Hawaii Trip Recommendations

[CyHans]

We just got back from Maui a week ago. Traffic can be really bad certain times of the day. We really like the Lahaina Pizza Company (deep dish pizza with a great view of the ocean), Lahaina Fish Company (right on the water) and Aloha Mixed Plate (great view of the ocean) for restaurants. We did the road to Hana but it rained 90% of the time so it was pretty uneventful and lots of traffic. We drove the road that went around the western shore out of Lahaina and the views were stunning. Do some research as there are some great places to stop and view like the blow hole and the Olivine pools but they really aren't marked. The road is one lane for about half of it so you have to take your time and be prepared to stop or back up when meeting traffic.
If you like to snorkel, rent your own stuff and ask for recommendations. There is plenty of snorkeling right off of the beaches without paying for an excursion.

 

[MeanDean]

We love to swim and snorkel so that will be a primary activity as well as some hiking trips(hopefully we can find some good lava tubes).

If you haven't had enough of the snorkeling you can hit Hanauma Bay State Park on Oahu. Very easy snorkeling so if your kids are young this might be a good option.

Disclaimer - I was there a long time ago 1985. So things may be different.

 

[coyoteclone]

Its better not to have everything planned out.....wing it. Locals will tell you what you need to know

 

[VeloClone]

If you take the road to Hana do it first thing in the morning and go to the Pools of Ohe'o and then hike the Pipiwai Trail back to Waimoku Falls. The hike includes a huge bamboo forest that is otherworldly. The sounds it makes on a windy day is something to experience. The falls are 400' feet tall and the hike is vigorous enough that they won't be as busy as the pools. You want to start early because the Seven Pools are really popular and busy in the afternoon. Just be careful on the road to Hana especially if it is or has been raining (which usually is the case). There are often rock falls and you might come around a curve and find debris on the road or equipment cleaning it up.

Also on Maui is the Aquarium of Hawaii also known as the Maui Ocean Center. A good way to see any of the sea life that may evade you in the wild.

To stretch your legs again, hike into Haleakala Crater. It is like a moonscape on earth. Just remember that you are at 10,000 feet so make sure you don't overdo it. Take water with you and leave plenty of energy in the tank for the hike back up out of the crater. Also, drive or walk the rest of the way up to the peak and depending on the weather see how many other islands you can see.

I would say in general don't plan everything. When driving don't be afraid to make unscheduled stops. Some of the best things we saw (often with no other visitors) were just on a whim.

 

[Doc]

Where on the Big Island? Hilo side or Kona side? If it’s Hilo side, that time of year it’s probably going to rain the whole time.

The drive between the two is really cool though. You get a ton of different climates in a two hour drive. You go from the stereotypical Hawaii beaches in Kona, go through some rolling hills like in Wyoming, go through the old volcano fields (where it can get COLD that time of year) an almost rainforest feel and than the rainy side of Hilo. The black sand beaches are cool to see because it’s so unique, but it also just kind of looks like dirt. Volcano National Park would be a must. And if you can get someone to take you, the less known green sand beach is really cool (you can’t get to it if you don’t have an suv or atv though.) I always liked the Kona Brewing Company there. A TON of options you can’t get on the mainland, and the food is actually good.

Maui sucks and is overrated. Lahaina is good, so I hope you’re staying there. Everyone says the Road to Hana, which is cool, but kind of was a take it or leave it thing for me. You should be there for prime whale watching season, though, so you should do that. I suggest the Pacific Whale Foundation, but you probably can’t go wrong with any option. Fresh Fish Market in Lahaina has good food and Da Kitchen in Kahalui probably has the most authentic Kalua pig you’ll find that hasn’t been made by an actual Hawaiian in a ground pit.

On Oahu, Honolulu blows. Don’t waste your time trying to find stuff to do there. Stay away. The North Shore and Sunset Beach is, in my opinion, the best beach in Hawaii. It’s where all of the international surf tournaments are. You’ll probably be too late to catch any, but the waves will probably still be big enough that you’ll be able to check out some really awesome surfing. And while you’re on the North Shore, you can check out Haleiwa as well.

Pearl Harbor is obviously cool and humbling, so I wouldn’t not suggest it, it all just depends on what you want to get out of your one day in Oahu.

When I went, we were able to hike to the Green Sand Beach, plus there were a few locals shuttling people back and forth.

My favorite things were snorkeling with the manta rays near Kona, and night hiking to the lava flowing over the road on Chain of Craters road. I'm not really sure what's going on down there now that they had that larger eruption last year.

 

[cyrocksmypants]

When I went, we were able to hike to the Green Sand Beach, plus there were a few locals shuttling people back and forth.

My favorite things were snorkeling with the manta rays near Kona, and night hiking to the lava flowing over the road on Chain of Craters road. I'm not really sure what's going on down there now that they had that larger eruption last year.

Yeah, I could have worded it better. I just meant you can’t drive right up to it and park in a parking lot with your sedan like you can a lot of other beaches.

