Considering a first trip to Hawaii

[bbodb1]

I'd like to ask for an intervention of sorts from all the good folks here on (at) TUG. We have never been to Hawaii (for a variety of reasons) but the stars seem to be aligning for the possibility of that first trip. With that in mind, I have read....and read....and read....and quite frankly I have almost found myself back at square one. Here is where we are at this point:

• We would be considering a trip sometime in 2020 - possibly leaving as early as the final few days in May but open to the possibilities of any point in time in the summer up to (and including the tail end of July). In this time frame, when might be the best time to visit Hawaii?
• I'm thinking about 12 - 14 days for this trip (a little give and take is in play there).
• With this much time in advance, I'd like to consider something better than coach BUT I'd also consider the possibility of splitting the trip in two with an overnight stay (thus bringing economy seats back into play).
• I know the most important questions are where do we want to go in Hawaii and what do we want to do while there. While we would like to see Pearl Harbor and visit the USS Arizona (obviously hoping it will be reopened by then), it would be more important for us to be enjoy the views, the beaches, the nature of Hawaii. While we might eat out a few meals or two (and would want to partake of the local cuisine), experiencing the natural environment of Hawaii is the highest goal on the list. Having access to a grocery store (of some sort) is a must. Note/question to Dave: We are NOT Costco members because there is no Costco nearby. Might it be in our interest to consider a Costco membership leading up to this trip? I'm thinking rental car prices might - by itself - make this a decent investment...
• Accommodations need not be 5 star, as we are happy with clean and comfortable (3-4 star). It would be wonderful if a location was NOT a high rise with 2000 other people sharing a beach. It would be wonderful if a location was more remote, still with nice beaches, views, etc, and had a back door that opened up to an ocean view.
• Even better, could we walk out that back door and be on the ocean within 100 steps (or so).....

Any thoughts or observations?

By the way, even though I have done some reading (in an attempt to better define what we want to get from this trip), if anyone has any online resources they feel would be helpful here, I am all in on more reading.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Luanne]

Just a few comments right now (I may come back with more later).

For the car rental, I wouldn't get a Costco membership for just that reason. We've been doing better lately with AutoSlash. You can use them to search for your initial rental, and then they will monitor it for you to find a better price.

For those on their first trip to Hawaii I usually recommend Maui. We love the Kihei area, but there are others who prefer Kaanapali.

You can plan to go to Oahu for just a few days in order to see Pearl Harbor. We did that a few years back. We did it at the end of our trip, I would really recommend doing it at the beginning.

Summer is going to be more crowded, and hotter. We own at the end of August, we bought that time when our kids were little and we had to go by the school calendar. Now we prefer to go in March so we can see the whales.

I'm not real sure which resorts are right on the ocean, I'm sure you'll get input from others with this information. We own at Maui Hill which is across the street from the ocean. We drive to our favorite beach, so that's not an issue for us.

 

[DaveNV]

I can offer a few ideas. I know others will offer suggestions, but here's my take:

I like visiting Hawaii during the last two weeks of May, and in early October. Crowds are down, (somewhat), and weather is great. In May things are still lush and green, and won't be as dried out as they might be at the end of Summer. Book airfare at 330 days out for the major players, and (I think) eight months if you want to fly Southwest.

Costco: You can join online. Once you have your membership card, (or membership number) you can shop for rental cars and such. You'll want to have the card for gas purchases in Hawaii - the prices are the lowest on any of the islands. Costco is great for food, beverages (especially alcohol), and souvenirs. When you get back, if you can't use it (or don't want to, even shopping at Costco.com) you can cancel the membership and get your money back. The earlier you book your rental car the better the rates usually are. There are Costco's on each of the four main islands.

Staying on Oahu for a few days, at least, will give you time enough to see the sites you'd want to see there. Timeshares on Oahu are in short supply, and will probably not give you the laid-back experience you're after. Waikiki and KoOlina areas will be very crowded. You may want to consider doing a VRBO thing in Lanikai, which is part of the town of Kailua, on the windward side. Only ten miles to the big city of Honolulu, but quiet, amazing beach, great views, and will give you the experience you may want. It's an easy drive from there around the island, so you can do as much or as little touristy things as you'd like. Kailua town has grocery stores, farmer's markets, and nice people.

