I need hawaii honeymoon help!

Would you suggest going to 2 or 3 islands? I definitely want to go to Maui and I was also thinking Kaui and the Big Island. I've researched but don't know what's best. We're going for about 12 days. Which order would you choose and how long on each island? Anyone who has been there and can offer suggestions, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

Re: I need hawaii honeymoon help!

We went for 12 days too (11 nights) and we did 3 islands. We did Maui first which was great for us because by the time we got there, we wanted to do things and be active- Maui is the perfect place for that! We split up our time there between relaxing and doing fun activities. We went to Kauai next and that was great because there is not as much to do and we called it 'our vacation from Maui'. We were there for 4 nights. We went to Oahu last and we only went for 1 night.

Here is my Hawaii Honeymoon Review (it's long but it might be of some help):

Flight:
We flew out on Monday morning on American Airlines from LGA to Maui with a short stopover in Chicago. We used miles to upgrade to first class and if I can recommend only one thing- that would be it! It is so worth it! They treat you like kings & queens and you start to feel badly for the people in coach at the same time thinking that you could never go back to coach after being in first class (of course we will have to after this trip!). The seats in first class on long trips are amazing- you are almost totally reclining so it's great to sleep! They feed you good food and you can basically have anything that you want at any time.

Maui:

Car:
We rented a convertible and it was great! We drove with it down almost the entire time. Maui is so gorgeous and you really can see more with the top down! The weather is so nice than it’s so nice to drive with the top down! We drove a ton in Maui- over 500 miles! So it was definitely worth it! You’ll see at the hotels that almost everyone has a convertible! White Seabring convertibles are everywhere! It’s definitely worth the money to get the convertible!

Hotel:
Hyatt Regency
We loved this hotel. It was our first stop so it really seemed like paradise to us! It's a big hotel at the south end of Ka'anapali beach. It's about 45 minutes from the airport, 15 minutes from Lahaina town and 15 minutes from Kapalua. It’s in a great location. It’s on the west side of Maui so it gets really hot there in the afternoons.
It has 3 sections of rooms- we were in the middle section with a partial ocean view room. Our room was really cute- the bed was absolutely amazing! Our view looked into the mountains but if you went on to the lanai and looked to the left, you had a great view of the ocean. It was great!
The pool is huge with a ton of pool chairs all over the place. It's a bit busy but it's ok. There are different areas of the pool to go into and we had fun exploring. They have a slide which was fun. The drinks were delicious.
They have hammocks along the beach which were nice to hang out in. I felt that the overall vibe to the hotel was upbeat, very friendly and happy. The staff is very attentive and constantly greets you by saying 'Aloha'- I barely heard the word 'hello' spoken at all. They have a great concierge and an office called 'Aloha Services' which was great because both were able to help with activities and reservations. We really liked this hotel- and they have a 'honeymooner’s reception' every Monday where they have an open bar for honeymooners for an hour. It is really nice and I highly recommend this hotel!

Activities:

Lahaina Town is a really cute town about 15 minutes away from the Hyatt. It's right on the ocean so it's a nice walk. The main strip- Front Street- is lined with restaurants and touristy shops but they are fun.

