nishimark

I'm glad that you and your wife will be going to Hawaii at the end of her treatments. My wife has been battling ovarian cancer for two years now. We are looking forward to the same kind of trip.

Each island has great points and their fans. What kind of things do you envision doing there? Or, what do you like to do? What is your daily budget for lodging? How many days will you be there?

Gynob001

Thanks-
We would like to stay 3 to 5 days. We would like to see greenery, gardens, tropical areas-serene beaches, waterfalls, take short walks-hikes, etc. Our budget is around $350/day besides travel and rental cars. I don't want to tire her out. My concern is whether the big island would be too big for her to go around. She also needs to be close to "civilization".

philemer

I like all the Islands but you & your DW might enjoy Kaua'i the best. Lots of greenery and lots of hiking trails, beaches & waterfalls. Get the guidebook called The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook, Kauai Revealed and start planning.

BLI-Flyer

I would second the recommendation for Kaua'i and for the Ultimate Kaua'i guidebook recommendation.

dukenilnil

I third the Kauai recommendation. Try the Kauai Revealed series. Check out priceline for nice hotels w/n your budget (betterbidding.com for winning bid info). Really liked the Grand Hyatt in Kauai. Not sure if it's your style (not typically mine, but it's fun in the islands) but you can usually secure a convertable through priceline for under $30 per day.
All the Islands are roughly equavalent to fly into. Oahu is where most of the flights go directly from the US, but believe you can get direct to Maui and maybe big island. Typically, though, it makes economic sense to fly into Oahu and then take an inter-island flight to the other islands. Inter-island flight are reasonable and fly frequently.

If Kauai is a little to remote (no big town to speak of), then Maui might be next best bet. Can take the Road to Hana for scenery and lot's of short hikes (Maui Revealed guidebook) and it has a bit more dining/shopping/town options but not as "city" as Honolulu.

Best of luck to you and your wife.

Orchids

The flights will be the most fatiguing part of the trip.

Check Travelocity with your travel dates and compare airlines with total travel time and number of stops. 1 stop will probably be best--please don't consider 3 stops--too nerve-wracking with medical considerations. Continental seems to have a 1 stop through Houston, and that may be your best choice (flying from Columbus to Honolulu). If you have a preferred carrier, and like the route, go with that. 12-13 hours is a lot better than 16-17, which could make or break the trip. If you find a better flight to another island, great! If not, inter-island travel is easy.

The nicest thing you can do for your wife is to arrange a massage the day before you leave. It will help her sleep that last night, and get her through the red-eye flight back home. Also a pashmina or cashmere blanket and travel pillow for the plane will reduce stress and keep her comfortable. All of this will make the time in Hawaii better.

Kauai is green and amazing, with waterfalls, canyon and river. Maui is also lovely and if you choose that option, try to get dinner reservations for sunset at Capsiche. The Big Island, while amazing also, has lots of barren/desolate landscape and long drives. I'm sure you'll make the right choice. Enjoy!

Edited to add: American has a flight from Columbus to Kahului, Maui, with a stop at Dallas/Ft Worth under 12 hours. If that is available for your dates, I would choose Maui.

travelsavant

Kauai or Maui...definitely not the Big Island, not green - mostly lava fields & the volcano.

Getting there will be a long, multi-stop, flight & might be pretty stressful in coach. Have you considered flying multi-city ticket, with maybe a 2-day stopover in SFO? Would also recommend flying United & paying upgrade for Economy Plus seats...those extra 5 inches can make a huge difference on a long flight.

cblaisd

Uh, that only goes for the west side

In fact, I was going to suggest to the op that given their criteria he consider the east side of the Big Island. Now, while there are no decent hotels in Hilo, there is a superb bed and breakfast, The Palms Cliff House.

A stay there would be in and near some of the state's lushest and greenest areas. Akaka Falls is nearby, Hilo is nearby for decent restaurant and local-kine shopping, there are stretches of "old highway" within a few miles that would be easy and short drives through the Hawai`i of yesteryear, there is a world class botanical gardens within a few miles.

Although there is a lack of stellar beaches on the east side, there is in fact decent beach a few minutes from the PCH that, thankfully, hasn't been overrun and is mostly known to locals.

The area is much more slow-paced, much more "local" and non-tourist-overrun.

If the PCH is too pricey, I also know of a very nice small house that a friend rents out through vrbo.com or directly.

travelsavant

Sorry, did not mean to step on island toes but I grew up on Oahu (North Shore) & return to one or more of the islands every year. That being said, as an adult, I love both Kauai & Maui...they meet even my dream/expectations of "lovely tropical paradise".

The Big Isle - not so much due to active volcano: very arid, dry, lava-fields vs beaches & unless at a resort, no palm trees, no greenery & even the east-side is dry in comparison to all the other islands. I'm a "native" & I can not in good conscience recommend the Big Isle to a 1st time visitor, unless they are an avid golfer or a geologist. For someone looking for the Hawaii of "their dreams" then go to Kauai, Maui, North Shore Oahu. On those isles, even if one does not like their hotel location, it's a short walk &/or drive to a beautiful beach, interesting town or historical location, or fab diving experience.

KenfromDE

To avoid the dreaded middle seat, American is a good choice to OGG and either American or Continental to HNL using 767's combined with either an MD 80 or commuter. (CO uses both commuters and 737's, so pick your flight.) CO gives free meals, AA charges.

cblaisd

I'm sorry, but much of that is simply not true.

From Puna to Honoka`a it is not "very arid, no greenery, or palm trees."

Hilo gets 160 inches of rain a year. In parts of Hamakua there's more. What's the average rainfall in Waikiki or the west side of Maui or even Kihei?

The east side is far wetter than many other islands. There's a zillion palm trees within a mile of me.

Your description is accurate for the west side and the Kohala Coast resorts, but it is simply not true for the east side and the east side would indeed meet several of the op's criteria beautifully.

This is exactly the case for the Palms Cliff House, set amidst lush, verdant greenery, with killer views, and historic towns like Honomu and Laupahoehoe that are worth a trip by themselves. Not a lava field in sight. But you can drive to the volcano in 45 minutes.

Gynob001

Thank you all for the wonderful information. It looks like it is a tough call between Kauai and the big island! Thanks also for the Airline information. I would assume that Hawaii being a major tourist place, would require booking quite early for travel as well as for accommodation. Should I get started now for January/February travel?

KenfromDE

Since your wife (and perhaps you) have never been to Hawaii, if you connect through HNL, you might want to consider staying on Oahu long enough to do the Arizona and maybe even our favorite place, Waikiki. We will be there Jan and Feb. PM for further info. Aloha Ken

broadwayblue

Please do yourself a favor and try to stretch it to a week if you can. It takes the better part of a day to get there and another to get back. It would be a shame to go all that way just to have to turn around a couple days later and head home again. I usually go for 2 weeks and couldn't imagine going for less than 1. Have fun in paradise!

KenfromDE

Not to mention the time Zone/jet lag effect!