Hawaii

[Gatehouse77]

Morning!

We are in the throes of organising a family trip to Hawaii next year. As such, we have asked each member of the family to put together a list of things they'd like to do whilst there so we can decide where to stay and what we'll have to compromise on if needed.

I have been doing various research on t'internet but am mostly getting companies who, understandably, want to see to me. Does anyone know of an independent site with recommendations? (excluding Trip Advisor.)

Thanks!

Which Island are you staying on?

The islands are very different, try to visit some of the others if you’re staying in one place

Recommendations for what?

(I like oyster.com for getting a feel for what hotels are like in the flesh.)

Recommendations for any trips or excursions.
For example, apart from the experience of being in a helicopter is it worth doing a helicopter ride for what you see?
Are some ziplines better than others?

It will be 2 adults and 3 (older) teenagers.

Also, does anyone know if hotel v self catering is worth it from a convenience perspective as well as financial? Is it easy to eat out? Buy in?

It depends on which island/s you visit. Helicopter rides tend to be more interesting in terms of scenery on islands like the Big Island (Hawaii) or Kauai.

Practically all hotels there are sold as room only; self catering on the islands can be expensive as nearly all foodstuffs have to be imported from the US mainland. Its particularly easy to eat out in Waikiki beach; not quite so easy on the other islands. Supermarket shopping tends to cost more there.

The Island of Oahu which is where most people from the US mainland fly into (Honolulu airport) is a flight of around six hours from the US mainland. Travelling there from the UK will involve an overnight stop on one of the West Coast cities before flying on the next day. It will be the same on a return to the UK.

Interisland flights can be expensive and are only operated by Hawaiian Airlines who do not accept online bookings from UK based customers.