Honeymoon in Hawaii Jan-Feb-- head exploding with options!

Fellow Travelers--

My fiance and I are planning a two week honeymoon in late January through early February. We need help, first, in choosing which islands to visit: The Big Island, Kauai, or Maui, or two out of three.

Facts about us: We have no interest in shopping or big cities on this trip. Ideally, we%26#39;d like to sit on not-too-busy beaches, find a shady spot in which to read, eat pineapple and drink coffee, and also be able to snorkel, hike, poke around, and see the volcano. Generally, we%26#39;d like to indulge within reason, without being cheesy. We don%26#39;t mind driving a little.

It seems that Kauai is the most green and lush, but we%26#39;ve also read that the weather in Jan can be iffy, and the surf choppy and rainy. It seems like Maui has the most gorgeous beaches and the best snorkeling, but we%26#39;re worried that it will be overrun with like-minded tourists. BI seems like a must-do, to see the volcano, but some suggest skipping BI entirely. Yet at the same time, some suggest staying on BI the entire time.

Can anyone help us decide which islands we should visit? We very much appreciate any help you can offer.

Honeymoon in Hawaii Jan-Feb-- head exploding with options!

Aloha and welcome to the forum! Well, here is my vote - Kauai and the Big Island - one week on each. In a nutshell, all the islands have similar weather patterns - and winter is when they all get the most rain, rougher surf, etc. Since you stated you wanted to see a volcano, then you have to go to the BI for that. I haven%26#39;t been there (yet) but have been on Kauai and Maui. The weather tends to be sunnier/drier in the South and West parts of the islands . . . .and also has the calmer waters during the winter. However, storms can happen anywhere. I did honeymoon on Maui in January - had a great storm, which we enjoyed - lightening and everything, which I guess is pretty rare, but it wrecked the snorkeling for the entire next week, as all the beaches had lots of runoff,etc.

My favorite island is Kauai - Maui will offer lots more shopping and nightlife, but you said you weren%26#39;t interested in those things, and I found Maui more touristy and much more traffic congested, though one plus is you would see whales that time of year. Kauai has tons on hiking that you can go and some very lovely beaches as well, besides the stunning scenery. It%26#39;s very laid back - a very friendly place to visit.

Whatever island you choose, make sure that you get the Revealed book for that island (ex: Maui Revealed) - they are the most thorough in describing beaches, restaurants, activities, hiking,etc.

I hope that helps you some - you are in store for a fabulous honeymoon - best of luck and congrats to you both! :)

Honeymoon in Hawaii Jan-Feb-- head exploding with options!

You may not have so very many options, because those are very busy times on all the islands. Many places are booked six months to a year in advance.

I wouldn%26#39;t rule out Kauai -- just plan to stay in Poipu. The ali%26#39;i supposedly spent their summers in what is now Princeville and their winters in Poipu.

Oahu gets more ';iffy'; because its south section is Honolulu and Waikiki and you said you don%26#39;t want city stuff. Its north shore is pretty wild in the winter -- huge surf -- and the Turtle Bay area up there is the only other real option for lodging.

Last year both Kauai and Oahu had torrential rain in the winter, but it will probably not be as awful in %26#39;07 -- we hope!

Maui and Big Island are pretty reliable to have less rain and wind. South Maui will have less than West Maui. They are actually SW and NW on the island -- both on the west coast. Trouble with Big Island is finding nice lodgings (most are in the Waikoloa area) and the sheer size of the island for sightseeing.

There are also Lanai and Molokai if you want to be VERY quiet.

For one week I%26#39;d pick Poipu, Kauai or South Maui%26#39;s three main areas: South Kihei, Wailea, Makena. North Kihei is nothing like as nice as the area%26#39;s south portion where it abuts Wailea. There are nice condos and hotels on both islands -- trouble may be finding space in one. I%26#39;m saying *either* Kauai or Maui -- both are tropical, but Maui has more people comforts to offer and it has Haleakala. You can see all of Kauai that has paved road in a day or two.

For another week I%26#39;d pick Big Island -- just remember it is mostly not ';tropical'; and the best lodgings are at the opposite end of the island from the volcano. Of course *this* non-geology-major would prefer to just see the volcano by helicopter anyway.

You many have to plunge into contacting condos and hotels to see where you can book. That may be the deciding factor as to which islands you visit.

Thanks for the fast replies, all!

I think we%26#39;re settled on not going to Oahu or Lanai or Molokai. Kauai/Hawaii/Maui sounds like enough of a choice for us, this time.

