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Planning a Hawaii timeshare trip for 2022. Any advice accepted.

catbro

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We are 60's as well but visited 20+ years ago with our kids who were preteens and younger. On Maui definitely drive the road to Hana and stop at any of the waterfalls or beaches along the way the interest you. The 7 sacred pools (Pools of Oheo) are a State or National Park and you must stop there. Consider Oahu as well. I know it does not seem very popular compared to the other islands but the 2 stand out attractions you cannot get anywhere else are 1) Pearl Harbor National Memorial which is forever etched on my heart and 2) Polynesian Cultural Center on the north shore for a full day. It showcases the culture, food, dance of the other Polynesian Islands such as Tonga, Samoa (cant remember the remainder) but it was fascinating to see the similarities and differences that exist and really worth a full day. Good Luck.
 

Dean

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We are 60's as well but visited 20+ years ago with our kids who were preteens and younger. On Maui definitely drive the road to Hana and stop at any of the waterfalls or beaches along the way the interest you. The 7 sacred pools (Pools of Oheo) are a State or National Park and you must stop there. Consider Oahu as well. I know it does not seem very popular compared to the other islands but the 2 stand out attractions you cannot get anywhere else are 1) Pearl Harbor National Memorial which is forever etched on my heart and 2) Polynesian Cultural Center on the north shore for a full day. It showcases the culture, food, dance of the other Polynesian Islands such as Tonga, Samoa (cant remember the remainder) but it was fascinating to see the similarities and differences that exist and really worth a full day. Good Luck.
To me the top attraction, even over Pearl Harbor and PCC, is the national cemetery there. Just a drive up the North Shore might be second for us but can fairly easily be combined with a PCC visit.
 

melpollard

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It seems a good option, but could end up being quite expensive. Four adults on a cruise ship, plus tours for four on each island, plus the timeshare stay, plus car rental, plus airfare interisland to get to the timeshare island. If price is no object, then it could certainly work. OP didn't mention cruising was an option - they said they wanted to exchange their Mexican timeshare(s) for the two week vacation. Last time I checked, exchanging a timeshare for a cruise was not a good financial choice. I still think the entire concept is ambitious.

73 comments into the thread, it's obvious there are lots of options and ideas here. OP hasn't been back to clarify or to direct comments into more than everyone's speculation. So everyone who has commented is shooting in the dark here. @melpollard how about some comments? Is any of this helping? How about some more specific thoughts about what you want to do?

Dave

I’m here and reading it all!!! It’s been very helpful. I like the idea of a week on an island and a week on a cruise to see it all. But I have not figured out if that’s cost prohibitive or not!

I haven’t commented because all of your comments are helping me decide. I haven’t ruled anything out yet. But I appreciate all of the opinions! Still pondering!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

postalrobin

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Each Island has it's own personality. Hawaii is called the Big Island because it's very big and therefore lots of driving. That said, it is also perhaps my favorite island. Very laid back and "Hawaiian". Not as many sandy beaches because it's a young island so there is lots of lava. (Hapuna is a huge sandy beach though). Maui is beautiful but I find it to be the more upscale snobby of the islands. I'm in no way referring to the local people I'm referring to some of the tourists. Kauai is the Garden Island. It is small lush and beautiful. Perhaps a good choice if you just want to swim, relax and see some gorgeous scenery. Of course Oahu has perhaps the most historic tours to take in. It is also a wonderful island. I refer to Waikiki as Manhattan of the Pacific. Lots of high-rises and lots of traffic. However I enjoy Oahu because there is so much to see and do. Once you leave Honolulu and see the rest of the island you'll be relaxed and on island time. I guess the best idea is to decide what exactly you are looking to do with your daylight hours and make you decision from that jumping off point. All Hawaiian Islands are beautiful and worth a visit. They all have the spirit of Aloha! Have a wonderful trip!
 

mentalbreak

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If you really want to see he volcano you need more than just a couple of hours. We like to spend at least one night in Volcano Village so that we can get a night time viewing.
+1 for this. We actually stayed in the Volcano House hotel within the National Park. Highly recommend for (1) guided evening tour included for no additional cost, (2) park access later in day and earlier in morning without the masses of day-trippers and commercial tour takers.

A “nighttime manta ray” snorkeling excursion is also a must do if you are ok with your face in the water. We used a Groupon from My Kona Adventures based on recommendations here and absolutely recommend the experience and the crew.
 
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T_R_Oglodyte

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If you want to see the volcano that means you'll want to stay on the Big Island for a period of time. You could do one week on the Big Island, then one week on either Maui or Kauai. With two weeks two islands is the most I would suggest. If you really want to see both Maui and Kauai can you extend your stay so that you could do 4 to 5 days on the Big Island, then split the rest of the time between Maui and Kauai?

Are you particular about the time of year you go?
I'm working my way through this thread - so maybe this is covered elsewhere.