From there, I'd suggest going to Kauai. It's the least crowded of the four main islands, and will contribute a lot toward that island ambiance you're after. Lots of timeshares on Kauai, and not nearly as crowded as places on Oahu or Maui. There are people on Tug who rent timeshares right on the beach on Kauai - that may be your best bet to get what you're looking for. Exchanges are not nearly as specific.

That'll give you an idea to start. Ask more if you have specifics.

Dave

 

[slip]

I don’t think it will make much difference with your date timeframe so I would use that timeframe and search for airfare and pick the best deal.

Costco is about 50 miles from us and we only go once or twice a year but for our car rentals, gas and shopping in Hawaii it is worth it to us. I haven’t had any luck with AutoSlash but I know others that have so I would start there because there is no cost. But definitely book your car early.

As far as the island, I like Luanne usually recommend Maui but you mention beaches with not a lot of people. The beaches in Kihei and Kaanapali are going to have a lot of people especially that time of year. So in your situation I’m thinking Kauai like Dave said. The Big Island would be alright also but I like the beaches on Kauai better.

Most of the time when a resort is as close to the beach as you want it will be a crowded beach. There are some beaches on Kauai that aren’t swimming beaches but are beautiful. Some of those beaches have resorts on them and the beaches aren’t as crowded but I don’t know if that would be what your looking for.

 

[JIMinNC]

We love Hawaii, and have been 9 times in the last 27 years, so I always like to help folks working on their first trip to our "Happy Place."

From your question, it sounds like the way you travel is different than how we travel, so my input may not be quite as relevant as some others, but I'll offer some thoughts were I can:

• We've been in every month except for April, May, and August - October. We prefer Jan-Mar because that's the peak of whale season and we love to watch whales. I agree with the others that going as early in May as you can could be your sweet spot - weather should be good and it will be less crowded before the school vacations start. The weather should also be nice in June, it will be warmer and more humid - but humidity is relative. Hawaiian humidity is nothing like the summer humidity we experience here in the southeastern US. May/June is also the start of the drier season, so rain should be less of an issue - but just remember that the Hawaiian islands all have micro-climates. The windward sides of the islands have a lot more clouds/rain showers, even in summer. The leeward sides are more often sunny or partly cloudy.
• 12-14 days is a good length, but don't try to see more than three islands in that time. If you lean more to 12, then keep it to two islands. We just got back from 26 nights - one week each on Kauai, Maui, and the Big Island (plus two extra nights there in a hotel to sync with flights) and three nights on the front end on Oahu. Even with that, there were things we didn't have time to do. I agree with Luanne's recommendation above to do Oahu on the front end, then get on to the "real" Hawaii.
• Our preference is to fly direct rather than breaking up the trip with an overnight. The thought of having to schlep luggage to a hotel and back to the airport is less appealing than just dealing with the 10-12 hour flight. Not sure where you are flying from, but we can fly Charlotte to Hawaii with one connection, and that's what we do. We have the choice of numerous connecting points, but Phoenix, Los Angeles, or Dallas/Ft Worth generally work best for us. Where possible, we try to book an aircraft for the longest segment with 2-4-2 seating or something like that (Airbus A330 is one), so we can get the window/aisle combo. That makes coach fine since no one gets a middle seat, and since we have status with American, we can get their Main Cabin Extra seats with a little extra leg room.
• For a first trip, I always recommend doing Oahu to see Waikiki, Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, and the other iconic sights there. For the three or four days you spend on Oahu for that, even though you say you don't like the high-rise resort environment, you might have to deal with it there and recognize that is what Waikiki is. When you go to New York, you expect to stay in a high-rise. Same in Waikiki. Use that to see Waikiki Beach (with all the crowds and the view of Diamond Head), see the other sights, and then get out of town and on to Kauai or Maui to find the island experience you are looking for.
• We prefer Maui, because we like beautiful beachfront timeshare resorts with lots of amenities and lots of island activities, and Maui has many nice 5-star resorts with Marriotts, Westins, and the Hyatt. Maui also has a lot of water activities - snorkel cruises, parasailing, sunset cruises, dinner cruises. Maui also has so many wonderful places to eat with million dollar views. The other islands like Kauai have all that too, Maui just has more. But for what you are looking for, Kauai may have more places that have that laid back feel you seem to want. On Maui, the Kihei area would be the area with the more laid-back, small resort feel. We don't like that area too much, but many, many people love Kihei.
• I can't really offer any resort recommendations since we stay at the Marriotts on Maui and Kauai and at the HGVC locations in Oahu and the Big Island. Those would not have the low-key, small resort feel you say you are looking for. Others can offer better ideas.

