# Totally waffling-Maui or Kauai?



## Beje

I'm sure this question has been asked a gazillion times, so this makes it a gazillion and one....my darling husband has agreed after 26 years to brave the 11+ hour trip to Hawaii.  At first I was totally set on Kauai for the more laid back/less touristy atmosphere, the shear beauty of it, and the many, many reviews on TUG and TripAdvisor.  THEN came the kicker.  I found out that in the time frame we're looking at going (end of February-March) is a prime time for the humpback whales in the Auau Channel by Maui/Molokai/Lanai.  I am a self-professed whale freak.  Every other year we go to Cabo on the Pacific side specifically so I can sit on the beach for hours and watch the gray's & their babies coming down from Magdalena Bay.  I quite honestly can't see getting the DH to make the flight twice.  We are not late night bar hoppers, pretty much early to bed & early to rise.  Neither of us is much for crowds although I like to shop for local made items to bring home.  We're also not big food snobs and try to frequent local eateries the few times we do go out to eat.  Wherever we go we plan on using our RCI points to put in a search.  I would totally appreciate any and all feedback as I'm sitting on the fence right now and I know I have to get our RCI search in soon.  My husband, of course, is leaving it all up to me so he can do the husband thing and yell at me if he doesn't like where we end up!!  Thank you one and all....
Barb J.


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## Luanne

I am probably one of the few people here who isn't absolutely in love with Kauai.

I say Maui.   (I'm probably only slightly prejudiced since we own there.)

We went this year in March for two weeks and ended up taking two whale watching trips.  Absolutely fabulous!


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## Egret1986

*I have had the same dilemma.  We were going  for first time in 2013.*



Beje said:


> I'm sure this question has been asked a gazillion times, so this makes it a gazillion and one....my darling husband has agreed after 26 years to brave the 11+ hour trip to Hawaii.  At first I was totally set on Kauai for the more laid back/less touristy atmosphere, the shear beauty of it, and the many, many reviews on TUG and TripAdvisor.  THEN came the kicker.  I found out that in the time frame we're looking at going (end of February-March) is a prime time for the humpback whales in the Auau Channel by Maui/Molokai/Lanai.  I am a self-professed whale freak.  Every other year we go to Cabo on the Pacific side specifically so I can sit on the beach for hours and watch the gray's & their babies coming down from Magdalena Bay.  I quite honestly can't see getting the DH to make the flight twice.  We are not late night bar hoppers, pretty much early to bed & early to rise.  Neither of us is much for crowds although I like to shop for local made items to bring home.  We're also not big food snobs and try to frequent local eateries the few times we do go out to eat.  Wherever we go we plan on using our RCI points to put in a search.  I would totally appreciate any and all feedback as I'm sitting on the fence right now and I know I have to get our RCI search in soon.  My husband, of course, is leaving it all up to me so he can do the husband thing and yell at me if he doesn't like where we end up!!  Thank you one and all....
> Barb J.



Flying from the East Coast, the biggest thing is that long, long flight.  I couldn't quite wrap my head around it for 2013, but definitely plan to start keeping my eye open for exchanges for 2014.

Same question, Kauai or Maui?  My answer, take two weeks and spend a week on each island if you can.  That is what we plan to do.  And, yes, there are a gazillion threads on which islands to visit.  I was finally able to narrow it down to these two.

Good luck on your decision!


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## daventrina

A week on each 
We spent 10 days at The Point on Kauai and watched whales from the Lanai every day




hi090305_1338 by dntanderson, on Flickr

Only one day that it would have been better from a boat.


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## jhac007

I also vote for a week on each island.....at least!  For the OP......we will wait for the verdict after you return Hawaii and then see if there will not be a return trip. 

Jim


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## danb

*Maui or Kauai*

Love both islands. Sitting on our Lanai right now at the Sands of Kahana looking out at Lanai and Malokai is just great. Just a little windy though. Celebrating our 40th tonight with a nice dinner having my son, Dil and grandsons with us will be memorable. 
You will enjoy both islands.


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## artringwald

daventrina said:


> A week on each
> We spent 10 days at The Point on Kauai and watched whales from the Lanai



We've stayed at The Point on Kauai 10 times and have seen whales every time. If you come between January and March, you can see whales on any of the islands. 