Haleakala Sunrise Bike Ride:
We did the Haleakala bike ride and we loved it! We made reservations with Maui Mountain Riders about 2 weeks before we went. My SIL used this company 5 years ago and recommended them to us and we are so glad that she did! They were wonderful! They pick you up at 2:15 AM from your hotel room. Yes, it's early but it's totally worth it. You will be grumpy that morning but you get over it. They take you to their main office near the airport to watch a safety video. Then, you get back in the van and go up to the top of the mountain. There are 12-13 people in each van and 2 leaders. When you get up to the top of the mountain, it's cold and they give you a yellow lined windbreaker suit (pants, jacket & gloves). We dressed very warmly anyway (you need to) so I was wearing, shorts & a tank top, then sweat pants & a sweater over that. Then I put the yellow suit on. And I brought a ski hat liner because my head gets cold. Definitely dress warmly if you go- it's about 30 degrees up there! I felt like the Michilin Man but I was warm so I didn't care. The sun comes up at about 5:45 and it's really spectacular! You are literally above the clouds so you watch the sun start coming up and then it finally breaks through the clouds. It's really amazing and totally worth it! And by that time, you are totally awake because it's so cold. Your group goes down the mountain based on when you get up to the top. There are about 400 people up there and each bike company has about 8 vans up there. Each van goes on its own. Our company prefers to go last and we did. During the wait, our leader took us to a lot of really cool places around the top of the mountain and we saw some really amazing things! He was extremely knowledgeable about Hawaii and the mountain- he's been doing this every day for many years. I am sure that the people who went down first had a great trip but it was really great to get to see things that they didn't see- it made it even better for us! Anyway, we got on our bikes by about 8. I was really nervous but I got over it quickly. You ride single-file behind the leader and the van is in the back. The leader & van driver talk to each other the whole time with radios so we are really safe. If you get scared and want to ride in the van, you can. They are really cool about that. We stopped a few times to take pictures which was really fun! We stopped about 2/3 down to have breakfast at a cute restaurant (already paid for) and then we finished the rest of the ride. We finished in a town called Pa'ia and went to the beach for a few minutes. We were back at our hotel by 1 PM and we were tired but so energized from the ride! It's definitely a must do! It's not hard at all- you barely pedal at all- it's all downhill but not too steep. I highly recommend doing it- especially with Maui Mountain Riders!

Golf:
We played golf at an amazing golf course. Well, my husband played golf and I drove the cart. It was a nice way to spend the morning! We played at the Bay Course in Kapalua and it was beautiful- the course went right along the ocean and there were some gorgeous views!

Road to Hana:

We decided to do the road to Hana. We had dinner reservations at Mama's Fishhouse (amazing- review below) for 8 PM so we decided to start out for Hana at 10 instead of earlier. It was great because there was basically no traffic. There is a Shell gas station on the corner before you turn onto the main highway to Hana that has a kiosk where you can get a guided CD- any concierge can tell you where it is. It costs $20 and it comes with a map, CD and DVD to watch when you get home. The CD is good- it tells you exactly where to go on the road to Hana. We followed it and it was good. BUT, my honest opinion is that we didn't do the best thing. The best sites on this road are past Hana- the town of Hana is around mile 33 and the big, amazing waterfalls are around mile 44. By the time we got to Hana, we were tired & cranky so we just decided to go back. I wish we had done it differently. So, this is my recommendation---- go on this drive but go straight to the big things around mile 40 (the seven pools, etc). Spend time doing that because it is supposed to be amazing. You have to go back the way you came down the mountain anyway so on your way back, you can stop at all the other things on the way. If you do that, you don't need the CD- just use a book like Maui Revealed- it's great! I wish we would have done that!

Snorkel trip:
We booked our snorkel trip through the concierge at the hotel and we went with a boat called Four Winds II. It's a big boat and since I have a weak stomach, we thought a bigger boat would be best. It was- except don't sit on the top level if you get seasick- I did and it was not a pretty sight. The boat was nice- we did the morning trip so we were there at 7 AM and they give you breakfast and coffee. It takes about an hour to get to Molkini and it's a really nice ride. They show you how to use the snorkel if you don't know how which is nice. They give you all the snorkel equipment plus boogie boards and floatation devices. We got there by 9ish and swam in the ocean for about 2 hours. You could get on and off the boat- it was very relaxed. We brought an underwater disposable camera but we were convinced to rent a better one from them. I just dropped off the film so I will let you all know if that is worth it or not. Anyway, they have a BBQ lunch and open bar for the rest of tbe afternoon and then start heading back to Maui at about 11. We saw some cool sea turtles on the way back and they actually stop the boat so you can get a closer look at them. I would recommend this company- they were nice, helpful, and generous. The food was good, although I usually don't have BBQ lunch at 11:30 AM but it was still good. It was $79 each which wasn't so bad.

Restaurants:
Sansei-
A Japanese/sushi restaurant in Kapalua which is about 15 minutes north of the hotel where the Ritz Carlton is. So many of our friends raved about it that we had such high expectations. It was good but no better than our local sushi restaurants in the city. If you like sushi, it's definitely worth going to!

