guess what - I AM GOING TO HAWAII!!! :D seeking input

Lisa, thank you so much for being so willing to help!!! :7 I think that I am leaning towards Kauai because it seems to be the least commercialized. DH seems to really like Maui (he loves to spend money! :p )I don't think we could go wrong anywhere, honestly, they are all such beautiful islands!

And I won't be going off any trails. I am a very cautious person by nature anyways. ;)

Missy
 
"We also went horseback riding through an
ancient village - and the guide again was very knowledgable -
that was cool."

Oh my gosh, I bet that was incredible!!! We went horseback riding on the beach in Florida a few years ago and it is like nothing I have ever done before in my life!

I could do the bike ride for sure... and then wake up DH when I got back! :+

Missy
 
Okay, thank you SO much for your suggestions! I will definitely let you know what we choose, though I am leaning towards Kauai... with Maui in very close second. :)

Missy
 
Well, we have definitely decided where we are going!!! We are staying in Poipu on Kauai. We got a condo right off of the ocean, and have an ocean view and private lanai. http://www.pbvacationrentals.com/sk306.html I just got my book from amazon about all the different trails and waterfalls... it is going to be such a lovely time with each other! It really seems like a nature lover's paradise.

We are planning a 10 day trip and wanted to get in as MUCH as we possibly can. We are going to rent a jeep, bikes and a kayak. For all those that have been, where are your favorite spots to kayak/bike/hike? There really are so many to choose from, we just can't decide. Has anyone been to Queen's Bath? Where's your favorite place to snorkel? Favorite places to eat?

Jennifit, where was the Mars looking terrain that you had mentioned? I would love to check that out!

Squirrely, did you go on a guided kayak tour? We would like to go on our own if possible. I know this sounds totally selfish, but we have made it through ten crazy years together so far and would really like to spend as much time as we can together with just us. I think we deserve it! :p

Jean, Jurassic Park and 7 Days and 6 Nights with Harrison Ford were filmed on Kauai - DH had to look it up.

I would love to hear anything that anyone can offer. :) Even DH is grateful for your advice so far, lol

For everyone that said they wanted to come: LET'S DO IT! :7 :7 :7 I would like to try Maui sometime ;)

Missy
 
Lucky!! I'm so jealous! We went to Maui and Kauai for our honeymoon 4 years ago, it was heaven! We also stayed at a condo on Poipu - it's a gorgeous beach but be careful of the undertow, they were rescueing people everyday. Our condo was called Plantation something, can't remember exactly. It was right on the beach and not too pricey from what I can remember. We did a helicopter tour (our helicopter had no doors ala hawaii 5-0!) and we landed on a mountain top near a waterfall where we had lunch and swam - it was kind of rainy though so we didn't swim long. It's really the only way to see the Napali coast other than by boat and I can't imagine it's as dramatic as it is from above. We also drove up to Waimea Canyon and that was also spectacular. We did drive up to the north side of the island but it was really congested with tourists and traffic, we liked our side of the island better ;-)

You need to get the book "The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook", it's written by a husband and wife who live on the Island and they tell you the in's and out's of everything - it was like our bible when we were there, it never steered us wrong.

A great restaurant is "The Beach House", we had the most unbelievable meal there, along with the best service. Have the $16 Mojito - you won't regret it!! ;-)

Have fun! Not that you couldn't, it's Hawaii!
 
Curly, we actually looked at the Plantation... really, really can't afford it! But it is really beautiful! Thanks for the warning about the undertow.
"We did drive up to the north side of the island but it was really congested with tourists and traffic, we liked our side of the island better ;-)" This is totally why we chose Poipu... and there is a Costco on the way to our condo! :7 (We are Costco whores ;) )

Napali coast is something that we really want to do, and I do think that a helicopter is the best way to do it. Do you mind me asking how much that was?

The Ultimate Guidebook is actually the book that we have! :) I am just waiting for the Kauai Trailblazer book to get here.

Missy
 
Hi Missy,

We did go on a guided kayak tour up Wailua River to a waterfall that we swam under. If you don't want a guided tour, I'm sure you'll be able to find a kayak rental place that will let you go out without the guide (there were several in the vicinity of the river). We used the guide because we had to park the kayak and hike through the rainforest to get to the waterfall.

We drove up to Waimea Canyon (the Grand Canyon of the Pacific). The drive along the canyon rim ends with a spectacular view of the Na Pali Coast. We stopped and did a couple of hiking trails along the way.

We really enjoyed the hike we did up Sleeping Giant mountain near Kapaa on the Coconut Coast. You also can't miss a trip to Hanalei Bay. We had a wonderful dinner at the Hanalei Bay Resort. The view while you're eating is breathtaking!

We went snorkeling at several different spots. We rented our equipment and anybody in the many snorkel/dive shops on the island can give you better advice than I can now.

I hope this helps some! I hope you two have an awesome trip!

Kara
 
Missy,
It was pricey, $400 for the two of us I think and that was 4 yrs ago. It was us and another couple in the helicopter, the other tours fit 6-8 and you run the risk of sitting in the middle, ie, you won't be able to see much. It was definitely worth it, we got some amazing pictures and video.

We had an issue with ants in our condo - the really tiny ones - we had to be ultra clean around the counters/sink otherwise there would be a train of ants traveling back and forth. We also had roaches in our rental car on Maui, yikes! It didn't really bother me during the day but at night I would ride with my feet on the seat! We should have traded it in but we were only on Maui for 5 days and didn't feel like dealing w/ it. We had a wrangler on Kauai, that was great - don't forget a hat! The soft tops take a little practice and don't go on quick so be prepared to get wet if your driving on the north side :)

Have fun!
 
Thanks for all the info, gals! :) I think that the helicopter ride will be the one thing that we spend a lot of money on. It really seems worth it for the views. And my skin is itching all over at the thought of cockroaches!!! x( In the book that we have, the author did say that they can be quite big... another x(

You guys have given so much great info for a great trip! :D :D :D :D :D

Missy
 
Oh....am I jealous...in an excited (and good) way! You deserve a wonderful trip!!! You and your dh seem like such awesome people!!!

When do you go? We will want to see lots of pics!!!!

Have Fun!

Sara
 
Yes, the cockroaches can get big and some even fly, but if you're in the hotel and places like that you should be okay. When you go outdoors esp. at night, then they tend to be around. I finally got to the point where I can just step on them and kill them, but believe me, they are nasty! LOL! Hope you guys have a great trip and you'll love the helicopter ride. I got a little motion sickness toward the end, but other than that it was incredible.

Lisa
 
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