We love both islands, and I suggest seeing which resorts you can get into and choosing by resort, not by island.


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## slip

Kauai both weeks.  You'll see whales on Kauai and you can take a boat tour.
They may be winding down by then but they will still be there. Sounds to me, after 
the whale watching, Kauai is a better fit. Don't get me wrong, You'll love
them both. May even get the DH to take that trip more than once.:hysterical:


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## rickandcindy23

I love Kauai, but for a first trip, you should choose Maui.  Getting exchanges is very difficult though.  I had ongoing searches for a year for this year, whale season.  Our exchange was confirmed about a month before our trip.  We couldn't believe how hard it was to get the dates we needed.


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## LisaH

artringwald said:


> We've stayed at The Point on Kauai 10 times and have seen whales every time. If you come between January and March, you can see whales on any of the islands.
> 
> We love both islands, and I suggest seeing which resorts you can get into and choosing by resort, not by island.



Totally agree! You should try to get the best resort that appeals to you (as you know, exchange can be quite a crap-shoot), then decide on the island. Or just do one island each if time and money allow. Other than Oahu which I have not had good whale sightings, I had fantastic whale viewings on all three Islands. My best one was actually on the Big Island. We took a Captain McSweeney's whale Watching Tour. Several whales swam so close that we could see their eyes. They lingered for quite a while and swam underneath the boat. We simply could not believe our luck.


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## danb

*Maui or Kauai*

Love both islands. Sitting on our Lanai right now at the Sands of Kahana looking out at Lanai and Malokai is just great. Just a little windy though. Celebrating our 40th tonight with a nice dinner having my son, Dil and grandsons with us will be memorable. 
You will enjoy both islands.


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## Tamaradarann

*Booking Back to Back on Maui may be Difficult*



Beje said:


> I'm sure this question has been asked a gazillion times, so this makes it a gazillion and one....my darling husband has agreed after 26 years to brave the 11+ hour trip to Hawaii.  At first I was totally set on Kauai for the more laid back/less touristy atmosphere, the shear beauty of it, and the many, many reviews on TUG and TripAdvisor.  THEN came the kicker.  I found out that in the time frame we're looking at going (end of February-March) is a prime time for the humpback whales in the Auau Channel by Maui/Molokai/Lanai.  I am a self-professed whale freak.  Every other year we go to Cabo on the Pacific side specifically so I can sit on the beach for hours and watch the gray's & their babies coming down from Magdalena Bay.  I quite honestly can't see getting the DH to make the flight twice.  We are not late night bar hoppers, pretty much early to bed & early to rise.  Neither of us is much for crowds although I like to shop for local made items to bring home.  We're also not big food snobs and try to frequent local eateries the few times we do go out to eat.  Wherever we go we plan on using our RCI points to put in a search.  I would totally appreciate any and all feedback as I'm sitting on the fence right now and I know I have to get our RCI search in soon.  My husband, of course, is leaving it all up to me so he can do the husband thing and yell at me if he doesn't like where we end up!!  Thank you one and all....
> Barb J.



I read alot of the posts on this issue and I have to agree that both islands are great and that for a first visit a week on each would be what I would do and did in 2009 my first year of retirement.  We spent a week in Kauai, a week in Maui, and week on Big Island and 7 weeks on Oahu where we had been before.  We are Hilton owners therefore booking on Oahu and Big Island is less of a problem since there are alot of Hilton resorts on both of those islands.

Now if you decide to do two weeks on Maui that may be difficult to book back to back.  Maui has very tight availabiltiy on Maui.  Kauai has lots of availability through RCI.  I would book the first week on Maui and then book another week around that.  In 2009 we first booked our Maui week via an RCI search which happened to be President's week at the Maui Lea.  Then came the first week in January at the Lawai Beach Resort.  We booked the time in between at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Oahu.  We then booked a week at the Hilton Kings Land on Big Island after our Maui week.  We finished up with 2 more weeks at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

I also agree that picking the right resort is imperative.  All the resorts we booked were Gold Crown and were excellent.


