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Want to stay away from the resort type places and experience rural Hawaii. both kids want to get to see live flowing lava, eat Hawaiian food and do their shopping thing, could rent a car and drive around the big island,beaches arent that important.
You didn't look around enough if you found everything expensive in Hawaii, especially if you were on Oahu. There are many great, cheap eateries here if you know where/how to find them.
And there are a few long/wide beaches here. Again, you have to know where to look. Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu is a personal favorite of mine.
Steak Shack has like $8 plate lunches that last me for two meals
The active volcano is on the Island of Hawaii aka the Big Island. Sometimes the flowing lava is accessible, other times it's smoke and steam. There's always the Thurston lava tube to walk through and other trails through lava fields in Volcano National Park. (Note: if you're over 62 and planning on going to any National Park, you can get a lifetime park pass for $10 up until this August, then it goes to $80. You can get it at any National Park or online for $20).
There's also sea turtles frequently sleeping on the beach at Punalu'u, lots of waterfalls and botanical gardens as well as beaches, too. Loads of scenery while driving, too. Anything from tropical forest to stark moonscape.
If long wide sandy beach is what OP is looking for, Maui is a good choice.
I found the ocean water in Hawaii is colder than the tropical beaches that I used to.
I'm talking about long from top of the beach to water, not the length of the beach. And if you think that Maui has long beaches, you've never been to Jones Beach, LI or Siesta Key, FL.
My main goal is vacation house or condo, not a hotel so we can eat some meals there.
Of course want to see Pearl Harbor, do a luau, beaches
Visited HI dozens of times. Highly recommend fly into Oahu, visit Pearl Harbor, Polynesian Cultural Center (have luau there), fly to Maui, rent a condo in Ekahi Village in Wailea. If there are only two, a studio apartment is enough. Main Pool is on beautiful Keawakapoo Beach. There is a patio with refrigerators where you can bring your lunch.
We love Hawaii and it is one our favorite destinations (we've been 5 times and been to all 4 major islands). I personally like the Big Island and Kauai the best, but each island has their own personality. Maui and Oahu are the most populated with Maui being less so. While it is a resort, the Mauni Lani complex on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island has some fantastic condos is very laid back and doesn't feel like a big resort. You get a pass to a beach with fantastic snorkeling as well.
If I wanted something more rural and less resort, I would get a house on Hanalei Bay in Hanelei in Kauai.
I would not recommend doing multiple islands with a few days at each one. I recommend at least one island per week. If you have 10 days, then you could do an island for 7 days then spend 3 days either at Big Island to see just Volcanos National Park (fly in and out of Hilo) or Oahu (to see Pearl Harbor, but also rent a car and drive to the North Shore which is very nice and has some great beaches, such as Sunset mentioned above)
as Hicatz said, if you want hot, glowing lava, you gotta go to the Big Island of Hawaii.
Much of the island is rural, and Hawaiian food abounds.
The west, or Kona side is more touristy, warmer, and drier. If you want to shop, that's a better choice. And the beaches are better, too. Parts can be barren, just miles of black (cooled) lava. There's a Costco on this side, not on the other side.
The east, or Hilo side is more locals, rainier (never let rain stop you from doing anything in Hawaii, just grab an umbrella), and more kicked back. It's closer to the Park and lava, too. East side is more lush, with lots of jungle.
What do you mean by Hawaiian food? Poi and pig cooked in a pit? You'd have to do a commercial luau for those (or know locals). I don't think there's a luau on the East side, but several hotels on the West side have them.
If you just want to eat like a local, that's plate lunch. 2 scoops rice, 1 scoop macaroni salad, plus pork, fish, chicken, or beef. Or Spam, if you want really local.
Hilo plate lunch: I like L&L Drive In, on Kilauea at Mamo. On the West side, I have a soft spot for Kona Mixed Plate--I forget the street name, it's by the lighthouse camera place.
More East side (I live here):
There's a daily farmer's market on Mamo Street near the Bayshore.
Uncle Robert's is down by the lava flow, has an event on Wednesday nights with food and entertainment.
You might check VRBO or AirBnB to rent a house or ohana (inlaw unit) instead of a hotel or resort.
One last thing; the tour helicopters fly over our residential neighborhoods and are really, really annoying. We get dozens of copters flying over our house nearly every day. Please show aloha and don't do a copter ride.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jambo101
Want to stay away from the resort type places and experience rural Hawaii. both kids want to get to see live flowing lava, eat Hawaiian food and do their shopping thing, could rent a car and drive around the big island,beaches arent that important.
My best advice is: if you don't like expensive, crowded, touristy cities then bypass Honolulu.
Decide what you want out of the trip and do some research. There is plenty to do in Hawaii, but you do have to plan ahead. We have spent time on Maui, Kauai, and the big island (Hawaii). We have loved all three, but for different reasons. We also spent an afternoon in Honolulu (including the Pearl Harbor memorial), and that was about enough for us.
Things are more expensive in Hawaii, but if you get away from the tourist places (i.e.: the resort you are staying in) then the prices aren't too bad. There are some real gems if you know where to find them. Example: we were staying at one of the most popular resorts in Wailea (Maui). I wanted my kids to enjoy one of the delights of the islands: shave ice. But what I got at the resort was overpriced and wasn't nearly as good as I remembered. So I asked the concierge, "where can we get some good shave ice?" She told us about a little shop up by Kamaole Beach ... it was so good we went back the next day.
There is a great series of Hawaii tourist books by Andrew Doughty that specializes in uncovering things that are out-of-the-way. The problem, of course, is that once he publishes it in a book then everyone knows about it. Still, we have tried out some of the places he suggested and were rarely disappointed. Look him up on Amazon or your favorite bookseller.
Ever since I first set foot in Hawaii I have considered it paradise. The weather is perfect nearly every day, and the people are (almost) always friendly.
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