Yay!! DH has agreed to our anniversary trip!

[hisno1girl]

Maybe he's trying to make up for the no Christmas gift fiasco?

He said he wants to go to Hawaii though, not Puerto Vallarta, so if you've ever been there, tell me what to look for, where yo go.

I'm looking at 7 days, 6 nights. The budget for Mexico was $5,000 but I don't know if that's enough for Hawaii?

[Deleted]

Whee!!! He's a smart man.

[pantsparty]

I have done some research on Hawaii, and we're planning a budget of $3,500, so I think that's very doable.

You should look to get your tickets well in advance - I was looking in April but I think we'll go with May, since there's a pretty big price drop. We will likely be staying at the Kaanapali villas (several people have told me Kaanapali beach is where to stay in Maui).

[hisno1girl]

Is February a good time to go? When is the hurricane season?

[pagas]

That budget is doable. I like the Big Island best and it is the most affordable. Volcano National Park is amazing. Be sure to rent a car, we usually get a great deal through Costco love the two Prince resorts on the Big Island. Hapuna is the cheaper of the two. Sign up for their rewards and you get either free internet or parking. Neither hotel has a resort charge, which is a huge savings.

Hawaii rarely experiences hurricanes. We got hit with two our last trip, it had been 20 years since they had bit hit. We just had real bad luck.

[venice2007]

Maui is fantastic.
Whatever island you go to get the book ex.- Maui revealed or whatever island revealed. Best book for your trip!!!

[shoeless]

Maui or Kauai, you can't go wrong with either island

[RoxMonster]

Yay how fun! I have only been to Oahu and we really loved it. If you're interested in that island, I can give you lots of recs. It was the perfect mix of beaches, hiking, shopping, and relaxation.

We kind of splurged because it was for our HM and my ILs gave us money toward it as a gift. I think Hawaii is definitely doable for under 5K. I have looked into some options for a trip back to the islands eventually. When I was looking at Maui, I found some beachfront condos on VRBO for like $900/week. A great way to save on Hawaii is to not stay at a big resort, but rent a condo. You can often get better views and more room that way, too.

[rosiebear]

I'm glad he came around-your vacation is going to be fabulous!

[Deleted]

I'd island hop. Maui is amazing. Enjoy!

[FastHands]

YESSSS!! So happy to hear this!

[coribelle26]

Our honeymoon was at the Fairmont Orchid on the Big Island and it was seriously beautiful. We also rented a car and drove around to the volcano, Waipio Valley, Kona, all over the place.

I think we came in under that amount but it was over 7 years ago. Still though we were living like kings that week so I think it would be manageable even adjusted for inflation, lol.

[vicky]

Woooohoooo!!!

[hisno1girl]

Dec 22, 2014 9:42:05 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

Yay how fun! I have only been to Oahu and we really loved it. If you're interested in that island, I can give you lots of recs. It was the perfect mix of beaches, hiking, shopping, and relaxation.

We kind of splurged because it was for our HM and my ILs gave us money toward it as a gift. I think Hawaii is definitely doable for under 5K. I have looked into some options for a trip back to the islands eventually. When I was looking at Maui, I found some beachfront condos on VRBO for like $900/week. A great way to save on Hawaii is to not stay at a big resort, but rent a condo. You can often get better views and more room that way, too.

I'm thinking maui is going to be our desired spot but if we rent a condo wouldn't we give up important stuff like room service? I don't want to have top cook and clean on vacation.

[isabel]

I'm so excited for you (and him)!

[RoxMonster]

Dec 22, 2014 10:39:14 GMT -5 hisno1girl said:

Dec 22, 2014 9:42:05 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

Yay how fun! I have only been to Oahu and we really loved it. If you're interested in that island, I can give you lots of recs. It was the perfect mix of beaches, hiking, shopping, and relaxation.

We kind of splurged because it was for our HM and my ILs gave us money toward it as a gift. I think Hawaii is definitely doable for under 5K. I have looked into some options for a trip back to the islands eventually. When I was looking at Maui, I found some beachfront condos on VRBO for like $900/week. A great way to save on Hawaii is to not stay at a big resort, but rent a condo. You can often get better views and more room that way, too.

