Hawaii Do's and Dont's

Best memories:
Pearl Harbor
Rd to Hana
Luau
walk on lava at the volcano (Big Island??)
helicopter ride
Molokini snorkling
Polynesian Cultural Center (Oahu, I think)

Enjoy it! I have been five times and am ready to go back! I would definatly suggest you spend the majority of your time on Maui. There is a lot to do, but not as crowded as Oahu. Do you dive or snorkel? If so I would go do a day trip to Molokini...the sights there are unbelievable! If you stay on Maui I would stay on the Kaanapali side or the Weilea side. Hyatt Regency is a good hotel and Grand Wailea is beautiful (it is more expensive). If you go to Oahu you have to make sure to go to Pearl Harbor and Haleakala National Park. If you go to the park, I would go during sunrise it is breathtaking (but take a jacket it gets chilly). Kauai is pretty, but there is not really a lot to do...it is the floral island. The Big Island is fun to get a helicopter tour of the volcanos espically if they are actively spewing. Make sure you stop by Hilo Hattie they have the best authentic Hawaiian clothes. I saw someone mention Lahania, that is a lot of fun espically at night! Road to Hana is good, make sure you fill up with gas at the beginning even if you think you can make it (you cant!!). If you need any others ideas let me know! Have fun :)

Congratulations!!!! We went on our 10th anniversary as well. We went back about 3 yrs ago and loved it more. Everytime we go, I just do not want to come home.

If you can upgrade your tickets to first class you will have a lovely flight!!! That is what we always do and it is worth it. Our daughter was a about 3 when we went the first time and she remembers the "ice cream seats". This was before 9-11 and it was super.... They still have ice cream sundaes, you just don't make them yourself.

The flight back home on First class is worth it if you can just get 1 way. We fly back on a 10pm flight, get comfy, wake up with the lemony towels to refresh at 5am and land at 5:30am.

Our favorite island is Maui. We were at Ka'anapoli. The hotels both times have now been re-done and condos instead. We stayed at the Marriott the first time and this past time the Sheraton a little more north of Ka'anopli which is now becoming a Ritz Carlton I think.

At what time of the year are you going? Going out on a whale watch is a must see. Don't go on w whale watch on the big boats..... we went on a dingy type boat that held about 15-20 people. Very small for the big waters but fantastic for seeing the whales. Truly an awesome sight and worth every penny.

Shopping at Lahania is great. Each time we went, we bought a special piece of jewelry (usually a charm) for daughter and myself. We have some great memories everytime we see our jewelry. There is a very authentic luau ( book in advance....it sells out fast) at Lahania as well.

We were not child free anytime we were there :(. However, this past time was easier because daughter was more involved and interested in the activities.

The "road to O'hana" is something worth seeing. There are some bobby pin curves that were not easy for me to take but I am glad we did it. We had a great dinner at Mama's Fish House in Paia.

I know there are options to ride a bike down the mountain...they take you up about 4am. Helicopter tour. We did not do these things with a child in tow.

I suggest getting a few snacks for your room. The downside for us was the time difference. We usually get up early and when we got up...NOTHING was open. So we had little snacks in our room for those times. There was a grocery close by in Lahania and we bought a few things we liked there.

I know I am forgetting something big. Just ENJOY yourself with your hubby. Hawaii is a wonderful place.

It's a been a long time since we were there, but if memory serves our favorite island was Maui- Road to Hauna (a must) !! And on Oahu Hanauma Bay. We snorkeled as much as possible.

Have a great time and happy 10th anniversary!

HTH

Congratulations! We went last year for our 5th year Anniversary...child free! It was so awesome! I went to Oahu & Maui in 1987 but last year we went to the Big Island and Kauai. I have to say that Kauai was my favorite with the Big Island being second and Maui being third. Kauai is sooooooo beautiful. We stayed at the Outrigger Waipouli Beach resort in Kauai and at the Hapuna Beach Prince Resort on the Big Island. I did a lot of research to find the best hotels to stay and was very pleased! I looked mostly at comments on
http://www.tripadvisor.com/
We did a helicopter tour in Kauai and, and a movie bus tour which both were great! The Big Island we drove around the whole island and stopped at different sites and also went to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which is a must see! We also did snorkeling with the Four Winds boat tour.
I don't know if you drink, but beer and mixed drinks will run you about $8.00 a drink. We packed our own (plastic bottles)and made mixed drinks in our room and sat out on our balcony and enjoyed the view. Food is also expensive. When we stayed in Kauai at the Outrigger, we had a grocery store that was across the street so we were able to fix our own food in our condo if we wanted.
The whole experience was wonderful and I think no matter what you do there, it will be great! I cannot wait to go back! Have fun! Hope this helps!