Old Lahaina Luau-
I made the reservations about 5 months before and we had excellent seats! It was a great show- the dancers were amazing and the entire show was great. The food was ok- it's not the main reason you go there but it's decent. They roast the big pig- which I refused to see. But a lot of people were crowded around it and seemed to like it. I would definitely recommend this luau- but make reservations in advance! The sooner you make the reservations, the better your seats will be.

Mama’s Fishhouse:
This restaurant is in Pa'ia which is on the way back from Hana so it's good to do that night. It's casual like every other place in Hawaii. It is such a nice restaurant that sits on a gorgeous beach! We got there early, around 7ish, and we were able to watch the sunset which was gorgeous!!! The food was delicious- one of our favorite meals in Hawaii. Highly recommended! It is expensive but so worth it!

Nick’s Fishmarket:
This is a great restaurant in the Fairmont Kei Lani hotel in Wilea. It’s about an hour from the Hyatt but it’s a really nice drive! The restaurant was excellent. It’s expensive but worth it. We both had fish and it was delicious! Everything there was delicious and the ambiance is so nice! I highly recommend this restaurant! Make reservations early.

Kauai

Car:
We rented a convertible and it was amazing! Kauai is so pretty and you can see more with a convertible (or a jeep, I guess). We didn’t do as much driving in Kauai as we did in Maui but you do need a car if you want to go anywhere off of the hotel grounds. It’s worth the money to get the convertible!

Hotel:
Hyatt Regency

The Hyatt in Poipu is gorgeous! The hotel itself is a lower structure and very spread out. The lobby is amazing! You walk in and immediately see the ocean- it’s like a postcard! We loved this hotel! It has a more laid-back luxury feel to it than the one in Maui. The staff was friendly and definitely attentative but more hand-off unless asked. There were always waitresses at the pool and staff was always very helpful but I felt like we were more on our own there which was nice too! It is very peaceful and calm there. There are kids but it wasn't overwhelming to us. They have a small adult only pool and I went there once but it was not bad at all in the main pool. There are so many different sections to lay out by the pool that you have a lot to pick from. The rooms were really nice and the bathrooms were huge (which I loved!!!). The bed was so comfy! We had a partial ocean view room which was great because it looked straight onto the pool and to the left was the ocean. As I mentioned above, the hotel is really spread out so some of the rooms are pretty far from the lobby which can be good and bad. Our room was kind of far and it took a while to walk there but the grounds are so gorgeous that we loved the walk! One other little complaint- unlike the Hyatt in Maui, this hotel only had one concierge desk and they were always super busy, especially in the mornings! They have a lot of different lounge areas in the hotel. At night, one area has a live singer, and another bar has live jazz.

They have a gorgeous pool that looks more like a lagoon than a big round pool. There are a bunch of different areas, some bridges, waterfalls, a slide and a lot of different areas with lounge chairs. I loved the pool! They also have a great man-made saltwater lagoon with sand. We spent a day at the pool and a day at the lagoon- they are both great! They also have a nice beach but we preferred the pool & lagoon.

Our rate came with the breakfast buffet each day and that was great! Definitely try to get that included in your rate! Breakfast is in their restaurant called Ilima Terrace and it literally looks onto the ocean. It’s really beautiful and a nice way to start off your day! The buffet was good. I am glad it was included in our room rate because it’s expensive ($20 each) and since I don’t usually eat that much for breakfast, I would not have been happy to pay that each morning just for breakfast. But a lot of people do!

Activities:

Helicopter Tour:
We went on a helicopter tour with Air Kauai. A few people had recommended them to us and Kauai revealed gave them a great review so we went with them. All helicopter tours are pricey but you know that going in- it's totally worth every penny! We booked it 2 days before- they had a lot of times available. They take 6 up at a time. We were both a bit nervous before but as soon as we got in and took off, we were fine. Marc & I were in the back row and I was on the end. Every seat is great because they have extra large windows so you get great views. I took most of the pictures because I was on the end but he could have too. It's amazing because you really can't see all of these parts of Kauai unless you're in a helicopter. You can see some of it from boats but not as much as we saw. It was truly an amazing experience that we both loved! We definitely recommend doing this and we highly recommend Air Kauai.

Shopping:
After the helicopter trip, we decided to do a little souvenir shopping so we went to the Coconut Marketplace. It's about 15 minutes away from where the Air Kauai office is (which is near the airport). It's an outdoor 'mall' with a ton of touristy shops. They have good prices and you can really find anything that you're looking for. We did a lot of damage there but we got most of the gifts for family & friends out of the way there.

