Maui or Big Island?

Hey all,

My wife and I are planning a trip for this June, and are in the process of researching our options. We%26#39;ve read the guide books/websites, and now we%26#39;re looking for some opinions from those who have been there/live there. I%26#39;ll try and explain the ideal trip for us, and we would love your feedback as to which island (maui or hawaii, or possibly kauai) you think is our best choice.

So, here we go...the trip will be between 8-10 days, late june 09. We want the trip to be a good mix of beach time and island exploration time. We would like to split the beach time between just relaxing in the sunshine and doing some snorkling/surfing/scuba(none of which we have ever tried as were thousands of miles from either ocean). As for the island exploration, lots of walking and hiking is our preferred method for seeing the sights. Understandably we%26#39;ll probably have to drive to lots of places, hiking the area once we arrive by car would be ideal. The absolutely perfect trip would probably entail morning hikes to see some of the famous geography of the island followed by late afternoons on the beaches on most days, with a few days dedicated to one or the other (hiking/exploring or the beach/ocean). So, that is our dream vacation. Which island is our best bet? Also, if you think that this is a crazy way to spend a trip in hawaii, don%26#39;t be afraid to say so. I%26#39;m new to this and will take all the advice/criticism I can get.

Thanks much!

Maui or Big Island?

Maui is usually suggested as the island to go to for your first Hawaiian vacation. You can do all the things you listed on Maui. With 10 days you could do 2 islands. The Big island of Hawaii is a vacation in its own. You could spend months there and never see all there is to see.

The snorkeling is best on the island of Hawaii with Maui coming in second. Snorkeling and beach activities in the morning, are recommended due to tradewinds blowing most afternoon hours. The best hiking is generally found on Kauai. But there are nice hikes on Maui and Hawaii.

It really comes down to personal choice. Everyone has their favorite island. All are wonderful and you can%26#39;t make a ';wrong choice';. I don%26#39;t think your way of spending a trip to Hawaii is crazy at all!! Good luck!!

Maui or Big Island?

Without question Maui.....small enough to do stuff big enough to do lots... The very best choice for a first island.

My first suggestion is to get a copy of ';Hawaii for Dummies'; (I hate the titles, but they are useful). I also like ';No Worries Hawaii'; for it%26#39;s simplistic presentatin that has you answer questions of yourself and your expectations, it%26#39;s a bit of fun.

I agree that Maui is an excellent first island for all the reasons the HD stated. My first island trip was Oahu and Kauai, nothing wrong with that either - but Maui is easily navigated and has the look that many folks have in their head for a tropical vacation. Each island is very different from the others.

Crazy? Not at all -

this is not at all a crazy way to do it ...

although I would switch out your day schedule to do mornings on the beach.

For one thing, the water is calmest and flattest in the morning, before the wind comes up and makes it choppy. The sun is kindest then too. The afternoon sun on the beach in June is really brutal.

I go to the beach before noon and after 3:30 or even 4 pm at that time of year.

Now as to which island, I will say neither, go to Kaua%26#39;i ... because June is the very best time to enjoy the fabulous Hanalei District. Kaua%26#39;i is a wetter cooler island, farther to the north, and in winter it%26#39;s not reliable for snorkeling or dry weather ...

in June, it is terrific. Has great hiking, good waterfalls, the incredible Waimea Canyon, and lots of sandy beaches.

It is quiet there, with less of a ';scene'; than Maui, but as you seem to be all about nature and relaxing, I think you don%26#39;t need the hip scene ... am I right?

I love the Big Island, but you do have to drive a lot to get around and it%26#39;s much harder to stay right on the beach unless your budget is quite high.

Enjoy!

Thanks all for the great info! Especially helpful to know to hit the beach in the morning and hike in the afternoons. When I was reading about maui, it did sound like it offered a good mix of quality beach and worthwhile hiking. One thing that concerns me is what i%26#39;ve read about traffic on Maui....will I be spending a few hours in traffic to make it 15-20 miles to a hiking point in the middle of the island? I.e. does the traffic congestion on maui make driving it take as much time as the big island?

KamaainaK, thanks for the info on Kauai, its still on our radar. My wife and I are only 24 but you%26#39;re right, we would much prefer a relaxing and naturally beautiful place over a %26#39;hip%26#39; and %26#39;touristy%26#39; place. We would rather have a nice condo on a quiet and pretty beach than a room in a huge hotel on a busy beach. One thing my wife and I were looking forward to doing was hiking volcanic terrain, does Kauai have this like the big island and maui do? Also, does Kauai lend itself well to half-day hikes, or is it so remote that getting to the good destinations requires longer hikes?

Additionally, does maui lend itself well to finding simple but nice condo on a not terribly crowded popular beach, or is everything guaranteed to be packed?

