OT: Hawaii - whereto?

[FastforaSlowGuy]

My wife and I are planning a week trip to the 50th state this fall (late Oct likely). We've never been, and trying to piece together where to stay is tough. She's going to want to do some surfing (beginner/intermediate stuff), and I'd like to bring my (road) bike and do some riding. It would be great if we didn't have to stay in a tourist epicenter - a little sense of peace and quiet is appreciated.

Anyone have recs on which of the islands might be the best to look at? Trying to narrow things down, and I've gotten some winning travel advice here before.

[maunahaole]

If you want to ride your bike... Go to Maui. There is a big thread somewhere here on the topic. That said, there should be enough to do on whatever island you choose that you can skip bringing your bike and riding for the week.

[Idris Icabod]

I tagged along to a conference my wife attended in Maui. To be honest I wasn't that jazzed because of the flight, but holy buckets that place is nice. Didn't take my bike but drove up the volcano, loads of advice on riding it here on the forum. A guy at the conference rented a bike locally and was happy with it, so you could avoid having to take your own. We stayed at a hotel called the Grand Wailea, incrediblly nice and luckily paid for by someone else.

[MadRocketSci]

Others would probably know better but I thought that Oahu was the place where most organized surfing occurred...plenty of places offering lessons around waikiki like the ubiquitous Hans Hedemann and more serious/advanced places on the north shore.

I'm no Hawaii expert, having been to Oahu and Maui, but that was my impression. Did the Hans Hedemann thing one morning in Waikiki and it was fine, rode some waves, bring/rent some water shoes cuz the bed is rocky.

[CNY rider]

Leave your bike home. There's so many other things to explore.
Go hiking or kayaking on Kauai.
Go hike to the volcano on the Big Island.

[PaMtbRider]

Leave your bike home. There's so many other things to explore.
Go hiking or kayaking on Kauai.
Go hike to the volcano on the Big Island.

+1 We rented bikes for a day, but spent the rest of the time hiking, exploring... We stayed at a B&B on the big island here:
http://www.makaihale.com/
It was a little out of the way but very peaceful and made for a good base to explore the rest of the island.
If it is in the budget, splurge and do the helicopter ride over the volcano. you will see lava flows and waterfalls that you can't see from land.
Sunset from the Mauna Kea observatories is worth the drive. You can take a bus trip or drive it yourself.

[etu]

Maui
Ride up to Haleakala
Ride to Hana
Nice shoulders on many of the roads

[eddief]

Your wife can surf at the famous Tunnels beach. EEEK watch out for sharks. Way less hectic than Poipu and enough to do...or not.

[John H.]

If you want to ride- go to the west side of the Big Island.
Kailua (kona), Waikoloa, or Waimea. The hills are littered with 20-30 minute climbs. Great riding south toward Captain Cook, etc.
Lots of other stuff to do too. Beaches, diving, etc.
There is really lots more riding there than what people know from Ironman.

[plattyjo]

Biking on Maui is awesome, and there's lots of great hiking, swimming, kayaking, excellent food...Let me know if you need rec's!

[titans]

The Mariott Ko Olina resort and the Disney resort on the western part of Oahu is quiet and a short drive to the Waikikki, Diamond Head, and Pearl Harbor. Polynesian Culture center was surprisingly nice (for me at least) for a tourist attraction. Kuaui is quiet as well. The navy type raft ride was great and took about 6 hours with a beach landing and lunch. The raft takes you up the north coast of the island and into sea caves. They allow you to take a dip into the ocean along the way. Oh and you gotta go and find those Shrimp trucks. Maui has the seven pools of Hana, and the Haleakala Mtn that you can bike up or just drive up to see the sunrise. There are lots of tours that will pick you up at your hotel at 3am, drive up to see the sunrise, and then give you a fixed speed bike to bike down. Beware of the temperature zone changes as it gets into the 30s at the top. Maybe someone who is local to Hawaii on this forum can give you the un-touristy thing to do. :) Enjoy!

