Where to go in Hawaii?

[dmharris]

We own Marriott TS and have traded into Kauai in 2007. We'd like to go back to Hawaii before we die. We loved Kauai, the simpleness, laid back lush landscape and fabulous dining. Should we try the Marriott TS in either Maui or the Big Island or just go back to Hawaii? We're in our 70's.

 

[artringwald]

If you can get into it, you can't beat the Kauai Marriott Waiohai for location. It's just steps from a nice beach park and a short walk to the Poipu Shopping Center. It's also a short drive to many other shopping and dining locations.

Kauai Villa Vacation Resort | Marriott's Waiohai Beach Club

Book your Hawaii vacation at Marriott's Waiohai Beach Club, a family resort in Poipu, Kauai with spacious villa rentals and an unbeatable location by the ocean.

www.marriott.com

 

[jacknsara]

Aloha,
Its hard to provide advice without knowing more about what you hope to experience.
Any of the islands is a long travel day from Butler PA (I had to look at google maps to discover that Pittsburgh is probably the closest airport). How many weeks are you thinking?
The time of year might be important (e.g. many folks are disappointed with Princeville's winter weather).
How many hours a day do you expect to spend out and about exploring (e.g. Volcano National Park is a long drive from Waikoloa on the Big Island)?
What kind of beach & ocean activities do you hope to do?
While not everyone on TUG agrees, I recommend borrowing or buying the guide book for each island of interest https://www.revealedtravelguides.com/
Jack

 

[dmharris]

If you can get into it, you can't beat the Kauai Marriott Waiohai for location. It's just steps from a nice beach park and a short walk to the Poipu Shopping Center. It's also a short drive to many other shopping and dining locations.

Kauai Villa Vacation Resort | Marriott's Waiohai Beach Club

Book your Hawaii vacation at Marriott's Waiohai Beach Club, a family resort in Poipu, Kauai with spacious villa rentals and an unbeatable location by the ocean.

www.marriott.com

We actually stayed there. I'm wondering, is there somewhere else we should see in Hawaii or was that the best of the best?

 

[dmharris]

Aloha,
Its hard to provide advice without knowing more about what you hope to experience.
Any of the islands is a long travel day from Butler PA (I had to look at google maps to discover that Pittsburgh is probably the closest airport). How many weeks are you thinking?
The time of year might be important (e.g. many folks are disappointed with Princeville's winter weather).
How many hours a day do you expect to spend out and about exploring (e.g. Volcano National Park is a long drive from Waikoloa on the Big Island)?
What kind of beach & ocean activities do you hope to do?
While not everyone on TUG agrees, I recommend borrowing or buying the guide book for each island of interest https://www.revealedtravelguides.com/
Jack

I love to walk beaches and stare at the water. We have been to Princeville in Late October. We won't be surfing, kayaking or anything terribly active. Sight seeing. Driving around and seeing breath-taking vistas. That sort of thing. Last time we were there for almost 2 weeks and we spent a week at Waiohai and probably 5 days in Princeville. Should we do it again or visit a new to us island?

 

[artringwald]

We actually stayed there. I'm wondering, is there somewhere else we should see in Hawaii or was that the best of the best?

We've been to Hawaii 32 times and stayed at various places on 4 of of the islands. Of course there's places you should miss like the top of Haleakala, a trip to the Arizona Memorial, or Volcanos National Park, but Poipu is still our favorite place to stay. We're both 75, and now that's the only place we want to visit as long as we're able to travel.

 

[slip]

I love to walk beaches and stare at the water. We have been to Princeville in Late October. We won't be surfing, kayaking or anything terribly active. Sight seeing. Driving around and seeing breath-taking vistas. That sort of thing. Last time we were there for almost 2 weeks and we spent a week at Waiohai and probably 5 days in Princeville. Should we do it again or visit a new to us island?

I would repeat that first trip to Kauai. You can't miss with that and you can see how much has changed since 2007. Enjoy!

 

[BJRSanDiego]

I think that all responders have given good advice.

