HAWAII HELP!

mrsbtobe-2

My wedding isn't until November 2018 but since the budget is constantly changing gears we are already looking into all aspects. Venue is booked, and band is booked now. We definitely want to go to hawaii for our honeymoon and I'm wondering if anyone has advice, sites they booked with, etc. We were originally thinking europe but would like to stay with beachy warmer weather vibes. Also looking to do some hiking, ziplining, etc. TIA!!! 

OliveOilsMom

How long are you looking at staying in Hawaii?  If you have never been, each island has their own flavor.

Oahu - Is like a city with a beach for half of the island.  The other half can be calmer and quieter.  Pearl Harbor is here and is worth the trip.  I also recommend a tour of the Missouri, but that you need to pay for.  Pearl Harbor, itself, is free to attend, though you must have a ticket which can be reserved in advance.  After visiting Pearl Harbor with my H on our honeymoon, we don't have a desire to return to Oahu. 

Maui - Not as commercialized as Oahu, but still lots of tourists.  Maui is a good mix of Oahu and Kauai, which is the least developed.  Great beaches and lots of things to do.  Sunrise or sunset at Haleakala, the Road to Hana, drive around the West Maui Mountains, lots of cool little towns to explore as well.

Kauai - Least developed of all the islands.  Can be the most expensive out the bunch too.  The NaPali coast is an amazing thing to see, I recommend Captain Andy's dinner cruise to see it from the water.  Waimea Canyon is absolutely beautiful.  Again, lots of great small little towns.  Kauai Backcountry Adventures does this great tubing through the irrigation tunnels dug out of the mountains for the sugar farmers.  It was our most favorite activity on Kauai.

Big Island - Can fit all of the other islands into it.  Has a bit of everything.  The active volcano is on BI.  There are two major areas where visitors flock to and the volcano is a 2 hour drive from both of them.  We stayed in Kailua-Kona and loved it.  We were only there for 3 nights, but when we get to return to Hawaii, we will stay on the BI for a full week.  There really is that much to see!

All of the islands, you will find zip lining, horseback riding, ATV tours, helicopter tours, boat tours, hiking, etc.  Obviously the only active volcano is on BI and probably worth the stay to see the caldera glow at night. 

If you can, I would recommend staying on at least 2 different islands to start getting a taste of which islands you prefer.  We will stay on Kauai and BI for a week each on our next Hawaii adventure, whenever that will happen.

As for airfare, I usually just shop around all of the online sites until I find what/when I need and within my price range.  If you are going anywhere near Thanksgiving, you may see an uptick in pricing of everything.  It can also be cheaper to buy the island hopping flights separate from my flight to/from the state, so look at both options.  That was what I did for our honeymoon.  The last time we went in January 2015, I purchased my airfare starting in Seattle (we live near Philly), then to Maui, BI, Kauai and all the way back to Philly.  I then separately purchased our flight from Philly to Seattle.  We actually stayed overnight in Seattle the night before we flew to HI, so that helped cut back on time change issues.  It also broke up the cramped 10 hours of flying for our legs and backs.

We also have a timeshare, so we often have to get our rooms based on the timeshare's availability.  On Kauai we have always stayed in Princeville.  In Maui I have stayed in both Lahaina and Kihei.  On Oahu, I have stayed in Waikiki and Kailua (quieter area opposite Waikiki).  On the BI we have stayed in Kailua-Kona but plan to stay at the hotel at the volcano for at least one night to see the caldera glowing instead of driving back on very dark roads for 2 hours.  They do run bus trips that return after dark so you can see the caldera.  That may be an option for us too.

madamerwin

Agree w/PP's suggestions, but just wanted to add: When H and I last went to Hawaii, we rented a condo through VRBO.com (or maybe Homeaway.com, I don't really remember). These sites lists individual owners' condos/vacation rentals, as well as deals through resorts. We ended up renting a studio apartment across from the beach in Kihei (Maui) for $65/night (granted, this was 6 years ago, but I can't imagine prices would go up THAT much in that time). Plus, we had a kitchen, so we were able to make some of our own meals. There are definitely really reasonable rental options out there!

mrsbtobe-2

this was fabulous- thanks! We are from Long island and trying to do 2 nights in Napa Valley first to break up the flights and experience that. Thank you !! 

CMGragain

I'm going to recommend the Norwegian Cruise around the islands again.  If you stay in a resort, you will see that island.  On the ship, you will travel around to see different islands, and sample many beaches and activities.  Cruises are most-inclusive.  Alcohol, tips and excursions (like zip line) are extra.

It is too early to book a cruise for Nov. 2018, but here is an example for 2017 to give you an idea.  (The website is my favorite travel agency, and it is safe.)

http://www.vacationstogo.com/fastdeal.cfm?deal=24390

ernursej

I'd recommend Maui. We did side trips to Oahu and the Big Island and although they were interesting, Maui was perfect. If you are looking for decent accommodations look at Puamana in Lahaina. We use these all the time and they are fantastic. http://www.puamanavacations.com/

Jells2dot0

also, to learn more about the islands, check out gohawaii.com. They have all kinds of info on there, including a search tool to find a Hawaii Specialist travel agent!

WinstonsGirl

I recommend renting a condo instead of a hotel to cut a bit on costs.  We usually do breakfast/lunch in the condo and go out for dinner, so you can save on that.  Most islands, other than staying in Waikiki, you'll likely need to rent a car to get around, so remember to budget for that.  

We found the most adventuring on the Big Island as we could drive ourselves to the different sites.  Maui also has the road to Hana, though with the different areas on Maui, do your research to ensure you are staying in an appropriate area.  Maui will also give you easy ferry access to Lanai and Molokai if you're interested.  

All islands will give you hiking and ziplining, so do you have any more specifics as to what you want to do/see?

als1982

Since your wedding is in 2018, I'd suggest credit card churning and travel hacking your way there for free.  Boardingarea.com is a great site for learning more about how to do this.