I'm thinking maui is going to be our desired spot but if we rent a condo wouldn't we give up important stuff like room service? I don't want to have top cook and clean on vacation.

Yeah, most likely there would be no housekeeping You could still eat out though!

FWIW, we rented a cabin in the mountains through VRBO this summer and cleaning wasn't expected. They told us to dump all our dirty towels in the bathtub, we left the bed unmade, etc.

[nsl]

How exciting! I've only been to Hawaii once (Kauai) and it was gorgeous. Enjoy your vacation!

[compassrose]

I have been to all 7 islands, I think Kauai is the most beautiful, but I also loved the Big Island (especially the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park). 
The Napali Coast on Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places I've even been.  Take a helicopter or a boat tour:


Hanalei has the nicest beaches, especially Ke'e beach:

[joenali]

We went to the Big Island in February. It was perfect. We spent about $3,000. We rented a studio apartment from vrbo on ali'i drive in Kona. It was perfect!

[youhadmycuriosity]

I live on Oahu, is your budget including airfare? I think $5000 is very doable, but it depends on how many tours, what kind of restaurants, etc. Febuary is a decent month to come here because tickets and hotels are usually fairly cheap. This "winter" has been very mild so far with regards to rain, but it's difficult to predict. I highly recommend Maui or Kauai for a relaxing trip, though most people do hop over to Oahu for a couple days for Wakiki Beach and some of the standard touristy things, though I wouldn't recommend spending your entire trip on Oahu. I have heard amazing things about Big Island, but I've only been there on business, so I can't really speak to it.

[CloudBee]

For a first-timer, I would suggest Oahu. City life, amazing beaches (rent a car), and accessibility. There's great water sports, snorkeling, "jungle", lots of restaurants, and shopping. Direct flights tend to be less expensive in/out of Oahu. You can visit Pearl Harbor, dive with sharks in a cage, scoot around the island in a rental car, beach hopping, visit the Dole Plantation, and the North Shore where wave are massive. I think it's a great island to visit if you want a taste of it all.

Maui also has a decent night life and a good bit of shopping. The snorkeling is amazing at Molokini. I think the pace is a little slower than Oahu, but still bustling. Shopping is upscale, and while there are quiet areas of the island, most of resorts are concentrated in pockets. Amenities are abundant, as are activities.

The Big Island is so different. Busy, lots of activity, but a little hippy dippy, IMO. If you love to explore, there's so much to see in the lava fields. You can walk on hardened lava rock, walk through lava tubes, and past steam vents. It's awesome. Snorkeling is amazing, and you're bound to see turtles!

Kauai is for someone who really wants to take it slow, and/or has already been to Hawaii. Shopping is more boutique-style, and restaurants seem to be either ultra casual, or more upscale. There's little in between. The way the island is setup, you can't cut straight across. So depending on the day and traffic, it can take quite a while to get from one area to the other. The Na Pali coast is breathtaking. We've sailed down it several times, and always see whales. There are lots of hidden treasures on Kauai. From the sea lions on Poipu Beach, to "Glass Beach" on the southern portion of the island. The "sand" is all tiny bits of soft sea glass. There's a lot to explore, but I find there's also less convenience. Things close earlier, and if you have a condo or apartment, you're not likely to round the corner and find a 24/7 convenience store near you.

[blackcat]

We spent our honeymoon on Maui (the whole week), it was perfect. We went to the top of Haleakala (by car), went to Mama's Fish House (loved), did surf lessons, went to a luau, lounged on the beach...

We stayed at the Sheraton Resort (at Black Rock). Near Kaanapali. Loved it, we could walk to Whaler's Village and take a shuttle into Lahaina. Also did zip lining at the base of Haleakala. Oh and the Road to Hana but I didn't like that, at all.

I think your budget is definitely doable.

[mellymel]

We went to Maui, stayed in Ka'anapali, and loved it so much we went back to the same place the next year.

I haven't been to any of the other islands but Maui was like heaven for us.

Definitely doable for 5k

[holly22]

Another vote for Kauai! It's the most beautiful island!