Hoping to take a family trip (two young adult “kids”) to Hawaii for a week at the end of August and looking for recommendations!
I’ve been to Maui twice in the past and loved it – would definitely consider returning but am thinking about Oahu for this trip. Although I am intrigued by the sunrise bike ride down Haleakala.
I love water activities – ocean swimming, snorkeling, sailing, water gazing, kayaking. If it involves H2O, I’m in (usually literally!). However, I am on medication that makes me sun sensitive, so am also looking for activities that would get me out of the sun for part of the time. Also, our family is split between early risers and late risers, so definitely want a place where the early birds (I’m one of them!) can easily walk to a coffee shop or a destination and enjoy a couple of morning hours while the others sleep in. That’s probably the #1 requirement.
We are not nightlife people and are not particularly foodies, although of course we enjoy a nice meal – we just won’t go out of our way or spend a ton for it. Would prefer garden apartment style lodging over high-rises if possible, but pricing is also important.
Would love some suggestions.
Also paging @HImom , as I’m sure she’s got a wealth of info!
Edited to add: am also considering Lake Tahoe, where I’ve never been, as that would be an easier destination transportation wise (I’m in SoCal). So any Tahoe suggestions would also be welcome.
I’d consider a vacation rental in Ko Olina. It has lovely lagoons for swimming or water activities as well as beach yoga. We stayed at a vrbo out there for a wedding. It had 2 bedrooms and easily accommodated the 5 of us but could have slept more. It was a bit expensive and further away from the main part of Honolulu but mostly away from the hustle and bustle.
We love the west shore of Tahoe (past Tahoe City to the south on the California side). There are numerous homes to rent and one or two resorts. The area is best for outdoor activities including hiking, biking, kayak rentals. The drive south goes through some magnificent scenery. There are some easier hikes, with not too much sun (Eagle Falls and beyond up to the Lake, the Rubican Trail from Bliss Park).
However, the restaurants are pricey and not that great. There is not much nighlife (at least as far as we know). Unless you stay in town or at a resort, you would make coffee at home and find a nice place to drink it. The other downside is that it tends to be quite crowded, although the very end of August probably less so. The late risers may find it hard to find parking at their desired fun spot.
Maui and Kauai are our favorite islands of Hawaii. My son and his wife (mid-20s) love Kauai the most (they spent the second week of their honeymoon at a pretty nice resort there). Problem is, I can’t think of a lot to do on either island that would be inside.
I know – much to my sadness in this particular stage of my life. I just talked to my doctor today, though, who said i should be okay in the sun as long as I wear a hat and use sunscreen. So I’m hopeful I can pull this off.
I’m open to other locations that would be within a 3 hour flight from Los Angeles (I know Hawaii is farther – making an exception for that) that has water fun (fresh water or salt water) and safe urban exploring. Maybe some low-key hiking. We’ve lived here a long time and I feel like we’ve tapped-out most options but I would welcome any suggestions. Going for about a week.
We were in Kauai in June. It was beautiful. Different experience than our Maui trip, but wonderful. Right now, with all the Nor Cal Fires, I’d probably not choose Tahoe at this time. But that’s me. We prefer Tahoe in the winter
We’re also a CA family that loves water and needs breaks from the sun. Oahu is a great choice for this. We’ve been twice in recent years—first staying slightly outsidei the bustle of Honolulu/Waikiki at the Kahala resort and then staying in the middle of everything at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach.
Both hotels have their pros/cons, but my teens loved being able to walk right out of the hotel on their own and have all of Waikiki at their fingertips.
Here are some of the activities we have done:
Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. You need reservations to snorkel and you need to follow their rules (which aren’t onerous but it’s a protected reef and they are serious about that). This is “can’t-miss” snorkeling. Great for beginners or more serious snorkelers. A great beach and snacks too. The views are stunning. The fish are plentiful. You can rent gear here too.
Polynesian Cultural Center is a fun place to stop while driving around the island. Great activities, games, shows, food.
The Pearl Harbor Museum. Well done exhibits and great for a couple of hours indoors
-Dole Plantation tour… another nice stop out of the sun
Sailing tours… when we stayed in Waikiki we hopped on a sunset tour right outside our hotel. It was super easy and we loved being able to decide to go last minute and hop aboard
Beaches… Waikiki beach is very popular and crowded but it’s a calm beach with easy swimming, playing, body surfing for all ages. Waimanalo beach is truly stunning but the waves are not as mellow. My husband grew up on Oahu and this is as close to his favorite beach as we can get (Bellows Beach, owned by the Air Force, is his favorite, but we can’t get on it as civilians).
on the north shore, Haleiwa beach park is great for a blended beach/town day. The beach is calmer than a lot of north shore spots and you can walk to town for the famous Masamoto shave ice, Giovanni’s shrimp truck, etc.
We are headed to Kauai the first week of Sept and there are some cheap flights to Hawaii on United (like $300ish). I’d hop on it!
Good point about looking at potential fire and smoke impacts before a trip to Tahoe. We have been there when the smoke made it hard to see across the lake and family has been there when they had to stay inside because the smoke (from distant fires) was so intense.
Thank you everyone for the suggestions. @Wjs1107 the snorkeling suggestion sounds wonderful!
And good point about the air quality around Tahoe right now
One last idea – Victoria British Columbia. Anyone been there and know if it’s got a week’s worth of activities? I’ve been to Vancouver several time and love it but never to Victoria.
I love Lake Tahoe, especially in August when it isn’t as crowded, but the chance of bad air quality due to fires is definitely a possibility.
We love Kauai. We like to stay in Poipu.
Consider Big Island rather than Oahu. Overall, I found more to do on my two visits to Big Island than on my two visits to Oahu. No question, there is plenty to do on both, but if not going to Maui, I’d choose Big Island rather than Oahu.
We will be staying at the Outrigger Beach Resort in October. It’s our 2nd time to Oahu, but the first staying in a beach hotel. It looks really nice, I love Duke’s and we’ll be taking that Na Hoku Sunset cruise, too.
We went to Maui last time, staying in Ka’anapali. It just hurts knowing Lahaina Town is gone.
Have fun! It’s a great location and the beach in front of the hotel is so fun. And get reservations at Duke’s—it fills up fast. Breakfast is much easier, though.
FYI, the live music does play on the deck until around 10 pm. It didn’t both us—we liked it. But if you’re looking for quiet before then, might need to request a room that doesn’t face the ocean.
We visited Haleakala in August. It was FREEZING and windy at the top. We had been warned and brought the bedspreads from our hotel room. Just in case you do the sunrise bike ride, it might be chilly.
If you drive up one of the volcanoes, beware of sudden altitude sickness. My traveling companion started coughing at the top, and luckily I realized that it wasn’t asthma, and got them back in the car and started driving down. A few minutes after we started driving down, they developed the worst headache of their lives. By the time we got down to sea level, the coughing had mostly receded, but the headache lasted the rest of the day.
