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We often go to Oahu for 10 days at a time and always wish we had 10 more when we are leaving. That said, since you won't be able to go back for some time, I would suggest going to Kauai for 3 of those days so that you get a taste of a different part of Hawaii.
As far as the Jellyfish are concerned, I would avoid the water on the 3 days they are in. There is so much to do so why take your chance at getting stung. Here is a great website to tell when they will be in the area at the heaviest. 808jellyfish is Hawaii's guide to the box jellyfish arrivals on the south shores of Oahu. Keep your family safe and know when to go to the beach!
A month on Oahu is definitely too much (that's what I did while working there for a month's assignment)...10 days outside of Waikiki would be pretty good...if you're there smack dab, I'd get out...overstimulation may ruin the relaxation.
I'm a much bigger fan of the other islands.
Frankly, though, there's no such thing as bad Hawaii in my mind.
Ten days on Oahu sounds perfect to me. IF you have the energy, Honolulu is the greatest walking city in the world. Try to get a place that's not in the heart of Waikiki. Even someplace on the Ala Wai would be more relaxing. Again, if you're up to it, Kapiolani College used to have a whole program of walking tours. They were fabulous, at least they were ten years ago. Have a wonderful visit.!
I'm still having a very difficult time with deciding whether 10 days (actually 11 because we don't depart from the airport until 9 pm on the 11th day, so 10 nights 11 days)
Here's the thing:
We're using rewards points to book our hotel "travel package" which includes 7 nights which MUST be consecutive in our one hotel. We added on another 3 nights separately to make it 10 nights. We MUST spend 7 consecutive nights at one of the hotels. I wish we could split it 5 and 5..we wouldn't be having this problem if we could.
SO: I seek your expertise advice here. Is 10 nights on Oahu too much? I can change it for 7 nights on any of the islands and 3 on another. Should I do 7 on Kauai or Maui, then 3 on Oahu, or should I do 7 Oahu then 3 Kauai or Maui or all 10 on Oahu..or another island? The thing is..we're flying from Newark, to Atlanta, then direct to HNL. Our flight is estimated to arrive in Honolulu at 2:30 pm. We would still have use of much of our day at that point. If I do 7 nights first in Oahu, then fly to another island..I would have to do a lot of traveling in the last 3 days no? BTW--Our flight departs at 9 PM from HNL the 11th day.
What would YOU do? Is Oahu too crowded to enjoy for a fun, yet relaxing vacation? Does it have a lot of natural beauty like the other islands? (We have never been to Hawaii before) Would we be seriously missing out if we didn't visit another island? Would leaving only 3 days on Oahu be enough? Sorry, I know this is a lot of questions, but I want this vacation to be wonderful!
This may be the last chance my husband and I have to be in Hawaii for awhile. We are hoping to start a family and we are not rich to be able to visit yearly LOL. If it weren't for our rewards points then we wouldn't even be visiting. Thank goodness for that.
I myself have health issues due to Fibromyalgia. I am unable to spend my entire vacation hiking or kayaking, etc. I do want to go snorkeling though and that is a high priority. I want to see the beautiful beaches, horseback ride at least once and take in as much beauty and relaxation as possible. I do plan on doing SOME hiking, but not every day all day due to my chronic pain.
We're scheduled to arrive around August 16-26. It looks like there's a potential box jellyfish problem monthly and it seems Oahu has the biggest problem with that. I'd hate for it to ruin our ocean adventures.
Any advice is much appreciated and welcomed!
Aloha and Maholo for your time.
Andi
Hi Andi! I am not a Hawaii native/local - but have traveled extensively to the Islands. When we lived on the West Coast, we would go at least 1x per year (probably been there a dozen times!). Now that we are on the East Coast, we haven't gone due to the travel time!
If you have never been to Hawaii and will likely not travel to Hawaii for some time - my advice is (sorry - no offense to those beautiful folks who live on Oahu ) is to skip Oahu and spend your time exploring the other islands. If I were in your position (and you are in a most enviable position!! ) I would spend 7 days on Maui and 3 on Kauai or the Big Island. One of our most favorite memories/experiences of traveling to Hawaii was getting up at 3AM and driving up to Haleakala Crater on Maui to watch the sunrise!! It is an incredible and breathtaking experience!! One that should not be missed!
If snorkeling is on the agenda, our most favorite snorkeling spot in all of Hawaii is taking a cruise out to Molokini Crater from Maui. The water is crystal clear and the reefs are spectacular. Our two next favorite snorkeling spots are on the Big Island - Kealakekua Bay (Captain Cook) and The City of Refuge. (Captain Cook is accessible primarily by kayak - which may not be an option). It is truly heaven on earth.
IMHO, to experience true Hawaiian "mana" (intense spiritual energy or force), you must spend some time on Kauai. To hike (not too intense) and drink in the amazing beauty and scenery of Waimea Canyon or come face to face with the awesome power of the Na Pali Coast!!! Oh my - I am getting goosebumps and my heart is pounding just thinking about it! It will truly take your breath away.
No doubt you can spend 7 to 10 days on Oahu and have a very beautiful, exciting, relaxing and memorable vacation - as there is plenty to do and so much to see - but to get a real dose of Hawaii - a true life changing experience - I think you owe it to yourself to visit the other islands.
