to stop by Da Kitchen if you're into plate lunches (it's also by the airport in Maui). Eh! Dey got ono grinds dere, brah! Straight broke da mouth!

[swats]

First, thanks to all of you who responded. I'm grateful for the insight. Based on the responses, I think I am going to change our destination to Maui.

 

Also, it sounds like Costco membership may be justified, not just for the gas prices, but possibly trip booking as well! I need to look at that option, too. Might have to pick up a few packs of K-Sigs if the darn things ever show up again...

 

I am truly blessed to be in a position to take my wife to one of the few places on her "bucket list." Thanks again for the tips and hints!

 

We have used Costco travel twice for our Hawaii trips. They are usually similar pricing to others or cheaper but Costco includes a rental car as well (typically) and sometimes other incentives. You can find some really good deals. On our Maui trip we stayed at the Ritz Kapalua and the Costco trip included a $500 hotel credit, which we used to play the Plantation course (which was great).

 

We used the same Costco Ritz deal last time we went to Maui. It's a great resort but it doesn't have a great beach (windy). The pool is great and the staff are on top of it. If you do end up at the Ritz Kapalua there is a Mai Tai at the pool bar (no longer on the menu as it's "too strong"). I think it's called a 1938 or 1943 or something, get yourself a few of those.

 

If you go to maui and want to go to Mama's fish house to eat I recommend doing it the day you come into the island as it's right by the airport. It's relatively far from most of the resort area's of the island.

 

Merrimans in Kapalua is a nice place to eat and right on the water.

 

Eating breakfast or Lunch at the Plantation Course is a good way to go, that way you can see the views you miss in the dark for dinner.

 

Waikiki is certainly different. Big city right on the ocean. It sort of feels like you are not in the US when you go due to all the Asian and Australian tourists there. It's interesting to check out for a couple days. We've like stayed at the Moana Surfrider when we've gone to Waikiki.

 

I agree about the beach at the Ritz. It's a little too far north and does get affected by the north swells during the winter (also can be a little rainier than Lahina). Kapalua beach is typically much calmer. We upgraded our Costo Ritz package to a club level room. If you are going to be near the resort during meal times it more than pays for itself. There is a dedicated club room with unlimited food for breakfast, lunch, tea (little sandwiches) and dessert, just no dinner. We don't eat a lot so it was more than enough food for us for the whole day. Also includes all drinks, including alcohol.

 

Loved Merrimans at sunset. Being the beer dork we also ate at Maui Brewing. Hiking wise I'd also recommend the west Maui mountain hike, the Waihee Ridge trail. I love Hawaii and look for any opportunity to get back :)

[pappaf2]

First, thanks to all of you who responded. I'm grateful for the insight. Based on the responses, I think I am going to change our destination to Maui.

 

Also, it sounds like Costco membership may be justified, not just for the gas prices, but possibly trip booking as well! I need to look at that option, too. Might have to pick up a few packs of K-Sigs if the darn things ever show up again...

 

I am truly blessed to be in a position to take my wife to one of the few places on her "bucket list." Thanks again for the tips and hints!

 

We have used Costco travel twice for our Hawaii trips. They are usually similar pricing to others or cheaper but Costco includes a rental car as well (typically) and sometimes other incentives. You can find some really good deals. On our Maui trip we stayed at the Ritz Kapalua and the Costco trip included a $500 hotel credit, which we used to play the Plantation course (which was great).

 

We used the same Costco Ritz deal last time we went to Maui. It's a great resort but it doesn't have a great beach (windy). The pool is great and the staff are on top of it. If you do end up at the Ritz Kapalua there is a Mai Tai at the pool bar (no longer on the menu as it's "too strong"). I think it's called a 1938 or 1943 or something, get yourself a few of those.

 

If you go to maui and want to go to Mama's fish house to eat I recommend doing it the day you come into the island as it's right by the airport. It's relatively far from most of the resort area's of the island.

