Honeymoon in Hawaii, Sept 2008?
Our wedding is in Sept of 08, and i am thinking about having our honeymoon in Hawaii since both of us have never been there before. (hopefully that is not the busy season?)
What i got from readin most of the answers/questions is that Oahu and Maui would be the top two (island) choices.
1. Overall, We would like to stay maybe 5-7 days. Which island would best accommodate us and what would the price range be? (We do prefer a 3 or 4 star+ resort)
2. What are the pros/cons of those two islands that i need to be aware of? Each island offers something different that the other island don’t, so maybe we should go over to the other island using ferrry?
3. Is it better to get a vacation package deal or book them separately. (is one airline better than the other?)
thanks for all the help
thanks for responding! I am still debating about what month we should be going? We do want to enjoy some water activiaties and maybe whale watching. (How’s the weather in Dec?, is the water still warm enough for us to dive it?)
thanks
April 18th, 2009 at 3:14 am
September is a great time to come to Hawaii. School is back in session so it’s not as busy and there are less kids.
I would go to Maui or Kauai. Maui is more built up therefore more to do yet not to built up it still has a strong island feel just with the comforts of Starbucks.
Kauai is even more laid back than Maui. Some people get bored with that. Kauai is beautiful nice beaches and a nice island to drive around if you want to do more there isn’t much else other than what your hotel offers.
Both islands can be expensive, I would look on line for the best deals you can find. For Maui look for The Westin, the hyatt, and the Sheraton all on Kaanapali beach.
For Kauai look for The Sheraton and Hyatt both in Poipu or The princeville in Hanalei(that is where we honeymooned and we are from Maui)
After you pick Maui or Kauai pick a day to fly(don’t take the super ferry it is 4 hours each way and the same price as flying) to Oahu and check out pearl Harbour and drive to the North shore.
If you can, make it 7 days 5 will fly by to quick.
The number one most important thing to do in Hawaii is to sit on the beach and relax don’t plan something for everyday to many people plan their trip to be busy, you want to relax and enjoy each other on our beautiful island.
April 19th, 2009 at 12:31 am
Aloha,
I live on Kauai and have a suggestion for you. Purchase the Oahu and Kauai books by Andrew Doughty and Harriett Friedman. They are part of the ‘Revealed’ series and can be found at any major bookstore. You can look at pieces of the books and even buy them on this website:. The authors have done extensive research on each of the four major Hawaiian islands and have lots of tips with regard to accommodations, dining, shopping, sight seeing, etc. Look through both books and decide which island better suits your needs. With only 5-7 days here my suggestion is to choose one island and stay there. You will probably feel too rushed to “see everything” if you island hop on such a short trip.
For a 3-4 star resort, your prices will vary depending upon the island and location. For example, on Kauai, Poipu is on the sunny south shore and Princeville is on the north shore, which tends to be wetter but very tropical and green. Both of those areas have the most expensive hotels/resorts but they also have condos and slightly less expensive hotels. You can find a bargain if you’re looking for one, but it is going to depend on how long you want to stay and on what part of the island you want your home base to be. There is a lot to see on both islands but you want to be sure to take some time to just relax and enjoy your honeymoon too. Don’t spend the entire trip rushing around trying to see everything — you can live here for years and not see it all. Choose a couple of activities you are most interested in (detailed examples in the books I mentioned) and stick with those. Don’t be too regimented in your scheduling. Allow time for relaxing by the pool or on the beach and things like that.
September is a good time of year to visit. The weather isn’t usually ridiculously hot like it is in July and August and most kids are in school so a lot of the tourists have gone home.
Oahu is the most populous island in the Hawaiian archipelago. There are a lot of choices in terms of dining, shopping, nightlife, and activities. Kauai is much quieter and a lot of people feel that it is more like old Hawaii. Both islands are incredibly beautiful — don’t let anyone tell you that Oahu is just a big city or that it is like L.A. in the middle of the ocean. That’s just wrong! Honolulu is a big city but it is also very pretty. Once you get out of Honolulu, the rest of Oahu is just as gorgeous as Maui, Kauai, or the Big Island. So on Oahu you have all the amenities you might want but you also get the scenery.
In terms of booking a package or going it alone, I can’t help you there. I think you might do better price-wise if you book things (hotel, rental car, flight, activities, etc.) on your own, but if you haven’t done it before, it might be intimidating. Talk to a travel agent and see what kind of deal you can get. The larger hotels and resorts usually have concierges who can help you with booking activities, too. Consult the ‘Revealed’ books to see what companies are highly recommended (there are lots of different companies that can take you snorkeling, for example) and find out the prices from the concierge or book directly with the company once you arrive on the island.
Good luck and congratulations on your upcoming wedding!
ETA - Whoops, sorry! Just reread your question and realized you were thinking Maui and Oahu, not Kauai and Oahu. There is a ‘Revealed’ book for Maui too.