Hawaii: Why is it so cool?

astanley

astanley

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Andrew Stanley
Potentially stupid question.

My wife asked me "Why don't we go to Hawaii for our next vacation?" I'm not one really for the tropics in general, although I have had a desire to check out Zihuatanejo or Bali for a little while, so the appeal is somewhat lost on me.

But, that said, I couldn't answer her: why wouldn't I want to go? I guess I don't know very much about it.

So... given that there are at least 2 frequent HNL'ers here, can you guys tell me: why is it so cool?

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
Met my wife there.:yes::rofl: Really, nice weather, great flying. My wife & I spent a lot of time walking the beach @ Chinamans Hat, and staring at the waves. When I lived there, I used to get off work on Fri. and head for any other island besides Oahu. I loved Molokai, Hilo, and Hana, esp. (if you haven't figured, I love laid back)
 
Hawaii is my favorite vacation spot. I try to make it there at least twice a year. Here's a few reasons why I like it. Keep in mind that the various islands are all rather different. Personally, I like the Big Island best because it's not that touristy.

- It's a very relaxing atmosphere. People are just friendlier - you notice this everywhere. There's more 'hello how are you' and you don't feel like people are trying to kill you when you're driving.
- It goes without saying that the scenery is breathtaking. If that's your kind of thing.
- There's an amazing variety of things to do. When I was there last time, I threw snowballs at my girlfriend and hiked across a volcano a few hours later. We ended that day with some snorkeling and saw some incredible underwater wildlife.
- The weather is almost always perfect. It might rain for a little while, but it'll still be warm and before long, the sun will come through.
- There's lots of good food. I love restaurants...
- Lastly, and this won't apply to you, it's only 5 hours from here :)

-Felix
 
Andrew: The weather is great throughout but the experience can be quite different on different islands. We went to three last year and it went from hustle-bustle urban with excellent shopping; to a real get away place that was pretty laid back. Wonderful sunsets. Great beaches, waterfalls, excellent visibility diving, etc. Oahu, especially Honolulu is pretty urban, but Pearl Harbor is there and there are wonderful tours of the area if you're a military history buff. Luaus can be fun. We sailed. Just can't list it all, but on my return list for sure. Kauai is more remote with things to do like visit waterfalls, McBryde bitanical garden; enjoy the beech and fine food. Maui is nice for a balance between shopping and getting away. Road to Hana as spectacular scenery, waterfalls and other interesting places to stop. Wonderful beaches, excellent diving, snorkeling, and sailing. May very nice restaurants.

If you get interested, get Maui Revealed or a similar book for another island. It discusses what there is to do, rates hotels and restaurants and gives lots of tips for making it a memorable time.

Best,

Dave

Best,

Dave
 
Paradise. That simple. Generally great weather, great beaches, great place to relax.

Our favorite islands? Maui and Kauai. Less crowded than Oahu (Honolulu). And I enjoy the big island (Hawaii), but my wife isn't as fond of it. Key thing is to find a place where you can hang out and do as little as you want. Or as much. Your call. We've been there 11 times and will be back again next year.

A few pictures from Kauai this April for your viewing pleasure...
 

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It's compact- all the climate zones within a short distance.
Although tropical, it isn't oppresively hot & humid on the leeward side of the islands- the ocean and trades keeps things reasonable.

With FedEx, you can get good food almost anywhere so that don't impress me much...but there aren't many places you can see lava up close.
 
Andrew:

Go, and find out for yourself. It is definitely worth the trip.

I advise, for a first-time visitor, a limited dose of Waikiki, followed by the better part of a week on Kauai. Visit the whole island, but stay south (Poipu). Avoid Princeville- too snooty and less hospitable water.

Ride horsies.

Do the helicopter tour, too.
 
I don't know if it's still there but there used to be a Sporty's Pilot school at Hilo airport on the big island. I took my logbook and pilot creds with me and after a 45 checkout in a 172 was free to rent there. My wife and I spent an amazing two hours on our own aerial tour of the lava flows and other pretty amazing sights around the island. We stayed for a couple of days up in Volcano Village and the rest of the week over on the Kona Coast amongst the resorts there. We took the tour up to the top of Mauna Kea to tour the telescopes there - totally worth it for an astronomy geek. They'll issue you parkas for the time at the top so you don't have to pack warm clothes to do it.

Maui Revealed was definitely a fun way to get away from it all on that island. We found ourselves all week swimming under natural water falls in incredible settings all by ourselves. We spent some time on Kauai also and if we went back we'd want to do the two day hike on the Napali Coast and camp up there. I've heard that kayaking it is pretty awesome as well.
 
Oahu a Tropical island with a real city.

Our first trip we took the seven day five Island Cruise. Gives a look at everything without the packing and repacking with the normal multi Island tour.

Plus everyone speaks English.
 
Dave Siciliano said:
Kauai is more remote with things to do like ... enjoy the beech
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Not trying to point out your spelling, Dave, but I got a kick out of this one... if I went to Kauai, I'd probably spend time at the airport looking at planes, too. ;-) You're a pilot at heart, tourist second! :yes:
 
SCCutler said:
Andrew:

Go, and find out for yourself. It is definitely worth the trip.

