Big holiday - Hawaii or Canada?

[AnotherBreakfast]

Planning a big birthday holiday for next year and am torn between Hawaii or Canada. Anyone have experience of both? We’ll have a tween and almost tween with us. Currently edging towards Hawaii as not sure lots of hiking will suit our family and idea of lots of beach/slower pace with activities interspersed appeals… would love hotel recs for Hawaii too!

I've not been to either, but having recently been on a very tedious long haul flight, surely there are closer places than Hawaii if you are just looking for slower pace/ beach.

We absolutely loved Hawaii, my DC probably still talk about it constantly. It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.

I have only been to Toronto in Canada and would pick Hawaii over that every time, but I know there are amazing places all across the country.

Been to both, extremely different, both equally stunning, Hawaii gives you the advantage of beach/pool chill time as well as going out hiking, boat tours, (if big island seeing Kiluea)
Canada you have a good chance of seeing bears which was amazing but it is a more get out hiking kinda holiday.
We did helicopter tours in Hawaii which were amazing, visited Pearl Harbour, very moving, also valley of the temples memorial park, beautiful!

We stayed at the Maui Kaanapali beach hotel (now outrigger) the Kauai beach resort (also now outrigger) and park shore Waikiki Oahu, can’t remember where we stayed on the big island
All lovely hotels, the Oahu one being more basic but we weren’t there much

Thanks for the replies! I’m really starting to feel like Hawaii could be great for us (aside from the long haul which granted will be a ball ache)…
have also just seen your can do a tour of the Jurassic park set which my DCs (and DH) would love 😂 any hotel recs? Or did ppl airbnb?

Am biased as we live in Canada. What about a trip to the Maritimes - gorgeous beaches and so much to see and do. Very easy to drive/boat around the islands.

I don’t know why but I feel like Hawaii is once in a lifetime unforgettable, where Canada is doable most years really. I’d do Hawaii

Both dream holiday destinations for me. In your shoes I would say hawaii.

OP

Have recently visited Oahu.

The Jurassic Park set is on the Kualoa Ranch on the island of Oahu. This is the most built up of the chain of Hawaiian Islands. Many people who go to Oahu stay in Waikiki.

Do not use Airbnb in Oahu as it is very much disliked by the locals for. many reasons. Would stay in a hotel instead in Waikiki.

Flights there are long and you will need to break the journey both on arrival and departure. It takes around 11 or so hours to fly to LA. It's a further 6 hours onto the Hawaiian Islands from the US mainland. Carriers like Hawaiian, United and American operate flights to Honolulu which is Oahu's airport. Oahu also has the North Shore which is well worth a visit. Hanauma Bay is great for snorkelling but is closed every Monday and Tuesday.

any other questions just ask

Costa Rica is gorgeous and not as far away as Hawaii - great weather and semi tropical environment.

Hawaii is amazing. Do a stopover in San Francisco on the way there.

Kualoa Ranch is amazing (and gets booked up really fast) so definitely book that right away if you do Hawaii. We broke it up too with two different US cities and it was an incredible trip. Hired a soft top jeep and just driving around was unforgettable.

I've done Hawaii about 6 times and absolutely love it. Turtle Bay hotel on the north shore of Oahu is gorgeous (it's where they filmed forgetting sarah Marshall) and we love the Hilton Waikoloa on the Big Island. Agree with others that stops on the way/ way back are a good idea - we've done New York, Texas, and San Francisco when we travelled from the UK.

Thanks all for the replies. Any recs for resorts in Costa rica as not opposed to that either? Just looking for spectacular scenery, great service and a combo of both fun activities for us as a family and time to chill out.

I think maybe we’ll wait for Canada for when the kids are a bit older and hikes will be more of an option.

Will check out those hotel recs as well. Any other unforgettable activities ppl did?

We are going to Canada within the next year. Just looking at brochures - so much to do!

I honestly wouldn’t want to go to Hawaii, particularly not now. It’s America and there have been high profile issues in Hawaii with people being detained and deported for no good reason. Husband went there once for work and it rained the whole time, but I’m sure he was unlucky. He said the best thing was a couple of days stopover in LA!

Been to both pre child. We went to Maui Kaanapali for honeymoon in fact but it was a long haul with layers in LA that eats into your holiday time. We will be taking the teen though as she is a surf baby.

Canada is incredible. Flew to Calgary for Banff and Jasper NPs then internal flight to Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Will also be taking teen there. You don’t have to do long hikes to see the best of the scenery.

I couldn’t choose to be honest. Costa Rica also on the list. Can we come?! 🤣

"I honestly wouldn’t want to go to Hawaii, particularly not now. It’s America and there have been high profile issues in Hawaii with people being detained and deported for no good reason".

The above is really no reason not to travel there.

The two ladies who were recently detained at Honolulu were looking to stay there for five weeks with no accommodation booked beforehand nor adequate means of supporting themselves. They were determined to be looking for work so were deported.

Why not combine both, as it will break up the flight for you? When I went, I flew to Vancouver for 3 days, then spent a week on Oahu, then stopped off in San Francisco for 2 nights on the way home. A week in Oahu was enought time to do a helicopter excursion, have a beach day in honolulu and a beach day on another part of the island, whent to Pearl Harbour, saw diamond head and found a free museum behind the king kameheme statue which was very interesting. San Francisco gave us a chance to see alcatraz, and the few days in vancouver was enough to do a bike ride around the sea wall, see stanle park, go up grouse mountain (can get the cable cart if you dont want to hike), and vsiited lynne canyon.

@AnotherBreakfast Hawai is out of this world…

we stayed in Kahala resort (Oahu) when our ground floor room patio was overlooking their enclosed area of dolphins

essentially having breakfast with a dolphin 1 meter way is indescribable. Lots of activities, bit on the expensive side !

Hawaii is incredibly expensive just now. $200 alone plus tax plus tips for a taxi from airport to hotel in Waikiki ( and that was three years ago).
a two hour surf package ( lesson and photos ) for one adult and three children was something like $1700.
it’s a lovely place to visit but be prepared for the expense.

We live in Montreal but have traveled across Canada. If you need any information please let me know.

That’s so lovely! Thank you! My son will be at McGill so he’s going to get to know Montreal very well. He’s so excited. As are we. I’ve met some lovely Canadians (on a different holiday) recently, and hoping to catch up with them too - in BC. 😎

For work purposes I regularly post on LinkedIn about topics such as diversity and inclusion. Unless I were to delete all social media, I suspect I might not be allowed in. And I’ve got no interest in putting that to the test.

DH was at McGill - long time ago ! Am totally biased but city wise Montreal is unbeatable although holiday wise I love going east to the Maritimes.

Depends in Canada where and when you go. You can get beaches in Canada and amazing scenery - it’s an enormous country so think the size of Europe.

Hawaii is amazing but the flight is mega long.

Comparing either is t possible- they are completely different and you need to think about what you actually want to do when you are there.