Oh, so jealous!! I think I could happily live there!
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The problem with living on neighbor islands is medical care as we get older. We barely have enough good specialists on Oahu, where most of our population is centered and you don’t want to have to fly whenever you need to see a specialist. True, specialists do fly to the neighbor island but that tends to be like monthly or so, so if one has chronic health issues, nice to have nearby specialists.
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I used to live on Big Island and still visit often (I have lots of friends and distant family there) - I’ve used Knutson & Associates in the past for condo rentals and was very happy with their service and the rentals - I see they have some homes on their listings - Kona Hawaii House Rentals | Knutson & Associates
As an alternative they have several condos at Keauhou Kona Surf & Racquet Club (where I stayed when I rented with them) - you might like 2 or 3 units which would give far more space, and lots of bathrooms for a large group - maybe pick one that has a great ocean view lanai and enjoy evening meals together there.
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Sounds lovely. How difficult is it to get flights to Hawaii around the holidays?
Not difficult at all! Just very expensive
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Not intending to hijack but this doesn’t seem worthy of its own thread - so feel free to message me.
Thinking of hopping over to Hawaii after a wedding we have in California in July. Is that a good time to go? Any island that’s a better bet than the others that time of year? We aren’t big ocean swimmers so it’s okay if the surf is rough that time of year. TIA!
We have used Paradise in Hawaii several times on the Big Island and been delighted!!
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Yes, Hawaii is perfect all year long 
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July is one of the busiest times of year to go…that’s when families with kids often go because of summer break.
But the weather all year round there is great, so weather-wise it’s awesome.
Going in July just means that hotel/condo/etc accommodations’ costs will be higher than some other times of year.
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Except perhaps the Christmas holidays! (Btdt!)
I could easily come up with great itineraries for Kauai and Maui, neither of which involve ocean swimming (but possibly some snorkeling).
Kauai is visually so spectacular, and it’s small enough that getting around and exploring is easy, but there’s quite a bit of variety. It’s an excellent choice if you like to hike.
Maui also has a lot for folks who aren’t looking at ocean swimming as a main activity, including hiking.
You might want to get a guidebook for each as well as look at some of the online planning blogs/sites and see if one has more appeal. Maui has more high end resorts if you’re leaning in that direction. Odds are you’ll have two excellent vacation options AND one of them will feel better for your group. We’re a little more laid-back and active, and Kauai is a favorite, but we’d never turn down s vacation on Maui either.
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Waimea Canyon on Kauai is lovely! It’s like a mini-grand canyon. Maui is fun as well and has Haleakala. Big Island has volcano that MAY be actively erupting. Oahu has Waikiki and Haunauma Bay and a lot more people and big city.
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My one and only trip to Hawaii was in July (the only time of year it worked for the whole family) and it was glorious. The flight from the East Coast was the only downer- but if you’ll already be on the West Coast- great idea!!!
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I can provide great ideas for Big Island (the island of Hawaii) - which is always my recommendation for those wanting to visit, as it encompasses all the traits of the other islands in one.
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Yeah, already being on the west coast is a driving factor. The flight home will be long but we’ll have to stop along the way so at least we’ll get a break!
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It was a spectacular trip. I didn’t want to go- flying all that way to sit on a beach seemed crazy. But Hawaii is so much more than the beaches (which are truly beautiful btw). The different ecosystems, birds, landscape… all so interesting and amazing.
The rangers at Volcano National Park for example– you can sign up for a botany tour. You can sign up to walk with a lava expert. You can listen to a Q&A with a ranger who can discuss the impact of rising ocean temperatures on the coastline and marine life. The hiking is gorgeous.
We barely had time for the beach! As you drive– you will be looking at a moonscape (lava fields punctuated by huge boulders) and then half an hour later will be driving through a pineapple grove (lush and pretty) and then half an hour after that you’ll be on a road that looks like a botanical garden except it’s not– it’s just indigenous plants growing by the side of the road!
Loved every minute of it.
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The food in Hawaii is also amazing—lots of different cultures make our foods unique and we have a lot of amazing chefs. Some folks enjoy food trucks but there is a range from mom & pop to upscale places and everything in between.
There’s a lot on each island. I’m sure you’ll figure out what you want best. You may have to return to see more. Haha! Be sure to budget enough so you can try a lot of great new things!
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I’d recommend against flying there on Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines right now. Hawaiian Airlines merged into Alaska and everything is a mess with it right now.
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We’ve flown to Hawaii on Hawaiian since the merge and haven’t had any problems. What have you experienced?
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Same. No issues at all.
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The mess might have started just a few days ago. Alaska app is not operational. Thank goodness I could log in on the web and get my boarding pass that way when flying to an offsite meeting a few days ago. Also… have several trips for next year booked, and Alaska keeps changing flight departure times at least once a month! A mess for now.
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