Hawaii

[PUER125]

I am vaguely thinking about Hawaii for a holiday in August 2027.
There would be two adults, over sixties, and two grandchildren, aged 9 and 14. (Opposite sexes).
Would you get two rooms, or would one room with two double beds suffice?
I know nothing about Hawaii, other than it has beaches and volcanoes.
Can I have some recommendations please?
I should probably add that my husband and the children are very active, so couldn't sit on a beach all day just chilling.

Two rooms - one for females,one for males. No 14 year old wants to share with a grand parent of the opposite sex and you don’t want to all be sharing one bathroom. If you can get adjoining rooms then I’d put the kids in together

You indeed need two rooms; one for the males and one for the females.

The Hawaiian islands are a chain of volcanic islands. It's a long way to get there and it will involve two flights; you cannot arrive there in just one day. It will involve a flight to the West Coast (say somewhere like San Francisco) and then a further 6 hour flight onto the islands the next day. The same routings would apply to the return leg.

Then majority of holidaymakers from the US mainland fly to Honolulu on Oahu which is a bit like America on Sea. Many on arrival stay in Waikiki where the majority of the hotels are. There is plenty to do on Oahu and you would not get bored. It is not as cheap there as it once was and eating out in the US can be pricey.

The Big Island of Hawaii is where the most active volcano Kilauea is located in Volcanoes National Park.

any other questions just ask.

Omg Hawaii has so much to offer.

firstly. How long are you going for? Every island is different.

kauai is beautiful but not really for children. I did it in a couple of days and it’s all admiring the beauty (plus a helicopter trip!) you can also only drive round half the island - the rest is inaccessible.

oahu is very very touristy. There’s plenty to do but I found it overwhelming at times.

maui was my fave island. Beautiful. I don’t think August is the season for whale watching which is what I got to do whilst there and an absolute highlight. There’s the road to Hana with lots of stops , different sand beaches etc. I sat on the beach and watched dolphins out at sea. Bliss.

the big island is incredible. Magma everywhere - the volcano is active so you may get to witness seeing the lava. Helicopter trip was amazing and not overly expensive.

it’s worth seeing what you all want to do and really research the islands. I did all 4 islands in 3 weeks. But you can comfortably do 2 in 2 weeks.

I’d skip Honolulu, so many better things to see. There are loads of houses and apartments you can rent which might suit your needs better. You will need to hire a car on each island for maximum sightseeing opportunities. I would do the Big Island and volcano. Molokai is quiet and pretty (great trek down to the beach on horseback). Lots to do on Maui, scenic roads, good snorkelling (Lahaina is a nice town). Kauai is beautiful (so green), great hiking. I’d go for as long as you can afford and see as much as you can. Flights are pretty cheap between the Islands and you can also ferry between some.

No ferry services operate between the islands. That has been tried and they’ve all lost money.

Lahaina on Maui is still very much in a recovery phase of rebuilding from the wildfire that swept through there some time ago. Flying between islands if done is the best bet.

For authentic Hawaii, glorious beaches and volcanoes, go to the Big Island. Stay up in Waikoloa Beach Resort or Mauna Lani Resort in a condo, more space and better value. Or for a more budget option down in Kona.

We are going in 2027 and going to 4 islands. LA overnight on the way out, then San Fran on the way back.

Most of the resorts are apartment style and you would have options on 2 rooms or a room and pull out.

Really? I definitely remember getting the ferry from Maui to Lanai (just one way as I flew somewhere else after from there). It looks like it’s still running.

Yes sorry that is still running three times a day there and back but there are no other ferries between the islands. Competition from the likes of Hawaiian airlines along with environmental concerns, high operating costs and challenging sea conditions (deep channels and rough strong currents bewteen islands) make other routes not viable.

Much as others have said really - we’ve done fancy resort on Maui, beach side AirBnB on Kauai and Airbnb on the Big Island. I would def go the Airbnb route as it’s a bit more off the beaten track.

we adore Kauai, especially if your kids are active. Same can be said for Big Island and arguably more to actually do but Kauai is just wild and beautiful. If you get away from the resorts you get to see the true amazing ness of the islands