In my mind, one of the toughest things to figure out when you are considering a Hawaiian Vacation is which island to choose. Some people solve this by Island hopping. We have chosen to choose a different Island and to do a week plus vacation one that particular Island. However for many people a trip to Hawaii is a once in a lifetime vacation and making that choice of Island is a very important one. Here are some of my thoughts about the Islands that we have visited....Oahu, Maui and the Big Island. Hopefully it will help you make a decision!
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| View from Mama's Fish House Maui |
Weather
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| Big Waves on the North Coast of Maui |
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| Whale Watching off the Coast of the Big Island |
The weather on all the Hawaiian Islands is virtually perfect so there is no clear cut leader in this category. Year round temperatures average in the 80's with the winter months being a little more rainy. However, I have been to Hawaii in August and there was flooding from a close passing hurricane and have been in November, January and February when the weather was beautiful. So don't let the season influence your decision to visit the Islands. In fact I would argue that winter is even more enjoyable. For one reason if you live in the snowy regions of the Mainland, you will certainly appreciate the weather in Hawaii! For another, the winter months bring the big waves on the North Coasts of the Islands and the migration of the Humpback Whales.....both of which are amazing sights to see.
Tip: If you want to see the big waves, go in late December or Janauary. The best islands for viewing are Oahu and Maui where there are beaches on the North Shore.
Beaches
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| Beach at Wailea - Maui |
When someone says Hawaii.....the mind immediately goes to pristine beaches with turquoise water. While this is generally the case there are some differences. Maui and Oahu both have the long stretches of sandy beaches that you see on postcards. The Big Island however, is totally different. Because the Big Island is a "young" island, the beaches are still forming. Much of the coastline is still lava. The beaches that are there are very diverse. There are a few regular beaches and then there are black sand beaches and even a green sand beach.
If it is white, sandy beaches that you are looking for, Maui and Oahu will be your best options. Oahu of course has the famous Waikiki beach. It is a long stretch of white sand with many hotels and lots of sun bathers, surfers and swimmers. Maui also has beautiful white sandy beaches. They are perhaps less well known than Waikiki but are also less crowded and offer the same activities as you will find on Oahu.
Resorts
While there are resorts on all three Islands they are different from each other. Oahu has many, many hotels. Many of the Oahu hotels are located in the Waikiki area. There is Hilton Hawaiian Resort located in the Waikiki area. This is what I would consider a resort....lots of waterfalls and pools, private beach area, tropical plants. The other hotels in that area may have "resort" in their names but are more what I would consider nice hotels. It is also important to remember in Oahu that it is worth the extra money to stay in a hotel on the beach. Even a block away from the beach changes the entire experience. There are some resort hotels on the North Shore and Disney's Aulani is in the Kapolei area. This is a beautiful area and has to be a wonderful experience combining Disney service and Hawaii's beauty. Cost of the hotels and resorts varies depending on area. Because of the many rooms available, there is some competition here and you can get some pretty good sales during the off seasons.
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| Grand Wailea-Maui |
Maui has beautiful sprawling resorts in Wailea area. There are also "hotel resorts" (more like Oahu) in the Lahaina Area. All are located in beautiful beach areas. We stayed at the Grand Wailea Resort and Spa in Maui and absolutely loved it. The waterfalls and tropical plants and many beautiful pools were just amazing. (Please feel free to read my blogs on this wonderful slice of paradise.) The Maui resorts are expensive....the most expensive of the three Islands. The resort areas are just amazing. Beaches are less crowded than Oahu and the resorts really cater to the upper end traveler.
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| Hilton Waikoloa Village - Big Island |
The Big Island has far fewer hotels and resorts than either Oahu or Maui. It just isn't as developed as the other two Islands. This doesn't mean that the hotels and resorts that they do have are any less beautiful. We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa Village during our 10 day stay on the Big Island. It was a beautiful resort that made you feel like you were really "in Hawaii". The cost of rooms on the Big Island are comparable to the price of those on Oahu. They may run a bit higher depending on the resort but it is possible to find a "relatively inexpensive" (nothing is inexpensive in Hawaii) room on the Big Island.
