Trying to decide which 2 Hawaiian islands to visit

[Anonymous]

We did Maui and the Big Island. The former was great for snorkeling and had a nice aquarium. That latter is very large (think long driving distances) but my DD really liked Volcano National Park. The botanical garden (nearby) was also pretty.

[Anonymous]

July or August will be hot and insanely crowded in Italy. Just look on social media at the crowds and lines everywhere.

I would do Hawaii. In fact we made this exact choice for this July (not 2 weeks but just a vacation). We're going to Kauai but if we had 2 weeks I'd do one there and one on Maui.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:July or August will be hot and insanely crowded in Italy. Just look on social media at the crowds and lines everywhere.

I would do Hawaii. In fact we made this exact choice for this July (not 2 weeks but just a vacation). We're going to Kauai but if we had 2 weeks I'd do one there and one on Maui.

^^PP. Ignore me. I posted on the wrong thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely Kauai. Second island could be Maui or the Big Island. Are you coming from DC? I'd plan a 24 hour layover in Oahu and visit Pearl Harbor - couple it with the nonstop to IAD to/from your visit. With 12 days, 3 islands is totally workable.

United rarely offers that any more, and even when they do often change it on people giving them a connection. Just FYI.

Um. The non-stop IAD-HNL always has been a seasonal route. Never had any unexpected route changes on that flight during its normal season. Fly that all the time back and forth for work. In the off season, I prefer IAD-SFO-HNL, but one colleague prefers IAD-ORD-HNL.

[Anonymous]

I did the big island and Waikiki the Maui ruins might be interesting as I would like to know what is going on over there

[Anonymous]

Oahu + Hawaii IMO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely Kauai. Second island could be Maui or the Big Island. Are you coming from DC? I'd plan a 24 hour layover in Oahu and visit Pearl Harbor - couple it with the nonstop to IAD to/from your visit. With 12 days, 3 islands is totally workable.

United rarely offers that any more, and even when they do often change it on people giving them a connection. Just FYI.

Um. The non-stop IAD-HNL always has been a seasonal route. Never had any unexpected route changes on that flight during its normal season. Fly that all the time back and forth for work. In the off season, I prefer IAD-SFO-HNL, but one colleague prefers IAD-ORD-HNL.

I did DCA -JFK - HNL and that was pretty easy

[Anonymous]

At Volcano Natl Park on the Big Island, we wished we had booked a 1 night stay at the (pricey) hotel inside the park, because the volcano sights are different and more visible after dark. This is an exception, usualky we acoid the inside-the-park hotels due to cost.

Also, inside that same park, the Kilauea Military Camp has a nice cafeteria with decent food (not gourmet) at a good price, apparently open to anyone (KMC is a non-appropriated fund activity; no tax dollars are spent on it).

[Anonymous]

We have been to Maui before, but it's been 20+ years. We are looking at flights that are IAD to Seattle to Maui. Would consider Kaui but that would add more flights like Ohau to Kauai. Is it worth that if we only have 8 days and are paying of flights for 5 people? Three of which have never been to Hawaii.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have been to Maui before, but it's been 20+ years. We are looking at flights that are IAD to Seattle to Maui. Would consider Kaui but that would add more flights like Ohau to Kauai. Is it worth that if we only have 8 days and are paying of flights for 5 people? Three of which have never been to Hawaii.

Last summer, we flew IAD to Seattle to Maui to Kauai. Admittedly, we stayed 2 nights in Seattle visiting relatives, but we could have done it all in one day.

After Kauai, we flew back to Maui for a few days, then flew from Maui to Las Vegas for a few days, then home to IAD. We never touched Oahu during that trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely Kauai. Second island could be Maui or the Big Island. Are you coming from DC? I'd plan a 24 hour layover in Oahu and visit Pearl Harbor - couple it with the nonstop to IAD to/from your visit. With 12 days, 3 islands is totally workable.

United rarely offers that any more, and even when they do often change it on people giving them a connection. Just FYI.

Um. The non-stop IAD-HNL always has been a seasonal route. Never had any unexpected route changes on that flight during its normal season. Fly that all the time back and forth for work. In the off season, I prefer IAD-SFO-HNL, but one colleague prefers IAD-ORD-HNL.

It's only on Saturdays now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely Kauai. Second island could be Maui or the Big Island. Are you coming from DC? I'd plan a 24 hour layover in Oahu and visit Pearl Harbor - couple it with the nonstop to IAD to/from your visit. With 12 days, 3 islands is totally workable.

United rarely offers that any more, and even when they do often change it on people giving them a connection. Just FYI.

Um. The non-stop IAD-HNL always has been a seasonal route. Never had any unexpected route changes on that flight during its normal season. Fly that all the time back and forth for work. In the off season, I prefer IAD-SFO-HNL, but one colleague prefers IAD-ORD-HNL.

It's only on Saturdays now.

Correction: from Dec-March it runs 5 days a week. April-mid December it's Saturdays only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At Volcano Natl Park on the Big Island, we wished we had booked a 1 night stay at the (pricey) hotel inside the park, because the volcano sights are different and more visible after dark. This is an exception, usualky we acoid the inside-the-park hotels due to cost.

Also, inside that same park, the Kilauea Military Camp has a nice cafeteria with decent food (not gourmet) at a good price, apparently open to anyone (KMC is a non-appropriated fund activity; no tax dollars are spent on it).

We did book a stay there and can confirm it was absolutely worth it. 10/10 And the restaurant has the best view.

[Anonymous]

OP here - fun to see this thread pop back up. We ended up taking a hard left and are headed to Alaska (we love it there!). But these are all great recs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Definitely Kauai. Second island could be Maui or the Big Island. Are you coming from DC? I'd plan a 24 hour layover in Oahu and visit Pearl Harbor - couple it with the nonstop to IAD to/from your visit. With 12 days, 3 islands is totally workable.

United rarely offers that any more, and even when they do often change it on people giving them a connection. Just FYI.

Um. The non-stop IAD-HNL always has been a seasonal route. Never had any unexpected route changes on that flight during its normal season. Fly that all the time back and forth for work. In the off season, I prefer IAD-SFO-HNL, but one colleague prefers IAD-ORD-HNL.

I like to do IAD=SFO=HNL. I go each year to visit family. I hate the short one to ORD and then the loooong flight remaining to HNL. SFO cuts the flight in half.