Topic Wiki

Please post your questions in the correct thread. This thread, as the title clearly states, is for general Hawaii questions only.

If you have any questions that pertains to a particular island, post it in the appropriate island thread. See below for links to all island threads.

You'd get far better answers there, and chances are that your issue was already discussed at length too.

DansMeals: Hawaii For The Kosher Traveler:
-Part 1: General Info And The Island Of Oahu
-Part 2: The Big Island of Hawaii
-Part 3: Maui
-Part 4: Kauai

Related DD Posts:
-Ultimate Hawaii Mileage Chart and Everything You Need to Know About the Hawaiian Islands (2015)
-Trip Notes: Maui No Ka ‘Oi (2014)
-Trip Notes Kauai: Heaven On Earth (2014)
-The Hawaiian Islands. (2011)
-Traveling To Hawaii…With A 5 Month Old (2011)
-View From The Room (2011)
-Pearl Harbor…70 Years (2011)
-Shaloha! (2011)
-Hawaii Trip Notes: Kauai (2009)
-Hawaii Trip Notes: Oahu (2009)
-Which Miles To Use To Fly To Hawaii?

Related DDF Destination Threads:
-Big Island Of Hawaii Master Thread
-Kauai Master Thread
-Maui Master Thread
-Oahu Master Thread
-Lanai, Molokai, and Niihau, Hawaii Master Thread

Background on Hawaiian Islands
You've probably heard of Honolulu. That's the state capital and is located on island of Oahu, the main island with the largest airport. Honolulu hosts the famous Waikiki Beach and if you look at pictures, it looks like Miami. One long beach with a strip of hotels. Most DDFers say to go to one of the other 3 main islands which are less touristy and the hotels are more spread out. In no particular order, the other islands are Maui, Kauai and Hawaii (yes, that's the name of one of the islands. It's also known as The Big Island - confusing because Big Island sounds like it's the "Main Island", but Oahu is the main island). Direct flights from NYC only go to HNL. You can get direct flights from other cities (LAX, SFO, OAK, SJC, SAN, DEN, DFW, PHX, SEA, ORD as examples) to the other islands. Hawaii is amazing - have fun! The main airport codes are:
Oahu: HNL
Maui: OGG
Kauai: LIH
The Big Island: KOA, ITO (2 airports on 2 different sides of the island)

Interisland flights:
Hawaiian is the main interisland carrier and flies HNL, LIH, OGG, KOA, and ITO. They have countless flights each day and are nearly always on time - often even early. Never book a tight connection hoping that the interisland flight will be delayed.

Go and Island Air fly from HNL. Mokulele flies from HNL and KOA, as well as to Kapalua (JHM), Hana (HNM), Molokai (MKK), Lanai (LNY), and Waimea-Kohala (MUE) on the Big Island. Hawaiian's subsidiary Ohana flies HNL to MKK and LNY.

You can also use 5k AA, 6k UA or 7.5k HA miles each way to fly interisland. You can use 15k DL pesos for a RT interisland. United allows a free stopover on a round-trip, so for instance you can fly HNL-LIH-OGG-HNL for just 12K miles.
HA has several tiers, similar to DL, the lowest tier is the only one that's available using partner miles, but with HA miles you can purchase tickets that are otherwise unavailable for additional miles.

@Yehuda's thoughts on deciding between Kauai and Maui:
Here's a list of the main activities on both islands. Decide what interests you, and then you'll know where to go.

Kauai has what many say to be one of the best hikes in the world - Kalalau Trail. Most people will only do the first part, but it's still very highly regarded. The views atop Waimea Canyon are breathtaking, yet Maui also has breathtaking views at Haleakala. Kauai also has some supposedly awesome off-roading on Miloli'i Ridge Road. Sunset at the 12-mile long Polihale Beach is supposed to be quite the sunset. A helicopter tour of Kauai is generally said to be much better than a heli tour of Maui. If the water is calm, Queen's Bath, which is a natural pool in the ocean you can swim in that's protected from the ocean's force by hardened lava, is SICK, but Maui has the same thing by the Olivine Pools. Kayaking down the Wailua River to "Secret Falls" is supposed to be great as well. Of course, the luxurious, tropical amazingness of the Grand Hyatt Kauai is a huge boost for Kauai, except for its beach, but the great Po'ipu Beach is 5 minutes away.

Maui has the Road to Hana, which is an incredible drive through what feels like a rainforest with tons of opportunities to take small hikes to waterfalls and pools. It's just wow wow wow. Sunrise at the top Haleakala is not to be missed. A boat trip to snorkel by Molokini Crater offers what is supposedly some of the best snorkeling visibility in the world. Warren & Annabelle's Magic Show is supposed to be a great night out. The hotels are also magical, perhaps to a lesser degree than GHK, but the beaches by the main hotels are a big plus over GHK's beach. EDIT: The Grand Wailea in Maui is a gorgeous hotel that rivals the GHK (and its lazy river actually moves as opposed to GHK's ). Add in the fact that its beach (Wailea Beach) is swimmable and doesn't require the albeit short drive to Po'ipu Beach that the GHK does, I'm not sure that the GHK should be a reason enough to tip the scales in favor of Kauai over Maui anymore.