My own approach though is to put in a very broad request in ii. (I own deeded weeks so that is the only way for me to get a Hawaii exchange). In my request, I put in every Marriott, Westin, and Sheraton and then manually search frequently. Also, I typically put in a 2 month time window. For 2025 we got our request first filled with Marriott Kauai Beach club (1 BR) and then I manually ePlus exchanged it for a 2 BR Ko 'Olina. Using this broad request has also given us exchanges in a 2 BR Ko Olina another time, 2 BR Waiohai, 2 BR Maui Oceanclub, etc.

But, I suspect that the OP may have an enrolled week that would give her direct access through Marriott rather than needing to go through ii. I am just posting this for people who have deeded weeks that cannot be enrolled.

 

[4TimeAway]

If you going for a week. Why not 2 or 3?

We really like the Big Island. The Manta Rays at night are magical I think that's something I'd recommend. I'm a bit younger, but if you can climb in and out of a boat, I'd consider the wetsuit swim. We like the Hilton complex and the Dolphins* are seem interesting to see and kids might really like swimming with them. We plan to go next year and use 3 units (2-bedrooms) to share with family. *-The ethics of zoos vs. impact on humans caring about keeping more of them wild debate aside.

Pearl Harbor is a place to see. Wiakikki is nice. We visited Ko 'Olina but did not stay. I really like the North Shore (Roys Resturant) and could rent a condo there for a couple days.

I havent' been to Maui in decades and haven't be to Kauai. Keep us posted! And safe travels.

 

[Luanne]

I was lucky in that my first trip to Hawaii with my parents and sister in 1968 we got a brief taste of each of the island. Maui won my heart on that trip. I have visited all of the islands and for some reason Kauai was never a favorite, and I have been there a few times. We own on Maui and have spent many years visiting there. We also spent quite a few years on the Big Island which we also love.

 

[Rjbeach2003]

I am 78 my wife 72 and our favorite island is the Big Island. We have been to Kauai once, I would go back but my wife hasn't been hot on it. We have been to Oahu 3 times and enjoyed it and Maui once. BI probably 10-12 times. The reason is that my wife doesn't swim or sun bathe and there is much more to explore on the Big Island. Volcano National Park, North Kohala coast, Puna, South Kohala Coast. I will say if walking on the beach is most important there aren't as many walkable beaches on the Big Island as the others. Oahu has some beautiful beaches. Shopping isn't a big thing if that is important. It's just that there is so much variety on the Big Island it keeps us coming back.

 

[artringwald]

As you may have guessed from the other responses, you can't go wrong staying on any of the islands. If you like walking along a beach, my favorite beach for doing that is Keawakapu Beach in South Kihei, Maui. It's also a great beach for swimming, snorkeling, and sometimes boogie boarding. When we go there we usually rent an Ekahi Village condo instead of a timeshare.

 

[DebBrown]

I tend to go back to Kauai and particularly Poipu. It is my all time favorite. We were on the Big Island a couple years ago but I can't handle long days of driving any more. If you've never done Oahu, it is such a different experience and the Arizona Memorial is something you won't see anywhere else. I hate to be the naysayer but I'm not fond of Ko'Olina. It's a fake Hawaii resort - all manmade but if you are only going to use Marriott points, then it's the place to stay. I think I'd pick a couple days at a hotel on Waikiki Beach with a visit to the Arizona, a drive around the island and some interesting night life. All that followed by a relaxing week in Poipu. Alternatively, you could fly into Hilo and visit the volcano area for a couple of days before going to Kauai.

It's hard to go wrong in Hawaii!

 

[easyrider]

If I had one Hawaii trip left it would be near Napilli Bay in West Maui. Probably the Ritz in Kapalua. Other than that it's now Waikiki for us.

Bill

 

[VacationForever]

We love Marriott's Ko Olina in Oahu. Kauai was our #1 island but Marriott's Ko Olina has since overtaken it. It has a manmade lagoon right along the ocean and Four Seasons is down along the beach and they have fabulous restaurants. It is nowhere near Wakiki / Honolulu but if you want to visit Pearl Harbour Memorial, it's there.

 

[Luanne]

Our favorite beach on Maui, Maluka south of Kihei and Wailea.

 

[Tamaradarann]

We own Marriott TS and have traded into Kauai in 2007. We'd like to go back to Hawaii before we die. We loved Kauai, the simpleness, laid back lush landscape and fabulous dining. Should we try the Marriott TS in either Maui or the Big Island or just go back to Hawaii? We're in our 70's.