 

[Luanne]

I don’t think it will make much difference with your date timeframe so I would use that timeframe and search for airfare and pick the best deal.

Costco is about 50 miles from us and we only go once or twice a year but for our car rentals, gas and shopping in Hawaii it is worth it to us. I haven’t had any luck with AutoSlash but I know others that have so I would start there because there is no cost. But definitely book your car early.

As far as the island, I like Luanne usually recommend Maui but you mention beaches with not a lot of people. The beaches in Kihei and Kaanapali are going to have a lot of people especially that time of year. So in your situation I’m thinking Kauai like Dave said. The Big Island would be alright also but I like the beaches on Kauai better.

Most of the time when a resort is as close to the beach as you want it will be a crowded beach. There are some beaches on Kauai that aren’t swimming beaches but are beautiful. Some of those beaches have resorts on them and the beaches aren’t as crowded but I don’t know if that would be what your looking for.

"Our" beach on Maui doesn't have a lot of people, except on the weekends when the locals show up.

 

[geist1223]

On Maui we prefer the Kihei area. Kaanapali/Lahaina area is fine if most of what you want to do is in that area. But if you want to go elsewhere staying in Kaanapali/Lahaina adds 20 to 30 minutes to your travel time. You can always drive to Lahiana and do the town in 1 day. In our opinion the Kihei area also offers more nice beaches.

This all being said Patti has always preferred Kauai and I am coming around to her thought on this. Kauai is less crowded and more laid back. The biggest down side to Kauai is there is one 2 lane road to travel from the north to south. So sometimes it can be slow traveling. So what we have taken to doing is spend one week up north by Princeville and focus on Kapa'a and north. Then spend a week in the Poipu area and focus on Lihue and south. Hopefully by the time you are there the Road to Ke'e Beach up north will be open. But they are talking about having to reserve a space to control the crowds going to Ke'e Beach.

While our preferred time is January/February we have been to Hawaii for every season. We would suggest May/June or October. The horrible rain storm that did so much damage to the north of Kauai was last April. Last August when we were on Maui (tried Kaanapali for the first and last time) we had several hurricanes. Neither got closer than about 300 miles but they still disrupted the surf and weather on Maui. In fact we were on a boat to spend the day on Lanai and it had to turn back because of the surf conditions from a hurricane that was several hundred miles away.

Whichever Islands you choose get the "Revealed" Books for those Islands.

Also make sure you plan down days where you just lay around the resort or on the nearest beach.

 

[jacknsara]

I can offer a few ideas. I know others will offer suggestions, but here's my take: . . . .
From there, I'd suggest going to Kauai. It's the least crowded of the four main islands, and will contribute a lot toward that island ambiance you're after. Lots of timeshares on Kauai, and not nearly as crowded as places on Oahu or Maui. There are people on Tug who rent timeshares right on the beach on Kauai - that may be your best bet to get what you're looking for. Exchanges are not nearly as specific. . . . Dave

Aloha,
First of all, plus 1 for Dave's entire comment.
I don't often promote my home resort, but just in case you are considering Kauai:
You don't mention if swimming in the ocean is important or just a secluded beach; if the latter, here is the beach that KBV is located on: https://www.google.com/maps/place/K...3d6d98774128f!8m2!3d22.0106388!4d-159.3406231 Swimming is not recommended unless the ocean is unusually calm. People have drowned there.
I notice you have RCI points in your profile. With this much lead time, it should be easy for you to get an exchange at KBV. There is a $20/day fee that primarily covers the pool. KBV is centrally located on Kauai so day trips to either end of the road are doable.
Several other timeshares are on the ocean on the east side of the island, but the long sparsely used beach in front of KBV is probably the least crowded.
Jack

 

[Luanne]

This is "our" beach. And this is about how crowded it gets. Well, it does get more crowded later, but this is what it looks like when we arrive.