Restaurants:

Tidepools:
It is a restaurant in the hotel at the Hyatt. It is great!!! We had a 7 PM reservation and it was perfect because it was still light outside but we got a nice view of the sun setting over the beach. The restaurant is open-air with a thatched hut roof and is surrounded by a pond with fish. It's a really cool, serene environment. We both had their mahi mahi which was amazing! I highly recommend this restaurant. It wasn't too pricey.

Roy’s
It’s is in the Poipu Shopping Village which is about 5 minutes from the Hyatt. It is excellent!!! You definitely need reservations- it gets very busy! We decided to go late (8 PM) so we had time to relax beforehand. There is no view so you can go whenever you want, really. The food there is excellent and the service is great! There are Roy's restaurants all over Hawaii and even here in NY but we really liked this one. We decided to do it in Kauai rather than Maui because there were too many other amazing restaurants in Maui that we wanted to go to and not as many in Kauai. I highly recommend this restaurant! I had the ahi (tuna) and my husband had ribs and we both loved our meals.

Dondero’s
It’s an Italian restaurant in the Hyatt. Honestly, it was not that great. Neither of us was overly impressed with our meal. I ordered sea bass and it was so fishy that I had to send it back and get pasta. I would say that it is a decent restaurant but nothing spectacular. Just my opinion- others might love it.

Beachhouse:
Our last night in Kauai we had reservations at a restaurant called the Beachhouse. It's about 15 minutes away from the Hyatt and is a MUST DO!!!!! It is amazing! The restaurant sits right on the ocean and you literally watch people surfing while you eat. The food is amazing- I got scallops which were seriously out of this world! My husband got filet mingon which he loved too. Although the food is amazing (it was my favorite meal the entire trip), the view is what draws people there. The sun sets right over the beach and you get the most beautiful views of it from there. They have a professional photographer who takes pictures there at sunset- we got one and it is amazing! I can't scan it in so I can't share but I can post other pictures we took there before sunset.

The only catch- you have to get a 6 PM or 6:15 or even 5:45 reservation to get the best tables. They have a row of tables right along the rim of the restaurant facing the ocean. Those go the fastest so the earlier that you are there, the more of a chance you will have to get one of those tables. The concierge at the Hyatt convinced us to take a 6PM reservation for this reason and although I prefer to eat later, I was so thrilled we did it! I am sure that the other tables are great and the views are probably amazing too but these are the best tables and it's really worth it. They are really cool and don't rush you out so we actually finished our meal close to 8 PM. We took a ton of pictures, had a great view of the ocean and the sunset and had an amazing dinner! Take my advice- make a reservation for 6- you won't regret it! Make it as soon as you know your plans. We made ours about a week before and were fine.

Oahu:

Hotel:
Sheraton Waikiki.
We were only there for one night so we didn’t splurge on the hotel and I regret that. I didn't love it. It was a decent hotel but I found the rooms to be a bit old. It wasn't bad and again, I might have just been reacting to the difference between that and the Hyatt in Kauai but I was not thrilled. We walked along the main street and saw some of the other hotels and they seemed nicer. For example, the Sheraton Moana Surfrider looked really nice. We didn't see the rooms but the lobby was really nice, calm and they had a big porch with big rocking chairs. It looked really nice! The Hyatt also looked really nice.

Activities:
Pearl Harbor:
We only went to Oahu for 1 day, specifically to go to Pearl Harbor. We arranged to go with Discover Hawaii tours- the concierge arranged it. It was $15 each and that is reasonable. Unfortunately, the van left without us even though we were there before the pick up time. I called the company and they sent another van but the original driver didn't seem to care- he had most of his passengers so he 'just left'. I was not pleased. We got there and waited on line for tickets. The tickets are free but you still have to wait on line to get them. The tickets are for the movie and then you get on a Navy ferry to go to the Arizona Memorial. The shuttle company said that our tour would be done and back at the hotel by 12:30 but unfortunately, our tickets for the movie & ferry were not until 12:30. It caused a little problem for us because we were supposed to check out by 2 but thankfully, we called the hotel and they let us keep the room until 6 PM (for a $75 fee). So, we got the tickets at 10 AM and the show was not until 12:30. So, we went exploring Pearl Harbor and found that there were other battleships & museums you could visit for fees. We decided to go to the USS Missouri which was cool. That was the ship where the Japanese surrendered in WWII and it was used in Desert Storm then made into a museum. It was about $20 each and worth it because it gave us something to do for 2 hours and it was fun- my husband loved it (as most men would!). I will post some pictures below.