 

[CycloneSupt6]

Wife and I spent a day with https://www.mahinahawaii.com/ when we were on Oahu two years ago. Best money we spent! We swam with sea turtles, snorkeled, kayaked out to Chinaman's Hat, climbed to the top and then wrapped up the day jumping off waterfalls. Our guide took pictures all day for us and gave us advice on where to go and what other things do the during the rest of our trip.

 

[SpokaneCY]

We always spend a few days at the volcano and since it just erupted may be a cooler than normal experience.

 

[JMA1125]

Make sure you get real shave ice. NOT a snow cone (the place at Diamond Head is not real shave ice, and it’s shave ice, not shaved ice). Make sure the place has a big block of ice they actually shave. Matsumoto on the North Shore and Brain Freeze in Hilo are the two best.

 

[BeachCyclone]

Was in Honolulu on Friday night enroute to Kauai. My wife can’t stand Honolulu, so we flew out first thing on Saturday to Lihui.

Hapuna Beach (mentioned earlier) on the Big Island and Big Beach on Maui are two of our favorites. There’s usually a pretty good food truck at Big Beach. Don’t let the kids climb over to Little Beach, though, or they’ll be in for a surprise.

 

[NWICY]

Was in Honolulu on Friday night enroute to Kauai. My wife can’t stand Honolulu, so we flew out first thing on Saturday to Lihui.

Hapuna Beach (mentioned earlier) on the Big Island and Big Beach on Maui are two of our favorites. There’s usually a pretty good food truck at Big Beach. Don’t let the kids climb over to Little Beach, though, or they’ll be in for a surprise.

Little Beach clothing optional?

 

[baller21]

Make sure you get real shave ice. NOT a snow cone (the place at Diamond Head is not real shave ice, and it’s shave ice, not shaved ice). Make sure the place has a big block of ice they actually shave. Matsumoto on the North Shore and Brain Freeze in Hilo are the two best.

I like Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha in Honolulu and Local Boys in Lahaina.

 

[baller21]

Was in Honolulu on Friday night enroute to Kauai. My wife can’t stand Honolulu, so we flew out first thing on Saturday to Lihui.

Hapuna Beach (mentioned earlier) on the Big Island and Big Beach on Maui are two of our favorites. There’s usually a pretty good food truck at Big Beach. Don’t let the kids climb over to Little Beach, though, or they’ll be in for a surprise.

Yeah we discovered Little Beach completely by accident. Just exploring and woah...those people are naked.

 

[herbicide]

If you’re renting a car on Oahu, do the H3 and Pali highway loop. H3 has been dubbed the worlds most beautiful drive by some. I think it’s most scenic if you head north on H3 (towards Kaneohe). There are some side roads off the Pali highway that rival it, although in a little different fashion. Don’t worry about getting lost.

As @cyrocksmypants says, The North shore is spectacular. Spend the day driving a loop around Oahu and stopping at all the scenic spots, ending at North Shore/ Haleiwa. Waikiki is a glorified shopping district.

 

[cyrocksmypants]

Make sure you get real shave ice. NOT a snow cone (the place at Diamond Head is not real shave ice, and it’s shave ice, not shaved ice). Make sure the place has a big block of ice they actually shave. Matsumoto on the North Shore and Brain Freeze in Hilo are the two best.

Matsumoto is overrated. Anahulu on the other side of Haleiwa by the bridge is so much better.

 

[throwittoblythe]

We went to the Big Island for our 5 yr back in 2014. We stayed in Kona and really enjoyed it. We liked the Big Island because there are so many different things due to all the micro-climates. Beaches, rain forest, prairies, volcanoes, and snow, all on the same island.

Highlights from our trip:

• Beaches near Kona are great. We went to one immediately north of town about 15 mins. Not lots of people (we went in Sept) and absolutely beautiful.
• Drove up to Waimea which is more temperate. Had one of the best burgers ever at Village Burger there.
• Rain forests near Hilo were cool, but we went right after a hurricane went through, so many of the areas were still closed for clean up.
• Definitely do the volcanoes. Hiking on the trails is a pretty easy go and worth it.
• DEFINITELY make sure you get some malasadas. I think we went to Tex Drive-In to get them. They're essentially just a fried donut with jelly inside, but damn they are good.
• WHITE PINEAPPLES are amazing, if they're in season when you go. Tastes just like a regular pineapple, minus the acidity, and the core is edible. We had like 3 in the week we were there.

We flew over to Oahu for a day-trip because we wanted to see Pearl Harbor. We bought a day-tour package because it gave a great discount on the flights. However, that was a bust. We saw the Dole plantation, which was cool (pineapple ice cream was great), but we didn't have much time there. Waikiki was not worth it, in my opinion. Just a ****-ton of people and it's just another beach. We didn't get much time at Pearl Harbor because our tour had to leave...basically just had time to see the memorial and leave. The worst part was that we didn't realize our day-tour included 4 hours at the Polynesian Cultural Center. This was not worth it for us and I would not go back. It would've been neat to see the parade and leave, but we were stuck there for 4 hours until our tour left.

