Help me plan a Hawaiian vacation

[Ucsdryder]

Any chance to sneak in Axis Deer?

As much as I’d love to chase fish or fur, I don’t think I want to tip my toe in the water. My family is pretty damn supportive of my addictions so I think this will all be about family time.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Are you set on going to Hawaii ? Lots of tropical places to go in the world for a fraction of the price. We have been to Maui and Oahu and lots of other tropics. I would go back to Costa Rica over a free trip to HI.

I think so, we used to go to Hawaii year when I was a kid and it’s still a fond memory. I’d like to build those memories for the kids.

I’m not a huge fan of Florida weather and bugs. I’ve been to Costa Rica and had a great time, and Mexico more times than I can count, but I’d feel better keeping the kids on American soil.

 

[KurtR]

Been to twice spent a few days in Oahu and went to the Pearl Harbor memorial which was great. It was in my younger days and ended up at a house party the locals thought it was fun that a country kid from South Dakota showed up and partied till sun down. We then went to the big island which i really enjoyed the laid back vibe and food there. Went fishing for a day that was fun.

The second time was to Maui for honey moon and it was fun but expensive got in a little bind when i ended up on a beach on some locals didnt like me being there talked my way out of it and were cool after that.

I can see wanting to stay on American soil with young kids but for me i will go other places that are way cheaper and do more stuff

 

[mtwarden]

Our first trip (and thus far, only) to HI was to Kauai. Spent one week, could have easily spent two as we only hit the very most northern portion of the island. I hiked everyday, lots of cool country and it's tougher than one would think w/ the elevation, trails that are a wee bit slippery, etc.

There were public beaches (nice beaches!) almost every five miles. Kauia has one main highway that almost circles the island—where it doesn't complete the circle is a wilderness area, hence no highway.

We chartered a boat for a half day and came home with some good eating fish.

Everything is expensive—our air&b was expensive, vehicle rentals were expensive, eating out was expensive—having said that we're going back and try to hit some of the island we missed first go round

 

[AKDoc]

We've been to HI a couple dozen times...all the major islands. It's an easy do from Anchorage. My wife is really good at finding us a condo each time. The south end of the Big Island and north shore of Kauai are our favorites these days...heading back to the Big Island in October after moose hunting.

Poke, sea salad, local beer, and honey-roasted macadamia nuts...all must haves for me when there each time!

 

[mtwarden]

BTW @AKDoc helped convince me on the North Shore of Kauai

 

[AKDoc]

BTW @AKDoc helped convince me on the North Shore of Kauai

I figured it would be right up your alley, sir!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

As much as I’d love to chase fish or fur, I don’t think I want to tip my toe in the water. My family is pretty damn supportive of my addictions so I think this will all be about family time.

It’s honestly best to keep them separate unless you just don’t care about throwing money away. A few years ago I wanted to book a fishing charter on the big island I had the boat captain on speaker phone and when he told me the price for a day of fishing I saw the look on my wife’s face change. She started asking questions and the captain smoothly mentioned that since she was more into snorkeling we could do both, snorkeling and fishing….sounds great. I paid like 1500.00.

The day we got there the two guys working on the boat were sort of being weird. As it turns out, there just isn’t as many large fish there as there used to be and it’s nearly impossible to catch anything during a 7 hour trip when 4 of those hours are spent driving to the the snorkeling area.

In the end, we caught zero fish because by the time we got to the snorkeling area and out to where we could fish, there was only a few hours left. We basically tripled out to a snorkeling spot then trolled back.

Lesson learned that if I ever go on a fishing boat there again, there will be no side trips to snorkel, just straight up fishing. They did give us a bunch of fish to take but I still wanted to hook into a big marlin or wahoo or something.

If you and up in kuaui though, take a 5wt fly rod with some wooly buggers. There’s an arboretum there with a tiger than runs through the jungle. That river is full of bass and even rainbow trout, you can make a hike/swimming/fishing day out of it.

In oahu you can fly fish for bonefish all along the reef from the beach parks by koko head. You probably need a guide to fish the triangle unless you have a kayak or something that’s something you could also sneak in for a few hours without wrecking a family trip.

If you’re on the big island, I think the best places I found to snorkel were two step and captain cook monument, I found another place out west of the airport, it was like a locals spot but there were tons of fish, seemed like an old boat launch are or something.

 

[TaperPin]

I’m cheap and not a real Hawaii fan, but I go with the misses and fam using free plane tickets and don’t complain. We like the slower pace on the big island and stay in a nice b&b in a gated community on the west side just north of the airport. It’s next to a more ritzy place with amazing food and a golf course. There’s a community pool, workout room, our rental has piles of snorkels, coolers, beach chairs, umbrellas and visitor guides of what to see and which public beaches have to offer. The rental also had a very nice grill and outdoor dining table that we used constantly. Costco just south in Kona is reasonable, hotdogs and a coke are $1.50 just like in the mainland. Tri tips, bacon, lots of sandwich stuff, fruit, cases of drinks, trailmix, chips, all the normal Costco stuff we like to eat. It’s relaxing and other than the rental and car rental our costs weren’t much more than back home. This side of the big island doesn’t look like stereotypical Hawaii, more like a Mexican beach area and the countryside is dry, full of goats and lava flows. The east side is more lush, but Hilo is a pit. There’s plenty of bad food in small out of the way places around the island, but the locals know where to go and where to stay away from. You don’t go here if you’re a foodie, but it’s fun.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I've spent a couple months on big island for work. I have no idea what to recommend for a vacation, I just ran with the locals and had a blast on my days off.

