Island hopping

[itutorfortravel]

My family is planning a trip to Aulani. We will only have enough points for a 4-5 night stay, so we were thinking of visiting another island for 3 or 4 days. Has anyone here done this? Where did you choose to go and why? We’d love to hear what others have done and loved on the other Hawaiian islands to help us decide! Thanks in advance

 

[nkereina]

We spent 6 nights at Aulani, 3 nights in Waikiki, 3 nights on Maui and 3 nights on Kauai. My trip report is in my signature.

Many here would say that's too much bouncing around with not enough time to appreciate the other islands. However, we wanted to get a taste of as much as we could in Hawaii and did our top priority items on Maui and Kauai and were satisfied with our visits. I would also add that while the inter-island flights are short, there's still a partial loss of the day with commutes to and from the airport, getting rental cars.. just all the business you have to take care of when traveling. I'd suggest either early morning flights or late night flights so you don't waste that time during the best part of the day and so you can have more time in wherever you're leaving or wherever you're going.

If you only have 10 days to work with, another option that would be less time consuming would be to spend a few nights in Waikiki. Its the only area with nightlife that we found in all of our travels, and it was nice to stay there first since many things are open early with people milling about early - good when we were up at 4am adjusting to the time change. It also allows you to plan your Oahu sightseeing based on your location.

Oahu has it all - culture, history, natural beauty, gorgeous beaches, shopping, hiking. Its a good mix of everything the other islands offer (save for the volcano). If we ever visit with less time, we'd be more than happy to spend the whole time on Oahu. Maui was beautiful but we found it to be very similar to Oahu. It had a fair amount of commercialization, but not as much as Oahu. Kauai felt the most remote and exotic to us and was the most naturally beautiful place we visited. The Na Pali Coast was my favorite thing we saw on our trip - we did a sunset dinner cruise around it and also a helicopter tour.

 

[kdonnel]

We have island hopped for many of our Aulani trips.

Oahu - Big Island
and
Oahu - Maui

My kids have repeatedly said that the Big Island is their favorite. Getting to walk up to flowing lava, as close as we wanted, is the most dangerous and exhilarating thing we have ever done as a family. We definitely timed our trip at the correct time as I don't think this has been possible since shortly after our visit.

Driving up to the top of Mauna Kea, playing in the snow, having a picnic dinner, and staying for dark was amazing.

The climate is more varied on the Big Island than any of the other islands. Within an hours drive you can go from tropical monsoon to tundra to desert climate zones.

A trip to the Big Island means lots of driving. We have always stayed in the Kailua-Kona area. There were many nights where I was so tired driving back from the Hilo side or Waimea. In future trips I think we will spend some nights in Kailua-Kona, some nights in Hilo, and some nights in Waimea.

 

[AquaDame]

Most trips we island hop, hitting two (once we did three - I wouldn't do that again as a previous poster said there wasn't enough time on each in the end).

I would go with whichever island you are more interested in, honestly. If volcanos are your jam, pick the big island. If gardens tickle your fancy, hit Kauai. If you want to spend a lot of time snorkeling, Maui. Want to be away from people? Lanai. With only 3-4 days you'll only be able to hit the major highlights and every island will have gorgeous views and beaches.

 

[JC1984]

My ranking islands (disclaimer my opinion only):
Hawaii
Kauai
Maui
Oahu

I like the size and the small town feel of the Big Island. I like too it is a little drier when we usually go so not much rain. And of course Volcano National Park. Also the Green Sand Beach is amazing.
Kauai is beautiful and VERY laid back. But you better like lots of rain. I think it one of the wettest places on Earth.
Maui has changed a lot used to be a nice change of pace from Oahu but I think it is pretty busy now. But you have the Road to Hana and another National Park on it. And of course the beaches I think are the best in Hawaii (again my opinion).
Oahu well is Oahu. Many cool and beautiful places to visit but I try to stay away from Honolulu when I visit. Of course owning DVC at Aulani I visit the island but Pearl Harbor and Punchbowl Cemetery are such special places I would go a thousand times just to go there. Lots of beautiful spots on the North Shore. I have access to Bellows AFS so I try to hit the beach there because it is quiet.

Hope this helps.

 

[AquaDame]

I have access to Bellows AFS so I try to hit the beach there because it is quiet.

Aren't all beaches in Hawaii open to the public..? Did they really block it off from civilians?

 

[kdonnel]

Aren't all beaches in Hawaii open to the public..? Did they really block it off from civilians?

