<p>We’re building up our Marriott Rewards points and free plane tickets from college visits and were thinking of a nice holiday in Hawaii. There are Marriott properties on the different islands, and I’m not sure which would be the best to stay on.</p>
<p>We of course want a great view of the Pacific. We’d love to see the volcanoes. And we’d love to see waterfalls. We’re NOT interested in shopping or touristy type stuff. Although we would like to see Pearl Harbor, as we’re all history buffs. And I guess we’d like to go to a luau to see the dancing and performances, but not interested in exotic food. It would only be my husband and myself, not in shape, 50 year olds. We may bring our son who is 18 if we can schedule a trip when he’s home from college.</p>
<p>Which of the islands would be best to stay on for enjoying the natural beauty of Hawaii, not the touristy part? </p>
<p>Oh, and a really stupid question. Is it necessary to rent a car, or is there public transportation, readily accessible taxis? And how does one get from one island to the other, car ferry, water taxi, or other means?</p>
<p>We’ll probably only stay four to five days.</p>
<p>Thanks for any input!</p>
<p>Also interested in whale watching, but must do that with son along!</p>
<p>It is pretty cheap to hop between islands via plane, which is what we did when we went. Like you, we weren’t big on big city/touristy stuff (among other things, we backpacked the Na Pali coast). We rented a car on every island when we went.</p>
<p>Here are a few thoughts:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Hawaii (the big island) is the place to go for volcanoes. There is a park on one end of the island with active volcanic activity, and also a large inactive volcano you can drive (maybe hike, too? We did not do it…) up in the middle of the island. Definitely not a big city sort of island. You probably want a car unless your resort runs day trips to the things you would want to see. This island was my personal favorite because of the volcanoes. We especially enjoyed seeing the volcanoes at night (we camped in the park).</p></li>
<li><p>Kauai has a lot of natural beauty. We snorkled and hiked a lot there. A warning if you decide to stay at Kokee Lodge - you will want to kill the chickens very quickly. But it is not a Marriott property anyway. :)</p></li>
<li><p>Oahu is where Honolulu is. We flew in and out of there. Probably the island you could get along best without a car. Things we did that were fun and not too touristy:
Pearl Harbor tour, Bishop Museum (natural history, the feathered capes are very cool if you like that kind of thing), hiking up Diamond Head. We also sought out a “local” Hawaian food restaurant (a dive in Honolulu) and had poi (day old poi is what the locals eat, so that is what we had). And we visited the aquarium, because we always go to aquariums.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>I love Hawaii! I think the island with the most spectacular natural scenery is Kauai, where Jurassic Park was filmed. The North Shore has lots of beaches where you can snorkel and swim in relative peace and quiet. You will need to rent a car to get around the island.</p>
<p>We really like the Big Island. For us, the ideal trip is several days on the Big Island, and one, maybe two, on Oahu. You will need a car on the Big Island.</p>
<p>One tip: Pearl Harbor is very crowded, and you will likely have to wait unless you arrive very early.</p>
<p>We stayed at the Kauai Marriott Beach Club. There is a newer Marriott now, so I’d check [Reviews</a> of Hotels, Flights and Vacation Rentals - TripAdvisor](<a href=“http://www.tripadvisor.com%5DReviews”>http://www.tripadvisor.com) to see which is better. Kauai has the waterfalls and a “grand canyon”. You would need a car. We did Smith’s luau and enjoyed it.
[Smith’s</a> Tropical Paradise, Garden Luau, Weddings and Fern Grotto Tours](<a href=“http://www.smithskauai.com/]Smith’s”>http://www.smithskauai.com/)</p>
<p>There are no ferries between islands.</p>
<p>Oahu has Pearl Harbor and huge waves on the north shore. It’s fun to watch the surfers.</p>
<p>I believe the Big Island has the only active volcanoes.</p>
<p>Maui…perfect blend of beaches, local scenery (Haleakala is spectacular if you get up very early to see the sunrise at the top of the volcano…and if there are no clouds.) and ambiance. Road to Hana was nice and the off road water falls were a nice get out of the car opportunity. Great snorkeling all over, but we loved Napili area and the Wailea area. Wailea and Kihei get very windy in the p.m. so go early for nice clear water. Favorite area, anywhere North of Kaanapali (too touristy) up to Napili. Must go to Warren and Annabelle’s in Lahaina for magic/comedy show and dinner…was one of the highlights of our trip. Well worth the cost and the food was good.</p>
<p>On the Big Island we took a helicopter tour over the two main volcanoes and near some breathtaking waterfalls. It was pretty cool to be able to see the red hot lava inside the volcano. I don’t remember the hotel we stayed at, but the beach was rugged with black sand.</p>
<p>We visited the others but when we got to Maui we fell in love and go back every other year now since we own time share property. We do not find it too touristy, we like to go into the town and non-tourist areas. </p>
<p>For whale watching Maui is fabulous. However, you should know that on Maui the hotel is not where the timeshares are. The hotel is at Wailea at the south shore and the timeshares are in the more popular Kaanapali on the west side. They are both beautiful but different. I don’t think you can use points to rent the timeshares, though. You need a car to visit the natural areas of any of the islands.</p>
