Originally Posted by flicpres
Hi, I just got back from a trip to Hawaii and we were in both Oahu and Maui. We only spent two nights in Waikiki and as far as we were concerned that was enough. The rest of the time, we were in Maui (7 nites) and I could have easily spent another 7 nights there! We did a Pearl Harbor and Honolulu city tour in half a day. Working in NYC, visiting Honolulu was like visiting a big city like NY, with palm trees.
While in Maui, do not miss Mount Haleakala with a bike ride down (38 miles) from the summit. It is a real rush and really very safe.
Have a great time...I wish I was going back.
Brian
I agree with that the majority of your time should be spent on Maui; however, I also feel that two days would probably be a bit too short. There's a great amount you can do on Oahu, and I don't have the time to get into it (I have in the past, so the trusty search feature, along with the FAQ on the top of the Hawaii forum) will bring up some very relevant info on things to do on Oahu.
FWIW, you've got a good plan. The extra day? Spend it on Maui. You can use that day as an exclusive beach day where there's nothing planned. If your college-aged kids had been into museums and shopping, Honolulu would have been the best bet for the extra day, but with water sports, Maui seems like a better fit.
Also, a word on the biking down Haleakala. It's not as safe as some are led to believe. I have a friend who lives up in Kula (on the slopes of Haleakala) who says there's at least one ambulence passing up the road a day. I'd personally just drive up and enjoy the view.
Also, if you don't yet have plans for your final day on Oahu, a few hotels offer day rates for about $100 or so that allows you to stay in a hotel room past the check-out time. This might be a good idea if you plan to spend the day at the beach and need a place to shower or refresh before your flight out.
Hope you have a great trip and let us know if you've got any further questions!