Alicia64 Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Hi Everyone, We're thinking of doing a family friendly trip to one of the Hawaiian Islands and would LOVE your input. We're debating between Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. If you loved one, could you tell me the hotel/resort you loved, restaurants and activities you loved too? I have six year old boys and I need something they can handle. Thank you!! Alicia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Hi Everyone, We're thinking of doing a family friendly trip to one of the Hawaiian Islands and would LOVE your input. We're debating between Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. If you loved one, could you tell me the hotel/resort you loved, restaurants and activities you loved too? I have six year old boys and I need something they can handle. Thank you!! Alicia What I mean is would they enjoy just hanging out at the beach? Can they snorkle? Would you want to go over winter so you could see whales off Maui? Do you like just hanging out together, building sand castles and splashing or do you like to be off doing things. Oahu has lots of kid friendly options. Polynesian Cultural Center, Bishop Museum, the beaches, Waikiki Aquarium (smallish but very nice), Hanauma Bay snorkling (very protected), Pacific Aviation Museum, Battleship Missouri, even the Arizona Memorial (which has a junior ranger program - but check the status of the visitor's center, they are in the midst of building a new one). My kids even enjoyed things like the swap meet at Aloha Stadium and Plantation Village (part of an old cane plantation with buildings typical of the different immigrant crop workers' homes). We did have a good time on Hawaii Island. We stayed in a military rec area in the volcano park and hiked all around the volcano. My youngest was five at the time, but we've had him hiking trails for years. The big island is in fact big. It takes hours to drive from one side to the other. There is a Tsunami Museum in Hilo that is interesting. There are some historic buildings to tour in Hilo as well as waterfalls to hike (but beware that some hikes are not maintained and might not be very safe trails). There are historic buildings in Kona and some very good snorkeling right at the boat landing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Oahu has excellent options for all ages, many named in the post by Sebastian. That said, it's way too commercial, in my opinion, and just doesn't have the overall feel of the rest of Hawaii. Don't get me wrong...it's beautiful, and I loved the Arizona Memorial. Just not somewhere I'd want to spend a significant amount of time, necessarily, if I could go to the other islands. If you do pick Oahu, make sure to get to the North Shore. It isn't as touristy as the area near Waikiki and the beaches are lovely. We even did shark diving there! My vote would be for the Big Island. The beaches are amazing and the snorkeling is indescribable. We snorkeled right by Captain Cooks monument and it was like being inside an aquarium. The whole place has a completely laid back vibe....what I think of as "real Hawaii." Lots of little shops with local flair and artisans....very different from Oahu, which could be Southern California with all the big chain stores and restaurants. Then there's the Hilo side of the island with Volcanos National Park....STUNNING. For me, it was almost like 2 vacations in one. Maui would be my last pick. It's a beautiful place....great beaches, the Napali Coastline, driving the Road to Hana....but I think there is more to do, particularly for the little ones, one the other islands. Actually, I'd choose Kauaii over Maui, too. If you do select Maui, try to make it to the Old Lahaina Luau. It's a great time for all ages, and definitely the most authentic luau in all of Hawaii (voted that way every year). Finally, wherever you chose, I highly recommend the "Revealed" guidebooks for each island (Wizard Publications). They give tons of information about the best places to go, on or off the beaten path, reputable tour guides, tips for saving money, and so on. My time there has been so much better because of the wealth of information in these books! Oh...and rental cars are really cheap in Hawaii, too, with Thrifty usually being the least expensive by far. Rent a car and explore! I adore Hawaii. Good luck with your decision! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Closeacademy Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 We found the Big Island to be great for kids. We really liked King Kamehama beach in Kona because the water was very gentle like a bathtub and our girls basically learned how to swim there. There is also a great variety of places to go that are children friendly. And the roads are not as scary as some on Maui. We felt like it was ok for our kids to just be kids when we visited this island--even when they were throwing tantrums (we actually got complements for this). There are some neat historical sites, the volcano, Hilo's parks, the beaches on the Kona side and some lovely drives that were just beautiful. Our girls had a great time and still talk about the trip even though it was almost 2 years ago that we went. We did stay in a vacation rental by owner and had a lovely landlady who gave us lots of tips and advice. Hope you have a great trip.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 If you go to the Hilo side of the island, there are many fantastic things to do, although it is more arid, not lush like you'd expect for typical Hawaii. We were on one of the island hopping cruises, so our pace was too hectic for such young guys, but our day in Hilo was very memorable. (Kauai would be a close second) If you go to the Hilo end of the island, be sure do the Captain Zodiac (black rubber boats) tour, as they will take you out to the Capt Cook monument for snorkeling. Of the three places we snorkeled in the HA islands, this was the most beautiful. Take the afternoon ride so that as you are finishing, you'll catch the dolphins coming back in to the shore. It was late afternoon, and the dolphins were coming back in from the day out in the deeper ocean, and only a few of us were still in the water (our tour was just winding down). They came within feet of our zodiacs, and those of us still in the water could hear their clicking and squeaking to each other (vocalizing) and see one flash by if you had your facemask pointed in the right direction. Two of us were lucky enough to catch the underwater action; the rest got to see all the frolicking from the zodiac. The glass bottom boats are OK, if your 6 yos are afraid of snorkeling. (Tuly, I think most 6 yos with a lifevest to float them would be fine.) The water is shallow enough in plenty of places at the Capt Cook that they woudn't be afraid of seeing depths beneath them. You could take some time to teach them now (in a pool) that they can't put their feet down. Finally, the Seahorse Farm outside Hilo was truly memorable and a favorite with my entire family. Who wouldn't love having a seahorse curl up on your finger?!? hth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted June 25, 2009 Author Share Posted June 25, 2009 Thank you so much!! My boys will want to do beach/sandy, but during the hottest part of the day I'd love to get them into actual activities. It sounds like the Big Island is a lot of people's favorite. Does anyone recommend Maui for families? A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I was going to recommed Oahu for all the museums and activities (my boys loved the submarine museum next to Pearl Harbor when they were about 6) and the Big Island because of the volcanos, waterfalls and the funky vibe of Hilo. But if you really want to mostly hang out at a beach, Maui is great. The Kaanapali side has great swimming and snorkeling, the whales in the spring, catamaran boats. There is also great hiking and a bit of history (Lahaina was a whaling town.) Oahu is the most city-like with congested freeways and lots of high-rise buildings. Parts of Maui are very built up too, not as bad as Oahu, but there are huge swaths of both islands that are still rural. Use Google Earth to get a feel for the places you might want to stay. We always stay at Grandmas on Oahu, so I can't help too much with recommendations for accomodations!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted June 25, 2009 Author Share Posted June 25, 2009 oh, I'd love to stay at Grandma's!! :iagree: Yes, I'm really going for a nice mix of beach and activities. Does anyone have great family hotels/resorts to recommend? Great places to eat with kids? Alicia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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