<p>I’m late planning a summer vacation due to all the HS graduation festivities. Am wondering if a week is enough to enjoy Hawaii? Can anyone suggest an itinerary (island-wise) that would be good for our family of 4 including 2 boys (15 & 18)? Or let me know if that’s just not enough time to enjoy it and we should stick to plan b (a cruise)?</p>
<p>I’ve been bombarded with Mexico deals, but with all the crime I’m just wary of going there right now.</p>
<p>Hawaii is beautiful. Maybe you could pick two islands you like and spend 3/4 on each one. Flights from one island to another are very cheap. </p>
<p>Do you want to do more commercial stuff or do some adventure?
Do you want to have a lot of beach time or walking/trailing?</p>
<p>My family did a week on Oahu and Kauai. Personally I liked Kauai a lot better because it was less commercial and touristy. It was so beautiful and calm. Oahu is where Waikiki Beach is where huge tourist destinations are. Try to do some snorkeling I think Kauai is where the best shores are. Oahu is where Pearl Harbor is which is a great experience but its a full day kind of thing. Lost was filmed on Oahu which can easily seen by the sequence of mountains and landscape.</p>
<p>There is an Hawaii thread that was active a few weeks ago. Lots of good information there. I have had lots of luck and help from the site TripAdvisor.com as well.</p>
<p>Enjoy your vacation!</p>
<p>How long is your week (i.e. 9 day Sat - Sun, 7 days, 5 days)? If you mean a 9 day week then 2 islands would be good. Consider Maui/Hawaii, Maui/Kauai, or Kauai/Hawaii. If you’re closer to 5 days it’s still definitely worth going but pare it to one island - one of the 3 above. I’m pretty much done with an island in a week - any longer would be too much for me (but that’s just me).</p>
<p>Go find the relatively recent Hawaii thread that had lots of info and opinions.</p>
<p>If you just plan on staying in Oahu then I would suggest the beaches on the North shore such as Eternity Beach (Where The film From Here To Eternity was filmed) also Hanauma Bay…not the North shore but it has great snorkeling) if you could bring a bag of frozen peas you will think you are in a huge tropical fish tank. The Bay gets crowded and I would suggest getting there early.</p>
<p>My favorite Island is Mololai…very few tourists and some of the most breath taking hikes to waterfalls. I just don’t know if a week in Hawaii would do it for me. Do you have 7 days in Hawaii or are you including the travel time? I personally would not go if I had less than two weeks. </p>
<p>The Big Island might also be nice considering the kids are going. The black sand beaches are lovely and volcano national park is great to see.</p>
<p>Yes… a week off work is all I can spare off since I have to attend 3 days of college orientation with DS1 and then a day for move-in. </p>
<p>We can stretch it to 9 days. We are huge Lost fans, so Oahu might be fun. I’ve looked for Hawaii “packages”, but I guess they aren’t plentiful like the Mexico ones. Prefer hotel/air/car all included so I don’t have to stress about the details! I’ll try searching AAA.</p>
<p>I kind of miss the days of the “travel agent” :-).</p>
<p>I used a local travel agent, & it brought back many fond memories. I went there because they use AMEX points to pay for trip. Their package included rental car for $1/day, and hotel rates as good as any I saw on’line. For no additional cost, they booked all the airlines, as they considered that a courtesy for doing hotel.</p>
<p>ATINTM, try looking for rooms on hotel websites. It might be even cheaper if you book your flight, hotel, and car separately. When I searched Expedia, Marriott’s Ko Olina was totally sold out, but there were plenty of rooms available through the hotel’s site. If your kids love Lost, they will love Oahu’s North Shore. There is plenty of Hawaiiana on Oahu beyond Waikiki. DH and I just spent a very enjoyable week in Oahu without spending a minute in Waikiki.</p>
<p>I also second the suggestion of the Big Island - lots of hiking in the Volcanoes National Park for adventure-oriented teens. However, if you have never been to the Islands, Maui, Oahu or Kauai would be the better option to visit first. The Big Island has a totally different feel - the lava flow fields look like you just stepped on Martian soil :)</p>