Thanks for the help!

hi again,

I believe Kaua%26#39;i lends itself to all sorts of hikes, but the place to get the scoop is post in that forum where there are several avid hikers who will tell you all you want to know and more!

Maui to my mind is crowded and the traffic horrid, but Maui lovers don%26#39;t care. To people on the Big Island, Maui seems way overdeveloped and way too ';L.A.';

But it does have a lot of beaches ... I myself don%26#39;t see the Maui hikes as ';near'; the beach but rather as day trips. The Maui forum folks can tell you more.

shanj - KK is absolutely right, Kauai is a hikers bounty. The northshore is gorgeous and has the Kalalau trail on the far point. There is excellent snorkeling and beach again in Haena area/Kee - simply gorgeous. There is Anini beach, lovely! Other hiking? Sleeping Giant on the eastern side north of Kapaa and Waimea Canyon offers fabulous vistas and great scenery. Volcanic scenery, not so much as it is the oldest island and well covered with greenery, but since all the islands were formed by a volcano there is visibility of it on all, some more than others. Drive from the northshore to Waimea Canyon allow two + hours. From Hanalei allow an hour minimum to get to Lihue. If you chose Kauai you might consider staying part of your trip on the north and part on the west or south to cut down on driving and all that entails. Quiet spots? Hanalei Colony Resort is past Hanalei right on the beach (non swimming) and we love it. Another would be Waimea Plantation Cottages on the west side of the island. Kauai also has the only navigable rivers and if you are interested in Kayaking it would be a good choice. On the Kauai forum, Kalipakidooley and KauaiHiker can provide much info! It would be an ideal time to visit that island.

On Maui the traffic can be chaotic in Kahului during average rush hours - same as anywhere, including Kauai trying to navigate Lihue or Kapaa. The longest drive on Maui would be a trip to Hana which would take an entire day to go there and back. I would suggest South Maui if easy access to the rest of the island is of concern. Sounds like you might enjoy Paia and upcountry in general, but lodgings there are mostly limited to B%26amp;B%26#39;s. You would most likely enjoy Hana, but to get anywhere from there would take many hours. Advice on that would be stay a night or two in Hana and see Oheo and hike the Pipiwai Trail. The quietest beach area that I know of on Maui would be Napili or Makena, but everyone drives to differnt beaches so there really is no such thing as a secluded bit of sand.

Mileage means little on the islands as speed limits are lower and roads narrow/curvy. This puts you on Island Time and that%26#39;s a good thing.

The Island of Hawaii is BIG - beaches not plentiful, but there are some and mostly in the area north of Kailua-Kona, the Kohala area (resorts). Active volcano and plenty of volcanic scenery.

Yes, you have much to consider!

If just one week: Kauai. If ten nights: five nights each on Kauai and one of other small islands (Maui, Lanai, Molokai.) Oahu is small too, but you%26#39;d probably only like the east and north shores. Kauai has the hikes, and beaches, and is THE island for a helicopter tour because it is so vertical. June is a great time to stay on Kauai%26#39;s north shore.

We are on Maui every February, when it is %26#39;home%26#39; to lots of snowbirds. %26#39;Traffic%26#39; on Maui is pretty mild outside of Kahului and Kaanapali/Lahaina. You can cross the island from Kahului to Maalaea in 30 minutes or less.

Dear Omaha: Yes put Kauai in your option bag. Lot%26#39;s to do and see, smaller and more quaint, very lush on Norht End. Good snorkeling, lots of nice beaches, Wailua Falls, Wailua river kayaking (rope swing at end), historic Hawaiin fishing village, do first part of Kalalau trail, lots of hiking choices, Poipu southeast area great for central location and beach time, Spouting Horn, Waimea Canyon %26amp; Kokee State Park a must (especially Kalalau lookout w/ rainbows/rainbows), maybe Polihali Beach (don%26#39;t get your car stuck in the sand). As with most islands avoid rush hour traffic, watch the roads, don%26#39;t turn your back on the ocean. Enjoy %26amp; Aloha, TheodoreJay

For openers the longer you can stay the better! Our 1st 2 trips were 10 days split between Kauai and Hawaii. I still think that is the absolute best way to get a ';taste'; of the islands. We now have a time-share on Maui so we have 2 weeks every year, often add days, a couple of times even another week, on Oahu (son went to UH and we have friends there) or Hawaii, I will always be a Kona girl at heart!! The bottom line is you simply cannot go wrong! Our vacations through the years have evolved (devolved?) into a lot more beach/lanai/do I need to even move today? When the islands get in your blood you stop feeling that you must go-go-go and really find the joy of relaxation! But then you are the age of my kids, and when they come over it%26#39;s still go-go-go, we now schedule a week with some ';old'; friends and another week when the kids swoop in. But the nicest was the 3 weeks it was just the 2 of us! You will love it! Hawaii touches something very ';real'; in many of us. Hope it speaks to you too!