 

Merrimans in Kapalua is a nice place to eat and right on the water.

 

Eating breakfast or Lunch at the Plantation Course is a good way to go, that way you can see the views you miss in the dark for dinner.

 

Waikiki is certainly different. Big city right on the ocean. It sort of feels like you are not in the US when you go due to all the Asian and Australian tourists there. It's interesting to check out for a couple days. We've like stayed at the Moana Surfrider when we've gone to Waikiki.

 

I agree about the beach at the Ritz. It's a little too far north and does get affected by the north swells during the winter (also can be a little rainier than Lahina). Kapalua beach is typically much calmer. We upgraded our Costo Ritz package to a club level room. If you are going to be near the resort during meal times it more than pays for itself. There is a dedicated club room with unlimited food for breakfast, lunch, tea (little sandwiches) and dessert, just no dinner. We don't eat a lot so it was more than enough food for us for the whole day. Also includes all drinks, including alcohol.

 

Loved Merrimans at sunset. Being the beer dork we also ate at Maui Brewing. Hiking wise I'd also recommend the west Maui mountain hike, the Waihee Ridge trail. I love Hawaii and look for any opportunity to get back :)

 

Yeah Merrimans sunset is a beaut!

 

 

 

 

View from the Ritz Pool Deck. They have some lawn games (bocce, corn hole, croquet)

 

 

 

Lunch at Mama's

 

 

[T-3]

Buy the book "-insert island name here- Revealed". There's one for each island, and they do a great job of laying out activities by their type.

 

^^^These books (+app combo) are the best travel guide book I’ve used anywhere. I’ve used them on Maui, Kauai and the Big island. Especially good for navigating around and making sure you’re not missing some spectacular waterfall or overlook just around the corner.

 

Even better and more effective, I’m sure, if you read the book before you arrive!

[swats]

Buy the book "-insert island name here- Revealed". There's one for each island, and they do a great job of laying out activities by their type.

 

^^^These books (+app combo) are the best travel guide book I’ve used anywhere. I’ve used them on Maui, Kauai and the Big island. Especially good for navigating around and making sure you’re not missing some spectacular waterfall or overlook just around the corner.

 

Even better and more effective, I’m sure, if you read the book before you arrive!

 

There are many locals that hate these books (they call them " - Reviled"). Mostly because of some advice that proposes trespassing on private land, smug humor and perceived lack of respect.

[chickenpotpie]

Buy the book "-insert island name here- Revealed". There's one for each island, and they do a great job of laying out activities by their type.

 

^^^These books (+app combo) are the best travel guide book I’ve used anywhere. I’ve used them on Maui, Kauai and the Big island. Especially good for navigating around and making sure you’re not missing some spectacular waterfall or overlook just around the corner.

 

Even better and more effective, I’m sure, if you read the book before you arrive!

 

There are many locals that hate these books (they call them " - Reviled"). Mostly because of some advice that proposes trespassing on private land, smug humor and perceived lack of respect.

 

Yes...I heard this as well. My favorite was one of the waterfall hikes you can do on the road to Hana. Without digging it up, it basically involved climbing up two waterfalls, ending up on some portion of private land, swimming 100 ft to another one climbing that and then hiking to a 4th. I guess most people stop at the 1st or 2nd, but if you have the book you know to keep going. (I might have gotten the order of events wrong, but that's the gist of it)

 

I even heard that the 1st edition had so much (too much) local flavor that they were asked to remove some of it for the 2nd edition. Basically, visitors were showing up at purely local spots that no visitor to the island could possibly know about unless they lived there for a long time. You can't find the 1st editions anymore, but I guess while you could still find them, they sold for more than the later editions.

 

 

[baddomes]

^^^

100% have someone drive you on the road to Hana.

