10 days in Hawaii
 

Hey everyone,

So I’m going to Hawaii for my honeymoon in July. I’m splitting time between Maui and Kaua’i. Not sure if I should spend 5 days on each or 6 on Maui and 4 on Kaua’i. Any suggestions? Also does anyone have any must do’s on the islands or some hidden gems?

Thanks!

Lots of threads in this forum, do some browsing, and stay for a little while. There is so much to see and do, perhaps it would help to give advice based on what your interests are as a couple. What are they? Personally I'd rather spend more time on Kaua'i, but that's because I like the slower pace there than in Maui.

I think there are more attractions on Maui, and more distance in between so you spend more time driving. I would recommend spending more time on Maui if you are seeking a more active vacation.

I would do Kaua'i first.....slower pace....beautiful.....more romantic. Lakanukki is never a problem there.

Mau'i has more to do. I've loved riding a bike down Haleakala, but my choice was to drive up to the Kula Lodge at the 3,000 foot level and take the bus from there to the top, and then bike back to Kula. Makawao is a hippie/new age town near Kula, and it's fun and a taste of non-tourist Hawaii. Also, Pai'a is a wonderful town where the Road to Hana begins and you can turn off to go up Haleakala.

The best damned fishburger I ever ate in my life was at the Pai'a Fish Market, with a wonderful sea breeze coming into the restaurant, while watching the windsurfers across the road, at Baldwin Beach State Park. The road to Hana is amazing, but it's kinda like life itself. Hana itself is not that much. So it's not the destination, it's the journey. And there's nothing wrong with taking the Road halfway and heading back, or turning off and exploring.

Also on Maui, the glass-bottom boat to Molokini, where you can scuba among a dazzling assortment of fish is a wonderful experience.



Enjoy.

Welcome to FT! Long time lurker but first post! More to do and see on Maui so I'd suggest 4 days on K and 6 on M. Are you doing hotels or condos?

So far I have 4 nights booked at the Grand Hyatt Kauai. Looking at staying at the Andaz in Maui at least part of the time.

Completely agree with others here! Maui has more activities and attractions but involves more driving since the distances between places is greater. If you're looking for an active vacation, do 6 days on Maui and 4 on Kauai. However, if you're looking for rest and relaxation, flip it to 6 days on Kauai and 4 on Maui and then, while on Maui, do all the greatest hits.

For Maui, there are a few musts I really have to recommend. The Road to Hana and a Molokini snorkel cruise, as have already been mentioned here. Watching the sunrise from the top of the Haleakala Crater is totally amazing, too (though note, you need to reserve your spot since this is very popular--you can do it here https://www.nps.gov/hale/planyourvis...servations.htm). And this would be a good place to do a luau. Oh! And you're staying in South Maui so definitely get out snorkeling and kayaking there. There are a lot of great companies there.

For Kauai, the only real must is the Napali Coast. Do this by boat--there are lots of tours that leave from the south where you're staying so it should be easy to manage. These sea cliffs are truly out of this world--so humbling. Other fun stuff is snorkeling along the south shore, hanging out on Poipu Beach, and ATVing. There are a lot of great ATV companies here. Get up to Hanalei is you can to--the snorkeling along the north shore is gorgeous during the summer months. Oh! And if you want to do something really over the top, check out a helicopter tour there. It's amazing.

Last thing! Are you a fan of Fleetwood Mac? Mick Fleetwood has a restaurant in Lahaina on Maui that you really have got to try.

Are you looking for somewhere else to stay on Maui after the Andaz?

I lived on Maui for many years, and both as a child and as an adult I would often go to Hana on Maui for vacations. When I was growing up, my family would go camping at Waianapanapa State Park or rent the cabins there (in the 1970's, you could also camp at Hana Bay County Park). Later, my wife and I would go to Hana for a few days and stay at a condo or vacation rental. There is also the luxury Hotel Hana Maui.

There's lots of things to do at Waianapanapa State Park-hiking, fishing, snorkeling, and swimming in the freshwater caves. Right in Hana, we would sometimes spend a day at exotic "Red Sand" (Kaihalulu) beach. There's the "Blue Pool," Hamoa and Koki beaches, and the National Park in Kipahulu, all near Hana.

Given the recent devastation to the northeastern parts of Kauai you might want to limit your activities to the southern part of the island, or maybe wait for another time and spend your time on Maui. Maybe a Maui- Big Island trip if you want a bit of the laid back atmosphere.

If you are a scuba diver, don't do Haleakala on the day after diving. It is the same rule as flying. I know, I had to pass up a dive.

If you stay at Andaz, which is really as luxury beautiful as pictured, then hopefully you'll have a morimoto meal. Yum. We stay at Grand Wailea with other families but had an adult meal at morimoto and I loved it so much that I kept taking luxury pictures. Morimoto was delicious.
But I also love love Paia Fish Market and would gladly eat every meal there - ive been to Lahaina and Kihei locations and saw the original in Paia Inbetween meals :-)
paia is really fun and probably even better at night without the day trippers!

Happy honeymoon. I met Korean honeymooners at the OGG airport who were flying to Honolulu

You will really enjoy Kauai, the least developed of the islands - more natural beauty to appreciate.

The Waiamea Canyon (where Jurassic Park) was shot, looks like a green version of the Grand Canyon.

You could try the zip lines. The longest is about 1500 feet.

The Botanic Gardens by Poipu (where Pirates of the Caribbean was shot) is another fun place to visit for the unique flora. A small but enchanting island.