On the Big Island, the volcano is a pretty long drive from timeshare except for Sea Mountain, which doesn't have a lot of availability. What we have done is to spend several days in a bed and breakfast or similar facility near the volcano. We then relocate to a timeshare on the west shore. If we have something such as a Sat or Sun checkin at the timeshare, that means we now travel to Hawaii mid-week for our short-term stay. Often the saving in air fare for traveling mid-week pays for most of the cost of the BNB.
 

T_R_Oglodyte

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If you really want to see he volcano you need more than just a couple of hours. We like to spend at least one night in Volcano Village so that we can get a night time viewing.
Second this. We usually plan on spending at least three nights in the area. You can't arrive until late in the day anyway, so that takes care of the first night. Then figure on spending two days on that side of the island. You can do two days at the volcano, or spend one day at the volcano, and then one day exploring all of the other stuff on the SE side of the island. It's way cool, and doesn't have anywhere near the tourist load that there is in Kona-Waikoloa.
 

T_R_Oglodyte

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I think the point is, you’d be hard pressed to find a place in Hawaii where you would not be able to enjoy yourself. I’ve personally not been anywhere in Hawaii where afterward I said, I wish I had not gone there.
As I've opined before, picking islands to visit in Hawaii is (from a masculine perspective anyway) like picking among blondes, brunettes, and gingers. There simply is no bad choice.

Expanding this thought, and understanding that the OP will be exchanging in ............

The options available to the OP will depend on what the exchange options are. So I would focus less on what island and attend more to the suitability of the available exchanges for the OPs travel needs, knowing that as a first-time traveler, they can have a wonderful vacation no matter where they wind up. The biggest "risk" element they might face is ending up in a unit that doesn't fit their needs, particularly if they are traveling with another couple.

**************

I will add a couple of my thoughts regarding Oahu and Waikiki. I've visited Oahu as both a tourist and while doing project work. As a traveler to the island, 90% or more of the accommodations are in the Waikiki area. In the timeshare world, coming in on an exchange, this is where almost all of the resorts are located.

As you can gather upthread, there are a variety of opinions regarding Wakiki. The main thing I would say about Waikiki, or the Honolulu area in general, is that it is very urban. Some people like that. Others don't. If that is not what you want from Hawaii, then skip Waikiki. But if you like a tropical beach location that is part of a city, with all of the benefits of an urban locate in terms of food, shopping, entertainment, etc., then Waikiki might be for you. And as other have noted, HNL is the easiest airport to get to.
 
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geist1223

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Another option for staying in Volcano National Park if you are retired military (active duty, reserve, and certain other federal agencies) is Kilauea Military Camp (KMC). It has cottages for rent. There is also a cafeteria that it open to all.
 

deniseh

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I’m here and reading it all!!! It’s been very helpful. I like the idea of a week on an island and a week on a cruise to see it all. But I have not figured out if that’s cost prohibitive or not!

I haven’t commented because all of your comments are helping me decide. I haven’t ruled anything out yet. But I appreciate all of the opinions! Still pondering!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We took our first trip to Hawaii two years ago and had the same dilemma you had in deciding where to go. We ended up with a week on Oahu at Marriott’s Ko’lina and then did the NCL pride of America cruise. The cruise was nice in that we got to see some highlights of each island. Typically we’ve done cruises with Royal Caribbean and I thought the POA cruise ship wasn’t near as nice. But it served our purpose for this trip. For the ports that we stayed for two days we booked our own tours and even rented a car in Maui. Had a great whale watch on Maui. Probably one of the highlights. Definitely want to go back to Hawaii but I did feel we had a sampling of the different islands.
 

cybernaut

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All the islands are very different from each other. It depends on what you want to do.

If you want the urban 'Hawaii 5-0' experience, watching the surfers on the North Shore, fancy dining and shopping then Oahu is a good choice. Maui is great for just pure fun: whale watching, great beaches, exploring upcountry, wind surfing, historic Lahaina harbor, road to Hana and generally great weather. Kauai is good for beautiful scenery, adventure travel and laid back relaxation. The Big Island is great for nature such as visiting the Volcano National Park.

Frankly, it would be really hard to experience it all in one trip. I would concentrate on two islands at most for a first visit.
 

elaine

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how is staying in Hilo for Volcano?
 

Henry M.

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I've rented cottages in Volcano (through AirBnB and VRBO) and have really liked it. It is nice to go to the park and take your time exploring everything there is to see without having a two+ hour drive back at the end of your day. Additionally, it is interesting to see the glow of the lava later at night. We were able to explore much more of the park and the chain of craters because we stayed nearby.
 
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jonmaiman

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It has been many years since we have been to The Big Island. With that disclaimer, staying in Volcano Village (VV) for at least a couple of nights is the best way to see Volcanoes National Park (VNP). If you're fortunate to be visiting when there are visible lava flows, the best time to see them is usually at night. Much nicer to be staying just a few minutes outside of the park entrance when doing a night viewing hike. Hilo adds an extra 45 minutes each way to get to VNP vs. Volcano Village.

