gregleskew8285

My family and I (wife, 2 kids who are 12 and 8) are planning to visit Hawaii in early October. We like the idea of visiting Kauai for the natural beauty and hiking but we're also looking for another island that could offer us some great beaches, water sports and other activities that first-timers might enjoy. Any suggestions on which islands are the best for people visiting Hawaii for the first time?

janisj

Welcome to Fodors. Are you looking for an island to combine with Kauai or to visit instead of Kauai? How many days are you planning to be in Hawaii?

gregleskew8285

We're in Hawaii for 14 days so we were thinking we might add another island in addition to Kauai.

suze

You could do 4-5 days on Oahu then 9-10 on Kauai? Honolulu offers historic and cultural opportunities (Pearl Harbor, Iolani Palace, Bishop Museum, Honolulu Museum of Art, ShangriLa Estate, Byodo-In Temple, Mission Houses, Plantation Village, Hawaii music and dance performances... to name a few ideas) plus of course has beaches and natural beauty too.

Do you have anything you especially want to see? Say if you want to go to the volcano, then you need Big Island. Of if you want to see Haleakala, then you'd go to Maui.

Happy planning. w/ aloha, suze

kureiff

I love the Big Island and have visited multiple times. Kauai is beautiful but we didn’t have great weather and the snorkeling wasn’t on par with the Bis Island. Maui is nice but more developed than I like.

Just got home from another trip to the Big Island this past week.

MichelleY

Maui.

mlgb

Any island except Oahu. BIg Island would be my first choice for a second island.

janisj

Any island can be combined with Kauai -- Each has a lot going for it.

For a first visit and with Kauai as a given, I'd probably add either the Big Island or Oahu but there is no wrong answer.

mlgb

Of course any island CAN be combined with Kauai. But for someone who mentions beaches, water sports etc it sounds like either the west coast of the Big Island or Maui to me.

On Oahu you are pretty much stuck with staying in Waikiki and getting outside of that madness requires a car rental, and if you keep it more than a day, you would be dealing with limited, incovenient and/or expensive parking. I think it's worth maybe a day or two if you are interested in the Pearl Harbor Memorial (but kids might not be so much). Scenery is better on Kauai than the north coast of Oahu.

Oahu works better for those who want to go to bars, sit by a pool, not rent a car, and shop. Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay is now expensive, plus a hassle to get a reservation slot.

janisj

I've stayed on Oahu twice once for 5 days and 7 days the other time -- never rented a car saw things all over. Besides everything in and near Honolulu - Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, Iolani Palace, Bishop Museum, Hanauma Bay, etc etc. Its easy to get to just about anywhere - Lanikai Beach, the north shore, Polynesian Cultural center, Kawela Bay, etc. There is a really good bus system.

The other islands are fine too of course -- Kauai may be my favorite or maybe the Big Island. But Oahu is a LOT more than just Waikiki and bars. I don't argue with which ever island one chooses. All are great. No need to be snarky if one has other opinions.

UdderlyHopeless

I love the Big Island the best, but it's a personal preference type of thing. Nothing compares to seeing the Volcanoes national park, imho, and you can see pretty much "anything" on the Big Island. October won't have snow, but they do have snow in the winter at the observatories. They have white sand beaches as well as black sand. If you don't mind walked a few miles, they even have a green sand beach on the south shore. They still have ranching. And rain forests. And lesser-known historic sites like the birthplace of Kamehameha I (difficult to get to along the norther coast).

But if you love white sand beaches, then Oahu, despite the large population, is the place to go. Unlike other islands, Oahu's beaches are often sheltered by coral reefs making them safer to swim. And the sand in Lanikai is so soft, unlike other beaches I've ever been to, like talcum powder. There is also Waimea and Sunset beaches on the north shore, the beaches in Waikiki, Sandy beach on the south shore, Makapuu beach, Waimanalo beach, etc. Pretty much a beautiful white sand beach no matter where you stay on the island. As others have said, for non-beach activities, there's the Pearl Harbor museums, Bishop museum, Iolani palace (the only true palace in the USA), the Byodo-In temple in Kaneohe, various hiking trails, waterfalls, kayaking, etc. So Oahu would be my second choice.

Kauai is beautiful and less crowded. But because of the size of the island, I think it would not be my first or second choice for a 14-day trip. Maui is also beautiful, but I think you could find similar venues at the other islands (Oahu white sand beaches more plentiful that Maui; Big Island observatories instead of Haleakala, etc.)

Just my own two cents. But I think you'll love it regardless of what island you pick.

mlgb

It is very difficult to get parking at beaches especially on Oahu and apparently also an issue elsewhere. Crack of dawn is necessary. As far as Da Bus, look at the schedule first before using it.

There's a driver shortage as with many municipal lines. It works for short direct hops but not for everywhere or everyone.

tom42

If I was going to Oahu and wanted to explore the island, I would rent a car. I wouldn't want to rely on public transportation. I'd rent a car for just part of the time and the days I didn't have a car, I'd explore locally on foot or by Uber. I've been to Waikiki a couple of times and I had a great time but it really depends on what you like. I was significantly younger when I went there and enjoyed the restaurants, bars and general bustle of the area. That being said, I prefer Maui now.

travelfam7700

With Kauai, I would combine with the Big Island because the two are very different from each other in terms of landscape. Plus, BI has the most amazing snorkeling.

Madam397

I find the Big Island to be the most interesting in terms of the diverse environment and the sites. You do need a car there for sure as the Big Island is huge, the size of the state of Connecticut and you will find yourself driving on the same two lane roads to get places. Same actually with Maui. I enjoyed by time in Oahu and stayed in Waikiki and the beach is broad and beautiful with incredible views of Diamond Head. In my opinion visiting Pearl Harbor is really important, as the memorial is so moving and an important part of history. The museum and the film are very informative as well as the ships you get to tour.

bigtyke

I’d do 3 days on Oahu. Pearl Harbor, Bishop Museum. Then either Hawaii or Maui. Both are great but I would favor Maui a little. 4-5 days is enough for Kauai.

I posted my trip report : Honolulu and Kauai - Oct. 2012

vinny32951

Given that you have young kids, I'd probably choose Maui. There are beaches where the kids can take surfing lessons, some good hiking spots, the ride up to Haleakala (dress warm) and lots of casual restaurants. A couple of different places offer luaus. Yes, they're expensive and touristy, but the kids light like them and the entertainment. Also there's snorkeling and a chance to get up to close to sea turtles.