 

[slip]

Aloha,
First of all, plus 1 for Dave's entire comment.
I don't often promote my home resort, but just in case you are considering Kauai:
You don't mention if swimming in the ocean is important or just a secluded beach; if the latter, here is the beach that KBV is located on: https://www.google.com/maps/place/K...3d6d98774128f!8m2!3d22.0106388!4d-159.3406231 Swimming is not recommended unless the ocean is unusually calm. People have drowned there.
I notice you have RCI points in your profile. With this much lead time, it should be easy for you to get an exchange at KBV. There is a $20/day fee that primarily covers the pool. KBV is centrally located on Kauai so day trips to either end of the road are doable.
Several other timeshares are on the ocean on the east side of the island, but the long sparsely used beach in front of KBV is probably the least crowded.
Jack

I agree, I was going to mention KBV also.

 

[JIMinNC]

On Maui we prefer the Kihei area. Kaanapali/Lahaina area is fine if most of what you want to do is in that area. But if you want to go elsewhere staying in Kaanapali/Lahaina adds 20 to 30 minutes to your travel time. You can always drive to Lahiana and do the town in 1 day. In our opinion the Kihei area also offers more nice beaches.

As you say, Kihei is more convenient to the entire island - easier to get to Hana, Haleakala, and boat cruises out of Maalaea Harbor. That drive around the West Maui mountains does add some time. But so many of the best restaurants we have found for great dinners are in Lahaina, Kaanapali, or Kapalua, that makes Kihei a non-starter for us. The OP doesn't sound like they are that oriented to dining out, and want simpler, smaller resorts, so Kihei probably fits them best. The only times we cook in Maui are for breakfast and maybe something light if we do a sunset cruise one night with heavy hors d'oeuvres. Too many fabulous restaurants in West Maui to eat in. One week isn't enough to hit them all. Also, while there are superb hotels in Wailea, the best high-end timeshares are in Kaanapali. So, as you said above, for those who prefer the restaurants and activities in Lahaina, Kaanapali, and Kapalua, best to stay on the west side, if that doesn't matter, Kihei means less driving.

 

[bbodb1]

So much to take in here - once again thanks to everyone for your thoughts and contributions! As an aside, I ended up reading and researching into the wee hours this morning as there is so much to consider here.

One aspect that I likely should have mentioned in the OP is this - we currently own within 3 systems (RCI, Wyndham and WorldMark). I started looking on each website last night to see what might be available starting in late May of 2020 (mainly because accommodations seem to be the first decision to be made). As much as I might want to head to one particular island, it won't do me any good to select an island with no accommodations within my availability. I should note that it is likely to be just the two of us going, so anything 1BR or larger would do. But I would like to use the assets I already have for this trip (meaning using the points I have in several systems) as opposed to renting.

With that in mind, in looking at RCI, I only see the following:

Am I correct in thinking this is NOT likely to get better the closer we get to summer of 2020 (thinking Hawaiian destinations are gobbled up quickly)?

If true, then in RCI, I have 1 Big Island, 1 Maui, 1 Oahu to choose from.

In the Wyndham system, I cannot see anything yet since we are NOT within the range of dates for which I can make a reservation. I'm thinking that my Wyndham resources will not be of much use here because by the time I can try and make a reservation, all inventory is likely to be gone.....

 

[jacknsara]

A large fraction of folks staying at KBV are exchangers; in fact, on an annual basis, there are more exchangers than owners staying. RCI points don't get deposited until KBV owners who are in RCI points decide they are not comming to KBV. The earliest that can happen is about now. Since Grand Pacific took over, the severely delinquent / defaulted and repossessed weeks are rented rather than dumped into an exchange company. Consequently, most KBV deposits are picked up by ongoing searches; not much appears in an online search. I know this because I used to screen scrape and store KBV RCI weeks (not points) availability and gave up once I figured out it was rarely there. Besides, we are letting our RCI membership expire.

 

[DaveNV]

So much to take in here - once again thanks to everyone for your thoughts and contributions! As an aside, I ended up reading and researching into the wee hours this morning as there is so much to consider here.

One aspect that I likely should have mentioned in the OP is this - we currently own within 3 systems (RCI, Wyndham and WorldMark). I started looking on each website last night to see what might be available starting in late May of 2020 (mainly because accommodations seem to be the first decision to be made). As much as I might want to head to one particular island, it won't do me any good to select an island with no accommodations within my availability. I should note that it is likely to be just the two of us going, so anything 1BR or larger would do. But I would like to use the assets I already have for this trip (meaning using the points I have in several systems) as opposed to renting.

