aktchi

I have never been to Hawaii. Thanks to other demands, I still can't find time for a milti-week trip that I dream about, but I can arrange for short (2-4 days) stops in November, April and July; possibly after that too.

I would appreciate some guidance on which city would be best to begin with (early November)? Would you stay in the city or outside? Get a tour or solo it? I can plan to go back, but it would only be 2-4 nights this time.

Lavarock7

First, Hawaii is multiple islands, so you need to decide which island(s) you want to visit. 2 to 4 days is hardly enough for the trip in my opinion. It is like going into a $100 a plate dinner and asking just for the salad.

Oh you could stay on Molokai for 4 days and just start to get settled. It would take more than a week or two to get a good idea as to the Big Island. Each island is different. Kauai is beautiful and small and has a large canyon. Maui is a bit upscale I think (honeymooners and golf, etc), Molokai is very laid back. Oahu is small yet filled with people and traffic, yet has lots of shopping and after hours places. It is home to the surfing and TV show and so on. The Big Island is really big and just driving around the outside takes most of a day. It is very rural with all sorts of weather compared to other islands. That is where the active volcano is.

I guess you could visit Oahu (where Honolulu is) but even so, with their traffic and so on, you might think you were on the mainland. You also would not get a chance to experience Hawaii. Whichever island you visit, explore!

There are many good books explaining each islands strengths. Look for books like "Hawaii The Big Island Revealed" or similar books by the same author. Also visit http://www.hawaiirevealed.com/

wanna go now

In 2-4 nights, you'll see very little, but at least it's a taste. As LavaRock7 said, each island is very different, and each island has many different aspects that you will not have time to see. Oahu? Big city in the tropics with a beach (Honolulu/Waikiki) or surfing heaven (North Shore). Each island is like that. So, first decide if you want a lot of night life/resort/restaurants or something more quiet. Then, adventure or relax.
If there is one thing you think of when you think of Hawaii, I suggest you just do that one thing. Maybe it's to see Pearl Harbor or the WWII historical sites. Or maybe a particular hike.
Once you're there, a helicopter trip would give you a good idea of the rest of the island you are visiting. Ready to plan for the next trip.
If you give a sense of what you are looking for, you can get more specific advice. What are your expectations?

KenfromDE

The above suggestion of Pearl Harbor should be on every one's bucket list. Stay in Waikiki and use the rest of your stay to investigate as much of the island as time permits.

ginmqi

Awesome, thanks for the insight to that book series. Looks like I'll be making a trip to my local library quite soon.

I'll actually be living in Honolulu for 6 months for a job assignment and so I'll be definitely be exploring all the islands as much as possible. Of course will start off with Oahu and move continuously. It's basically a M-F job and I'll have weekends off so basically I'll only be able to do the other islands from Friday night to Sunday evening.

vh_bu98

I went to Hawaii for the first time last year and I chose Oahu. The reasons for it was Honolulu and Waikiki are very well known cities. Famous attractions such as Pearl Harbor, Polynesian Cultural Center, Dole Plantation, and etc. Hanauma Bay is a great beach to snorkel in. Yes, Oahu is the most populated island but you can just take a bus or drive out of the city to get away from it.

philemer

Are you making a special trip to HI for only 2-4 days or are you transiting thru there? If the former--don't. Too tiring.

aktchi

Transiting.

Thank you all for your most helpful comments. After some back and forth, I am persuaded that one should begin with HNL (easiest place to arrange a stop, Pearl Harbor, and so on).

This stop will be in the middle of another long grueling journey and busy schedules at both ends. Therefore except for Pearl Harbor, I would be tempted to just relax.: ) Beautiful surroundings, nice cafes and restaurants etc will help.

I realize that 2-4 days are not enough for Hawaii (or for most other places). Fortunately, I will be able to go back several times though each stop will be brief.

Lavarock7

I traveled here 2 weeks a trip, two trips a year for 7 years, when i finally moved here.

It took years before I finally went into Waipio Valley, saw the green sand beach and rode a horse here.

Looking back, I was NOT in a hurry!

ginmqi

The big name tourist places should be at least seen once and if you've never been there...do those first. (Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, etc.)

I myself am wanting to probably do more off-the-beaten-path explorations. So just got a book titled "Off The Beaten Path Hawaii" from libraray.

JumboJet

My list would be Oahu, Kauai, Maui. Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi need a longer visit to get the feel of. I was on the Big Island for 10 days and still didn't get to see it all.

It depends what island you are flying into. If it's HNL additional travel time will be needed to and from the other islands.

azepine00

It depends on where you start from. From lax i go for 2-5 days routinely and we ve done 40-50 of those in 10 years... 2-3 days became harder to justify with kids though..
even a couple nights give a great opportunity to decompress and enjoy the location if you chose to relax and do nothing... but with most islands being rather compact it is possible to do some sightseeing/activities as well if you want to - just avoid tourist traps and busy hours...

9Benua

2-4 days, stick to Oahu. Stay in Waikiki, do Pearl harbor early in the morning to avoid the crowd. Do one day trip to go around the island using route 83. There are several lookout on that route + North shore + Byodo In temple.

tatterdema

You have gotten good advice. I agree with most, Oahu and Honolulu. Some people say its just like any other big city, and no taste of Hawaii, but I did not find that to be the case. Lots of Hawaiian charm in the city. That much time I would just do Pearl Harbor, and spend the rest of it on Waikiki and exploring the city. When done though, remember that this is not at all what you will find on the other islands.

msp3

I would go Maui (including Lanai and Molokai), Big Island, Kauai, and Oahu in that order, and never more then one of these at a time. Take it easy and enjoy your stay instead of trying to visit everywhere all at once.