Best/worst Hawaiian islands?

I love the Big Island because it's not crowded. Hapuna Beach is one of
the greatest places I've ever been to.

Maui - Lahaina is a bit crowded but is nice.

Oahu obviously has the most things to do and see. I'm not sure if
Waikiki is popular because it's famous or because it's a good beach.

wrote:
I love the Big Island because it's not crowded. Hapuna Beach is one of
the greatest places I've ever been to.

Me too.

If you like beaches on the big island and you are willing to do a little
walking, Makalawena Beach is so beautiful. Usually only locals know
about it - (until now). Even this web site makes it LOOK uninviting.
http://tinyurl.com/ebfqm

-OR-

"...Remote and virtually unknown, except to the most well-informed like
you, this triple crescent beach on the Kona (west) side of the Big
Island is among the best beaches you might find anywhere in the islands
-- if you can find it!

Prepare yourself for a 15-25 minute hike just to get to this beach. The
trailhead is in the Kona Coast State Park, off Route 19, the Queen
Ka'ahumanu Highway. The beach itself lies between mile markers 89 and 90.

The pay-off to the off-road access is worth it, however. After you
hike-in over a rough, crunchy lava trail, you will be rewarded with teal
blue lagoons kissing super fine-grade, very clean, and nearly white sand
dunes. What could be missing? Crowds! The only footprints in the sand
may be yours.

Surrounding the sand dunes are plentiful shade trees to keep you cool
when you need it. A little farther inland, just on the other side of the
shade trees is a freshwater pool where you can bathe and wash off the
salt and sea before trekking back to the real world.

As you hike back to wherever you abandoned your car, take solace in
knowing that most of the other humans who have ever been to Makalawena
Beach have been ancient Hawaiians...." http://tinyurl.com/q22vr









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wrote:

I love the Big Island because it's not crowded. Hapuna Beach is one of
the greatest places I've ever been to.
Maui - Lahaina is a bit crowded but is nice...

Sounds like you don't prefer crowds. If that is a principal concern, I
recommend Molokai (we just returned from a week there). FWIW, I lived
in Hawaii for a year and have traveled to all the main islands on
multiple trips. If you want comparisons and suggestions, I can offer a
few. But please specify your interests and desires.


Caveat

wrote:
I love the Big Island because it's not crowded. Hapuna Beach is one of
the greatest places I've ever been to.

Maui - Lahaina is a bit crowded but is nice.

Oahu obviously has the most things to do and see. I'm not sure if
Waikiki is popular because it's famous or because it's a good beach.

I think that what many people fail to consider in choosing an island to
visit is where they're from. If you live a hectic life in a big city
you should probably visit a more quiet island first. Conversely, if
you're from small town America, Oahu and Honolulu would be a good
choice to begin, otherwise you could possibly become easily bored.
Then later, go to an island with the opposite characteristics. Outside
of nightlife, the island of Hawaii to me has the most varierty, with
the volcano, deserts, rain forests, in winter snow capped mountains,
etc. and there is much more than just lying on the beach. It's also
the largest so it takes much more time to see things.

George

wrote in message
ups.com...
I love the Big Island because it's not crowded. Hapuna Beach is one of
the greatest places I've ever been to.

Maui - Lahaina is a bit crowded but is nice.

Oahu obviously has the most things to do and see. I'm not sure if
Waikiki is popular because it's famous or because it's a good beach.

Different people have different tastes and each of the Islands of Hawaii are
unique and different from one another. Personally, my favorite Hawaiian
Island is also the Big Island of Hawaii because it has the most geographic
diversity. Molokai and Lanai are not crowded, either and the East side of
Maui from Hana south isn't crowded, but, the drive there is time consuming.
Coming from the North Shore of Oahu & going toward Kaena Point sometimes the
beaches are deserted as are a lot of the hiking trails on Oahu. Many people
say they like Kauai the best, because they feel it's the most beautiful
island, especially Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast. You are invited to
visit my Hawaiian Islands webpage at: http://hawaii.home.att.net/ where you
may link to separate webpages for each of the major Hawaiian Islands and
you'll find no pop-ups, no advertising, no cookies and nothing for sale.
Bon voyage! KM
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On Sat, 18 Mar 2006 10:28:38 -0800, richardfangnail wrote:

I love the Big Island because it's not crowded. Hapuna Beach is one of
the greatest places I've ever been to.