• Public access onto beaches that are within military reservations are controlled by national/homeland security laws that preempt the state laws.
• Various beaches throughout the State of Hawaiʻi are restricted by the federal government’s preemption by way of the Supremacy Clause in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution.
• Military bases also restrict beach access in their own ways.
• Some beaches are only for military personnel or authorized civilians.
• The military has the authority through federal laws to restrict and deny access to any beaches and shorelines contained within a military base or property.
• The military has on occasion opened up some beaches in Hawaiʻi for public access with some restrictions (hours of operation, requiring permits, etc.)

https://seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/shoreline-access-on-military-property/

 

[AquaDame]

Hopefully the authorized civilians include all native Hawaiians & locals at least... thanks for the info!

 

[monsterkitty]

My ranking islands (disclaimer my opinion only):
Hawaii
Kauai
Maui
Oahu

I like the size and the small town feel of the Big Island. I like too it is a little drier when we usually go so not much rain. And of course Volcano National Park. Also the Green Sand Beach is amazing.
Kauai is beautiful and VERY laid back. But you better like lots of rain. I think it one of the wettest places on Earth.
Maui has changed a lot used to be a nice change of pace from Oahu but I think it is pretty busy now. But you have the Road to Hana and another National Park on it. And of course the beaches I think are the best in Hawaii (again my opinion).
Oahu well is Oahu. Many cool and beautiful places to visit but I try to stay away from Honolulu when I visit. Of course owning DVC at Aulani I visit the island but Pearl Harbor and Punchbowl Cemetery are such special places I would go a thousand times just to go there. Lots of beautiful spots on the North Shore. I have access to Bellows AFS so I try to hit the beach there because it is quiet.

Hope this helps.

I agree with your opinions, except for some reason I really am not a Maui fan.

99% of the time we island hop.

The Big Island and Kauai are our favorites and it's a toss up on which is our favorite.

When we go to the Big Island we fly into Hilo for a few days before driving to the Kona side. Our favorite route is HI-11 so we can hit South Point. We don't stay in Kona, but instead we stay at the Marriott Waikoloa Village. My favorite place in the world is Hawi on the Big Island.

Kauai is absolutely beautiful. It is very laid back and not a lot happening in the evenings. We love the Princeville-Hanalei area. We've only gone in the summer months and have only had it rain on us once. Of course it was the day I was doing an open water race in Hanalei Bay so the ocean was a bit rough but I didn't care because I was racing in Hawaii.

Oahu is a must for first time visitors because of Pearl Harbor and Waikiki. We visited Punchbowl Cemetery for the first time this past March and wondered why we'd never been there before. We will never skip Punchbowl again!

I seriously can't tell you why I am not a Maui fan. The Road to Hana is amazing as is the sunrise and sunset at Haleakala. You can also find the best banana bread ever at a road side stand. While I would never pass up a Maui trip, it's just not my first choice.

 

[JC1984]

I agree with your opinions, except for some reason I really am not a Maui fan.

99% of the time we island hop.

The Big Island and Kauai are our favorites and it's a toss up on which is our favorite.

When we go to the Big Island we fly into Hilo for a few days before driving to the Kona side. Our favorite route is HI-11 so we can hit South Point. We don't stay in Kona, but instead we stay at the Marriott Waikoloa Village. My favorite place in the world is Hawi on the Big Island.

Kauai is absolutely beautiful. It is very laid back and not a lot happening in the evenings. We love the Princeville-Hanalei area. We've only gone in the summer months and have only had it rain on us once. Of course it was the day I was doing an open water race in Hanalei Bay so the ocean was a bit rough but I didn't care because I was racing in Hawaii.

Oahu is a must for first time visitors because of Pearl Harbor and Waikiki. We visited Punchbowl Cemetery for the first time this past March and wondered why we'd never been there before. We will never skip Punchbowl again!

I seriously can't tell you why I am not a Maui fan. The Road to Hana is amazing as is the sunrise and sunset at Haleakala. You can also find the best banana bread ever at a road side stand. While I would never pass up a Maui trip, it's just not my first choice.

I agree Maui has changed so much in the past decade it is getting to be on the level of Honolulu IMO.

 

[JC1984]

Hopefully the authorized civilians include all native Hawaiians & locals at least... thanks for the info!

I have never seen armed people guarding Beach access. And when I was there last I swear I saw people walking from a distance through the bellows beach

 

[nkereina]

Kauai is beautiful and VERY laid back. But you better like lots of rain. I think it one of the wettest places on Earth.

I've heard this before too. But I will say, when we were there for 4 days in late September, we didn't have one drop of rain. It was noticeably warmer and more humid than Oahu and Maui when we were there though. We also found Maui to be extremely windy the whole time we were there - so much so that as we exited the airport, we couldn't hear each other talk due to the wind. And when we laid on the beach, sand was being whipped at our faces. The ocean waves in both Maui and Kauai were also very high. Not sure if all of this is attributed to the time of year we were there or if it was anomaly.

 

[itutorfortravel]

I really appreciate this detailed feedback! Thank you so much!