With that in mind, in looking at RCI, I only see the following:
View attachment 11103

Am I correct in thinking this is NOT likely to get better the closer we get to summer of 2020 (thinking Hawaiian destinations are gobbled up quickly)?

If true, then in RCI, I have 1 Big Island, 1 Maui, 1 Oahu to choose from.

In the Wyndham system, I cannot see anything yet since we are NOT within the range of dates for which I can make a reservation. I'm thinking that my Wyndham resources will not be of much use here because by the time I can try and make a reservation, all inventory is likely to be gone.....

Thanks for the extra info. FWIW:

I used to own at Imperial of Waikiki. If location counts for something, this place is EVERYTHING. It is right next door to the Wyndham Waikiki Beach Walk resort, less than a block to the beach - the closest timeshare in Waikiki to the sand (except for the Hilton Hawaiian Village complex, which is a mega-resort with its own beach.) It is a high-rise built in the 70s, so isn't a fancy place. Accommodations are basically a hotel room with a kitchenette. But if you want to spend a few days exploring Oahu, it is an ideal location to explore from. If you have a rental car, they have Valet Parking for guests with In-Out privileges. I'd recommend a car to explore Oahu, so you can do it on your own. (If you decide to go that way, we can talk about how to do it later.) Yes, it's crowded, but for the few days you'd be on Oahu, it is doable.

As for timeshares on Kauai, the WorldMark in Kapa'a is a nice location. A modest resort, oceanfront but not really a swimmable beach. You will find the peace and quiet you want there. The area is central on Kauai's eastern coast, and getting either north or south from there is easily done. (Just don't try it during rush hour - traffic stacks up through town. The trick is to go the other direction during those hours. Roads are wide open.) If you want to stay within what you own, the WorldMark on Kauai is a good option.

Waikoloa is a great resort on the BI, but it's waaaaaay off the track for seeing the rest of the island without driving - a lot. The BI is very large, and things tend to be spread out. For a first trip, I wouldn't recommend this one, unless you want to stay on-site all day. And if you do that, you can fly to Florida and do the same thing.

Kahana Falls is a nice place, but again, you're in the middle of the most crowded part of Maui. And there are a LOT of visitors on Maui. There are two WorldMark's on Maui, one further up the coast than Kahana Falls, but is very hard to book. Kihei is on the southern coast of the island, and is more central to things (easier to get around from there), and is easier to book. I saw availability in Kihei just last night, while I was browsing through the WM site. if Maui is a must, then Kihei is your best WM option. The 13-month booking thing is critical, if you want to stay on Maui - it tends to go very fast.

Hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have other questions.

Dave

 

[slip]

I agree with Dave, your WorkdMark May be your best bet.

 

[WinniWoman]

When we went quite a number of years ago (for 19 days total I think it was) we flew into Oahu and then to Kauai. We exchanged our 2 weeks through RCI. We stayed at Banyan Harbor- nothing great, but it was clean and the staff was friendly. Right by the harbor where you can watch the cruise ships come in. We liked staying on that side of the island. It was sunny and drier than the other side. Staying in Lihue was great as there was shopping- a Walmart and grocery stores etc. for convenience. We went snorkeling at numerous beaches there and to a luau and all the sightseeing you read about- Waimea Canyon, Fern Grotto, etc. We went out on a small yacht along the Napali Coast (highly recommend). We traveled from one side of the island to the next and pretty much saw everything.

Then we rented one or two days more there until we could fly to our next exchange which was on the Big Island. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and the sunset tour up Mauna Kea (HIGHLY RECOMMEND BOTH). Hapuna Beach-only 15 minutes from the resort- just everything was awesome. Petrogyphs in the lava. The desert and ranches. We stayed at Paniolo Greens. Again- we liked staying on that part of the island better than Kona.

Then- when we flew back to Oahu for our red eye flight back to NY, since we had plenty of time we visited Pearl Harbor and some sights in Honolulu.

We had been to 4 islands on a tour for our honeymoon way back in the ancient days (a 14 day trip that also included Las Vegas and San Francisco) so we already had some familiarity with the islands (that was in October), but this last time for our 25th wedding anniversary was the best. This last trip was in the summer like July/August and it was just fine.

I disagree with Dave, though I know what he means, but I would stay at Waikoloa in a heartbeat and drive everywhere. We drove all over from Paniolo Greens, including the National park and Black Sand Beach and Kona and the rain forest side and everything. But that is just us. (Younger then also.)