Maui - Lahaina is a bit crowded but is nice.

Oahu obviously has the most things to do and see. I'm not sure if
Waikiki is popular because it's famous or because it's a good beach.

Waikiki is popular because there are a lot of hotels there and they market
it. The beaches are crowded.


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Your worst travel stories...

wrote:

..Oahu obviously has the most things to do and see.

Um, doesn't that depend on what things one likes doing and seeing?

I'm not sure if Waikiki is popular because it's famous or because it's a good beach.

That whole area used to be a swamp. The beach sand there was taken
from Molokai. People who don't mind artificiality love Waikiki. It is
the most efficient tourist money-extraction machine I have ever seen
(well, maybe with the exception of Las Vegas -- where we don't go).


Caveat
(former Waikiki resident)

Caveat wrote:
...People who don't mind artificiality love Waikiki.

Well, in January, compared to Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, Winnipeg, etc.
I will take "artificial" any day. Last year we spent three days in
Waikiki before flying to Maui and The Big Island. To be able to walk
half a block from our hotel and be on the beach and swim lengths at 7 am
before breakfast, watch a sunset on the beach in the evening and still
do all the things available on Oahu during the day I think Waikiki is
pretty damn good. I would not make it my total destination in Hawaii
but as a stopover for a few days, with many reasonably priced hotels, it
is a great vacation spot.

And how "artificial" are the resorts and condos on Maui and Hawai'i,
built on landfill over the barren lava fields. Beautiful but still
"artificial".




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"TheNewsGuy(Mike)" wrote:

Caveat wrote:
...People who don't mind artificiality love Waikiki.

Well, in January, compared to Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, Winnipeg, etc.
I will take "artificial" any day.

That's coming from artificial and then going to artificial, isn't it?
I prefer really natural (not to mention uncrowded, inexpensive, etc.).
But diff'rent strokes... Las Vegas still draws the crowds. Now if you
are only talking about a nice weather spot to go to in mid-winter,
that offers a multitude of tourist offerings, by all means be my
guest. But I can do without that multitude of tourist offerings.

Last year we spent three days in Waikiki ...

A nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there (again). Back
then I used it as a base to work and make money between trips to the
other islands. Worked just fine for that, but I was happy to leave it.

To be able to walk
half a block from our hotel and be on the beach and swim lengths at 7 am
before breakfast, watch a sunset on the beach in the evening and still
do all the things available on Oahu during the day I think Waikiki is
pretty damn good.

Yep, but my point is that there are dozens of places in Hawaii that
have the good things, but none of the big city horrors of Honoruru.

I would not make it my total destination in Hawaii
but as a stopover for a few days, with many reasonably priced hotels, it
is a great vacation spot.

The airport serves well as a stopover to other islands, or places
beyond we go to, like Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea, Rarotonga, Bali, etc.

And how "artificial" are the resorts and condos on Maui and Hawai'i,
built on landfill over the barren lava fields. Beautiful but still
"artificial".

Agree. That's why I avoid Kaanapali, Kailua-Kona, and the other new,
big resort centers. It's just my opinion, of course, but I think Joni
Mitchell got it right when she described a growing Waikiki:

"They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot"

But, hey, I encourage everyone to go to Waikiki, and stay there. That
way the better places my wife and I go to don't get too overcrowded.

Enjoy,


Caveat

"Visitors to Hawaii topped 7 million for the first time last year,
and the tourism industry is talking about making the islands a little
more exclusive."
------------ CNN

Caveat wrote:
...horrors of Honoruru.

Now you are showing your true colours!!




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