1st timers - need lots of help

[blondietink]

Personally I don't consider 4 nights anywhere in Hawaii enough time. You waste a day getting there and unpacking, then another day packing and flying someplace else to unpack again. Waste of Hawaii time, in my opinion.

 

[nkereina]

Would you consider staying at Aulani for 4 nights or so and then moving to another island? We love Maui!

Personally I don't consider 4 nights anywhere in Hawaii enough time. You waste a day getting there and unpacking, then another day packing and flying someplace else to unpack again. Waste of Hawaii time, in my opinion.

While I agree that 4 nights isn't ample time to see *everything*, I do think it's enough time to see the highlights and the attractions most important to you. We spent 3 nights in Waikiki, 3 nights in Maui, 3 nights in Kauai and 6 nights at Aulani. The travel time does take up some of the day, but the flights are brief and all the airports except Honolulu are small and not so busy. Even Honolulu was relatively small compared to some airports on the mainland. If you schedule the inter-island flight for early morning or late night, you still have a solid full day on the island you are coming from or going to. With 3 nights in Maui, we did Lahaina, a luau, and spent a lot of time at the resort and beach. We would have had time for Haleakala and Road to Hana but we had no interest. In Kauai, we did a boat tour of the Na Pali Coast and a helicopter tour of the Na Pali Coast and Waimea Canyon. We also went to some beaches. Had no interest in hiking Waimea Canyon, but we would have had time. If you're ok with scheduling yourself up and being busy, you can actually get a lot done.

Would 4 nights at Aulani be your only time on Oahu? If so, just prioritize what you want to see and do. I do think Waikiki is worth a visit one night for dinner and a walk around, especially since evening entertainment at Aulani is sparse. I also think the North Shore is worth the visit. We also did Kualoa Ranch during our time at Aulani which was fun.

 

[FreeTime]

Thanks for the ideas everyone. We would prefer to not island hop (I've done that many years ago) and have days with excursions and days at the resort. I'd prefer not to do a split stay as we'd rather unpack once. We are open to not staying at Aulani though. We'd definitely want a place to spread out though.

 

[blondietink]

We have had good luck renting through VRBO in both Hawaii and the Caribbean.