My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Hawaii for our Easter vacation. We are planning on booking our hotels and airlines separately and we are planning on staying in Honolulu for 4 nights and either Wailea or Kahului for 4 nights. We are planning on doing the road to Hana in Maui and also visiting Pearl Harbor among other things in Oahu. We want to make this trip a trip of a lifetime so we are willing to spend the money and do the stuff we want to do. We are looking for guidance in how to plan our trip and what we absolutely we need to do to experience Hawaii…… Thanks for your help with this. We are looking forward to our trip and want to make it the best possible.
expedia.com
hotels.com
Hana – highly recommended
Wailea – expensive
Kahului _ inexpensive ~I recommend Kihei or Napili/Kahana in between price of Kahului & Wailea, if you can afford Wailea go for it! Great Beaches in Wailea/Kihei also Napili-Kaanapali has great beaches.http://www.napilikai.com/
Helicopter Maui, well worth it! (you may see 10 waterfalls at once) Drive to Hana, Helicopter back from Hana Airport or vice versa, sunset helicopter tour at 10,000 ft above Haleakala Crater is AWESOME!
Arizona Memorial is mandatory but because it is free, lines start at 6:30am no more tickets after noon, be prepared to wait in line 1-2 hrs. 7 days a week, call for info : http://www.nps.gov/usar/ NO BAGS ALLOWED, some storage available, USS Missouri ,& Bowfin Submarine Museum shorter lines, small fee.
Bishop Museum & Planetarium ~ http://www.bishopmuseum.org/ ~best Hawaiian Museum
Waikiki Aquarium – 1 block from zoo
Prices drop after Easter b4 Easter most expensive time of year.
Book early(by that I mean NOW, ASAP) From mid Dec. to Easter very busy, rooms/airfare will book solid. May be cheaper to book early.
Kualoa Ranch ATV rides, Horseback, out in da country ~ http://www.kualoa.com/
get a condo. on Nepili
In Oahu, North Shore is BEAUITIFUL!! Turtle Bay Resort has great views from every room and beautiful beaches. They have a good shark and whale tour if that’s something you would like.
Maui- you must go on a helicopter tour. Always go to expediafun.com for any tours. I got ripped-off by hotels and didn’t know any better. Honolulu is over-rated with too many people.
If you’re up for a hike, I recommend Diamond Head on Oahu. Check out the North Shore and Waimea Bay.
On Maui, the road to Hana is a must. If you have time, you should see about staying at the Hana hotel so you can spend more time exploring that side of the island. Waianapanapa State Park has a beautiful black sand beach and an awesome fresh water cave. Seven Sacred Pools/Oheo Gulch is another great spot to explore on that side of the island. There is a great hike through a bamboo forest to a 200’+ waterfall that you may have to yourself if you go early in the morning (we did).
It’s really freakin early, but I *highly* recommend getting up to the top of Haleakala to watch the sunrise (1-1.5 hr drive from Kihei or Lahaina). Absolutely incredible (and bring a jacket, the bedspread, anything you can find – you will freeze your okole off!). I recommend a snorkel trip to Molokini as well for some of the clearest water you’ll ever see. We did an ATV/Zip line tour in 2005 that was awesome, too. If you like adventure, it’s something to look in to.
Hope this gives you some ideas! Enjoy the trip!
My safety tips first:
Lather up on sunscreen over ALL exposed body parts. You will burn quickly there.
Do not swim in the ocean if the waves are high. You can easily get pushed out to sea.
Don’t speed in the car, especially going on the shore,
For the fun stuff:
Stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Oahu.
Maui: Outrigger Aina Nalu which is right in downtown Lahaina or if you prefer the resort feeling and money is no problem, stay at the Westin in Wailea or The Ritz Carlton in Kapalua. Take a day trip to Molokai or Lanai. There is a ferry which will take you there at Lahaina harbor. The road to hana is nice as well. On the way, stop by Ono farms at get some fresh fruit.
Oahu: The north shore, Pearl harbor, Hanauma bay (closed Tuesday), The aloha bowl flea market (open Wednesday and Saturday only), Shave ice at matsumoto on the North shore.