So, pick the types of activities you'd want to do and then you'll have your island. I personally liked Maui better mostly because of the Road to Hana, but to be fair, I did miss out on the Kalalau Trail in Kauai due to weather.
« Last edited by jj1000 on December 25, 2023, 10:30:33 AM »

Author Topic: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?  (Read 484983 times)

Offline Dan

  • Administrator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 50K Diamond Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 67598
  • Total likes: 16910
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 16442
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: CLE
  • Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL Dirt, Hyatt Glob, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, DD Diamond, Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #240 on: July 11, 2012, 05:38:02 PM »
Yeah, I looked IAH-HNL - there is def more availability there. Thanks for the thought.

If it isn't worth for F on the other route, is it even worth J?
Than go via IAH, no question. 

And search for IAD-HNL.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline shmuelb

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Gold Elite
  • ******
  • Join Date: Mar 2011
  • Posts: 759
  • Total likes: 9
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: Israel
  • Programs: Amex Plat, AAdvantage, Elal Matmid, Southwest, Delta Silver Medallion Skymiles, Hertz #1 Gold 5 Star, National Emerald Club Executive.
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #241 on: July 11, 2012, 05:58:52 PM »
OT- Dan, 4 more posts!!! How many more minutes?
siyag lachachma :-)

Offline damaxer91

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Jul 2008
  • Posts: 3182
  • Total likes: 64
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 6
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile

Offline Dan

  • Administrator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 50K Diamond Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 67598
  • Total likes: 16910
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 16442
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: CLE
  • Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL Dirt, Hyatt Glob, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, DD Diamond, Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #243 on: July 11, 2012, 10:55:44 PM »
Nope.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline adam0619

  • Dansdeals Silver Elite
  • **
  • Join Date: Jul 2012
  • Posts: 87
  • Total likes: 0
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: NY
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #244 on: July 13, 2012, 09:37:02 AM »
I was looking at information about SRP and saw this on their website:

"Our chefs can also prepare or heat up kosher meals; a $20 surcharge is added for this service." (source: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis/property/dining/index.html?propertyID=189)

Anyone know anything about this?  Anyone used it?  Recommend/avoid?  And most importantly - any info about the reliability?

Offline Dan

  • Administrator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 50K Diamond Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 67598
  • Total likes: 16910
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 16442
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: CLE
  • Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL Dirt, Hyatt Glob, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, DD Diamond, Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #245 on: July 13, 2012, 09:41:21 AM »
Sure, bring them kosher meals and they'll heat it for $20/meal :P
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline adam0619

  • Dansdeals Silver Elite
  • **
  • Join Date: Jul 2012
  • Posts: 87
  • Total likes: 0
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: NY
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #246 on: July 13, 2012, 10:02:08 AM »
Sure, bring them kosher meals and they'll heat it for $20/meal :P

 ;)

I'm thrown off by the "prepare OR heat up kosher meals," which sounds like they do more than just merely heating up food you give them.

Offline Yossi.

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Nov 2011
  • Posts: 1091
  • Total likes: 0
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 2
    • View Profile
  • Location: Brooklyn, NY
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #247 on: July 13, 2012, 12:46:36 PM »
Sure, bring them kosher meals and they'll heat it for $20/meal :P
Or just insist on the fact that u really just need them to pick up the box from the freezer and bring it to your room and that u dont want any preparation, plates, etc and they will waive the daily charge :) but of course YMMV

Offline Dan

  • Administrator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 50K Diamond Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 67598
  • Total likes: 16910
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 16442
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: CLE
  • Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL Dirt, Hyatt Glob, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, DD Diamond, Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #248 on: July 13, 2012, 01:25:22 PM »
Or just insist on the fact that u really just need them to pick up the box from the freezer and bring it to your room and that u dont want any preparation, plates, etc and they will waive the daily charge :) but of course YMMV
I just ask for an extra fridge and keep everything in the room.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Yossi.

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Nov 2011
  • Posts: 1091
  • Total likes: 0
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 2
    • View Profile
  • Location: Brooklyn, NY
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #249 on: July 13, 2012, 01:35:51 PM »
I just ask for an extra fridge and keep everything in the room.
U never found it kind of risky especially if u switch island in the middle to keep frozen food in your fridge for almost 2 weeks?