 

[IndyToThere]

On Kauai, the south side of the island has a different climate than the north side. South side is more desert-like, while North side is more Rainy/Garden-like. Both sides are beautiful. We spent a 10 night vacation on just Kauai and did 5 nights a piece on both South and North portions. The scenery is pretty amazing and tons of little stops and things to see across the island.

 

[cgattis]

I’d highly recommend the Hawaii “Revealed” travel books by Andrew Doughty. There is one for each of the major islands (Oahu Revealed, Maui Revealed, etc.) and it can give you a good idea of all the things to do on each island. Of course like all travel books, some info is more helpful than other, but they are great overviews if you’re trying to pick an island IMO.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

My family is planning a trip to Aulani. We will only have enough points for a 4-5 night stay, so we were thinking of visiting another island for 3 or 4 days. Has anyone here done this? Where did you choose to go and why? We’d love to hear what others have done and loved on the other Hawaiian islands to help us decide! Thanks in advance

I personally wouldn't island hop unless I had two full weeks.

 

[iheartglaciers]

I second the recommendation for the "Revealed" book series. They were invaluable for planning our trip!

I've only done Oahu and the Big Island. I think it's fine to do two islands in one week depending on your interests and travel style. I really liked the Big Island because of the variety of activities and landscapes. We started on the Kona side where we did a night snorkel with manta rays, then drove towards Hilo, hitting up Volcanoes NP, and then closer to Hilo we went horseback riding in the lush valleys.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

God's honest truth, if I wanted to do two Hawaiian islands, I'd skip Oahu entirely and do Maui and the Big Island, or Kauai and the Big Island.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

God's honest truth, if I wanted to do two Hawaiian islands, I'd skip Oahu entirely and do Maui and the Big Island, or Kauai and the Big Island.

A Hawaiian vacation to me is three parts... 1) Nature, 2) Culture, and 3) Relaxation.

Traveling with kids, I'm not going to beat Aulani for relaxation (particularly once Aunty's reopens). Culture, I think Oahu is the place to be. The Bishop Museum and Pearl Harbor are as good as it gets, as far as I'm concerned. Nature is where Oahu arguably falls short. There are good wildlife spots, but obviously no active volcanoes and Diamond Head ain't Kalalau Valley.

 

[corgi_monster]

I have never seen armed people guarding Beach access. And when I was there last I swear I saw people walking from a distance through the bellows beach

You’re correct - Bellows has allowed civilians to access the beach for as long as I can remember, but these days, you have to walk along the shoreline to get there. Civilians can’t access the beach through the base anymore and the road does have a manned guard shack.

Hopefully the authorized civilians include all native Hawaiians & locals at least... thanks for the info!

Yes and no. For example, Hawaii residents can obtain permits that allow us to go fishing on Kaneohe Marine Core Base. But restricted access is better than no access I guess.

Growing up (back in the 80’s and 90’s, prior to 9/11), we could drive on to Bellows and Barber’s Point just by telling the guard we were going to the beach. I miss those days!

My family is planning a trip to Aulani. We will only have enough points for a 4-5 night stay, so we were thinking of visiting another island for 3 or 4 days. Has anyone here done this? Where did you choose to go and why? We’d love to hear what others have done and loved on the other Hawaiian islands to help us decide! Thanks in advance

Kauai is the perfect blend of local culture, postcard-perfect beauty, and tourist amenities. Many families who live on Kauai have been rooted there for generations and there’s a cozy, small town feel there that you won’t find anywhere else in Hawaii (except Hilo). They speak pigeon, talk about hanabata days, and all swear by Hamura’s saimin. Kauai has Na Pali, Waimea Canyon, and Hanalei Bay. Poipu and Princeville have beautiful hotels. The island is so compact that you can experience the best of what Kauai has to offer in just a few days.

Maui has become very commercialized. The proportion of tourists/mainland transplants/locals has changed dramatically in the past few decades and many parts of Maui feels like a rich, mainland suburb. The over-hyped, Instagram famous parts of Maui (Hana, Lahaina, Molokini) are overrun with tourists and can be unpleasant. But there are still some cool, hidden gems that are worth seeking out - like the road from Kapalua to Wailuku where you can buy the banana bread @monsterkitty mentioned. It’s 10x more beautiful than the road to Hana but 10x scarier!

The Big island has a volcano, and let’s face it, it’s pretty hard to compete with an active volcano ... especially if you’re lucky and lava is flowing into the sea during your visit. There are also star gazing tours on Mauna Kea. Hilo is quaint and has lots of local stores/restaurants, but the tourist amenities are meh. The Naniloa Is the nicest hotel in town but will feel inadequate after a stay at Aulani. Kona/Waikaloa have some fabulous hotels but that part of the island just doesn’t feel very Hawaii to me ... maybe because there aren’t a lot of locals who live there? Unfortunately, the Big Island is very spread out so you’ll waste a lot of time driving around.