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family vacation to Hawaii????

23 years ago

Our family of about 12 (ages 58 down to 4) want to plan a family vacation in Hawaii hopefully next year. Any good information anyone has for us to cut on expenses and still have a wonderful time would really be appreciated. Has anyone made accommodation for a large group over the internet? Also, which island would you all recommend? Thanks in advance for anything you could share with us.

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Comments (5)

lauriemi
23 years ago
Our family loves Maui. We have been to Hawaii a few times and will go back there again this year.
We like to go in August. The weather is beautiful and the prices are lower at that time of year. We stayed on Oahu for a few days the first time so that we could visit Pearl Harbor (an awesome experience) and visit the Polynesian Cultural Center. The Center was interesting and told the history of Hawaii. We went to a Luau there and suggest that you not waste your money on that particular banquet. We then ventured on to Maui and found that we loved it there.
The last time we went, we were on Oahu long enough to switch planes to go to Maui.
We stayed at the Palms at Wailea on Maui. This condo was not on the water but the beach was about a 5 minute walk away. The condo cost us $1000 for a week for 6 of us.
It had two bedrooms and the living room couches came out into beds. The kitchen was very modern and stocked with utensils, pans, etc. We bought groceries at the local groc store. There was a washer and dryer in the condo also. Everything was very clean. (I am a neat freak so this was a big plus)
On Maui go see the moon rock scape or whatever they call it. It is lava a they claim it looks like the surface of the moon. It is kinda neat but eerie. You can watch the sunrise from the crater at the top of the island. Very nice.
Of course you must take surfing lessons and go snorkeling.
We flew to the Big Island to see the active volcanoes. That too is awesome. Lahaina has a luau that is wonderful and a must for a visit to Hawaii.
We love it there and will be going again this August.. If you would like any more info please let me know.
Meghane
23 years ago
DH and I stayed on the Big Island in June 2000. We stayed at the Royal Kona Resort, which is wonderful. Get the book "The Big Island Revealed." It has a ton of great information about the places to see and things to do, and it was very rarely wrong. The Royal Kona has packages for family reunions and such, so ask about them. They will help you out. Have fun!

PS- any chance we're related? I wanna go back LOL!
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Rates go down after mid-April. You'd still see some whales off Maui then. May is a little less expensive and less busy before the onslaught of mainland families when kids are on summer breaks. May is really a 'blooming' time all over the islands too. We've spent two to four weeks on all four major islands -- but in winter months. Big Island is my favorite, but when we bought it was South Maui -- more 'man made' conveniences on Maui for a property owner. I'd 'prescribe' flights in and out of HNL on widebody aircraft. Spend some time showing Mom historic sights around Oahu, then hop to Big Island for longer. You need a week, minimum, if you want to stay sunny Kohala Coast and also a night or two in the town of Volcano. Mauna Lani has nice condos; I'm not fond of (tacky) Kona Town. Lanai is kind of a pain to get to, and Four Seasons is the major deal there. You can get a ton of information from the forums on Trip Advisor.
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Hop over the the trip advisor "Hawaii" forum. (You'll see someone you know there! LOL) You don't need a travel agent to visit one of the United States. It's air, car rental, lodging. May WAS a 'shoulder season' with lower pricing, but now it's as popular as most other months. It is a beautiful time to visit. September is slow -- can be hot. Winter months can be unpleasantly cool, wet and windy over the northernmost portions of Kauai, Oahu and Maui. We're on Maui every February -- not the best weather, but the whales are there in peak numbers and the weather in Chicagoland is SO much worse! We've spent two to four weeks on each of the four major islands in winter for 30 years.
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aka_raeanne
23 years ago
I also love Maui and agree that if you get a condo you can cook some of your own meals, it will be a lot cheaper. They do have a McDonald's on the island (at least when I was there). We bought a blender and mixed our own frozen tropical drinks. Definitely go see the sunrise from Haliakela - it is breathtaking. We made a trip around the island to Hana and we saw some magnificient waterfalls and plant life, but this is a long trip and we stayed overnight in Hana. ENJOY, I want to go back so badly.
nana7
22 years ago
My husband and I haven't been to Hawaii. However we do plane tickets bought for Maui in March of '04. We've been ordering all the Vacation planners kits and brouchers we can find on the internet. Have gleened much information. We are really looking forward to going.
jeannemichele
22 years ago
You can't go wrong with Maui, but my favorite by far is the Big Island. Beautiful beaches in the Kona area. The incredible volcano. Lovely rainforest and beaches on the Hana side. And, even cowboys and ranches in the mid-section! The Botanical Gardens is a wonderful kid and elder friendly trail through beautiful topical landscape.

I also think it's a little cheaper than Maui overall. The downside is that travel times are longer. It takes a few hours to get across the island for day trips, etc. As I said, however, you can't go wrong -- I LOVE Hawaii.

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