 

[CYdTracked]

Honeymooned in Maui nearly 10 years ago with 1 night in Honolulu before heading home and 1 night in Honolulu was plenty for me as it was night and day as far as the tourism culture goes. Much more relaxing in Maui and way too touristy in Honolulu for my taste.

In Maui we stayed at a resort in Kaanapali but probably spent a lot of our time just down the road in Lahaina as they had most of the restaurants, shops, and things to do. If you walk the marina part of Lahaina they have things like sunset dinner cruises or fishing trips you can do too. I'd recommend checking out some of the websites where you can book things in advance as some of them have some pretty good tours. We took a guided tour through the north part of Maui in a passenger van with 2 or 3 other couples one day. You'll be told not to drive your rental car on the north part of the island else your insurance gets voided as some of the roads are only wide enough for 1 car. It was a cool trip as we stopped at various places along the way such as a local art gallery and sculpture garden and went through some of the villages where you got to see some of the local culture too. Probably were places you wouldn't get to see if you ventured out on your own. Next time we go back probably will try the road to Hana, instead we took a helicopter tour of the southern part of the island so we got to see some of the rain forests and waterfalls from the air, flew over the road to Hana as well as the Haleakala crater and some sugar cane fields so got to see what would have taken us multiple days and several hours of driving in about a 90 minute helicopter ride. Be sure to do a luau while there too. Ask around before you pick one as some are better than others and you'll get some good opinions on which ones the more you ask people there about them. And last make sure you try POG juice! It's Passion Fruit, Orange, and Guava and is just awesome. I was hooked on it and was disappointed you can't find it around here. We pretty much made our own breakfast every morning in the kitchen in our resort room/rondo as the local fruit and goods there were delicious.

 

[cyfanatic]

We went to the Big Island for our 5 yr back in 2014. We stayed in Kona and really enjoyed it. We liked the Big Island because there are so many different things due to all the micro-climates. Beaches, rain forest, prairies, volcanoes, and snow, all on the same island.

Highlights from our trip:

• Beaches near Kona are great. We went to one immediately north of town about 15 mins. Not lots of people (we went in Sept) and absolutely beautiful.
• Drove up to Waimea which is more temperate. Had one of the best burgers ever at Village Burger there.
• Rain forests near Hilo were cool, but we went right after a hurricane went through, so many of the areas were still closed for clean up.
• Definitely do the volcanoes. Hiking on the trails is a pretty easy go and worth it.
• DEFINITELY make sure you get some malasadas. I think we went to Tex Drive-In to get them. They're essentially just a fried donut with jelly inside, but damn they are good.
• WHITE PINEAPPLES are amazing, if they're in season when you go. Tastes just like a regular pineapple, minus the acidity, and the core is edible. We had like 3 in the week we were there.

We flew over to Oahu for a day-trip because we wanted to see Pearl Harbor. We bought a day-tour package because it gave a great discount on the flights. However, that was a bust. We saw the Dole plantation, which was cool (pineapple ice cream was great), but we didn't have much time there. Waikiki was not worth it, in my opinion. Just a ****-ton of people and it's just another beach. We didn't get much time at Pearl Harbor because our tour had to leave...basically just had time to see the memorial and leave. The worst part was that we didn't realize our day-tour included 4 hours at the Polynesian Cultural Center. This was not worth it for us and I would not go back. It would've been neat to see the parade and leave, but we were stuck there for 4 hours until our tour left.

Interesting about the Polynesian Cultural Center...my wife and I were not impressed. Not a horrible experience just that it didn't really seem worth the effort to get to the place and spend much time there. So many other things to do and see!

 

[throwittoblythe]

Interesting about the Polynesian Cultural Center...my wife and I were not impresses. Not a horrible experience just that it didn't really seem worth the effort to get to the place and spend much time there. So many other things to do and see!

This was exactly our reaction too. It wasn't the the PCC was bad, it just wasn't what we wanted or expected. We would have preferred to spend an extra hour or two at Pearl Harbor, as opposed to the 4 hrs at the PCC. Other than the parade, the PCC was just not that interesting to us. The demonstrations seemed poorly put together and disorganized. The first hour was fine, but the last three hours were a slog just to get through the day until the bus came to pick us up.

 

[cyrocksmypants]

This was exactly our reaction too. It wasn't the the PCC was bad, it just wasn't what we wanted or expected. We would have preferred to spend an extra hour or two at Pearl Harbor, as opposed to the 4 hrs at the PCC. Other than the parade, the PCC was just not that interesting to us. The demonstrations seemed poorly put together and disorganized. The first hour was fine, but the last three hours were a slog just to get through the day until the bus came to pick us up.

PCC is great if you also go to the Luau and the night show, but if you’re not doing those two things, I usually suggest not bothering.