[FastforaSlowGuy]

Thanks folks. I know there is a lot to do besides ride, but I happen to think a bike is a fantastic way to explore a new place. You see and experience it in a very intimate way. Still plan on hiking etc. Not mutually exclusive.

[MadRocketSci]

if you want a crazy intimate ride then I'd say Kapalua to about Waihee on the Kahekili Hwy on Maui if you're the adventurous type. Nicer and much less trafficked than the road to Hana, but the road gets really narrow (slightly more than one car width total) with blind curves in many places. Gave some pucker factor for my wife and kid just driving it. Julia's self proclaimed best banana bread on the planet right in the middle of the ride.

If you want to just climb then obviously Haleakala.

[Germany_chris]

Even if its only for a day you need to do Honolulu Waikiki and Diamond Head then head up to the North Shore. I got married there and have missed it a little every day since

[kramnnim]

Had a great time in Maui, would love to go back.

[josephr]

HI gets really expensive when you start island hopping....we were a family of 5 though so might be more affordable with just you and the missus.. We did the Big Island but there's plenty to see/do on any/all of the islands. I'd skip the hassle of hauling your bike around as there are plenty of bike shops that will rent you something nice. However, there's plenty to do that riding your bike won't be at the top of your list.

[kramnnim]

If you like climbing at all, the ride up Haleakala is well worth the effort it takes to procure a bike.

The road to Hana didn't seem like a great place to ride due to the nature of the road and the tourist drivers...but I guess people manage to do it.

The only hiking we did was to see various waterfalls...this one was the most memorable- http://www.waterfallswest.com/waterfall.php?id=waimoku-falls-haleakala-national-park-maui-190

[enr1co]

If going for the first time, would suggest planning on at least a 10 day, two island trip to include Oahu and one of the less populated islands as Big Island, Kauai or Maui.

All of the islands can provide for a unique variety of sights, activities, beautiful natural scenery and tempo to meet your requirements.

[dnades]

Only been to Kauai. Really nice. Not so great for biking. Lots of roads have no shoulders. From Kapaa up north till Princeville the main road has wide shoulders and there is a bike path that goes along the coast from Kealia Beach down almost to Lihue (still not finished yet though). There are some local groups ( in Kalaheo (out west)there is great restaurant(Kalaheo Cafe) who's owner rides quite a bit and would be good to get in touch with). Crazy pretty island though. Last year we stayed in Kapaa for the first time. It rained for 14 days straight. It was so damp that you got cold at night even though it was still 65 degrees. Your feet stayed wet in your bed until your body heat warmed up the interior. The owner of the B&B we stayed at actually poured bleach down her driveway to kill the mold after about 10 days of rain. It was pretty surreal. Most local roads are severely pitched as it is really hilly and most are built with concrete. Usually just wide enough for one vehicle at a time. You need a four wheel drive for sure if you are going to be traversing local roads. Most main and secondary roads are pretty decent. When it rains for extended periods it tends to flood. No swimming etc. Fun watching the surfers hit the waves during some of the storms. Only young once I guess. Once the surf gets too big they all come in though. For whatever reason the way the ground is makes it really hostile to surf at that point.

We've gone to Kauai for the past 10 to 12 years. We usually stay in the south (Poipu area) as it is usually much sunnier. Kauai is like a little United states. The South is like Florida without the humidity in Jan anyway, the North and east is rainy, the west is dry and hot, there is a large canyon in the middle (pretty spectacular). It is a fabulous place. People are nice. Every year there is a little more development but I don't think it will ever look like Honolulu. Hope not anyway. There is a beekeeper down in Poipu area who takes people out in an outrigger canoe which I would highly recommend.. Chris is a trip. Super nice and really funny.

Lots of good food. Lots of farmers markets if you are into making your own food. Expect to pay for eating out though. Nothing is cheap.

[cmbicycles]

Went to kauai and molokai ten + years ago. Kauai was great for hiking and molokai was more relaxed and quiet. People were friendly everywhere we went and loved both for different reasons.

[sworcester]

Been to Maui a few times and the big island of Hawaii a couple times. Can't really tell you about where to stay because someone was picking up the tab.

PM me and we can talk, would be faster, or at least more info.