Island of Maui

Maui is the most beautiful island of all the major island in Hawaii. It's strikingly blue waters and lush green rainforests are like a dream. After staying in Maui once, you feel like moving there.

Road to Hana: It is a very scenic drive with 500+ blind turns and 62 one lane bridges. There are so many waterfalls along the way. Unfortunately, Maui has been going through a drought so we did not get to see as many, but we have heard from friends about its beauty. The drive has various stops along the way starting with the town of Paia and ending in town of Hana. Beyond the Paia town, stop to watch some amazing windsurfing action going on. Hana town is quaint and has some nice beaches. Beyond Hana town, you can visit Oheo Gulch pools. Again, they were dry when we visited, but the pictures say it all.

If you don't plan to stay in Hana overnight, leave early morning so you can stop and go and hike to the pools and return before nightfall.

Beaches: Makena beach was one of the most beautiful ones especially to just sit and watch the waves that break shore. Ka'anapali beach is a good spot swimming and people watching. You can also go snorkeling from the beaches or take a organized trip to Molokini crater.

Gear Rental: Snorkel Bob has best deals for snorkel and beach equipment rentals. You can even return snorkel gear on another island location. Their one week pricing is really good.

Haleakala Crater: This is a half day trip if you don't plan on hiking much. If you have already hiked a lot in Volcano park or been up Mauna Kea, you won't find much to do. But still going to the top is recommended. Haleakala also has stargazing after sunset in case you missed Mauna Kea summit.

Lu'au: We attended the Old Lahaina Luau in Lahaina town. It was a great authentic hawaiian experience to have. The food isn't great but watching the dancers and just spending the evening doing something different is definitely a must.

Lodging: Most of the high-end resorts are located in West Maui in Ka'anapali. Napili beach area has lots of condos. Kihei which is located little south is a good middle ground with respect to pricing as well as location. There are good beaches in Kihei as well.

Oh I wish I could move to Maui!

Island of Hawaii

The Island of Hawaii is an amazing place. The east and west sides of this island are such a contrast.

Accommodation: The decision to stay on which side of the island is a big one. If you are staying here for 4 or more nights, it is best to divide the stay between the two sides. The town of Hilo which is closer to the Volcano National Park is the only good place to stay. You should stay here if you plan to visit the Volcanoes and do lots of hiking. It will save you some drive time. Of course, the hotels on this side of the island are not great. For more sunny, beach weather, head to the west part of the island. Keauhou Bay area as well as the Kohala Coast are attractive destinations.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: This is a very unique place to visit. Stop by the visitor's center first thing in the morning and get the latest updates from the rangers. They will provide you the latest and best information about lava flows and trails. Lava flow changes a lot, so be flexible about your plans if you do want to see it. We booked a helicopter ride in advance to see the best lava flows from the air, but there wasn't much to see. Make sure you check on the lava flow update 48 hours before any helicopter ride so it will allow you to cancel if there isn't much to see.

Beaches: The best beaches are along the west coast of the island. However, if you have time, drive south past the volcano national park to black sands beach. It is one of the most unique beaches that I have seen.

Mauna Kea: Be sure to visit the Mauna Kea visitor center and stay past sunset to see the amazing night sky views. You can see thousands of stars and so much more without a telescope. There are organized tours to the summit which can be expensive and they come down to the visitor center for stargazing. If you have a four wheel, you can drive to the summit yourself. You can still drive to the visitor center in a two-wheel from Thrifty since they are the only ones to allow their cars on Saddle Road. Of course, the drive itself can 1.5-2 hours from the west coast resorts to the visitor center. We did the organized tour and were glad we didn't have to drive so much through the desert landscape.

Big Island seems like a very different Hawaii, but there is still so much to do besides the water and beach activities.

Island of Oahu

The city of Honolulu is on the island of Oahu along with the world-famous Waikiki Beach. Oahu is not such a big island and can be easily covered in four days. Of course, if you plan to spend more time on water sports or just laying on the beach, go for one week.

Accommodation: Waikiki area has tons of hotels to choose from. You can find very good deals especially closer to your time of travel. If you have already booked refundable rooms, keep looking. If you want to save, try staying a block from the beach. Waikiki is still a close walk.

Food: Again, being a big city there are many options and all different cuisines and price ranges. Be sure to try the puka dog if you haven't ever had one. There is a puka dog vendor on Kuhio Avenue. Be sure to pick up some goodies from Liliha bakery in Honolulu - especially the cocoa puffs. They are wonderful.

Surfing: Be sure to try our surfing at the Waikiki beach. This is one of the best and most popular places to learn surfing. Plan to keep a whole day for surfing and laying around on the beach since it can be quite exhausting.

Attractions:

Diamond Head: The hike up to Diamond Head is good though steep and the Waikiki views are great. However, do not expect anything spectacular.

Pali Lookout: This look out has great views.

Puu Ualakaa State Park: The sunset views from this mountain top are amazing. This is a must do!

Hanauma Bay: This is the best place to go snorkel on the beach. Allow a full day to enjoy the beach and the fishes. The tides can get low so check on the high tide times if you plan to be there for a short period.

East/North Shore: If you want to spend some time driving around the island, you can visit the North Shore, watch high waves and world-class surfing and return via the East shore. The drive around the Makapuu lighthouse is really beautiful.

Honolulu may be a tourist place, but enjoy strolling down Kalakua Avenue. The place has its own unique charm.

Hawaii

Recently, my husband and I went on a two-week trip to Hawaii. We went to Oahu, Big Island and Maui. Each island has tons of activities to do and has its own unique beauty.

Before going, we read every book we could on these island and scoured the Internet for tips and information. But even after getting so much information, there are more things we wish we had known.
For next few posts, I will outline some of the tips, must-see, must-do items while detailing our trip.
Overall it was an amazing trip. I feeling like moving to Hawaii. It was one of the best vacations I have ever had.