Tips for visiting Pearl Harbor & the USS Arizona Memorial:
1. Go early!!!!!!!!!!! Tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis and when they are done giving out tickets for their last show of the day, they are done and if you get there when that happens, you are out of luck.
2. Prepare to wait on line. The line wraps around the block but it goes slightly fast.
3. Don't bring a purse, bag, backpack or anything that you can't put in your pockets besides a camera. No camera bags are allowed! They are very strict about this and they will make you leave your purse with the security.
4. Prepare to do something else after you get your tickets. We had 2 hours to kill but we had fun. I guess if you get there really early, you might be able to go right in. But that was not the case for us and we were there by 9:45 AM. Also, give yourself time in case you have to wait.

Restaurants:

Dukes:
Apparently, this is a very popular place! It's in the Outrigger Reef hotel right on the beach. You have to have a reservation- they were mobbed! The food was ok- nothing compared to the food we had in Maui & Kauai but decent.

I didn’t love Oahu. After coming from Maui and especially Kauai, I was not thrilled to be there. It’s a big city on a beach. Growing up in Miami and living in NYC, I have had enough of that and didn’t really want that on my honeymoon. We went to Oahu specifically to see Pearl Harbor and we did that but I wouldn’t go back. That’s just my opinion.

Overall, our honeymoon was amazing! There wasn’t one thing that went wrong and we were happy with everything that we did, stayed and ate. Hawaii is such an amazing place- it really is paradise and you can’t help but be happy and relaxed while you are there. Nobody is in a rush and everyone is very friendly! I hope to go back one day soon!

Re: I need hawaii honeymoon help!

Oh- to answer your question about how many islands to go to... I would say 2 or 3. I did not love Oahu so I would have preferred to just stay in Kauai another day but it was nice to see Pearl Harbor. I think you need to spend at least 5-6 nights in Maui- there is a lot to do and see, plus, you will probably be very jet-lagged the first day or two so you don't do that much right away.

Re: I need hawaii honeymoon help!

I would say do 2 islands. We did Maui and the Big Island. They were 2 very different places so we loved it! But the thought of packing another time seems exhausting.

We want to do Kauai next time!

Get the maui or big island revealed books and peruse in the bookstore to see what you'd like best!



You can't go wrong with hawaii!

Re: I need hawaii honeymoon help!

For 12 days, I would say to go to just 2 islands. I don't know about Maui, but I feel like I just wouldn't have been happy with less time on either the Big Island or Kauai. The Big Island is really big (obvious, I know) and Kauai is just so beautiful. There's so much to see and do on both islands.

Re: I need hawaii honeymoon help!

Thanks so much for your detailed responses. This is almost as hard as deciding where to get married!!

Re: I need hawaii honeymoon help!

I say do 2 islands! There is SOOOOO Much to do in Maui, dont cut it short. Especially if you want to take a day or two to just sit by the pool/beach and relax. We were on Maui for 6 days and could have used another 2 or more!

Get MAUI REVEALED! The best $$$ spent!!!

Re: I need hawaii honeymoon help!

If you like to do things then stay on maui longer. There's more to do. Road to Hana, Boat tours to Molokai, Lahaina Luau, Mariott Luau, Ulalena (theatre), Haleakala volcano tours, snorkeling , dinner cruises, etc.

Kauai is georgeous (prettier than Maui not that Maui isn't beautiful) but quieter. But they have catamaran tours going up na'pali coast.

We did 6 nights Maui and 4 in Kauai and found that was just right for us.

If you want to just lay on beach or by pool then you can do longer on Kauai if you wanted.

Oahu - we only stayed in honolulu. Was ok for 1 night but it's a city and everything is on top of each other. North shore is supposedly very nice though.

We did 12 days and we loved it.