 

[idcuda]

Went for the first time this spring with the family - 3 teenage boys. We took the very easy route and booked a Costco bundle in Oahu. We got a suite with a full kitchen so we could eat some meals there. We all had a great time - Waikiki, Pearl harbor, diamond head, etc. We had a car for a few days and drove up to the north shore for a day, which was well worth it. I would do it again, but I'd like to hit another island, too.

 

[bz_711]

As much as I’d love to chase fish or fur, I don’t think I want to tip my toe in the water. My family is pretty damn supportive of my addictions so I think this will all be about family time.

Totally Understand...good on you! Don't mess up a good thing you already have going.

Report back on your trip...hoping to get there with family some day down the road.

 

[Hi-Squatch]

Thats true.

However the tourist tax bullshit makes me never want to go to hawaii again. Taxing "non natives" is a bunch of horseshit.

There are other places just as nice and cheaper or the same money for you getting alot more.

From what I gather, the tourist tax they're implementing is for everyone, not just non-natives. I live on Oahu year round, and I think the tax is BS overall. More so when I found out that I too will be paying the tourist tax if I go to another island, or even stay at a hotel on the island that I live on.

 

[Hi-Squatch]

My wife and I live on Oahu and host friends from the mainland a lot.

There's a lot to do on every island. Been living here for 8 years and love it. Each island has a different vibe, and different stuff to do. Oahu is straight up built to be a tourist paradise, but unless you can afford on of the ridiculously expensive Airbnb's or get an illegal one, you have two options. Waikiki and the resorts out west at Ko Olina, which is like a host resort development. Didn't catch if you were military or not, but the places on the bases are pretty nice and much more affordable if you have access to them. The locals everywhere are nice as long as you show respect. This place is big, and I mean big, on not acting entitled. I heard some ass at a beach in a tourist area say "Why are we paying all this money if they're just going to let the locals come here too." A lot of jaw clenching on that one. About lost my shit.

Oahu: Biggest thing about this island is don't rent a car unless you're going to be driving most days. If you're staying in Waikiki, and you want to go to north shore, rent a car for just that day. It'll save you a lot of money. I always recommend the Atlantis Submarine to people. Goes about 100 feet down off Waikiki and you can see some wrecks and sea life. Kualoa Ranch is very touristy, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun. Lot's of activities there for decent to okay prices. Tons of hiking, in and out of town. There are indeed places you can get on Oahu that simply don't have any development yet. You just have to get there on foot. Hanama Bay is protected but make a reservation. Pearl harbor is cool if you're into history too, but book your tickets the day before through the National Park Service website. It's cheaper than going through the tour groups and there is plenty of parking.

Kaui: Has great hiking and camping. Dining and Shopping is limited, Most things are closed by 7 or 8. Someone mentioned Napali Coast, and yeah you gotta have the permit from DLNR if you want to go past the first beach, but the hike to the beach is good enough for most at 3 miles plus elevation and a manageable river crossing. Nice beach. Eat at Wiki Pizza for sunset dinner. It's a weird name, but the place has amazing pizza, and the sunset view is like something out of a post card. Don't worry about it being in the resort zone. I felt like me just driving through was gonna bring property values down haha.

Waimea Canyon on Kaui is also rad. Overlooks the Napali from the top. Sometimes you can see Niihau on a clear day.

Maui is pretty good too. There is the crater at Haleakalā National Park. Work a day hike. It's upland quite a ways so bring a coat. It also rains a fair amount up there. If you can get up earlier then you have a better chance of not being surrounded by clouds. There are some little hidden gems for eateries here too. My wife's favorite Indian restaurant is here. It's called Monsoon I think, and has a good view from the dining room. Decent beaches, but like Kaui, things close early.

Big island is just that... big. Do the manta ray snorkel or dive at night. It's probably one of the best experiences I've ever had diving. Shallow dive, they flood the area with lights, and massive mantas get right up to you. One bumped me in the head. Good Day hikes, lots of varied ecology. The Star Show or whatever it's called from up on Mauna Kea is very cool, and one of the only, if not the only place in the northern hemisphere that you can see the southern cross from, if you're into celestial navigation. Waimea on Big Island is cool. Ranching community with legit cowboys and all. They're called Paniolos. More touristy on the west side, less on the east. Never been to the south side, but up north is heavily native. I go there to see an old buddy but I don't go anywhere else up there unless he's with me.

Whatever you do, have fun man. Feel free to PM me if you want other pointers.

 

[rookieforever33]

Hi-squatch nailed it with the manta ray night swim. Its a big surfboard full of batteries on top and lights on the bottom. Hand holds all around the outside and everyone in your group holds on and puts pool noodles under your feet. Stay as flat as you can and watch the show below. When the rays come up they skim along the bottom of the board to feed. Waaaayy more intense than I expected. Ive done the swim with dolphinsa and sea lions stuff. This is different and better if you like a little adventure.