Which Island?

If you only had time to visit one island, which would it be?

I%26#39;ll be travelling to Hawaii to visit a friend in Honolulu. We%26#39;ll have time to visit one other island for about 5 to 7 days. Which island would you choose, keeping in mind that I will explore Honolulu and Oahu. Although price isn%26#39;t the main concern, less expensive is better. This would be for early December 2007.

Thanks.

Which Island?

Kauai is my favorite island, so that%26#39;s where I%26#39;d go. The sheer physical beauty of the place is unmatched by the other islands (by a long shot), and there are enough good restaurnts, etc. to keep me happy. The Na Pali coast and Waimea Canyon are two of the most spectacular things I%26#39;ve ever seen, and there are a multitude of great beaches to relax on. Lots of great hiking, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, etc. on the island.

Since you%26#39;ll be going in December I%26#39;d recommend staying in the Poipu area, as the north can be rainy that time of year (not always, however, and absolutely worth a visit).

My 2 cents.

Which Island?

Maui

Road to Hana %26amp; Haleakala are really nice.

Lots of info:

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29222-i37-k647862鈥?/a>

www.visitmaui.com free brochure

www.mauihawaii.org

www.bigisland.org free brochure

www.kauaidiscovery.com free brochure

www.kauai-hawaii.com

Oahu, Kauai and Maui are all ';typically tropical';, so I%26#39;d pick Big Island for its many unique micro-climates. Winter is the best time to be there, as this largely bare-lava island starts to heat up in spring and stays hot through fall.

Oahu and Kauai will likely be rainy and windy over their northern parts. Maui less so. Only Hilo is likely to have rain on Big Island.

The island with the most lodgings is Maui -- whole west side has everything from posh resort hotels to very nice condos to bargain condos. Rates don%26#39;t go up until the middle of December.

3 opinions - 3 islands that all sound good.

Thanks for the links - looks like a have a lot of reading to do.

If it makes a difference, we are two graduate students (well, she%26#39;ll be a post-doc) in our late 20s. Spending huge amounts of time on the beach isn%26#39;t particulairly high on our list (and I%26#39;ll have a week in Honolulu for beaching whilst she works).

Would you recomend renting a car wherever we go? Or do you only need one in some places?

Thanks again.

I%26#39;d get a car on any of the islands.

You won%26#39;t need a car in Honolulu, but will to explore the rest of Oahu and on the other islands. A sub-compact is fine except for Big island, where the speed limit is faster and a larger size is safer. (Hawaii has the most drunk driving traffic fatalities of all the States.)

Oh, yes, go to Kauai - you will fall in the love with it - gorgeous place that just cries out to be explored. Get the Ulimate Kauai Revealed - it%26#39;ll be a great help to you. :)