Our Hawaiian Honeymoon

Hawaii is a beautiful place and we had a great time. We visited Maui, Hawaii (the big island) and Kauai, in that order which probably does effect some of my feelings towards each. Kauai was my least favorite. There is plenty to do, but I had already seen tons of rainbows and waterfalls (you will too) so I was much less impressed with that island. On Maui, we stayed at the Sheraton on Kaanapali beach. Big thumbs up! Great snorkeling. Maybe the best in Hawaii!!! Wonderful hotel and close to Lahaina, a small town with much to do! I recommend eating at Pacific O in Lahaina and Roys in Kahana. I also recommended making reservations for the Windjammer dinner cruise's honeymoon table for two. Beautiful sunset, ocean breeze and a romantic table (food is only OK, but it is open bar). I also recommend the Old Lahaina Luau! Great show! That is also in Lahaina. If you do the road to Hana start early and don't make dinner reservations. You will want to take your time. Also, we did a van trip to see the sunrise on Haleakala. It was beautiful! We also parasailed which is a very smooth ride! You won't be too frightened unless you are very afraid of heights (I am a wimp and I loved it). We used UFO parasail, which has a great reputation. The bottom line is that there is much to do, so settle in and see what you are in the mood for. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed on Maui! We stayed in Volcano on the Big Island at a bed and breakfast, Chalet Kiluaea in the Continental Lace Suite. It was very nice. Hawaii Volcanos National Park is phenomenal. We enjoyed hiking and exploring the park. It is like nothing we had ever seen before. If you are interested in this stuff, I recommended spending at least two day in and around the park. Whether you explore volcano by foot and car or not at all, I HIGHLY recommend taking a Blue Hawaii Helicopter Circle of Fire Tour. It was amazing. If I ever get back to Hawaii, I will spend more time on the Big Island. Kauai was beautiful! The Hyatt was a nice place, however there seem to be more mainlanders there and the other islands gave us a better feel for Hawaiian culture. The island is more modern. We kayaked to the hidden waterful, which I don't recommend unless you know you like kayaking. It is a lot of work and takes about 4 hours just for the waterfall part. I hated it so we did not get to Fern Grotto and the swimming hole (and I like sports, but this was not relaxing for me). The cruise of the NaPali coast was beautiful, but the water is rough. Quite a few people who are not prone to sea sickness got sick. We were told that the day we went was more like a winter day sea-wise, so the ocean should be calmer for other summer days. We did some nice snorkeling on the north shore, but here is the BEST ADVICE anyone can ever give you about Kauai. When you snorkel at Ke'e Beach, DONT go past the reef. It will seem easy snorkeling (you can even stand) before you get to the reef. THAT IS ALL THERE IS TO SEE. Don't get brave and go past the reef unless you are a beach lifeguard or something! I got caught in the undertow and am happy to be alive. There are no lifeguards. Our marriage started out with my husband saving me and me cutting up my feet walking back across the reef. He was fine because he is a very strong swimmer, but even he was a little scared. So be smart and have a great time! I did a quick computation as well. We had no regard for money on the trip and spent it like it was play money. The result? The trip cost close to $8,000 for two weeks, without airfare. It was a lot of fun though!