I advise, for a first-time visitor, a limited dose of Waikiki, followed by the better part of a week on Kauai. Visit the whole island, but stay south (Poipu). Avoid Princeville- too snooty and less hospitable water.

Ride horsies.

Do the helicopter tour, too.
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Better yet, go fly with these guys - http://www.tropicalbiplanes.com/ . As he told us a few years ago, "I fly slower than the helicopters!" Having also taken a helicopter tour, I'd stick with the Waco.

Just go past Princeville to Hanalei and beyond. And we usually stay in Kapaa. And if you golf, the county course just south of Kapaa is great, and far less expensive than Princeville or other private courses.
 
OBTW, when we visited Kauai, we spent some time with an old family friend and her kids- they lived on a bluff overlooking the ocean on the north shore, couple of miles from Princeville. Real dump of a place (!).

Went into town to buy pizza to go, "really great pizza," she said, I bought: 2 large one-topping and a small two-topping. Added up to about $97.00.

Most of Hawaii (including Kauai) was not unreasonably costly at all, but this pizza- oy!

And by the way- I have had Dominos that was better.
 
We go every year to Kona. It's great there. We never run out of stuff to do and every year offers something different to do. I have yet to rent any aircraft there, but we have taken a Caravan ride around the Big Island.
 
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The best part for me was flying the Cessna to over 11k to view the volcano from above! We rented from Jon and had a blast.
 
If you go to Maui you can rent from Maui Aviators. I rented from them a few years ago and it was the highlight of our trip. The flight to Hana is better than the road.
 
Erik1010 said:
We go every year to Kona. It's great there. We never run out of stuff to do and everything year offers something different to do. I have yet to rent any aircraft there, but we have taken a Caravan ride around the Big Island.
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If you do want to rent an airplane around there - I've had good luck with Tropicbird at PHKO. It was expensive, but I guess that's Hawaii....

-Felix
 
sba55 said:
If you do want to rent an airplane around there - I've had good luck with Tropicbird at PHKO. It was expensive, but I guess that's Hawaii....

-Felix
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I've flown with Tropicbird 3 times. Nicely maintained aircraft and great people to fly with. But, expensive. $200/hr dual in a 172 last year. Ouch!

Kind of fun dealing with the heavies at KOA. Only Class D airspace. And, you can log KOA to ITO as XC as it is over 50 nm straight line between the two. But you'll put a lot more than 50 nm on the plane getting there. :P
 
I'm going to shamelessly plug my cousin's condo rental in Oahu. She and her husband have done an outstanding job outfitting this unit (bikes, WiFi, etc.)--they just got it ready this July (a new "venture" for them). Scroll way to the bottom for pictures:

http://www.vrbo.com/194155

I intend to go stay there some day!!
 
TangoWhiskey said:
I'm going to shamelessly plug my cousin's condo rental in Oahu. She and her husband have done an outstanding job outfitting this unit (bikes, WiFi, etc.)--they just got it ready this July (a new "venture" for them). Scroll way to the bottom for pictures:

http://www.vrbo.com/194155

I intend to go stay there some day!!
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One month minimum?!

They are catering to a wealthier crowd than us...
 
SCCutler said:
One month minimum?!

They are catering to a wealthier crowd than us...
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Wow, no kidding Spike!! I don't think it was one month minimum when I last looked! Yikes, that's too rich for my blood too, but it does look like somebody's booked September.
 
I don't know, but $2400 seems cheap to me for a whole month. That's 2 weeks in a reasonable hotel. Then again, I'm used to San Francisco rents :D
 
I just got back from there, not impressed the week plus air was 6K for the trip and I was not at all impressed. Big rock in the middle of the Ocean. Good thing I was there on business, I would be really ****ed if I had spent my own cash for that. I would not go back on my own.

The US Arizona was really an emotional trip and a must see if you go.

John
 
Dave Siciliano said:
Road to Hana as spectacular scenery, waterfalls and other interesting places to stop. Wonderful beaches, excellent diving, snorkeling, and sailing. May very nice restaurants.

If you get interested, get Maui Revealed or a similar book for another island. It discusses what there is to do, rates hotels and restaurants and gives lots of tips for making it a memorable time.

Best,

Dave

Best,

Dave
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Yup.

If you ignore the warnings and do the entire loop around the island (bypass Hana itself, nothing to see) you get a real view of Maui's beauty. Make sure to get out of the car often and trek up the trails to see all of the waterfalls - even those on 'private property' -. While you are doing this loop, as an aviator you are bound and required to stop at the small chapel and gardens where Charles Lindbergh is buried. Don't forget to pet the goat that always seems to be there guarding; he likes that.
 
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John Recine said:
I just got back from there, not impressed . . . Big rock in the middle of the Ocean. . . . John
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I was going to tell you that perhaps you were wrong, but then I thought about my trip to Tokyo, and how it was so NOT my cup of tea that I got business done and jumped back on a plane early, more time in the airliners than on the ground there. But, I am not completely adverse to trying it again someday, with some planning after research. To each his own.

