Hello.. I will be going to Hawaii with my boyfriend for about 11 days in Nov. this year - 3 days in Big Island, 5 days in Maui, 3 days on Oahu. This is our first trip to Hawaii and I am trying to put together an itinerary that includes all the ';must-dos';. This is what I have come up with, tentatively:
Big Island (arrive at Kona, leave from Hilo):
Day 1: Lava tubes in the morning?, snorkel at Captain Cook/Place of Refugee in the afternoon, Hapuna Beach
Day 2: Take the northern route to Hilo - Pololu Valley Lookout, Akaka falls (perhaps Mauna Kea on the way, if time and weather permits)
Day 3: Volcano National Park and new black sand beach
Maui:
Day 1: Explore front beach in Lahaina, Whalers Cove beach and west Maui (stay at Sheraton for a couple of days)
Day 2: Kihei and South Maui (snorkel at black rock), sunset at Wailea
Day 3: Sunrise at Haleakala Crater, Tedeschi winery, possibly Iao Valley State park
Day 4: Road to Hana and perhaps a helicopter ride of the island?
Day 5: Undecided
Oahu (I%26#39;m not a big history person - am more into nature):
Day 1: Waikiki beach, Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor
Day 2: Polynesian Cultural Center, international marketplace
Day 3: Drive to North shore, Pali lookout on the way, Dole pineapple plantations on the way
I know this sounds hectic, but I am sure we will return to Hawaii - this visit is more to get a feel of all the islands and do all the absolute musts. If our schedules become too hectic, we might cut down on a few things - on-the-go.
However, in order that I do not miss out on anything spectacular, had a few questions:
(1) Any suggestions on which luau to attend and where?
(2) Where should I take the helicopter tour - the Big Island or Maui?
(3) Any specific snorkeling tours or evening diving tours we should be aware of?
(4) I%26#39;ve heard a lot about lava tubes on the Big Island - should I do them by Kona, or by the VNP?
(5) Any other must-dos or anything else I should add/change about my itinerary?
Thanks in advance for all your suggestions!
Which luaus and tours to take?
(1) Any suggestions on which luau to attend and where?
Feast of lei lei or Old Lahina Luau on Maui.
(2) Where should I take the helicopter tour - the Big Island or Maui?
Depends, what do you want to see, an active volcano or lush jungle and water falls? Active volcano = Big Island, jungle and waterfalls Maui.
(3) Any specific snorkeling tours or evening diving tours we should be aware of?
Scuba dive with manta rays at night on the Big Island.
(4) I%26#39;ve heard a lot about lava tubes on the Big Island - should I do them by Kona, or by the VNP?
There is the Thurston lava tube in the park. The rangers also conduct a limited (first come first served) tour to a lava tube, I forget which day it is though.
(5) Any other must-dos or anything else I should add/change about my itinerary?
Yes, don%26#39;t plan to the nano second. As you said you are coming back (most people do). leave the first thing in the morning and few evenings open so you can just sit on the lanai and look at paradise while relaxing. If you can swing it, drive somewhere in the evening where there isn%26#39;t any lights, look up and see more stars than you ever thought there were.
Which luaus and tours to take?
You should really allow a whole day for the road to hana. Its such an awesome experience that you shouldn%26#39;t rush round to get back for a helicopter tour. It took me 13 hours going all the way round from Kaanapali and i would do it again tomorrow.
Polynesian Cultural center is already on your list. You can skip all other luaus because this is the best Polynesian entertainment in all of Hawaii. Their evening show %26#39;Horizons%26#39; is awesome.
If you go to one on Maui, Drums of the Pacific at the Hyatt has the best fire knife dancer on Maui.
For Oahu%26#39;s North Shore, you can use the second driving tour on this link:
tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29222-i37-k647862鈥?/a>
Polynesian Cultural center is already on your list. You can skip all other luaus because this is the best Polynesian entertainment in all of Hawaii. Their evening show %26#39;Horizons%26#39; is awesome.
If you go to one on Maui, Drums of the Pacific at the Hyatt has the best fire knife dancer on Maui.
For Oahu%26#39;s North Shore, you can use the second driving tour on this link:
tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29222-i37-k647862鈥?/a>
Go ahead and do the luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center then you won%26#39;t have to do a luau somewhere else. See the Horizons show after the luau.
Just got back from Hawaii. On Maui, the Old Lahina Luau is by far the best. Friends who went to Feast of LeLe were disapointed.
Cool! Thank you for your suggestions!! To add to the misery of finding the ';perfect luau'; however, I have to confess that I am a vegetarian - which excludes all seafood as well! And my boyfriend is also limited since he only eats chicken and fish (he just started exploring fish dishes). That makes it even more painful to shell out the dollars when I might not even end up eating most of the buffet there. Am I correct in my concerns or should I not worry about it too much? On similar lines, do you guys know of any good vegetarian restaurants that you would recommend?
Also, my other biggest dilemma still remains the helicopter tour - and not being able to figure out where to take it. I am a lover of volcanoes as well as luch scenary. We will be hiking for one day in VNP and spending a few days driving in Maui - not sure if that gives me any reason to pick one island over the other for a helicopter tour! Any suggestions are welcome! Thanks in advance..
';I have to confess that I am a vegetarian';
Sounds like you will be eating $100 worth of poi then....and that is a LOT of poi.
Acually the buffets usually have some vegan stuff. They definatly have fish and chicken.
1. The Old Lahaina Luau in Maui is fabulous with a more cultural flair than some of the others.
3. If you want to get away from the ';tour thing'; (and are feeling mildly adventurous) you could rent a kayak near La Perouse Bay head out in the water and take it north to the next little cove near all of the lava formations - the snorkeling there is pretty good!
5. You might want to consider toning down your intinerary a little...thats a full schedule (unless you and your boyfriend are completely type A and cannot handle relaxation:) You might also want to consider spending the entire day on your trip to Hana, plan on taking your time - there is much to see. Also, Tedeschi Winery is a fun little pit stop and the little store across the street has some pretty good sandwhiches with picnic tables outside.
Have fun!!
Ok, I am down to two luaus in Maui: OLL and Wailea Marriott luau.
OLL looks really fun, with its award-winning luau and a better vegetarian meal option. However, it lacks the fire knife dancer of the Wailea Marriott and the better setting of this luau. It is also closer to Kahului where we will be staying, but this is not as much of a consideration since we could do OLL on our first night in Maui when we will be at the Sheraton. Any suggestions to help me out with this dilemma?
Also, anybody know of any websites that give discounts for the warren and annabelle show?
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