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## VacationForever

A week each.  I love Kauai and if I have to choose 1 I will pick Kauai.  But why choose between the 2 if you do have 2 weeks.  You can see whales from both Kauai and Maui.  The only issue is that I believe Kauai may get rainy in Feb/Mar period.


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## MichaelColey

The flight really isn't that bad.  And that's coming from someone who has made it several times WITH KIDS.  Bring a good book, video player, etc.  Before you know it, you'll be landing in paradise.

As for Kauai vs. Maui, it should be a pretty easy choice because they're VERY different.

Do you want a more laid back, non-touristy vacation with a ton of natural beauty?  Kauai is the choice.

Do you want a more sophisticated, high-end vacation?  Maui is the choice.

I think just about everyone here would suggest extending the trip for as long as you can... two, three weeks, or even longer if it's possible.  The major expense is just getting there, and if you're going to endure the flight you might as well enjoy it for as long as you can.

I wouldnt spend less than a week on either island.  But if you're going for 2+ weeks, I totally agree with splitting the trip between two islands.

In fact, if you get timeshares with normal (Fri/Sat/Sun) check-ins and find airfare cheaper mid-week, you might even consider a few days at the start and/or end in a hotel (or timeshare if you can find something for the right days) on Oahu, so you can see some of the sights there, like Pearl Harbor.

Which exchange company you're going through makes a difference, too.  If you're doing RCI, Maui is hard to get.  Set up an ongoing search and get that hard week locked in, then you should be able to get the week before or after in Kauai (if that's how you want to do it).

I'm not experienced enough with Hawaii through II yet to give advice there.


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## DeniseM

sptung said:


> A week each.  I love Kauai and if I have to choose 1 I will pick Kauai.  But why choose between the 2 if you do have 2 weeks.  You can see whales from both Kauai and Maui.  The only issue is that I believe Kauai may get rainy in Feb/Mar period.



All the islands get more rain in Feb./March - it's the rainy season.


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## artringwald

DW says you should go to Maui. She doesn't want anyone else to find out about Kauai.


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## DeniseM

artringwald said:


> DW says you should go to Maui. She doesn't want anyone else to find out about Kauai.



Oh, good answer!


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## T_R_Oglodyte

There's been a raft of advice above, much of it conflicting.

My advice is simple - don't sweat it. Either choice is excellent.


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## Beje

*maui*



Luanne said:


> I am probably one of the few people here who isn't absolutely in love with Kauai.
> 
> I say Maui.   (I'm probably only slightly prejudiced since we own there.)
> 
> We went this year in March for two weeks and ended up taking two whale watching trips.  Absolutely fabulous!



Luanne - Where do you own in Maui?  Wondering if it's an RCI resort....Barb


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## Beje

*holy mackeral!*

Love all the replies!  What an absolutely great bunch of people.  And the ones that make sense are what I was leaning towards so I'm going to stick with my original intention.  We'll pick out a few resorts on each island and see what pops up for the search.  You're right - either choice is going to be good and somewhere I've never been before.  I realize we'll probably have to wait a while to get into a good one, if at all, but I'm willing to take the chance.  There's always Mexico for 2013 and Hawaii in 2014!  Unfortunately, we can't do two weeks (not retired yet), but I was planning on flying in a couple days early as we do want to see Pearl Harbor - plus you then start your actual "vacation" refreshed.  I pretty much try to do that will all our trips.  Now - knowing that I'm a whale freak - are there certain resorts that will be nearest water or cliffs that I should concentrate on?  Rain??? Hey, any weather on vacation is a good vacation!  
Art - Tell your DW too bad - the word is out!

Barb J. :deadhorse:


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## jhac007

Beje said:


> Love all the replies!  What an absolutely great bunch of people.  And the ones that make sense are what I was leaning towards so I'm going to stick with my original intention.  We'll pick out a few resorts on each island and see what pops up for the search.  You're right - either choice is going to be good and somewhere I've never been before.  I realize we'll probably have to wait a while to get into a good one, if at all, but I'm willing to take the chance.  There's always Mexico for 2013 and Hawaii in 2014!  Unfortunately, we can't do two weeks (not retired yet), but I was planning on flying in a couple days early as we do want to see Pearl Harbor - plus you then start your actual "vacation" refreshed.  I pretty much try to do that will all our trips.  Now - knowing that I'm a whale freak - are there certain resorts that will be nearest water or cliffs that I should concentrate on?  Rain??? Hey, any weather on vacation is a good vacation!
> Art - Tell your DW too bad - the word is out!
> 
> Barb J. :deadhorse:





Aahhhhhhhh.........now you have thrown some more spice in the game!  Now it's Oahu and...Maui or Kauai............. 