Scenery
In this category Maui and the Big Island come out on top. Oahu has some beautiful scenery don't get me wrong. Diamondhead is beautiful to see and the beaches and sand and cliffs are amazing. It's just that there is a lot of Oahu that is big city. Honolulu is very large city and the Island has many things to see and do but it just doesn't feel as "Hawaiian" as the Big Island and Maui. Now I will say this I went to Oahu before visiting either of the other Islands and I thought that it felt like Hawaii with no problem so it could just be the perspective of looking back after visiting the other two Islands. Perhaps a better description of Oahu is "touristy".
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| Along the Road to Hana - Maui |
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| Waterfall on the Road to Hana |
Maui is just beautiful. The Road to Hana always gets mixed reviews but it really is about the journey and not the destination in this case. The beautiful trees, tropical plants and waterfalls (along with the amazing banana bread!) just can't be beat. Everything is so accessible from the roadway. Oahu has waterfalls also but they require a hike....they just don't pop up alongside the road like they do in Maui. There is also wonderful stargazing and beautiful sunrises and sunsets on the summit of Haleakala. I have never seen such beautiful sights. The Island just felt so much more laid back, relaxed and less touristy.
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| Onomea Bay - Big Island |
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| Rainbow Falls - Hilo |
The Big Island is also beautiful. Again it is a young island so there are many areas that are covered in lava. Once you get to the coasts however, it is amazing. The cliffs alongside the water, an active volcano. beautiful botanical gardens and gorgeous overlooks make for breathtaking sights. The premier spot for stargazing is atop Mauna Kea on the Big Island. I have never seen so many stars in my life. The nighttime sky was just full of stars and planets. This is even a less populated island and less touristy and to me it just adds to the authentic "Hawaiian" feel.
Shopping
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| Ala Moana Mall - Oahu |
If shopping is important to you while you are on vacation then Oahu is your Island! Hands down the best shopping in the Islands is on Oahu. There is everything from high end fashion shops to flea markets. It is a shoppers paradise. The Ala Moana Mall is a fantastic place to spend some quality shopping time. There is shopping every where you look in Oahu. There is shopping at the resorts and hotels, shopping lining the streets in Waikiki and shopping as you travel around the Island.
Maui has some decent shopping. Whalers Village in Lahaina has some high end shops and is a good place to spend a few hours looking around. Downtown Lahaina has a few shops and restaurants. Some of the shops were out of business or closed when we were there....it was a little disappointing. There were plazas in other areas but not really "mall type" shopping.
The Big Island could use a little more shopping. It has the worst selection of the three islands. Hilo had some regular stores.....Target, Walgreens, CVS, grocery stores. There also were a few plazas with some shopping areas around the Island but there wasn't a whole lot of shopping to be had on this Island.
Attractions
Oahu also comes out on top if you are looking for things to do and attractions to visit. Pearl Harbor is a wonderful and touching place to visit. Every American should visit this memorial if they are in the area. The Polynesian Cultural Center is also a great place to visit for a day of entertainment. It has lots of fun information about the islands and also has a great luau.
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| Pearl Harbor Memorial - Oahu |
Both Maui and the Big Island really don't have what I would consider "attractions". The attraction of these island is their natural beauty. Both have botanical gardens which are beautiful places to visit.
Luaus
All three of the Islands offer nice luaus. I would say this is a draw since all of the luaus that I have been too have been pretty much the same.
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| Legend Of Hawaii Luau - Big Island |
How to Choose an Island
If you have the chance to go to any of the Hawaiian Island GO!!! They are all beautiful, relaxing, wonderful places to visit. If you have the chance to visit just one of the Islands, my advice would be to do some research on what each of the islands has to offer so you can make an informed decision.
My personal ranking is 1. Maui 2. Big Island 3. Oahu but that is exactly what it is.....personal and based on my own preferences. Your preferences/priorities may be completely different. No matter which Island you end up choosing.....you will not be sorry that you went!
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