Ideas on splitting time between Kauai and Oahu
 

So I would like some input on our itinerary. As it stands now we're arriving in HNL on 12/16 around 3:15 from Atlanta. We'll have had a long day by then so I figure we'll stay near the airport and fly to Kauai the next day, Friday the 17th. Wisdom tells me to book a room (or cottage) in Kauai for the remainder of the trip, 14 days, and be done with it. In your opinions should I head back to HNL a couple days early and check it out or should I maybe stay on different parts of Kauai (we plan to stay at around 1:00 on the island). I figure we could head back to HNL in the a.m. on 12/31 and mess around (maybe take the circle bus) until our flight leaves at around 10:30 p.m. Also it appears we'll be in the air at midnight on NYE. Has anyone experienced that?
So I want to confirm our room and II flights soon since December is peak season but I don't want to later regret my choices. We don't want to do any other island hopping on this trip. Any ideas?

If you are going to Kauai more or less when you arrive, I'd just take an interisland connecting flight right after you arrive. With a 3:15p arrival you should have plenty of time to catch a flight (if it was a 6pm arrival I'd say maybe, as some of the interisland flights are done by 7p or so). Most airlines should let you check you bags all the way thru to Kauai, so you wouldn't have to deal with them in HNL (we did that last October, Continental had no problems transferring to Aloha Air for HNL-LIH).
Between getting your luggage in HNL, gettting to a hotel (either rental car or shuttle), doing something at night (dinner?), then getting up and going back to the airport in the morning, even though it's a long flight from the mainland, I still think you'd do better to just keep flying, get to Kauai by 6p-7p, then crash then, and start your trip rested the next day.

If you've never been to Honolulu then it's worth 2-3 days, not much more. If you were going for 2+ weeks I'd personally rather have a week on Kauai and a week on Maui (especially if you've never been there) then 2 weeks on Kauai. We stayed in Kappa for 6 or 7 nights, about in the middle of the island, so ~45 minutes or so drive could get us to either end of the island. It was nice being there but I don't think we missed anything 'only' being there for 7 days.

Jeff

One of the coolest things about flying out of HNL on New Year's Eve is that you get to be on one of the last flights in the world for 2004. Of course, I'm guessing the DL departure is an earlier one, but being on that last UA flight to SFO is pretty something, seeing how you're flying out a few ticks before the New Year.

IMHO, I wouldn't spend a second in HNL after arriving in from ATL. I'd connect straight because a.) the accomodations around HNL are poor and b.) it's not worth going through security again, especially at the inter-island terminal. For me, I'd rather get it over with as soon as possible and the inter-island leg is only 20 minutes long.

What type of person are you? Do you enjoy laid back and lying on the beach? If I was a visitor, I'd probably spend two nights in Honolulu just so I could see the Arizona Memorial and perhaps see what it's like in a busier setting of Hawai'i. Then, I'd never return to Honolulu and visit the other islands. That said, I'm all for a few days at HNL in the end. If the day circle trip is what you'd want to do, however, keep in mind that there are no baggage storage areas in HNL (perhaps in the HNL CRC, but you should call) and you may have to take your bags on TheBus (sic). It'd be an enjoyable trip and you'd get to see Haleiwa out there, but I'd rather be driving and not be subjected to a wait. That might be another option. Get a cheap car rental for that one day, store you bags in the trunk and just drive around the entire island. This would allow you to out and see the sights on the South side as well (e.g., drive past Diamond Head around the lighthouse, then out towards Hawai'i Kai and Haunama Bay). Car rentals can be pretty cheap and with a good discount code or Priceline, you'd be set.

In any case, let us know what you decide upon and good luck in planning your trip.

aloha

Thanks for the replies. I think I will take the advice and get out of HNL ASAP. Perhaps I'll get a room the first night around LIH and save the drive up to the north shore for the next day. As far as what type person, hmm. Well I own a small juice bottling company and raise German Shepherds. Life is pretty hectic on a daily basis so sticking my toes in the sand for days on end will be fine for me. Although previous vacations have been 4 and 5 *, including 10 days in the Amsterdam Marriott last year as well as honeymooning in the John and Yoko Suite of the Amsterdam Hilton in 2001 (we like Amsterdam :cool: ) this year we are going to forego some luxuries in lieu of spending half the month there. That is why those cottages seem ideal at $75 per night with a kitchenette. (www.greenacrescottages.com) I am also pretty good at Pricelining (is that a verb?) so I am definitely going to play around with car rentals and maybe a hotel for a night or two. One of our German Shepherd customers in Vermont lived on the north shore for 10 years and has offered to give us some local pointers. That is always nice, as is learning from you guys. ^

I think that your instinct to spend most of your time in Kauai is good. It's simply more relaxing with it's slower pace and subtle beauty.

One alternative you might want to consider is flying to HNL the day or two before your return flight and staying on the west side of Oahu at the Marriott Ihilani. It's a 16 miles drive from the HNL airport ( 20- 25 minutes in the non-rush hour traffic ) and the location is apart from the hustle bustle of Waikiki etc.

The Ihilani is a fabulous property located on a string of man-made lagoons and you could still relax and kick back. The advantage would be that you avoid the crowds and you could hang at the property for most of your scheduled departure day and make a leisurely 7PM drive to the airport and your flight home, maximizing the last hours of your Hawaiian magic.

Maui is our own favorite Hawaiian destination, and we spent a great 12 days there before being compelled to spend our last 2 nights in Hawaii on Oahu. We reluctantly booked the Ihilani, and we really enjoyed our stay there. We paid an extra $50 for a 5PM checkout and enjoy a wonderful last day there before facing the drudgery of coming home to reality.

Have a great trip.

Barry

MY way
 

When I came over to the islands, I would leave ATL around 9am and always would arrive (if possible) by 3pm or so. I would be booked on my interisland flight and head to the other island.

Oahu I would save for my trip back to the mainland. I'd get an early flight to Oahu, rent a car, do last minute shopping spree or beach trip and return to the airport for my red-eye back to ATL. One problem with this is that you probably cannot check your luggage straight through because there will be a long layover in HNL. That would require you to pick up the luggage and carry it with you on Oahu. But then again, why are you carting all that luggage anyway? :p