 

Just for another opinion, I am not a big fan of tours in that I like to plan my own schedule and take as much (or little) time as I want. My wife and I drove Hana back in 2013 and had a great time. Used an app called Gyspy Guide and it points out all of the great stops on the drive, using your gps to indicate when you're close to something interesting and then tells you about it and where to park, etc.. The driving part does get a little tedious but my wife loves to drive so that made it manageable. The best part by far was the Pipiwai trail, just past the Oheo pools. Fantastic hike upriver, through bamboo forests that ends at a large waterfall. We started at 6:30am to make a full day of it. I used the forum at Trip Advisor for a lot of my research for all of our Hawaii trips.

 

Used your advice last week. The Gypsy Guide was really great. Basically a guided tour as you drive along. And the Pipiwai trail was worth the trip.

 

Drive out is good if you leave early enough. Drive back is stressful. It helps if you can get in the middle/back of a 3 or 4 car train.

[swats]

^^^

100% have someone drive you on the road to Hana.

 

Just for another opinion, I am not a big fan of tours in that I like to plan my own schedule and take as much (or little) time as I want. My wife and I drove Hana back in 2013 and had a great time. Used an app called Gyspy Guide and it points out all of the great stops on the drive, using your gps to indicate when you're close to something interesting and then tells you about it and where to park, etc.. The driving part does get a little tedious but my wife loves to drive so that made it manageable. The best part by far was the Pipiwai trail, just past the Oheo pools. Fantastic hike upriver, through bamboo forests that ends at a large waterfall. We started at 6:30am to make a full day of it. I used the forum at Trip Advisor for a lot of my research for all of our Hawaii trips.

 

Used your advice last week. The Gypsy Guide was really great. Basically a guided tour as you drive along. And the Pipiwai trail was worth the trip.

 

Drive out is good if you leave early enough. Drive back is stressful. It helps if you can get in the middle/back of a 3 or 4 car train.

 

Glad it was useful and that you had a great time! My favorite part of the Pipiwai trail was the bamboo forest. It blocks out so much of the sunlight and it's so quiet you can hear the bamboo rattling in the breeze. Did you stop by Wainapanapa State Park? The black sand beach is very cool and it was a great place to see the power of the ocean.

 

Planning a trip to Kauai (only "major" Hawaiian island I've never been to) with the family in April. The flight from the east coast mainland sucks but the rest is awesome!

[baddomes]

^^^

100% have someone drive you on the road to Hana.

 

Just for another opinion, I am not a big fan of tours in that I like to plan my own schedule and take as much (or little) time as I want. My wife and I drove Hana back in 2013 and had a great time. Used an app called Gyspy Guide and it points out all of the great stops on the drive, using your gps to indicate when you're close to something interesting and then tells you about it and where to park, etc.. The driving part does get a little tedious but my wife loves to drive so that made it manageable. The best part by far was the Pipiwai trail, just past the Oheo pools. Fantastic hike upriver, through bamboo forests that ends at a large waterfall. We started at 6:30am to make a full day of it. I used the forum at Trip Advisor for a lot of my research for all of our Hawaii trips.

 

Used your advice last week. The Gypsy Guide was really great. Basically a guided tour as you drive along. And the Pipiwai trail was worth the trip.

 

Drive out is good if you leave early enough. Drive back is stressful. It helps if you can get in the middle/back of a 3 or 4 car train.

 

Glad it was useful and that you had a great time! My favorite part of the Pipiwai trail was the bamboo forest. It blocks out so much of the sunlight and it's so quiet you can hear the bamboo rattling in the breeze. Did you stop by Wainapanapa State Park? The black sand beach is very cool and it was a great place to see the power of the ocean.

 

Planning a trip to Kauai (only "major" Hawaiian island I've never been to) with the family in April. The flight from the east coast mainland sucks but the rest is awesome!

 

Yep we stoped at Wainapanapa and hiked around, Hamoa to chill out on the beach for an hour or so, then Pipiwai trail. Bamboo forest was our favorite part of the trail as well. hearing the bamboo rattle against itself was very unique.