So the fiance and I are planning on going to Hawaii for our honeymoon in November. Neither of us have ever been.

Any advice? Places to go? Places to avoid? Travel agent or no travel agent?

In other words, how do I plan this thing?

-- Anonymous, June 04, 2002

Answers

I'll leave most of this to T -- but if you want, Mike, email me and I'll give you the name of my high school friend the between-island- flying pilot.

-- Anonymous, June 04, 2002

Maui! I spent a week there and loved it. Oahu is too crowded and touristy, Maui is still quiet and relaxed. Depending on the kind of experience you want you could rent a place at a small hotel or try one of the swanky resorts, but you'll want to rent a car. I'd definitely recommend going to the top of Haleakala. The view is breathtaking, and so is the altitude! If you go super-super early you can watch the most awesome sunrise. Also take some time to tool around in the Upcountry part of the island - there are farms there and even a winery or two. I'd have to check with my friend who did the driving for the exact location, but there is an ocean lookout at one spot along the coast where there are no lights within miles and the view of the night sky is amazing. And you can see whales if you're there at the right time of the year, and sometimes dolphins, too. Aw man, now I want to go again. So, yeah, Maui!

-- Anonymous, June 04, 2002

Word, Kay.

Oahu is definintely overcrowded and Waikiki is just a big old dirty city. Although, the one cool thing about Waikiki is that you can see where they filmed the opening shot of the Gilligan's Island introduction. Also on Oahu is the opportunity to visit Pipeline and the drive there is nice, you go past all the Dole pineapple fields which is pretty cool.

But, by far, Maui is superior to Oahu. It is so incredibly lush and beautiful and very, very relaxing. The tourist area with all the hotels, etc. is called Lahaina (sp?) and even that area is nice. And, if there was ever a place to go snorkeling, it is Maui.

Lastly, you two may want to polish up on your Japanese...because of its proximity to Japan, Hawaii is just as occupied with people from Japan as it is with people from the States.

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2002

Plus, if you go to Maui, you can get matching airbrushed t-shirts that say, "Just Maui-ed!".

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2002

I have nothing to add re: Hawaii, but I would recommend getting a travel agent. Not only can they help you put together packages that might save you big bucks, but they'll help take away any hassle off your shoulders, because you really don't need it right now.

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2002

You simply must take a morning snorkeling trip to Molokini from Maui.

The road to Hana is a real beating. Some of the views are fantastic and you will definitely get some great pictures, but sitting in a car for 8 hours in Hawaii just wasn't for me.

The peak whale-watching season is December and January I think, but you could probably still see one. We saw two whales and a few dolphins on a booze cruise last December (our honeymoon as well).

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2002

The road to Hana is a real beating. Some of the views are fantastic and you will definitely get some great pictures, but sitting in a car for 8 hours in Hawaii just wasn't for me.

This was exactly why we chose not to do the Road to Hana. Besides the fact that the car rental agency will charge you extra if you plan on doing the trip. Speaking of cars, a convertible or open-top Jeep is a definite must.

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2002

Mike. Do not even consider Oahu. There's no reason to go through a grueling day of travel to end up in what is a cross between South Beach and the third world. I've heard that Maui is nice, but the thing to consider is what kinds of crowds do you want to deal with. Is a heady nightlife important, or is it more important to have quiet relaxation without rowdy crowds? If you're most interesting in camping or something more rustic, then Kauai might be your best option.

But - if you want the best of everything in Hawaii? THE BIG ISLAND.

Oh my god. We just spent a week there and I truly believe that everyone should have the chance to go to the Big Island. We stayed at the Orchid Mauna Lani in the Kohala resort area (north of the slightly more crowded, but still not anything near as crowded as Maui, Kona area). The Big Island is spectacular. We were able to be lazy at the resort, we kayaked two miles out to what is thought of as the best snorkeling in the United States, we spent an afternoon hiking through Volcano National Park and actually saw lava flowing down the mountain, we hiked through the rainforest, we saw black sand beaches, waterfalls, lush hillsides, and were totally pampered at the most amazing restaurants. The weather was perfect (it's dryer in Kona / Kohala) and even when we were in Hilo, one of the rainiest places in the U.S., we had a sunny day. We never had to fight a crowd, and we never had to make our way past boorish drunk frat guys when we wanted a fruity bar drink.

I can't think of a more perfect honeymoon spot than the Big Island.

DEFINITELY go with a travel agent. We got a GREAT deal for our honeymoon since our plane tickets were free (because I am a whore for Delta Skymiles) and we went on the off-season, but we never would have worked it that way if we didn't have a great travel agent watching our back. We went through Classic Hawaii Vacations - they're all over the place there. We rented a convertable through Hertz for $350 for the whole week - car rentals are crazy cheap in Hawaii.

How long will y'all be there? We stayed ad one resort, on one island, and I wouldn't do it any other way of you're only there for a week. We talked to some folks who had spent the first part of their trip in Maui, and once they arrived in the Big Island, they regretted not spending their whole week there. So, there you go.

Really, it all depends on what you two want fom your honeymoon. There is no better place than Hawaii, and when you know what you want - quiet, raucus, over-developed, under-developed, etc., you can make a good decision.

I highly recommend the guidebooks from Wizard Publishing - www.wizpub.com - they do a thorough job. We ended up using their Big Island book like it was the Bible - their hikes, restaurant, and resort reviews are dead-on, and I imagine their Maui book and their Kauai books are just as through and great.

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2002

Maui and Kauai. But it all depends on you personality...each of the islands has it's own personality. Maui is an activity island. Lots of snorkling, biking, hiking, etc. Kauai is much more laid back and is the most beautiful of all the islands (it's the island were all the celebs have their vacation houses). It is absolutely breathtaking. I heard all about how beautiful and breathtaking Kauai was but all the descriptions didn't begin to fully convey the lush beauty of this island. DEFINITELY do a helicopter tour and a boat tour to the Napali Coast. And there is kayaking in the mountains if that's your thing. If you decide to stay on Maui, consider flying to Kauai for a couple days. It will cost you approx. $100 roundtrip each to fly from Kahalui, Maui to Lihue, Kauai. Worth every penny.

I can email ya pictures! Aloha!

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2002

See, I'm firmly against the island-hopping thing if you're only there for one week. Limit your time in the airport, trust me.

I said it before, and I'll say it again - forget Maui. Go to the Big Island.

-- Anonymous, June 10, 2002