HAWAII?!

[jasmine_elaine]

Hello, ladies!

In August, DB and I are going to Hawaii (all plans are in the works right now). Considering some of you have been to Hawaii, maybe you would be willing to throw out some suggestions? We are debating which island we should stay on for a 10-day stay. We wanted to stay in a condo on the beach, or some place that has a kitchen at least, because I'm a chef and want to make dinners with your local ingredients (im sure we will eat out quite a bit too). With that said ... any help would be great ...

Island preference; where to stay; what to do; what's the best place for local food; tips, and whatnot.

Thanks

[SkyeNicole87]

I guess it depends on what you and your SO's preferences are. What is your budget for lodging like? Would you rather stay in the city on the beach where you can walk to many places or somewhere more secluded but you would have to drive more? Military affiliated or not? What kind of things do you want to do while you are here, and also what kind of food and stuff do you like?

[skp]

Totally depends what you like to see/what kind of vacation you want.

I've lived on Maui. The atmosphere is really relaxed but there are towns with things to do, places to go hiking, waterfalls, pretty drives.
There are a lot of condos there.

Oahu is more touristy with Waikiki and a bit more fast-paced. Lots to do/see/eat. I have a ton of restaurant recommendations if you end up going here.
There are probably more hotels found here but they may have kitchenettes.
There's also hiking and outdoorsy stuff here, I guess I just prefer it on Maui


Again, this is all in my experience. There are a bunch of ladies here who currently live in HI so they will have more insights.

[karidad]

How about Belows(spell?) and rent the one where u get your private part of the beach? We've never done this so not sure how private the beach will be for u. Its in Oahu.

[daisyluvbug]

Originally Posted by skp Totally depends what you like to see/what kind of vacation you want. I've lived on Maui. The atmosphere is really relaxed but there are towns with things to do, places to go hiking, waterfalls, pretty drives. There are a lot of condos there. Oahu is more touristy with Waikiki and a bit more fast-paced. Lots to do/see/eat. I have a ton of restaurant recommendations if you end up going here. There are probably more hotels found here but they may have kitchenettes. There's also hiking and outdoorsy stuff here, I guess I just prefer it on Maui Again, this is all in my experience. There are a bunch of ladies here who currently live in HI so they will have more insights.

Oahu is very touristy, but there are some great outdoorsy things to do as well. I'd prefer to enjoy the prettier side of Hawaii and I feel like Oahu isn't the "pretty" you see in the commercials. I have enjoyed my time here and I've been able to get good beach time and hikes in.

Originally Posted by karidad How about Belows(spell?) and rent the one where u get your private part of the beach? We've never done this so not sure how private the beach will be for u. Its in Oahu.

Bellows fills up very quickly, so, if you do decide to do that make your reservations early. It's so beautiful there. It's one of my favorite spots on the island.

[jasmine_elaine]

Wow, thanks for the responses, ladies! Here's what we want ...
Near the water
Pretty secluded (we'll have a rental car to drive places)
A condo for a week (no more than like $250? a night) ... on the water!
Lots of adventure and outdoor excursions (snorkeling, zip-lining, skydiving etc)
Good local hole-in-the-wall ... feel-good bars
A military-affiliated place near the Pearl Harbor sites (for the last 3-ish nights) ... cheap

** Food ....
I'm in the culinary/pastry industry, so give me whatcha got .... A few high-end restaurants; low-key joints for the BEST local grub; coffee shops; breakfast go-to's, and pastry shops!

From what I've read, Oahu is more of a nightlife kinda vibe .... we don't want too muh of that.

I have a couple specific questions ...
How do you get from island to island?
What kinda discounts would he get for being Army?
What are the rental rates like in August? (Ball park)

I know that's a LOT, and I understand if ya'll don't have all the answers, but if you're willing to take a stab, I appreciate it soooo much

THANK YOU

[Solstice]

You should really come over to TripAdvisor if you haven't already. You can get a lot of info over there.

As far as Bellows, I don't think the kitchen would suit your needs. Those cabins are a little old and probably limited in tools. You can look for vacation rentals through TA as well.

Military hotels on Oahu would be Hale Koa in Wakiki or the Navy Lodge on Ford Island.

Groupon has a certificate you might find interesting today:

Honolulu Deals: Things to Do Honolulu, Packages | Groupon Deals

[jasmine_elaine]

Originally Posted by Solstice You should really come over to TripAdvisor if you haven't already. You can get a lot of info over there. As far as Bellows, I don't think the kitchen would suit your needs. Those cabins are a little old and probably limited in tools. You can look for vacation rentals through TA as well. Military hotels on Oahu would be Hale Koa in Wakiki or the Navy Lodge on Ford Island. Groupon has a certificate you might find interesting today: Honolulu Deals: Things to Do Honolulu, Packages | Groupon Deals

Oooo awesome!! Thanks a bunch, girl!!
I'm gonna have fun checking out all the suggestions on my day off Thursday!!

[Solstice]

I am a destination expert for TripAdvisor. We have some great people in the Hawaii Forum and you can get a LOT of info from the people who post on a regular basis.

[jasmine_elaine]

I've never used it before, but I'm going to!! I want to be diverse when it comes to obtaining info from resources. This vaca is gonna rock