Enjoy!

PS I went on line the other day on Costco Car rentals for Las Vegas and they gave me a price without me having to put in a membership number. But they were higher than Priceline through Auto Slash.

PPS Maui is great- there is the national park there also-all the islands are but Kauai is more laid back and you can be on beaches with no people. We found a lot of quiet ones, including Lumahai Beach and Salt Pond.

 

[geist1223]

I do not know how many Worldmark Points you have or how experienced you are with Worldmark but do not forget the Wait List. The Worldmark's in Hawaii tend to fill up fast at the 13 month mark.

We love Worldmark Kihei. A very nice beach is just across the street. No true ocean views. If you stay here walk to the Kihei Cafe for breakfast - cash only. Have the Loco Moco. Worldmark Kihei has AC.

We have stayed at Worldmark Kapa'a on Kauai. As David said this is a quiet resort right on the water (non-swimming but we saw lots of snorkelers). Walk to restaurants and grocery. This is a shared resort with VI and private owners, managed by Worldmark/Wyndham. We had a one bedroom on the end. So it was walk off the lanai, turn left, and about 30 feet to the water. Most of the Units do not have cloth washers/dryers. But there is a coin operated laundry on site. When we stayed there you would tell the front desk how many loads and they gave you the coins for the laundry. This was just for Worldmark owners. There is also no AC.

We have also stayed at Worldmark Kona. It is a plain vanilla resort. It does have a pool, hot tub, and barbecues. No ocean views. But I do not think you are in Hawaii to spend lots of time in your room.

Quite often you can get into the DRI Resort at Poipu on Kauai through RCI. The same is true for Paniolo Greens on Hawaii. We have stayed there and enjoyed it. But is is a healthy drive back to the Kona area or to a beach.

 

[WinniWoman]

The same is true for Paniolo Greens on Hawaii. We have stayed there and enjoyed it. But is is a healthy drive back to the Kona area or to a beach.

I beg to differ. From Kona- yes. BUT-Hapuna Beach- rated by Conde Naste Magazine as one of the best beaches in the world- is only 15 minutes from Paniolo Greens. Went there several times.

Another thing I loved about Paniolo Greens was the view of the smoking cones from our deck. I also liked that is was small and in a residential area with the locals. Nice feel to it.

 

[Luanne]

I beg to differ. From Kona- yes. BUT-Hapuna Beach- rated by Conde Naste Magazine as one of the best beaches in the world- is only 15 minutes from Paniolo Greens. Went there several times.

Another thing I loved about Paniolo Greens was the view of the smoking cones from our deck. I also liked that is was small and in a residential area with the locals. Nice feel to it.

Besides Hapuna Beach there is the beach at the Mauna Kea.

We've stayed at Paniolo Greens several times. It's also a great spot to get to Waimea or to get to the Saddle Rd to get to Hilo.

 

[WinniWoman]

I will add that if I had to say what the most incredible experience we ever had when traveling was it would be our trip/tour up to the summit of Mauna Kea for sunset and for star gazing. Nothing like it can compare imo.

 

[BDMX2]

In the Wyndham system, I cannot see anything yet since we are NOT within the range of dates for which I can make a reservation. I'm thinking that my Wyndham resources will not be of much use here because by the time I can try and make a reservation, all inventory is likely to be gone.....

I'm totally not an expert, but I can weigh in a little here. We're going for our first visit this summer, basically the first two weeks of July (arriving June 29th), and I can tell you that I didn't have trouble using our Wyndham points at 10 months on either the Big Island or Kauai. We are traveling with my parents so we have two units at Wyndham Kona Hawaiian for the BI. For Kauai I ended up renting at Pono Kai in Kapaa after reading @slip 's trip report. We chose Pono Kai for a couple of reasons - 1. we're pretty active and have a teenage son, so Kapaa with the walkability and the bike/runnning path seemed like a better fit for us than the Princeville area Wyndhams or KBV, and 2. Not much AC, the only Wyndham property with air conditioning is KBV. Pono Kai has AC, so that won out...not an issue at any other time of year (or time of my life, I'm at that fun stage for women, sorry for the TMI!) but summertime sleeping without AC had me worried. But at 10 months I did find availability at the Wyndham properties on Kauai.

Happy planning!