Jim


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## Beje

Sorry Jim cause you sounded so excited about the debate :rofl: but I'll amend my post to say "pick out a few resorts on EACH island, Maui & Kauai"....jeez now I feel bad for messing up your day!


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## MOXJO7282

Maui hands down if you can get it. It has all the best the islands have to offer and none of the negatives. The worst thing about Maui is how hard it is to get there.


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## Luanne

Beje said:


> Luanne - Where do you own in Maui?  Wondering if it's an RCI resort....Barb



We own at Maui Hill (I think it's shown under my picture on the left).    Yes, it trades through RCI, however we always use Trading Places Maui.  They most likely will have the best inventory for Maui Hill.


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## rifleman69

MOXJO7282 said:


> Maui hands down if you can get it. It has all the best the islands have to offer and none of the negatives. The worst thing about Maui is how hard it is to get there.



Curious as to what some of the negatives that Maui doesn't have that the other islands do?


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## jhac007

Beje said:


> Sorry Jim cause you sounded so excited about the debate :rofl: but I'll amend my post to say "pick out a few resorts on EACH island, Maui & Kauai"....jeez now I feel bad for messing up your day!



Mess it up all day long........gosh it's a Hawaii discussion!:rofl: :hysterical: :rofl: :hysterical: :whoopie:


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## Quadmaniac

MOXJO7282 said:


> Maui hands down if you can get it. It has all the best the islands have to offer and none of the negatives. The worst thing about Maui is how hard it is to get there.



Yep absolutely Maui. Kauai is beautiful but is way way way too quiet and everything closes at 8 or 9. Difficult to go for a late dinner or drink when nothing is open


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## DeniseM

Quadmaniac said:


> Kauai is beautiful but is way way way too quiet



Yep - it's too quiet, peaceful, beautiful, really boring - you should all go to Maui.


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## VacationForever

MOXJO7282 said:


> Maui hands down if you can get it. It has all the best the islands have to offer and none of the negatives. The worst thing about Maui is how hard it is to get there.



Maui does not have Waimea Canyon and that is a real negative!  Maui does not have the wild chickens running around to make you remember of the way it used to be before our time!  Also, Maui does not have the same tropical plants and flowers as Kauai and the greenery reminds me of how it used to be when I was growing up.

For me Maui is a non-stop flight and Kauai is a multi-stop, which is a bummer.


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## Sandy VDH

The poor big island feels left out.  I vote for the BI.


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## Luanne

Sandy Lovell said:


> The poor big island feels left out.  I vote for the BI.



Shhhhh!  Keep quiet about the Big Island.


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## daventrina

You could always just put all the requests in the computer and let it decide.
We've done that ... and wound up at the Lawai Beach Resort.
And if you don't like it ... it would be the computers fault at II or RCI



Luanne said:


> Shhhhh!  Keep quiet about the Big Island.


Don't go to Maui either... too many nice beaches :hysterical:


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## Beje

Denise, you are a hoot!  I promise whichever island we wind up on we will NEVER tell anyone good things about it.  Kind of the same thing we do about the Pacific side of Cabofornia.  So I've read and reread all the posts and we're going to do a roll of the dice.  We're picking out a few resorts on Maui and a few on Kauai.  We'll start the search through RCI and see what comes up first.  It sounds like we're going to be happy with whatever happens and also that this won't be our last trip there; irregardless of flight time.  

Any RCI resort recommendations would be gladly accepted.  It's just the two of us - we'd like even a small kitchen - pool - and close proximity to the ocean for a view of my whales.  

Thank you all again.....Joining TUG was the best decision ever made when we got into the timeshare game.  

Barb


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## Fisch

DeniseM said:


> Yep - it's too quiet, peaceful, beautiful, really boring - you should all go to Maui.



Exactly my thought..  Anyone ever thinking of which island to visit, should stay clear of Kauai....