<p>Oh, I forgot about Magnum’s helicopter tours. I will have to check that out. My husband does not like to fly, so I doubt either a helicopter or plane hopping between islands will go over well. Is there another way between islands, like a water taxi service?</p>
<p>I definitely want to see waterfalls and would love to see where Jurassic Park was filmed with son. </p>
<p>What islands do the whale watching tours go out of?</p>
<p>I would love to watch surfers, so tips on good surfing watching sides are apreciated.</p>
<p>We are out of shape and heavy, so places that are accessible by car are best for us. Not able to hike or camp, and I don’t know if I’m brave enough to snorkle.</p>
<p>Is there a boat tour of the islands anyone can recommend?</p>
<p>We are from New Orleans, and like to avoid touristy restaurants. Would love some inside tips on mom and pop places to eat.</p>
<p>If you have never been to Hawaii, you should go to Oahu!!! Check out Marriott’s Ko Olina resort - very nice, newer property, well maintained with amazing staff, relaxing and far away from Honolulu and Waikiki. We love that place - the protected lagoons were calm and very swimmable even during the amazing winter surf last December. You can set your base camp in Ko Olina and explore the island from there, visit Perl Harbor (awesome), go up the Diamond Head, check out the Waimea Falls park and the North Shore where *Lost *was filmed. We love the fact that there are kitchenettes in the units and outdoor grills so we can eat what we want wen we want, but there are several restaurants nearby and on the property. Kolohe’s is their own beachfront restaurant with live music which is good for sunset dinner (or you can sit in the adults-only hot tub and listen to the singers). There are paths that go about 1.5 miles along the shore for walking, jogging, or you can use the lap pool and/or the exercise room (never too busy!) or sign up for a yoga class. The nice thing about this resort is that we’ve never seen it crowded (been there in August, June and December), and they do not charge you extra to use the beach lounge chairs (although there is a charge for “cabanas”).</p>
<p>If your H doesn’t like to fly, it is a long flight to Hawaii… really, the flights between islands are quite short, hops really. At the time we went I was also a nervous flyer, but it was definitely the way to go.</p>
<p>You really should give snorkling a try (see if you can get a lesson or guided session at one of the resorts on a calm day). It is super easy (nothing like diving with tanks, etc.). Mostly you just float and breathe and look… with flippers, it doesn’t take much effort to move around.</p>
<p>With only four days, I can see why you’d want to focus on just one island. You want to have time to do some of the activities and just relax.
Hawaii has some of the most dramatic scenery, but Maui is also gorgeous and has varied natural beauty ( see Shellz post) that would leave a lasting memory. Either one would be great for a first timer. And you definitely want to rent a car.</p>
<p>Molikai was the least touristy island and I remember a magnificent hike that led to a waterfall where there was not another person to be seen… Great memories!</p>
<p>Oahu is nice but it is packed with tourist…Hanama Bay (forgot the spelling) is great for snorkeling, just get there early. Eternity beach is another great beach to visit. </p>
<p>Maui, Kaui, and the island of Hawaii are all wonderful and each have their own beauty. If you could island hop I would suggest the island of Hawaii and pick from any of the others. I think once you go to Hawaii you will probably want to return. Have fun!</p>
<p>I also like the Big Island and there is more than enough to do there for four days-for one thing, it’s big. It’s an island the size of a state like CT and there are limited roads so it does take time to drive around. I recommend the botanical gardens. I also enjoy Oahu. The Pearl Harbor memorial is very well done. We got there early and it is definitely worth it-you can spend an entire morning between the film overview, the museum and the memorial itself and then the Missouri and the submarine that is docked there as well.</p>
<p>We’ve only been to Maui. But if and hopefully when we go back, we’d love to do Honolulu and Kauai. Since we went 15 years ago, I’ve heard that Maui’s become a lot more touristy.</p>
<p>Montegut is looking for a place to use her Marriott points (that explains why she stayed in a Marriott in Seattle :)) - I “collect” them, too, so I’ve studied the Marriotts of Hawaii :). Starwood was getting my business on Maui because the Kaanapali Marriott is a really crowded place, and according to the TripAdisor revews, certain towers at that Marriott need some TLC. Oahu’s Ko Olina Marriott is much more quiet, better maintained, and typically not as expensive as the Maui Marriotts (there is another Marriott in Wailea area of Maui). The Marriott on the Big Island is OK, it has a sandy beach, and a small mall calle the King’s Shops is just a few steps away. I have not stayed at the Marriott on Kauai - for short stays, we love the Sheraton in Poipu. Kauai is a truly beautiful island, and definitely the most laid back and quiet of all Hawaiian islands.</p>
<p>Here are some places we loved on Oahu. Battleship Missouri memorial is a must see for anyone who loves history, ships and planes!</p>
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