Maui or the Big Island?

redjellybean128 · June 2012

Hello again,

I posted a week or so ago about booking our flights to Hawaii. We decided we are going to take our chances and see what rates/availability looks like in the fall. But you guys also made some fantastic suggestions and was hoping to get some opinions again. We've narrowed down or choice of islands to Maui and the Big Island. We are still going to do 10 days. I've spoken to people that have spent 7-10 days on Maui and still did not run out of things to do/see but I'm not sure about the big island. The hilton Waikoloa Village resort looks amazing on the website. Has anyone stayed there? It also seems like there should be enough there to keep us busy for 10 days. We're leaning towards just doing one island, I think it will be less stressful in the end. So I guess my questions are has anyone stayed at Waikoloa Village? and for those that have been to both, which island did you prefer and why?

Thanks in advance!

fallbride1109 · June 2012

We went to Maui for 9 days and we were never bored. I have a day by day of what we did in my bio.

HobokensFury · June 2012

I've been to both, I would choose Maui for a HM.

xctennis · June 2012

What sort of things do you want to do? If you're looking for beaches go to Maui, if you're looking for hiking, volcanoes, and are less interested in beaches go to the Big Island.

Cinderella30 · June 2012

My husband and I love Kona (we've been there twice) We've driven around the entire island and visited pretty much every single beach there is on Kona (we found some hidden gems). We visited the Volcano National Park and stayed to watch the lava flow late at night. We've gone ziplining, atv riding, snorkeling, etc. We've even driven to the green sand beach (you need a 4x4). We stayed at the Hilton the first time we visited. It's a nice property but it felt a bit Disney at times, there were a lot of kids due to the pools. However, there were some adult areas as well. There is no beach however. The second time we went to Kona we stayed at the Marriott which had a nice beach. Both hotels are in a nice area close to several restaurants but you could also go to Alii Drive where they have some other amazing places to eat....loved Huggo's. Maui is also very nice but we felt like there wasn't as many adventurous activities. If you want to relax a bit I would say Maui....if you want to be constantly out and about then Kona is your island.

NotATotalBetty · June 2012

BF and I went to Hawaii last summer, and we spilt our time. We had 45 nights on Maui can't remember which at the Westin Resort Villas in Kaanapali, and then 3 nights at Mauna Lani Bay on the Kona coast. Best of both worlds, fun and excitement on Maui, laid back pampering and slower pace on the Big Island!

jagore08 · June 2012

We went to Maui for 7 days and were doing some sort of activity every day. Which ever island you choose think about what activities you want to do and try to book ahead to get deals. One thing you really should book ahead (like a few weeks ahead) is the luau. If you're staying in a resort then they may already have a spot saved for you but if not then they sell out quickly.

lauren123455 · June 2012

I've never been to the Big Island so I can't do a comparison, but I have to disagree with the statements that there is a lack of adventurous activity on Maui. If you buy the Maui revealed book and want to get out there exploring, you'll never have a dull moment. Hiking along the northwestern coast of Maui is amazing --- to the Tiered Pools, the Nakalele Blowhole, and the Olivine Pools...and then the drive down the one-lane portion of Rt. 30 to Julie's Banana Bread in Kahakuloa was probably one of the more petrifying experiences in my life. And there are tons of awesome, more secluded hikes that you can do along the Road to Hana (that you def won't do on one of the guided tours). After the Haleakala sunrise, you can mountain bike 25 miles down the mountain, which is breathtaking in and of itself. There's also the opportunity for great beaches on Maui, but they're definitely not the only thing to do there.