I did not want to derail the 911 Boss thread so I started this one. I will be going in April 2020 starting by flying to Australia, then cruising to NZ, Tahiti, Bora Bora, French Polynesia then ending up in Hawaii.

We want to tour the Big Island but also want to fly to another island. Hence my question, which one?

Oahu has the WWII memorials and the biggest city I believe in Hawaii. We did Pearl Harbor and loved the North shore.

We also did the big island and then Kauai. Love Kauai, laid back, great scenery was our last stop and we unwound there before heading home.

Australia is still on our list. Safe travels!

Depends on what you want. Oahu is the capitol island, where is Honolulu and Waikiki. Lots of things to do and see; a bit too touristy for some. Maui is more scaled down. Kauai is way more laid back. Lanai is downright sleepy outside the two world-class resorts.

Without knowing more of what you want, I'd say head to Oahu if this is your first time in the islands.

If you have not been I would advise a visit to pedal harbor for sure.
Other than that sadly Oahu is crowded traffic and makes you feel like New York City on a hot day.
Maui used to be nice but last time I went was getting a little too built up and crowded as well. The smaller islands of lanai Kauai or Molokai would be my choice if you want a sleepy tropical relaxation. One of these days I will visit the big island

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Originally posted by captain127:
The smaller islands of lanai Kauai or Molokai would be my choice if you want a sleepy tropical relaxation. One of these days I will visit the big island

Agree 100%. To me Kauai seems like Maui 15 years ago. It would be a great place to kick back, stare at the ocean, and reflect on a great vacation. There's also plenty to see while you're there.

My vote is for Kauai, the "Garden Island." Oahu is too crowded, Maui too loud, Lanai too... too.

I love Kauai. Just the right mix of scenery, weather, beaches and activities.

Another vote for Kauai here. We had a blast there. The scenery is great. Plenty of tourist type things to see and do. Lots of movies have been filmed on the island, so location tours are a thing. Some great local shops and restaurants off the beaten path we’re worth the time to find them. I’d go back in a heartbeat!

I was stationed on Oahu on what was Wheeler AFB for three years. Here is list of what each island offers:

Oahu: lots of tourist things from Polynesian Cultural Center and Diamond Head (take the best camera you own!!) to Pearl Harbor and Punch Bowl Military Cemetery. Other beaches: On the weekends they would open up part of Bellows AFS to the public, great beach. A MUST SEE if you snorkel is Hanauma Bay!!!!!!

Big Island: Lots of nature stuff, volcano, etc. Fun fact, when they were testing the Lunar Rover, the Big Island was the only place that caused it to break down.

Maui: I had numerous romantic trips to Maui (3 days, 2 nights) and besides the hot babes I was with (think 9+ on the Crazy Hot matrix with some strippers, bikini contest winners, and a red head. Really I got to the point that after seeing off a lady on vacation at the airport, I was able to pick up another hottie just arriving on vacation). Maui was laid back, nice, lots to do outside the hustle and bustle of Oahu, and affordable (very important on an E3/E4 pay grade). Whale watching depending on time of year.

Kauai: Very beautiful island with great resorts but also very expensive (I did only 3 trips in 3 years to Kauai with super hotties 9.5+, one of whom was an Aussie Stewardess who I took twice to different resorts).

Molokai: Way off the beaten path. They only have one hotel on island and have resisted tourism developments. I had one trip there and enjoyed it. At the time, it was like Maui but even more laid back. Moderate pricing but booking was well in advance. Before you ask, yes it was with the Aussie Stewardess.........Beth was absolutely beautiful and well within the wife area of the crazy hot matrix. Unfortunately, her flight route was changed before we had a little more time to start thinking about marriage.

I've been to Hawaii 3 times: 1965, 2008, and 2014. My photos of all 3 trips are here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/...s/72157631714297065/. Perhaps perusal of them would help you decide where you want to visit. (My pick for a single island would be Kauai.)

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by captain127:
If you have not been I would advise a visit to pearl harbor for sure.
Other than that sadly Oahu is crowded traffic and makes you feel like New York City on a hot day.

I agree with this, we made a day trip to Oahu from Maui, we hit Pearl Harbor in the morning and we paid extra to get back to Maui.

quote:

Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Sounds like a nice trip

Kauai is my favorite island, and I would recommend it, but I think you might be getting enough low-and-slow from the two locations above. Kauai is very green, with elevation if you want it. But most folks who go to Kauai go for the slower pace, and you may have had enough of that from those other locations.

Oahu would be a better re-integration into society. Big city if you want it, slower, but not tortoise-paced out on the north shore (you can stay at Turtle Bay on the North Shore, if Waikiki is too crowded for you). Lots of history on Oahu: Pearl Harbor, but also Punchbowl and Diamond Head.

I’ve been to Oahu 3x, Big Island 3x, Maui 2x, and Kuaui 1x. In order of preference:

Big Island

Maui

Oahu

Kuaui

With that being said, EVERY American should visit Pearl Harbor once. Waikiki isn’t relaxing enough for me as there is too much hustle and bustle from downtown on the beach. However, North Shore is relaxing and beautiful like the rest of Hawaii. I really enjoyed my stay at Turtle Bay, and you can easily visit Pearl Harbor 1 day and have a nice dinner in Waikiki.

EDIT: If you end up with a rainy day, the Pacific Aviation Musuem on Ford Island (part of Pearl Harbor area) is a fantastic way to spend a rainy day or at least 1/2 a rainy day. Way better than going to the mall.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: tatortodd,

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Another vote for a stay at Turtle Bay Resort, North Shore O’ahu. Some of you recommended that place when I asked for advice on a first trip to Hawai’i last year - we loved it.

Frankly, save for spending a full day at Pearl Harbor, we’d stick to the North Shore otherwise next visit.

Kauai: The Garden Isle
Maui: The Valley Isle
Oahu: The Traffic Isle

Lived on Maui >6 years, never bored; lots to see.
April is usually too late to see the humpback whales though, that’s December-March.
It’s easy to fly to Oahu for a day to see Pearl Harbor and the Missouri...oh and I always give a plug for the Pacific Air Museum on Ford Island.

For first timers, visit Oahu and check that box, 3-nts is sufficient if you're trying to package it with another island. While there's a bunch of issues, like traffic and insane tourist traps (Waikiki), it's also got a ton of history; it's popular and most populated for a reason. You can start another thread on where to stay and how to plan an itinerary around that location.

If you package Big Island and Oahu together for a trip, that's a pretty good perspective of what Hawaii has to offer. Kauai and Maui are both relaxing destinations, if you're looking for beach-time, slow-life down type of getaway, those are two solid destinations; Maui has more amenities, Kauai not as much.