There were a few decent eateries in VV when we stayed there. Not sure what is there now, especially in the Covid era. Regardless I still strongly recommend staying in VV for the best experience visiting VNP. We stayed at Hale Ohia Cottages both times we visited. It was nice a secluded, well kept place to stay. There are other options available in VV as well. Enjoy....

--Jon
 

zentraveler

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It has been many years since we have been to The Big Island. With that disclaimer, staying in Volcano Village (VV) for at least a couple of nights is the best way to see Volcanoes National Park (VNP). If you're fortunate to be visiting when there are visible lava flows, the best time to see them is usually at night. Much nicer to be staying just a few minutes outside of the park entrance when doing a night viewing hike. Hilo adds an extra 45 minutes each way to get to VNP vs. Volcano Village.

There were a few decent eateries in VV when we stayed there. Not sure what is there now, especially in the Covid era. Regardless I still strongly recommend staying in VV for the best experience visiting VNP. We stayed at Hale Ohia Cottages both times we visited. It was nice a secluded, well kept place to stay. There are other options available in VV as well. Enjoy....

--Jon

I second Jon and Henry as well. We also have stayed in the park at the cottages and it is a nice way to see it without a very long drive home. A night (or two if you especially love the area) is plenty of time.
 

BingoBangoBongo

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how is staying in Hilo for Volcano?

When we went to Kings Land in 2015 we wanted to visit VNP and decided to book 1 night here in the middle of our trip (never checking out of KL). It is a very short drive back into the park at night and there was activity we could see that night. The room was nice, the included breakfast was very good and we even had dinner that night with a couple we met from Texas. I might be in the minority, but I don't think the Big Island is all that big, but I still wouldn't consider driving back to Waikoloa at night. The drive to Hilo is doable, but our stay at the Lodge was very enjoyable.

 

Luanne

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When we went to Kings Land in 2015 we wanted to visit VNP and decided to book 1 night here in the middle of our trip (never checking out of KL). It is a very short drive back into the park at night and there was activity we could see that night. The room was nice, the included breakfast was very good and we even had dinner that night with a couple we met from Texas. I might be in the minority, but I don't think the Big Island is all that big, but I still wouldn't consider driving back to Waikoloa at night. The drive to Hilo is doable, but our stay at the Lodge was very enjoyable.

We love Kilauea Lodge and have been going there for years. We haven't been since it was sold and is under new management, but from reviews I've read it's still very nice. They have one of the best restaurants on the island and reservations were always needed for dinner. The breakfast they served (free to guests) was wonderful. They had opened up for breakfast to non-guests (with a different menu). I have no idea what is going on there since the pandemic.

The lodge used to be owned by Albert and Lorna Jeyte. He had been a make up artist and worked on Magnum P.I. He was also the chef for the restaurant. The site had formerly been a YMCA camp. We would stay off prem in one of the cottages, the one we like is Tutu's Place. I'm not sure if that is still part of the lodge property.
 

Olive2Travel

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When my wife was 20 (42 years ago) she packed up and went to Waikiki. Knew nobody. Got a job as a waitress/server, rented an apartment in Pearl City area, and still today says it was her favorite time and that she'd never have left if her father had not gotten sick a year later back in California. She loved the action. The people. The bars. All that.

As a current resident in Honolulu, let me tell you that LOTS of chill 20-somethings still do this.
With online college and online remote workers, people still come some look for PT work
Sadly, with over 10% unemployment, we really need visitors (who get the proper tests) .

16 years ago I did Oahu and BI, definitely do the sunset hike to the live lava flow. Heavy hiking shoes, litres of water, and sturdy gloves.
Check out a coffee plantation.
On Oahu we did Pearl harbor, did the entireperimeter, then thru the middle, visit dole, North shore, turtle bay, shave ice, and sunrise hike up diamond head.
Never been to other islands. Eventually.....

PS. Polynesian cultural center is owned by the Mormons. Thus no alcohol and khakis. BYU is here and lots of missionaries
 

DianeG

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I would *never* recommend a fly-in day visit to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, using the Kona Airport. This can only be done from Hilo Airport. Ditto, if all you’re doing is an overnight in Volcano Village. You need pretty much one full day to properly visit the Park, including the drive down to the Holei Sea Arch.

As for how to structure your time... that really depends on your interest. For stunning unique-to-Hawaii nature views, then a boat tour of Kauai’s Na Pali Coast, a tour of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, and a drive to the Waimea Canyon would make snagging a week’s exchange on Kauai worth it for a first visit. However, the winter seas on Kauai can be rough, which is why you’d want to be able to ‘beach it’ on another island.

Maui exchanges are extremely difficult in your time period. The island of Hawaii would maybe be a little easier. Both have enough to offer to easily fill a week’s worth of activities and sights to see.
 

DianeG

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Btw, there is no “lava flow” to hike to at this time. The current eruption is limited to Kilauea’s Halemauma’u crater, inside the Park. There is no way to get close to any lava. You do want to be in the Park after dark, because there is an impressive glow in the night sky from the lava lake.
 
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