We are planning a trip to Hawaii soon, we aren’t sure which island or beach to go to. We are a family with a toddler and really aren’t interested in going to a party area, we just want a family area that has resteraunts and family entertainment nearby. What is the best area for famalies who are visiting Hawaii, and which island would be best.
I think Waikiki would be a good location, as there are many child friendly things to do & see on Oahu. We have a decent zoo & aquarium, a children’s museum, & good beaches for little ones. Ala Moana & Magic Island are both near Waikiki & are very safe. There are several places where you can explore tide pools, which most children find fascinating. There are some in the Makapuu/Waimanalo area & others on the north shore. For older children, there are lots of other things, so I wouldn’t recommend the water park, but for toddlers, there are not quite so many age appropriate things to do. So for them, I would suggest the water park in Kapolei, which has an area set aside for the little ones.
Hope you have a wonderful vacation!
I answered a similar question about a month ago, here was my response:
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Hawaiians and locals LOVE kids. Really. So, as long as you go to the beach resort areas with great infrastructure you will have a good time and great support from the staff.
I’m assuming what you are looking for is safety on the beach where they manicure the sand nightly and pick up any glass and debris, safety of the waves, staying directly on the beach so you don’t have to cross a crowded street, kid’s programs, and whether an area is for isolated couples and adults. Keeping that in mind, here is what I recommend:
A mega-resort will have kid’s programs to help give you some breathing space. The Hiltons are large mega-resorts and really amazing in the breadth of programs they have. If you want an isolated resort, the Big Island has the Hilton Waikoloa, but it is removed from anything. This area of Kailua-Kona (called Kohala) is also carved out of solid lava-beds so all beaches are man-made. The property is so huge, they have little canals with boats to ferry people around, the kids like that. They have tame dolphins at the resort.http://www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com/
If you want great nearby shopping, restaurants and the international hustle-bustle of Waikiki, the Hilton Hawaiian Village on the island of Oahu is very popular, on an area of Waikiki with great sand and safe waves. Both resorts have wading pools just for kids. If you want to be away from Waikiki, there is the Marriott Ko’Olina, but that is near an oil refinery and in a dry part of the island waaaay far away from anything. It also has man-made beaches that LOOK man-made.
If you want a classic resort in a non-urban resort-only area with a great beach, that is on the islands of Maui or Kauai. On Maui, I would recommend the resorts at Wailea Beach which has a safer beach and less wave action, but since this is the upscale area of Maui you are going to pay a hefty price. I don’t like the beach at Kaanapali as much for kids, the slope of the beach is pretty steep (I’m sure people will disagree a lot with me). If you stay here, the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel is the original hotel on the beach in this location, is certainly getting old and needs an overhaul… HOWEVER, the price is amazing for this area and they have a lot of programs for kids so there are a lot of families that stay here.http://www.kbhmaui.com/Resorts/familyFun…
On Kauai, you are going to want to choose a resort on Poipu Beach, I am unsure which resorts here have good kid’s programs, but there is a Hyatt here, and all Hyatt resorts that are family-oriented have a “Camp Hyatt” program. Note the Hyatt on Waikiki is across the street from the beach if that is of concern to you.http://kauai.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/acti…
There is only one all-inclusive resort in Hawaii with programs for the entire family and all meals and that is the Kona Village Resort on the Big Island. You stay in polynesian bungalows on the beach or near the beach. The beach is frankly not as pretty as elsewhere and although they manicure it, it always seems like there are leaves and things on the beach.http://www.konavillage.com/
There are a lot of quiet areas with safe wave action without mega-resorts for a more intimate family experience, my concern would be whether the sand is manicured and the dangerous things sifted out of it at night. I really don’t know, but you may want to check out Napili Bay beach resorts on Maui, and the area between Wailua and Kapa’a on Kauai.
Hickam beach is good if you are military