Please take care and have a wonderful time. I wish I could go along!!
Last edited by Beans&Cornbread; 07-31-2011 at 03:19 PM..
10 days in Ohau? Boring, trust me. I have been on every island except Niihau and Kaho'olawe.
I'd say 3 Ohau, 7 Maui or 3 Kauai 7 Maui
This is very subjective.
I went to Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island.
I didn't buy plane tickets in advance, just went with the 'flow' of how I felt. I found that it was easy to spend a lot of time in Oahu - mostly because Honolulu has a lot of pleasant distractions.
I found it harder to find things to do that weren't repetitive in nature on the other islands. Mostly because it's just beach and rental car and such. The Big Island, being the biggest, definitely had the most though.
All that being said, I could EASILY spend 10 days on any island. But if I were order which ones I'd prefer that 10 days to be...I'd give Oahu #1 priority, #2 The Big Island, #3 Maui, and #4 Kauai.
We had a similar deal---7 nights Hilton hawaiian Village with HH points, we combined that with 5 nights Maui, 5 nights kauai. but, we went to kauai first, then Maui, then, finished up on Oahu.
Look, if I were to go back, I would just pick one island. those interisland hops are tiring. I would go for Maui, there's something for everyone, beach, shopping, Halaekala (take along a jacket, it gets cool up there). Do your hotel points apply for a hotel on Maui?
I'm afraid my memories of Honolulu aren't very good, no fault of the area. i simply overdid it. I went to breakfast at the Hilton Rainbow tower, found myself face first in a plate of eggs--I had passed out! I felt so embarassed, they got an ambulance, was taken to Straub Hospital---their diagnosis---drug overdose WTH---I'm no drug addict! Oh, but it was secondary to dehydration, they see it often in tourists who overdo it. I was just taking my normal meds, and usual dose (low dose) of pain pills for back trouble, but because I was so dehydrated, they concentrated in me, they said my drug screen panel looked like some addict. Fortunately, it cleared out with IV's, but.....just don't overdo it.
Personally, I found Oahu my least favorite, Waikiki is so crowded, at some points the "beach" narrows to 4-5 ft from the road. Crime is high there, as it is in most tourist destinations. However, if you're going to get sick, Oahu is the best place---the lack of medical care on the other islands is a concern. I was just lucky we were near an excellent hospital and they had seen my type of "tourist fatigue" before.
BTW, the Hilton sent up a basket of flowers, snacks, and wrote off the bill for the breakfast buffet.
Everyone says kauai is their favorite, but I wouldn't spend 10 days there, not enough to do.
For one island, 10 days, I would choose maui!
Last edited by MaryleeII; 07-31-2011 at 06:55 PM..
spend the free 7 nights on maui---you can now fly "direct" into Maui, with a stopover in HNL.
then, spend your remaining 3 nights on Oahu. since your flight leaves late that night from HNL, just spend your last day there. You don't want to spend your last day island -hopping. IMO, 3 nights is enough on Oahu, you will enjoy, but try to stay away from waikiki---there's some nice hotels along the North shore.
Waikiki Beach is beautiful. Sure, it's popular and has people there...it's because of it's beautiful soft sand, tons of stimulating things going on, a somewhat urban setting - i.e shops and restaurants, etc.
I absolutely love Waikiki Beach. It's a fairly subjective statement, based on what a person feels about it. So no one is right or wrong.
But I don't think it's good to just tell people to 'not bother', as they might be like me and really love it.
I truly appreciate each and every single one of your responses.
I am still confused as to what I should do. I do know I want to spend some time on Oahu. I'm leaning towards 7 days on Oahu (And YES our hotel is in Waikiki because that's the only option we had with using the points, but we will be renting a car to experience the entire island) and 3 days on Kauai or 7 days on Maui and 3 days on Oahu. I haven't decided which one.
My fibromyalgia can be very debilitating and it was much worse only a few months ago when I was living with this without any medication (Since 12 years old. I am now almost 30) Thank goodness I found a dr who gives me pain medication which helps tremendously.
Maui sounds beautiful with the Road to Hana, but it also sounds a little bit on the expensive side compared to the other islands. Kauai sounds amazing and lush and I think I'd love 3 days on that island.
Question: Which Island has the best snorkeling? The only reason I'm straying from going to the Big Island is because you need 7-10 days on that island by itself and there aren't really the same sandy beaches there as the other islands. Snorkeling is going to be very important for us. I have never done it and while I am very scared of sharks, I will get over it for this trip as I think it sounds like an amazing experience.
Thank you again! You are all so wonderful!
Andi
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If it weren't for our rewards points then we wouldn't even be visiting. Thank goodness for that. 
) is to skip Oahu and spend your time exploring the other islands. If I were in your position (and you are in a most enviable position!! 
WTH---I'm no drug addict! Oh, but it was secondary to dehydration, they see it often in tourists who overdo it. I was just taking my normal meds, and usual dose (low dose) of pain pills for back trouble, but because I was so dehydrated, they concentrated in me, they said my drug screen panel looked like some addict. Fortunately, it cleared out with IV's, but.....just don't overdo it. 
