Hawaii non rev
 

I'm planning to non rev with delta to Hawaii either HNL or OGG Does anyone have info on the best way to get out there. MSP, SFO LAX SLC?? Family of 4 Feb 14th to 22rd
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Also, besides the memorial in HNL anything else you could recommend doing in HNL. How about Hotels in Maui and HNL for deals. Military hotel is all full.

Thanks

Tony

Every island is vastly different from every other island. My recommendation would be to go to Oahu, see Pearl, then leave Oahu and never look back. It's LA on an island... Not really paradise. Maui on the other hand is amazing. I go for at least a week every year. Kannapali/Kahana/Lahina is where I'd look to stay. If u have questions about Maui or Kauai PM me. Been to Big Island and Oahu, wasn't impressed.

I wouldn't write Oahu off that quickly. Although Honolulu sucks and has horrible traffic, the North Shore is amazing, especially when the waves are big.

For Oahu I would recommend the Hilton Hawaiian Village, it is a great resort on Wakiki beach and a great family style resort. It's pricey if you can't find a deal but worth the money.

On Maui, they are all pricey. I stayed at the Westin in Ka'anapoli (sp?) this past Feb and loved every minute. Great resort and you can see the whales breaching all day long from the beach or pool. You may want to avoid a room facing the pool/waterfall/lobby area as the birds were very loud in the morning (early morning!). that said I really enjoyed the service and there are lots of shops and restaurants around the area.

If you are a SCUBA diver, I can personally recommend Maui Pro Diver, they were fantastic!

Have fun!

There is a book series for each island that has great tips/reviews and sites that most tourists miss. I really suggest getting the books for each island you plan on going to!

Maui Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook
Oahu Revealed: The Ultimate Guide to Honolulu, Waikiki & Beyond (Oahu Revisited)
Hawaii The Big Island Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook
The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed

Ditto on Coto. I've been to all 4 islands, Maui about 10 times and this week was my third on Oahu. Just spent almost a week on the north shore, had an amazing time. It was probably one of my fav visits to Hawaii ever. You can spend a whole week in that area alone and still not run out of things to do. Yes, traffic sucks in honolulu but Oahu isnt just all about Waikiki.. There is SO much more. I love Maui too (probably even more).
I've used priceline with great success on all 4 islands. Usually end up with a 4-star resort for $100ish/nt. What i usually end up with in maui is the mariott resort in Wailea and the Hawaii Prince Hotel in Oahu. Thats with using priceline. Since you have a family, VRBO.com would also be an EXCELLENT option. Also use priceline for cars, they are esp cheap on Oahu.
And totally agree w scooter - those are hands down the best guide books for Hawaii.

In HNL, I would get a car and check out the north shore. Haliewa is a nice little town and easy to park if you are there early. Beaches are beautiful and it is home to Pipeline. So when the waves are huge you might get some of the best surfers in Hawaii and the world out there putting on a show (for free).

You can also hike up Diamond Head which is a pretty easy paved walk overlooking Waikiki. For a more strenuous hike try Koko Head crater. Not much to look at but it is less crowded than Diamond head and the view is equal to or better.

For good snorkling the popular destination is Hanauma bay. Gets a little crowded and i think costs $5 per person maybe. wasnt too bad, and its close to waikiki, but there are probably a million places you could find for those type of activities.

In Maui try the Outrigger hotel in Lahaina. might be able to get a crew rate. great snorkling right outside the hotel. there is a good Luau (cant remember the name) nearby. Do the Road to Hanah making many stops on the way. you can also do the Haleakala (sp) crater.

Call Outrigger or check them out on line. They usually give pretty good discounts and the crew rate reservation can be canceled same day for non revs. In Maui we stayed at the Royal Kahana. A nice 2 bedroom condo but you would need a car to do other Maui stuff.

On Oahu; Hiking Diamondhead is fun for the little kids and only takes a couple of hours. For military I think Bellows Beach is the best beach on the Island and is almost empty weekdays.

Rental cars are dirt cheap on the islands.... I got a convertible for under 275 for a week. Best snorkeling on Maui Is at Honolua Bay. Any local shop can give u directions. Black rock is decent too and is easy to get to. Kahana, Kannapali, Lahina is the area to stay on the west side. Road to Hana Is fun, make a whole day for it though. Haleakala is amazing at sunrise, leave your hotel at like 3am, its worth it.

I may have dismissed Oahu quickly, but all in all I didn't like it or big island nearly as much as maui or Kauai. Lanai and Molokai are still on the list to visit next. Have fun. Aloha!

One thing to add. If planning to go to Oahu OGG may not be a good choice. Hawaiian flights run nearly full.

its really a crapshoot non-reving. I use to go out of CVG, although we lived in ATL, but the loads were much better, ahh the good ole days...

Maui..great cheap place to stay is the town of Kihe, about a 20 minute drive from OGG going towards Makena, great beachfront condos...be careful, lots of places say "oceanview or beachview" and are 3 blocks away from the beach. Kihe is about 30 minutes to Lahaina and all the night life. Try Maui Aviators for a 172 check-out and do a self guided tour around the island. Lindbergh is buried at a small Anglican church at the end of the "road to Hana".