Summary
I visited Kauai (3 nights) and Maui (4 nights) in Hawaii in December 2016 – specifically Kauai with my wife and 2-year old son and in Maui we were joined by friends (husband, wife, 3 kids). Hawaii’s local culture, vistas, beaches and waters are among the best in the US (and the world) and was a domestic trip unlike one we had ever taken. The flight is long from New York – especially with a toddler – but we broke it up through LA and San Francisco and this definitely helped. This long journey was definitely worth it as this was our first trip to Hawaii and we already look forward to returning to more islands.
Accommodations
In Kauai, we stayed at the St. Regis Princeville. The property itself is very nice and the team is extremely warm and welcoming. What stands out most are the amazing views from the pool and beach areas. In Maui, we stayed at the Westin hotel and loved the stay because it is a very kid-centric experience. The property is huge and very family friendly (given we had 4 kids with us).
Select Favorites
Given it was our first visit to the islands, we tried to explore some of the cultural highlights and family-friendly excursions while ensuring time for relaxation and enjoyment of the beautiful destinations.
- Kauai
- Activities: A helicopter tour is a great activity since much of the island is not viewable by car. Sunshine Helicopters is a great company and has a location at Princeville airport (convenient for north side Island accommodations). Exploring the Napoli Coast is a great activity given the beautiful views, waters and possibility of whale/dolphin sightings depending on time of year. We went whale watching with Blue Dolphin and had a memorable experience seeing whales & dolphins (even catching a whale breach)
- Dining: On the north side of the island (where the St. Regis is), we enjoyed the more high-end Jean-Georges Kauai Grill and also the very casual Hideaways for Pizza. Closer to the middle of the Island we tried and enjoyed local favorite Monico’s for Mexican. Other options hotels may suggest are Bar Acuda, JO2, Hanalei Dolphin, Postcards Café and some of the south-side restaurants – Dondero’s or Tidepools – in case you wanted to consider a wider variety of local options
- Maui
- Activities: Given that we did whale watching in Kauai, we skipped it in Maui (although locals would argue which island is better for whalewatching). We chose to do snorkeling with Four Winds at the Molokini Crater – a fabulous experience. We actually saw whales on the way to the crater and the boats have cameras you can borrow and kickboards / noodles for kids or novice swimmers. Our 2-year old had a great time seeing black fish through the magnifying glass of the kickboard. We also experienced the Wailele Polynesian Luau which was a fabulous mix of local culture/food and daring activities. NOTE: we skipped two popular excursions – Road to Hana and Sunrise at Haleakala – because we had very young kids with us and we get car sick easily. We may explore these on a future visit
- Dining: We stayed on Ka’anapali beach on the Northwest side of Maui. In the town area close by, Front Street is a great place to walk around and explore dining options. Two of our favorites on Front Street were Sale Pepe for Italian and Frida’s Mexican Beach House for Mexican. The Feast at Lele Luau is also a popular dining experience and luau to visit because it is in the town itself.
Recommendation
Hawaii is a fabulous and welcoming destination. Kauai feels less crowded and more rustic & adventurous while Maui feels more developed, family-friendly and activity-centric so each has much to offer. One can feel compelled to do too many activities but we found the most enjoyment when we blended excursions & activities with rest & relaxation. Two islands was perfect for this trip – given we had 8 days – and the experience left us excited to come back to visit the other islands. Have a great trip!
