Honolulu or Big Island, which is better

Honolulu or Big Island, which is better?

3 day break end of April with a toddler and an infant.....should we do Honolulu (Hilton Hawaiin Village) which is only one flight or Big Island (Waikoloa Village) and no beach? I hate the thought of Waikiki Beach and all the tourists/high rises etc but am thinking that this may be the better option with kids? Never been to Hawaii.

Honolulu - 6 Answers

Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :

1 :

Absolutely Honolulu! Hilton Hawaiian village is great. The Beach should be less crowded at the end of April than now or the summer. Rent a car only when you need one as parking in Waikiki is limited. A Bus pass that you can buy at the Hotel concierge will be better. Oahu is not such a big island and the bus drivers know where they are going. Take one day and go to the north shore, eat at the Giovanni's original shrimp truck, then go on over to the Polynesian Cultural Center. Make sure you stay for the show it's well worth it. I suggest you purchase the Luau package. If you are talking 3 nights and four days then I would also go to Pearl Harbor and the Aloha Bowl swap meet. Make sure you try some pineapple ice cream.

2 :

I think the Big Island is the best by far. It has everything the other islands have (beaches, waterfalls, etc) and the thing that sets it apart from not only the other islands but also from just about any other destination in the world is Volcano National park where you can see (and sometimes walk right up to) flowing hot lava. The Big Island is also much less crowded. For other thoughts see: http://beforeyougo.com/content/before-you-go-big-island-hawaii

3 :

Go to Honolulu. You won't have time to do anything, anyway. If it's a 3-day break, the first and third day are spent traveling, and you only have one full day to plan anything.

4 :

Hawai'i!

5 :

I just went to Hawaii for 5 days and it was amazing. We only were in Oahu though, but I must say, three days isn't enough time time be in Hawaii. I was there for 5 days and I didn't think it was long enough! I don't want to sound like a jerk but if you want to make the best of 3 days in Hawaii, you may want to leave the kids at home. If you do go with the kids to Oahu, you should bring them to Pearl Harbor or the Polynesian Cultural Center. I would also recommend going to a Luau (though they are pretty pricey).

6 :

I just spend a week in Hawaii, only Waikiki. I can see why people don't like Waikiki, it's a bit noisy. We went for a 1-day trip to 'Big Island' and have to say I would loved to stay longer for a few days of hiking. The landscape is simply amazing.