possible travel plan... are we nuts?

[booth22]

Ok, looking at our dates and with the wife wanting to dive and see all the islands (at least a little) I've come up with a rough plan for us- I'm a little worried we'll get burnt out, but she says its fine.. any suggestions are appreciated..

july 19 fly into Honolulu in the evening
20th- explore the area, USS Arizona, Diamond Head, etc. Fly to Hilo that evening
21st- Dive Hilo in the morning- the wife wants to see the turtle cleaning stations and says around Hilo is the place? Head around the north side of the island making our way to Kona.
22nd- Dive Kona area- shore/boat doesn't matter. Manta dive in the evening.
23rd- couple of morning dives and then check out the area sights.
24th- Hit Volcanoes Natl. Park in the morning/afternoon and fly to Maui in the evening.
25th- Get up early and head off to Haleakala for the sunrise and relax(or dive) in town the rest of the day. Maybe hit the Maui Ocean Center and try their shark dive.
26th- Couple dives in the morning and then poke around the island
27th Take the road to Hana for sightseeing and pictures and fly to Kauai that evening.
28th- Check out the area- maybe Waimea Canyon and Haena Caves
29th Fly home in the evening!

So.... are we nuts? look ok?

 

[DiveMaven]

Not a whole lot of time to relax and enjoy the islands. I know folks who love to be busy, but your itinerary is a nightmare to this girl who plunks herself down on Maui for at least a week and doesn't even think of going to another island.

 

[Teamcasa]

Here is my suggestion:

July 19 fly into Honolulu in the evening
20th- USS Arizona, Diamond Head, etc
21st- Dive Near Waikiki in the morning- Explore the museums in Honolulu. forget Hilo
22nd- Fly to Kona area- shore/boat doesn't matter. Manta dive in the evening.
23rd- couple of morning dives and then check out the area sights.
24th- Dive again in the morning. Volcanoes Natl. Park Explore Island.
25th- Fly to Kauai – Explore the beautiful Island
26th- Couple dives in the morning and then poke around the island
27th – Dive Sheraton Caverns and other sites– Turtles galore!
28th- Shore Dive in the morning – Explore!- maybe Waimea Canyon and Haena Caves
29th Relax, pack -Fly home in the evening!

Dave

 

[booth22]

Dave- thanks for the suggestion... I was looking at a few things online and thought we may want to dive Waikiki one day. No Maui though?

Divemaven- we live just outside of phoenix, so in the middle of July, I'll be stuck inside when I'm not working (or in the pool) so I'll have our version of cabin fever and be glad to get out and about!

 

[Teamcasa]

Booth22

In my limited and humble opinion, no Maui with that schedule. For me, I love exploring everything both land and submarine stuff. For anyone that is the slightest history minded, Pearl Harbor, the Arizona and a visit to the Missouri (take the guided tour) is a day long activity alone. Oahu has some of the best museums anywhere. Native Hawaiian culture is, to me fascinating. If you feel like packing a bunch of stuff in one day, take in the luau at Paradise Cove. It’s an expensive and pure tourist trap, but damn, those hula dancers – we had a fun time!

Kauai is simply beautiful. The diving is terrific as well. My wife loves the turtles and the dive to Sherton caverns was amazing. From the Na Pali Cost to Waimea Canyon to Key Beach, the island is a must see. We sent the kids on a aircraft tour of the island as well. They still talk about it!

Kona has diving for sure. Mantas, turtles, black water and wonderful shore dives. The Big Island did not get its name for nothing! It takes a while to explore it. The history there is also very intriguing. Love coffee? It’s the Mecca. I love having breakfast at Bubba Gumps in Kona, on the lanai. You may never leave.

I figure I can always go back and take in Maui anytime. My lovely bride and I are going to Kona for a week in June, just to dive and explore this great island again. Last November, we spent a week on Kauai, what a beautiful island. We also plan to return and visit Maui next year.

Dave

 

[booth22]

Hey thanks for the opinion! We may just do like you suggest! I haven't been to the islands in over 10 years, so my mind is a bit rusty. The last time there, we spent two weeks and none of us were divers at that time, so we were busy, but we saw a lot. Looks like it's back to the calendar and planning a bit more. thanks again, I really appreciate it! Any suggestions on where to stay? I'm looking for something not too pricey of course, prefer a rental apartment/condo. I don't mind doing laundry if it means I can pack a lot less- and we don't mind eating in for breakfast/packing some lunches, that type of thing..

 

[Teamcasa]

http://www.poipuvacationhome.com/ In Kauai
http://lodging4vacations.com/keauhou-kona-condo/ In Kona

In Waikiki we stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Dave

 

[SkullDeformity]

My buddy and I are at Leleiwi all the time, which is the divesite you'd use at Hilo. Although we see turtles flying around all the time or sleeping, you hardly ever get to see them being cleaned. There are better places to go on vacation.

 

[booth22]

Here is my suggestion:

July 19 fly into Honolulu in the evening
20th- USS Arizona, Diamond Head, etc
21st- Dive Near Waikiki in the morning- Explore the museums in Honolulu. forget Hilo
22nd- Fly to Kona area- shore/boat doesn't matter. Manta dive in the evening.
23rd- couple of morning dives and then check out the area sights.
24th- Dive again in the morning. Volcanoes Natl. Park Explore Island.
25th- Fly to Kauai – Explore the beautiful Island
26th- Couple dives in the morning and then poke around the island
27th – Dive Sheraton Caverns and other sites– Turtles galore!
28th- Shore Dive in the morning – Explore!- maybe Waimea Canyon and Haena Caves
29th Relax, pack -Fly home in the evening!

Dave

Working off this schedule, if I add an extra day to the trip, where should I plug it in? And thanks to everyone for the advise on Hilo- it's out for this trip... hopefully I'll still find a Hilo Hattie somewhere on the islands

 

[SkullDeformity]

Riding my bike past the Hatties store in Hilo is always good for a chuckle, old people in sandals and socks, straw hats, red and burnt to a crisp, it's a gas.