Which Hawaiian Island to Visit

Stay on Maui on the Ka'anapali beach is awesome-lots of beach activities, the mall is in close walking distance and there are restaurants and island shops right there. the Aquarium there is great for the kid's too. It's very laid back and fun and the kids will enjoy it. It's more expensive though.

Visit Oahu-day trips there are fun. Dole plantation is a great trip for the kids. The kids will not enjoy Pearl Harbor-too long a waiting time. It's busy, and has lots of traffic, but it does have anything and everything you could do to fill up your days.

But it's Hawaii. I know when I've come home when I get off the airplane and can smell the plumera...

Hi C.

Maui...NO KA OI!!

I'm from Maui...and been to all the islands, at least the ones you can go to. Maui has a little of everything to do, for the kids and adults.

I've only been there once, and we spent most of our time on Kauai and the Big Island. Kauai is very quiet, great for golf and beach but if you're looking for more activities then that's probably not it.

The Big Island was awesome, and where I will want to go when we get back over there...they say there are all four seasons there, and that may just be right! Ocean, mountains, Volcanoes National Park (awesome), and more. We weren't looking for kid activities then, as it was just my husband and me, but I bet information would be easy to find. If you can rent a convertible then the driving is fun too!

Getting between islands wasn't that hard--it's a quick plane trip and they run them like shuttles all the time--if you might consider two islands. I have two four-year-olds and I would do it just because each island is so different. I think you normally have to fly into Oahu anyway and then take another plane to whatever other island you're going to.

Have a GREAT trip, wherever you end up choosing to visit!

I used to live on Oahu & would totally recommend it. There are so many things to do there: Pearl Harbor, The Polynesian Culture Center (awesome), museums, Honolulu (great for shopping, people-watching, eating out), North Shore (absolutely wonderful beaches), etc... Hope you have a blast!!

Been to both. Didn't take kids either time. Well once I was a kid (16) and the other time I went with my hubby at age 22.

Oahu seemed to have LOTS to do for kids though I was miserable because I was with my rotten little brother (9 at the time... which is not fun for a 16 year old).

But I remember lots of tours and visits to museums, Hanama Bay (sp?) snorkeling -- now that was fun!, and a trip to the zoo.. also fun.

Maui was fun but less touristy. If you stay at a hotel on the beach with plenty of services, your kids would probably be fine. But it was a long drive to Hana to see the 7 waterfalls (and splash in the them), and the long early morning drive to the top of Haleakala to see the sunrise... but they were both spectacular.

I saw the best whale watching I'd ever seen on Maui and I loved the Iao Valley of And kids would be bored, I think. So it depends on your kids and where you're staying. If they need constant activity and like glitz, I'd go for the more touristy and go to Oahu.

http://www.visitmaui.com/

http://www.visit-oahu.com/

PS if you have asthma, watch out for the burning of the sugar cane fields on Maui. I think we were there in the Spring, years ago, and they were burning the fields, which made me ill and we had to pull over and I got out of the car just in time to throw up at the feet of some old nuns that were walking beside the road.

We took our 3 and 5 year old (then 2 and 4) to Oahu last year and had a blast. We rented a house on the beach near the North Shore, as we're "off the beaten path" kind of people. We did a luau, which the kids loved. We also hit some of the public beaches along the North Shore and explored the tide pools, which the boys enjoyed a lot. The Waimea Valley Audubon center was really cool, too. They have peacocks that roam the center, old Hawaiian village ruins, etc. If you go to Pearl Harbor, go early to avoid a long wait. Our boys didn't seem to mind Pearl Harbor. In fact, when we got back, our 4 year old was taking a bath and started sinking his toy boats in the bathtub ("...and then the Japanese bad guys came and SUNK the boat!"). Even if your kids don't enjoy going to Pearl Harbor, if you want to go, I'd say go for it. I think we've all been places our parents wanted to go but we didn't. :) The Waikiki Aquarium is also awesome. The Dole Plantation was cool, but I think it was a little overpriced for what it was. There's also this fabulous snow cone (they call it shaved ice, I think) place up in the North Shore area - Matsumoto's. I didn't know a snow cone could be magical. I think they have more flavors than Baskin-Robbins. haha.

My boys LOVED Oahu. In fact, they ask when we're going back to Hawaii all the time.