Personally, I enjoy Hawaii, especially the out of the way parts.

Stayed at a condo in Kauai with my young family, made it mostly a beach vacation, drove around a little, that was a good trip.

Did one stay at Waikiki, ate at Duke's, saw Hulk Hogan driving around in one of those pseudo-Smart Cars, had my laptop and some other stuff stolen out of the trunk while getting a lunch to go at a strip mall. Not the best trip.

Went to Kona with a large family contingent, played some golf, did some touring, flew around the island including the lava flows in a C-207 with an instructor in the right seat and five family members in the back. That was a REALLY good trip!

I think I will make an effort to fly every time I go back, to make for a good trip! In fact, maybe I should fly everywhere I go from now on! :D
 
Desert on one side of every island, tropical paradise on the other. Beaches, volcanoes, vegetation. We never knew it was so wonderful. Here is our one-week adventure. We hope to go again. http://mcmath.home.att.net/Hawaii06/
Thanks for the question. It reminded me to re-read our story.
 
It's well worth a visit. I had to visit (for work, of course) and spent an extra 4-5 days.

Waikiki is OK, but the trip around to other parts of the island are great. I liked Maui better, though both were fine. As noted, get out of the car and walk up to some of the waterfalls.

On a historical basis, the Arizona is a "must do"... and I took the time to visit the Big Mo' - my dad served on the ship during the war, and he was onboard when the treaty was signed (picture proudly displayed in their home).
 
sba55 said:
I don't know, but $2400 seems cheap to me for a whole month. That's 2 weeks in a reasonable hotel. Then again, I'm used to San Francisco rents :D
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2400 is a deal. That's less than I get for my 2/2 condo in Florida during season.
 
I much prefer the Caribbean over Hawaii, but haven't been to Hawaii in 5 years. Easier flight and less crowded in Mexico, even after Mexico's popularity started shooting up.
 
catmandu said:
I was going to tell you that perhaps you were wrong, but then I thought about my trip to Tokyo, and how it was so NOT my cup of tea that I got business done and jumped back on a plane early, more time in the airliners than on the ground there. But, I am not completely adverse to trying it again someday, with some planning after research. To each his own.
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Tokyo, and Japan itself, rocks. I love it. In fact, our "trip of all trips" is in 2010 -- a week in Bali, followed by a week in Tokyo and Kyoto during hanami. I can't wait :yes:

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
astanley said:
Tokyo, and Japan itself, rocks. I love it. In fact, our "trip of all trips" is in 2010 -- a week in Bali, followed by a week in Tokyo and Kyoto during hanami. I can't wait :yes:

Cheers,

-Andrew
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I'll be in Kobi later this month. I do like the Kansai ara much better than Tokyo. Of all the places in Asia, Japan and Singapore is what I like most.

Hawaii is nice, it is further away form the Midwest than Europe though. I have been there many times and seen pretty much all I really need to see. I can head to Florida for beaches and sand so a 9 hour flight is not really a good deal if you ask me.
 
sba55 said:
I don't know, but $2400 seems cheap to me for a whole month. That's 2 weeks in a reasonable hotel. Then again, I'm used to San Francisco rents :D
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Ken Ibold said:
2400 is a deal. That's less than I get for my 2/2 condo in Florida during season.
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The $2,400.00 for a month is not bad at all- agreed, it's downright cheap.

It's the concept of taking a whole month off that sounds a lot like someone who has fatter resources than I command... :D

---

Edit:

I am trying to recall when in recent memory I have seen a decent SFO hotel that I could book for only $1,200.00 a week...
 
SCCutler said:
The $2,400.00 for a month is not bad at all- agreed, it's downright cheap.

It's the concept of taking a whole month off that sounds a lot like someone who has fatter resources than I command... :D

---

Edit:

I am trying to recall when in recent memory I have seen a decent SFO hotel that I could book for only $1,200.00 a week...
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I am trying to recall when I have seen a decent NYC hotel that I could book for less than $400 a NIGHT.

Sigh.
 
wsuffa said:
I am trying to recall when I have seen a decent NYC hotel that I could book for less than $400 a NIGHT.

Sigh.
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How about downtown Frankfurt -- 500 EUR a NIGHT. For FRANKFURT. At least 300 GBP in London I can understand.

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
SCCutler said:
The $2,400.00 for a month is not bad at all- agreed, it's downright cheap.

It's the concept of taking a whole month off that sounds a lot like someone who has fatter resources than I command... :D
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Good point. I guess you could always go for 2 weeks and pay the month's rent. Still cheaper than most hotels....

SCCutler said:
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Edit:

I am trying to recall when in recent memory I have seen a decent SFO hotel that I could book for only $1,200.00 a week...
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Heh, and even for $1,2000/week, it's hard to find anything decent. If you come here before the tourists do, however, there's some good deals. I put up my family in the Le Meridian in the financial distract (4 stars, and they had a suite) for $115/day in May. That was amazingly cheap.

-Felix
 
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