Offline Dan

  • Administrator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 50K Diamond Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 67598
  • Total likes: 16910
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 16442
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: CLE
  • Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL Dirt, Hyatt Glob, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, DD Diamond, Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #250 on: July 13, 2012, 01:46:09 PM »
We've been in HI for as long as a month at a time, ff course we had them keep food for onward islands in their freezer :D
Sometimes we had them keep food for later in the week in their freezer and had them bring 1 bag of food up mid-stay and the rest up at the end.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline businessmachine

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Silver Elite
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Posts: 564
  • Total likes: 0
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: New York City
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #251 on: July 13, 2012, 02:14:39 PM »
Yossi....get off dansdeals and enjoy Hawaii man!!!  :) :) :) :)

Offline adam0619

  • Dansdeals Silver Elite
  • **
  • Join Date: Jul 2012
  • Posts: 87
  • Total likes: 0
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: NY
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #252 on: July 15, 2012, 01:04:35 PM »
Has anyone used the Entertainment Coupon Books (http://hawaii.entertainment.com/discount/browse.shtml) for Hawaii?  Is it a worthwhile purchase (although it's on sale now for $8.95 + free shipping, so I imagine it can't be a bad idea to get it for 8.95...)

Also, I've heard Island Air is pretty horrendous.  Is it worth it to spend the extra $$ to go on Hawaiian?  It would be an extra $45/ticket.  AA doesn't have available flights for the day I went using miles.

Is it worth it to transfer MR points to Hawaiian for the tickets, or better to spend the $$ and save the MR for other uses?

As usual, thanks!
« Last Edit: July 15, 2012, 07:49:03 PM by Dan »

Offline Mocha

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Feb 2011
  • Posts: 2508
  • Total likes: 5
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 3
    • View Profile
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #253 on: July 17, 2012, 12:12:13 AM »
Have a trip planned to LIH next Jan from sun-thu. Have a tue-mon vacation coming up at the end of August. Should I do a quick Hawaii run to another Island? Being that this will be over shabbos should i just spend my time in Honolulu?

Offline Mocha

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Feb 2011
  • Posts: 2508
  • Total likes: 5
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 3
    • View Profile
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #254 on: July 17, 2012, 07:54:55 AM »
Bump..anyone? can I stick in LA for tue and wed and HNL for fri shabb sun?

Offline businessmachine

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Silver Elite
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Posts: 564
  • Total likes: 0
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Location: New York City
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #255 on: July 17, 2012, 08:26:00 AM »
Mocha, I really don't think 3 days is enough for a trip to HI. While you can pretty much do HNL over 3 days, the fact that shabbos is in the middle doesen't help as well. If I were you, I would extend the december one by 3 or 4 days and check out HNL then.

Offline Mocha

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Feb 2011
  • Posts: 2508
  • Total likes: 5
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 3
    • View Profile
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #256 on: July 17, 2012, 08:34:40 AM »
Mocha, I really don't think 3 days is enough for a trip to HI. While you can pretty much do HNL over 3 days, the fact that shabbos is in the middle doesen't help as well. If I were you, I would extend the december one by 3 or 4 days and check out HNL then.
Thanks. What if i did tue/wed through sunday/monday?
also id there any island that would have an eiruv around the hotel for shabbos? (Im with a 6 month old)
« Last Edit: July 17, 2012, 08:45:31 AM by Mocha »

Offline Dan

  • Administrator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 50K Diamond Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 67598
  • Total likes: 16910
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 16442
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: CLE
  • Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL Dirt, Hyatt Glob, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, DD Diamond, Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #257 on: July 17, 2012, 11:18:43 AM »
Thanks. What if i did tue/wed through sunday/monday?
also id there any island that would have an eiruv around the hotel for shabbos? (Im with a 6 month old)
An eiruv around the hotel? Are you joking?
Perhaps stick with the hotel that chabad of HNL is located in (assuming they are still located there)?
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Mocha

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Feb 2011
  • Posts: 2508
  • Total likes: 5
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 3
    • View Profile
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #258 on: July 17, 2012, 11:26:36 AM »
An eiruv around the hotel? Are you joking?
Perhaps stick with the hotel that chabad of HNL is located in (assuming they are still located there)?
okay perhaps I'll stay in the Westin and change hotels just for Shabbos. Is arriving there Tuesday night and leaving Sunday too short?

Offline Dan

  • Administrator
  • Dansdeals Lifetime 50K Diamond Elite
  • **********
  • Join Date: May 2008
  • Posts: 67598
  • Total likes: 16910
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 16442
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: CLE
  • Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL Dirt, Hyatt Glob, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, DD Diamond, Blocked By @NeriaKraus
Re: Hawaii Master Thread: General Questions And Which Island To Visit?
« Reply #259 on: July 17, 2012, 11:28:16 AM »
okay perhaps I'll stay in the Westin and change hotels just for Shabbos. Is arriving there Tuesday night and leaving Sunday too short?
If you're changing hotels, probably a day too short.
But I'm the guy that went to HI for the first time for 48 hours (albeit for $87 all-inclusive)
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.