To give you more of a flavor of what we want -- this is such an escape for us, and so indulgent, that we just want to make sure it feels tropical and exotic and different from home, which is NYC. Plus, we%26#39;re not really club-goers, so we don%26#39;t really care if there%26#39;s a great show at night -- we%26#39;re much more likely to settle in with a cool drink and the stars. At the same time, I get antsy and jumpy just sitting on the beach during the day, and we are both pale as a ghost, so I just want to make sure we can go places (for a walk, snorkeling, in the water, on a hike) if I get antsy or we get fried by the sun, or both.

I really appreciate your recommendations!

Congratultions! From what you%26#39;ve said, I think you%26#39;d enjoy splitting your time between Kauai and Big Island. These are the less crowded islands, but are distinctly different from each other. You will see two contrasting sides of Hawaii. The lush green tropical paradise and the raw volcanic side. Both offer plenty of opportunities for nature lovers, hiking, snorekeling etc. Big Island isn%26#39;t so beachy, so if you%26#39;re dreaming of miles wonderful beaches, that%26#39;s the reason you don%26#39;t go *just* to the Big Island. But it%26#39;s definitely worth going. On Kauai, the north shore has high surf in the winter but Poipu should be just fine, like the other poster said.

I second the Kaua%26#39;i/Big island plan. Gorgeous beaches on Kaua%26#39;i, plus great hikes and spectacular scenery. Spring for a helicopter tour; it%26#39;s a must-do, as it allows you to see the parts of Kaua%26#39;i that are, for the average person, inaccessible.

The volcano on BI is great; we love HVNP. If you%26#39;re lucky and Madame Pele cooperates you may get to see live lava up close.

BTW, IMHO Kaua%26#39;i beaches can rival anything Maui has to offer. (Boy, am I going to get in trouble for saying that.) :-0

And now we%26#39;re back where we started, which is:

If we pick Kauai, are we going to be bored and wish that we%26#39;d gone to Maui?

Seems like Maui has the most gorgeous beaches, and the best snorkeling, and more hotel options, and maybe more to do when we get antsy during the day (drive to Hana, that sunrise thing that everyone freaks out about) but Kauai seems low key and gorgeous and everyone here likes it, and, and, and ...*sigh*

we%26#39;re overwhelmed. It%26#39;s a win-win, I know, but still. It%26#39;s hard to decide.

Okay . . . here is maybe some more info . . . Maui was fun, I really did enjoy my time there. I love Lahaina town, esp. at night . . .wandering around, people watching, trying out all the restaurants,etc. Didn%26#39;t do the volcano thing -heard it was cold and windy, which is my life 8 months of the year, so I vetoed that. I loved the road to Hana and the winery . . . but I had also been to Kauai. I found myself constantly comparing Maui to Kauai, and Maui came up short in my book. I have found better more beautiful beaches on Kauai and better snorkeling as well . . . .others would disagree perhaps - there are lots of Maui lovers on the forum. But I love the feel you get in Kauai - it%26#39;s difficult to describe ... and I was just recently back there in August . . .it%26#39;s one of the only places I have traveled to that I want to cry when I have to leave.

As far as activities go, you could spend a month or more on Kauai and still not do everything there . . .rivers to kayak, hiking galore, the incredible Waimea canyon, waterfalls, coffee %26amp; guava plantations, botanical gardens, interesting shops, and some really great restaurants, and let%26#39;s not forget Smith%26#39;s luau, and these are just some of the things, besides some of the most gorgeous beaches on the planet - remember, Kauai is the oldest island, so more beaches than the others . . . .great snorkeling, and all that. Okay, you can really tell where I am biased, but all this and not nearly as crowded as Maui. Trust me - in January/February, Maui is very crowded . . . .and that might not be your thing as well. I think costs overall are more expensive on Maui as well.

Okay - I hope that helps some. Oh, and the reason we went to Maui on our honeymoon is because I hadn%26#39;t been there yet, and the spouse wanted to return. As well, my most favorite spot on Kauai - the incredible Northshore, isn%26#39;t the best place for winter snorkeling, so that is why we picked Maui. Best wishes! :)

Jane - I realized I should add a PS: In regard to traffic congestion and crowded with tourists . . . it%26#39;s all perception as well. You come from one of the most densely populated places in the US - I come from one of the most sparsely populated . . . so do take that into consideration when analizing what I shared. Mahalo! :)

As far as beaches go, I%26#39;d argue that Kaua%26#39;i could match Maui beach for beach and come out ahead. :-) (Hey, I%26#39;m not biased. Really.)

Maui does have more traffic, whereas Kaua%26#39;i traffic tends to be only at certain times of day. Even at ';rush hour'; we haven%26#39;t ever had significant problems unless there was an accident.

I don%26#39;t think you%26#39;ll get bored with Kauai and Big Island. If you%26#39;re concerned, spend a little more time on Big Island. It really is a big island with lots and lots of places to go and things to do.