Travel
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Hawaii Recommendations
Hello All,
We are planning a trip to Hawaii. We are thinking Maui or Kaui - but are open to suggestions/recommendations of other islands. Please let me know what Hotels/Islands you have had good experience or heard good things from.
Thanks!
Re: Hawaii Recommendations
Our wedding on Wilson Island!
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.
Mark Twain
My Travel Blog
We did Maui and Kauai in January and really enjoyed our time on both islands, but for different reasons.
On Maui we stayed at the four seasons and it was amazing, we really never wanted to leave the resort!
Kauai we stayed at the St. Regis princeville and hated it, but the island itself was beautiful and we spent time exploring it.
I have a review of our trip in my blog linked below, just click on "Hawaii" for the details!
We did Maui and the big island for our 10 day honeymoon last year. We loved the Big Island! But it depends what you want to do. If you want nightlife/ bars, then Maui is better for that. If you want to explore in a quieter setting and see the volcano, then big island. Personally, we loved the big island and I'd say that's a cant miss experience!
Tripadvisor is a great resource for ratings and reviews.
Like previous posters said, it really depends what you're interested in. I've been to Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island.
Oahu: My favorite island. It has a little bit of everything -- great beaches, mountains, rain forests, outdoor activities (hiking, kayaking, snorkeling), restaurants, nightlife, shopping. Some people don't like Honolulu because it is a big city, but we liked it a lot -- it's got a neat vibe. There's so much to see and do on Oahu and I think it's a really great introduction to Hawaii.
Maui: My least favorite. If you primarily want to relax on the beach or at a resort and enjoy fancy restaurants, than Maui is your best bet. Personally, I found Maui a bit pretentious. The beaches really are beautiful, though. And the road to Hana is lovely and offers some nice little hikes in the rain forest. My review here: http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/59418939.aspx
Big Island: I also really enjoyed this island. If you're outdoorsy and interested in hikes, volcanoes, rain forests, and waterfalls, than this is your best bet. Volcanoes National Park is incredible -- I loved it. We also enjoyed the black sand beaches, cute Hilo, touring a coffee farm, and the historic Place of Refuge. This island is large though and requires a fair amount of driving. Also, it is not known for it's beaches. I think the Big Island offers a more authentic Hawaiian experience, though. And I also found the people here to be incredibly friendly. My review: http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/ShowThread.aspx?PostID=59418616#59418616
If you have no idea on the island(s) you want, I'd go to the Hawaii tourism website, which was very helpful for us. Each island has its own page with sample itineraries, restaurants, hotels, etc, and a little blurb about the culture of each island--they are all so different.
We decided on Oahu for our HM because we wanted the best of both worlds--good shopping, nightlife, and plenty to do with still relaxation, quiet beaches, and "old school" Hawaii. We stayed in waikiki at the Sheraton Waikiki and really loved it. However, we had a car and also got out of Waikiki to drive up to the North Shore, where we had Sunset Beach almost completely to ourselves both times we were there. They also have cute un-commercialized surfer towns like Haleiwa, which was the complete opposite of Waikiki. Oahu is so much more than just the Waikiki area, but we did really enjoy that as well because we liked having so many restaurants, shops, and bars within walking distance. Our hotel also had an absolutely amazing adults-only infinity pool!
We honeymooned in Hawaii. We spent one week on the Big Island at the Fairmont Orchid and one week on Maui at the Fairmont Kea Lani. I would stay at either hotel again.
The Big Island was my favorite. We had sea turtles swim up on the beach at sunrise, snorkeled some beautiful lagoons and really loved the volcanoes. Where else can you watch the world on fire. We did a Blue Hawaiian helicopter tour that was amazing to watch the volcanoes. We went up to the observatory where the stars appeared to be jewels just out of reach.
Hapuna Beach is gorgeous. The Big Island (specifically Kona) holds a special place in my heart. It is a great place to visit and Hapuna Beach is a great beach.