Planning trip to Hawaii need some help

[luvDaMouse]

I am in the early planning stages of our trip to Hawaii and Aulani. Planning for Sept/Oct 2015. We are planning on staying 15 days. As of right now our only intention is to hop to the big island to visit the volcanos (as this is on my husband’s bucket list) any suggestions as to where to stay? Any hotel recommendations? How long should we plan to stay on the big island? What else should we plan on seeing while we are there?
Thanks!
Dana

[lawgirl]

My sis lives in Honolulu, so we've gone many times. She just got back from Big Island, and stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, and absolutely loved it. She said it was one of the best trips she's ever had. It even has a little "monorail" system. We are planning on going in the spring, and will most likely book there.

They spent 4 days there. Are you planning on going to any other islands? Or just Oahu and Big Island?

Also, Aulani is quite a ways from the airport, and quite a distance from town. Will you have a car?

[faline]

Unless you're going to spend all your time at Aulani, you'll definitely need a car to get around. Be aware, also, that the rush hour traffic heading towards Honolulu in the morning and towards Aulani in the evening can be very intense!

I haven't been on the Big Island for years. Volcanoes National Park is a must-do. I remember enjoying my visit to Kona and taking a drive into the hills above (where the coffee plants grow). There is also a black sand beach on Hawaii.

Enjoy!

[luvDaMouse]

Thanks!
Definitely renting a car, both on Oahu and the big island. Not sure yet how to plan, because we would be flying into Honolulu should we go to Aulani first then in the middle of our trip go to the big island? Or do the big island first then Oahu? I am worried about jet lag so I thought getting there and hanging out at Aulani then we would be fresh to tour the volcano's during the latter part of our trip. We are DVC members staying on points not sure if checking out and checking back in makes sense? I know its a lot of points, but could we remain checked in and just leave for a few days?
I know I don't want to cram in too much so we can really enjoy ourselves I would love to see Kauai or Maui but that will have to be another trip. My husband has his heart set on seeing Volcanos!
Keep the suggestions coming!
Dana

[AZ Disney]

We've been taking an annual trip to Hawaii for the last few years now. Next stop Kauai 2014.

We went to the Big Island last February and stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. This was not our favorite Island but the resort was nice. We are from Arizona and the landscape on the BI is very desert and lunar like. The drive across the island to the Volcanoes is about 3 hours as I recall. Most tourists stay on the West side and just do a long day trip to the volcano. Our volcano tour was cancelled due to weather, so I cannot tell you any more on that. I have heard that the twilight tour is the way to go.
We did go to Maui a couple years back and Halakala sp? Sunrise trip is absolutely breathtaking. You many want to look into that as an option for your husband. We did this tour on the front end of our trip since we had to wake up at 3am. Maui is such a great island with so many great adventures or just swimming with the turtles.

We have never stayed at Aulani, but we did spend some time at the Disney Cove behind the resort. You will not want to leave. Sparkling blue water with turtles everywhere. Many people do not know this but all Hawaiian beaches are public. They must provide public access to all beaches, so don't let the resorts let you think otherwise. With that said, parking is not so easy.

Have a great trip! 15 days of paradise.

[faline]

We did go to Maui a couple years back and Halakala sp? Sunrise trip is absolutely breathtaking. You many want to look into that as an option for your husband. We did this tour on the front end of our trip since we had to wake up at 3am. Maui is such a great island with so many great adventures or just swimming with the turtles.

Maui is a wonderful place to visit - probably my favorite among the islands - we've been there 3 times in the last 7 years. I have been to the top of Haleakala though I have not done the sunrise trip. Surnise, as I understand it, can be spectacular, or cloud cover may prevent you from seeing anything. I did find the air to be so thin at the top that we did not spend much time there - I really wanted a lower elevation.

There are many wonderful things to do on Maui but the other islands offer wonderful things as well. If one has his/her heart set on volcanoes, Hawaii is the way to go. Personally, I wouldn't think of Haleakala as a substitute for a sight of the volcanoes (Be aware, though, that seeing an actual eruption might not be possible). Parts of South Maui look very similar to the lava fields left behind on Hawaii but, on Hawaii, you also have the possibility of walking through a lava tube (sort of a tunnel created when lava flowed through an area but left a crust with a hollow area inside.

If you are spending time on Oahu, be sure to visit Pearl Harbor. If you're a history buff (World War II era), think about visiting the USS Bowfin (submarine right next to Pearl Harbor), the USS Missouri (just a bus ride away) and the aircraft museum which has only been open for the last 4-5 years.

[Heather_]

Since you have a car on Oahu I would highly recommend taking a day trip to the North Shore. It is absolutely beautiful and a far cry from the hustle and bustle of the city. I would say the evening show at the Polynesian cultural center is a MUST do. We spent the month of November last year island hopping (all but Big Island) and I really liked the Frommers Hawaii guide. I used a lot of recommendations for activities, accommodations, and dining and found it all to be on point.

[CynBeth]

I would recommend if you can doing a cruise with Norwegian. It departs from Honolulu and lasts a week and you would get to see Maui, both sides of the Big Island, and Kauai. You could maybe come in a few days early and stay at Aulani and do Oahu sightseeing. Good luck in your planning!