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## Ron98GT

Sandy Lovell said:


> The poor big island feels left out.  I vote for the BI.



I'd take the BI (Waikoloa) over Kauai any day.  Only reason I'd go back to Kauai is if I couldn't get into a Marriott or Hilton TS on one of the other 3 islands, but I could get into one of the 2 Marriott's on Kauai (usually can).

I know people that went to Kauai for their first trip to Hawaii and haven't been back to the Islands.  They say it's too boring/slow.  

For the OP's first and possibly only trip to Hawaii, I would suggest spend the first 7 nites on Maui.  Then spend the last 3 nites on Oahu, before the long flight home.  We've done that before.


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## Kildahl

rickandcindy23 said:


> I love Kauai, but for a first trip, you should choose Maui.  Getting exchanges is very difficult though.  I had ongoing searches for a year for this year, whale season.  Our exchange was confirmed about a month before our trip.  We couldn't believe how hard it was to get the dates we needed.



Even as a Kauai fan, I agree with Rick and Cindy.


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## Luanne

Ron98GT said:


> I'd take the BI (Waikoloa) over Kauai any day.


Me too.  



> I know people that went to Kauai for their first trip to Hawaii and haven't been back to the Islands.  They say it's too boring/slow.


That was how I felt after my first, and second, visits.  The last visit I didn't mind the boring/slow quite so much but for some reason Kauai still didn't _grab_  me.  And we seemed to have some kind of insect infestation that made it quite unpleasant.


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## ailin

DAE seems to be able to get any week at Kaanapali Beach Club in Maui 10 months out.  You need to request though, the only weeks that show up online are already sold.  I see you own in Sedona, if you're able to deposit that, it would qualify as a Primetime week and the exchange fee would only be $1.


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## Ricci

DeniseM said:


> Yep - it's too quiet, peaceful, beautiful, really boring - you should all go to Maui.



Denise is absolutely correct.  :rofl:


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## jlr10

rifleman69 said:


> Curious as to what some of the negatives that Maui doesn't have that the other islands do?



Maui has a night life. Kauai...not as much.  Maui has more commercial activities: restaurants, theaters, touristy things (oh and traffic but that is not a non-negative.)

Kauai has little night life and has more of a small town feel than a large tourist haven.  

But neither island is going to disappoint you.  So just go with the flow and enjoy where you end up.


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## artringwald

The Kauai Revealed guide book has a very small section for Kauai night life. In particular, I like the comments on night life on the west shore: 





> Find a bright light bulb and watch the geckos eat the mosquitoes - you crazy party animal, you.



Yes, Kauai is quiet and boring. It's one of the reasons we love it.


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## jlr10

artringwald said:


> Yes, Kauai is quiet and boring. It's one of the reasons we love it.



We don't find it boring, we find it relaxing. But not everyone agrees with that being a good thing.  I asked my niece if she wanted to come on our next trip, giving her a choice of Poipu or Princeville.  She asked "Where can I meet guys?"  I responded "Maui"


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## daventrina

jlr10 said:


> We don't find it boring, we find it relaxing.


We were there twice. Once for 7 days  and once for 9. Didn't seem to find it boaring or relax either time   Maybe when we go back next time :rofl:


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## northpole

We love Kaua'i!  When we return from our holidays in Kaua'i, we feel rested... 

We've returned from some holidays elsewhere... And we've felt like we've needed a holiday to recover from our holiday!  We never feel like that after a Kaua'i vacation.  

We thoroughly enjoy our holiday (not boring), and we return home relaxed and refreshed!

The only time that we were a bit tired after the holiday was on our first trip.  We only visited for 1 week (which really means 6 days), and we tried to see everything - we were driving all over the island every day.  It was enjoyable, but we didn't return home relaxed.  

I'd suggest a minimum of 2 weeks, and I'd caution against trying to see everything and do everything...


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## slip

I agree with Northpole, looks like we have the OK from DW's work for three 
Weeks at a time. That will be great for us until retirement. The last trip we had
Was 18 days and that was great. Kauai is great for exploring and taking it easy.
It seems like home.  When we fill up the vacation time with activities, that's 
Not relaxing and doesn't 't help us recharge.


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