What are the biggest differences

between the islands?

Am going to be taking a trip to Hawaii in late August of this year - but am very confused with which island to stay on.

Can anyone tell me the biggest differences between the islands?

Thanks for your help

What are the biggest differences

OK here is a brief thumbnail.

Lanai - 2 resorts, one hotel. Virtually no tourist type activites. Nice beaches, very laid back, need to rent a 4X4 to see the island (very costly). Nightlife limited to the resorts for the most part

Molokai - One resort, couple of hotels. Limited tourist activites (most notable is the mule ride down to the leper colony). Probably the best and least crowded beaches in all the islands. Virtually no nightlife except the Hotel Molokai bar/resturant but that is a good place to mingle with the locals. Some good hikes and wonderful scenery. Not a normal tourist destination.

Kauai - the canyon....hikers paradise. Not too crowded, good beaches, some nightlife. Resorts and hotels abound.

Big Island _ in size bigger than all the other islands combined. Active volcano, big waterfalls. Nice beaches, even a green sand one. Lots and lots to see and do. Many mega resorts and hotels to chose from. Some nightlife and not hard to find. Not overly crowed due to the size. Can snow ski in the morning then swim in the ocean in the afternoon.

Maui - Moderatly crowded, tons of nightlife, lots and lots of nice places to see. Best luau of all the islands (the Old Lahina luau). Many choices of where to stay. Sunrise atop Mt Haleakala.

Oahu - Honolulu is the business center for all the islands, very crowded but dis have Waikiki beach and diamond head along with the Arizona memorial. Some very pretty county outside the city. Lot and lots and lots of tourist type activities.

Ok there you go...I am sure others will chime in but there is a snapshot for you.

What are the biggest differences

KAUA%26#39;I is called the Garden Isle for a reason; Mount Waialale in the center is the wettest spot on earth, getting about 440'; of rain annually. Kaua%26#39;i is the oldest major island in the chain and boasts spectacular pali (cliffs) and knife-edged ridges from eons of erosion. The Na Pali coast is probably one of the best-known sites in the islands. There%26#39;s also Waimea Canyon on the dry side of the island, that is sometimes compared to the Grand Canyon, amazing although much smaller.

Kaua%26#39;i is probably the most laid-back of the larger islands and is certainly the least developed. There are a couple of large resorts, but most areas have a more local feel. Kaua%26#39;i is known for its incredible array of gorgeous beaches, and for being home to a small number of endangered Monk Seals. (It also happens to be my favorite island, but here I%26#39;m tracing the chain north to south. Really. %26lt;G%26gt;)

OAHU is home to Honolulu and Waikiki Beach. The main street has scads of upscale shops. There%26#39;s also Chinatown and many historical sites. Waikiki is an OK beach, but there are MANY better ones. IMHO you go to see it just because it%26#39;s Waikiki.

Once out of Honolulu, Oahu becomes much more rural, especially up towards the north and east shores. In January the north shore surf should be pretty high and the surfing exciting. You%26#39;ll also find lots of hikes, great beaches and scenery.

MAUI offers a real mix, part secluded and tropical, part more developed and busy. Like all the islands it has a wetter north/east side and a dryer south/west side. Hana, a tiny ';town'; to the east, is a place for hiking, beautiful beaches and many, many waterfalls, as well as some interesting historical sites. To the south and west are the busier areas (well, busy for Hawai%26#39;i) of Wailea, Kihei, Lahaina, Ka%26#39;anapali and more. Half of Maui is Haleakala, the dormant volcano responsible for building much of the island.

THE ISLAND OF HAWAI%26#39;I is most often referred to as the BIG ISLAND for a reason. You could take all of the other islands, arrange them on top of the Big Island, and still have room left over. Kona side has many large resorts, great snorkeling, historical and heritage sites. Across the island is Hawai%26#39;i Volcanos National Park, where Kilauea has been erupting continuously for about 20 years. If you%26#39;re lucky you may even get to see live lava close up. (Not too close; the stuff is HOT!)

The previous posters did a great job describing the differences - and so what it comes down to is your personal preferences. What type of surroundings you like, activities you want to pursue, etc. Each island is unique - and not just from the other islands, but each island has it%26#39;s own microclimate, so things are very different on each island - you have wetter, drier areas, etc. Also, waters change with the season as well. So wonderful to have so many choices, but it can be a bit confusing/overwhelming. I remember reading 2 books on Hawaii trying to figure out all these things - trying to narrow it down to one island. There are some great books - the ';revealed'; books, often referred to on the forum as the blue bible. These are extremely detailed and can be very helpful to you once you know what island you are interested in - for example, there is Oahu Revealed, the Ultimate Kauai Revealed, etc. Most travelers have there favorite island - mine is Kauai. Best of luck to you! :)

Here you go DON....

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

bump :)

facial surgery