I have to agree with the question, what type of vacation do you want. Some have cautioned that there are long drives on some of the islands. We are 75 and while we can still drive we love vacationing and actually living without a car. We do so in Honolulu. I always say that if you are going to have a car all of the islands are great. However, if you want to vacation without a car you want to be in Honolulu. It is extremely walkable. I just noticed on a walk recently that there is a Mariott Timeshare in Honolulu(Waikiki). You may want to try it. It is in the middle of the city not in the country but you can walk the beach and sidewalks to your hearts content. Of course you can rent a car for a day or take a tour to go to the more rural parts of Oahu if you want. However, you have been there in Kauai, but you have never experienced the fun of urban Hawaii.

 

[ScoopKona]

Should we try the Marriott TS in either Maui or the Big Island or just go back to Hawaii?

???

 

[capjak]

My favorite and where we own is Maui, go yearly. Have been to the 4 major islands.

 

[Henry M.]

To me each island is different and unique. I have enjoyed visiting all of them, and will continue to do so despite having a favorite one (Maui) that is our home base. I really like Volcano National Park and the surrounding area in the Big Island, as well as driving around to various areas. It does take a while to get everywhere. You might also like Maui. I think you can't go wrong with whoever island you pick. Unless you have something particular in Kauai that you want to go back to, perhaps seeing something different might be in order.

 

[Rjbeach2003]

I tend to go back to Kauai and particularly Poipu. It is my all time favorite. We were on the Big Island a couple years ago but I can't handle long days of driving any more. If you've never done Oahu, it is such a different experience and the Arizona Memorial is something you won't see anywhere else. I hate to be the naysayer but I'm not fond of Ko'Olina. It's a fake Hawaii resort - all manmade but if you are only going to use Marriott points, then it's the place to stay. I think I'd pick a couple days at a hotel on Waikiki Beach with a visit to the Arizona, a drive around the island and some interesting night life. All that followed by a relaxing week in Poipu. Alternatively, you could fly into Hilo and visit the volcano area for a couple of days before going to Kauai.

It's hard to go wrong in Hawaii!

Well Princeville to Poipu, now, 3pm, 1 hour 15 minutes 41 miles
Kailua-Kona to Hilo 1 3/4 hrs 77 miles
Waikoloa Village 1 hr, 10 minutes 62 miles.
Ka Olina to Haleiwa

There are some longer routes but driving distances just aren't that much.

 

[DebBrown]

Well Princeville to Poipu, now, 3pm, 1 hour 15 minutes 41 miles
Kailua-Kona to Hilo 1 3/4 hrs 77 miles
Waikoloa Village 1 hr, 10 minutes 62 miles.
Ka Olina to Haleiwa

There are some longer routes but driving distances just aren't that much.

Well, definitely don't drive from Princeville to Poipu at 3pm. I agree that's a brutal time.

 

[dmharris]

I tend to go back to Kauai and particularly Poipu. It is my all time favorite. We were on the Big Island a couple years ago but I can't handle long days of driving any more. If you've never done Oahu, it is such a different experience and the Arizona Memorial is something you won't see anywhere else. I hate to be the naysayer but I'm not fond of Ko'Olina. It's a fake Hawaii resort - all manmade but if you are only going to use Marriott points, then it's the place to stay. I think I'd pick a couple days at a hotel on Waikiki Beach with a visit to the Arizona, a drive around the island and some interesting night life. All that followed by a relaxing week in Poipu. Alternatively, you could fly into Hilo and visit the volcano area for a couple of days before going to Kauai.

It's hard to go wrong in Hawaii!

I very much dislike fake resorts. Restaurants that are supposed to be a Pirate Ship. Not my thing. I think Kauai seemed genuine paradise with upscale dining. We loved it. Also in a tiny local restaurant outside Princeville, Pierce Brosnan and his sons sat across from our table. I about dropped my jaw on the table.

 

[dmharris]

???

Yes, that should say Kauai.

 

[dmharris]

We own Marriott TS and have traded into Kauai in 2007. We'd like to go back to Hawaii before we die. We loved Kauai, the simpleness, laid back lush landscape and fabulous dining. Should we try the Marriott TS in either Maui or the Big Island or just go back to Hawaii? We're in our 70's.

That should say, just go back to Kauai.