OT: All Knowing Board....

[psuro]

So, the fam, and extended fam (probably 15-18 people) have decided that we will all travel to Hawaii next Christmas (or this Christmas (2018) since we just went through Christmas)...

Anyone ever rent a large home in the Islands? as that seems to be what we are leaning towards doing. Any tips on vacation rentals (other than just directing me to websites). If anyone has first hand knowledge of this, I would appreciate it.

Much obliged.

 

[LionJim]

Can't help you out on lodgings, but I do know that Hawaii has very strict ordinances on emptying RV toilets into public storm sewers.

 

[psuro]

Can't help you out on lodgings, but I do know that Hawaii has very strict ordinances on emptying RV toilets into public storm sewers.

I will keep that in mind if we rent an RV. Or a public storm sewer.

 

[NittPicker]

Can't help you out on lodgings, but I do know that Hawaii has very strict ordinances on emptying RV toilets into public storm sewers.

 

[PSU2UNC]

So, the fam, and extended fam (probably 15-18 people) have decided that we will all travel to Hawaii next Christmas (or this Christmas (2018) since we just went through Christmas)...

Anyone ever rent a large home in the Islands? as that seems to be what we are leaning towards doing. Any tips on vacation rentals (other than just directing me to websites). If anyone has first hand knowledge of this, I would appreciate it.

Much obliged.

Which island are you leaning towards?

I've spent a moderate amount of time on both Oahu and the big island and while I won't point you to specific rental sites, I will mention a couple of things.

1) On Oahu, most houses that big won't be near "stuff" (restaurants, bars, etc) which means unless you are spending the entire vacation at the house, so with that many people you will need a rack of rental cars (although Uber is big there) and traffic on Oahu is TERRIBLE. I always try to avoid spending my vacations sitting in traffic, but that's just a priority of mine.

2) On the big island, it looks like there are some houses that size outside of the village of Kona (moderate walk or short bike ride away). Kona is very cool and has stuff that you could walk to from the house.

 

[psuro]

Which island are you leaning towards?

I've spent a moderate amount of time on both Oahu and the big island and while I won't point you to specific rental sites, I will mention a couple of things.

1) On Oahu, most houses that big won't be near "stuff" (restaurants, bars, etc) which means unless you are spending the entire vacation at the house, so with that many people you will need a rack of rental cars (although Uber is big there) and traffic on Oahu is TERRIBLE. I always try to avoid spending my vacations sitting in traffic, but that's just a priority of mine.

2) On the big island, it looks like there are some houses that size outside of the village of Kona (moderate walk or short bike ride away). Kona is very cool and has stuff that you could walk to from the house.

Thanks.

This is one of my concerns - with this many people how do we get everyone around? And with the islands being so far apart, would we end up "island hopping", which means constant packing and unpacking.

I have to meet up with family and decide what they want to do. The logistics of Hawaii are a bit much for this number of people.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Have made six trips to Oahu, Maui and Kauai, never to the big island.

Advantages and disadvantages on all.....but try not to island hop more than once, you lose AT LEAST half a day getting out of your first place and relocating / getting settled into your new place. That’s my strongest recommendation for a successful trip!

 

[Obliviax]

Thanks.

This is one of my concerns - with this many people how do we get everyone around? And with the islands being so far apart, would we end up "island hopping", which means constant packing and unpacking.

I have to meet up with family and decide what they want to do. The logistics of Hawaii are a bit much for this number of people.

PSU2UNC is correct. A lot depends on the island.

Kuaui is my favorite. Waikiki is in the city with tons of night life. Maui is probably the best mix. The big island is great but so spread out. Can't really go wrong with Kaanapali as a nice mix (resorts, homes, places to eat, rentals, excursions, transportation...and still get that nice "Hawaiian" feel.

I also agree transportation will be a challenge. My advice would be to schedule on big family event. For the rest of the time, perhaps make breakfast an event and everyone does their own thing. For many, Hawaii is a once-in-a-lifetime event and you will find people that want to party getting frustrated that they have to play cards with grandma. I'd recommend that being a Luau at sunset. This is good for all ages.

Perhaps look at three or four other events that people can opt into by a certain date.

You can always do the resort thing. I stayed at the Marriott Ocean Club on Maui (Kaanapali) two years ago over thanksgiving. You can book several rooms near each other and get as many key cards as you want. One family set up a room as the gathering place (with 7-24 pizza and food) thus allowing others who want a bit of privacy to be private. We did Marriott for points but Hyatt and several others looked great. An advantage is people can hit the pool/beach/food whenever they want and are just steps away. The resort is good about arranging shuttles to nearby places of interest. Or, you can grab three or four Ubers. We rented a single van just so the families would have access if need be.

Honestly, I look on AirBnB to find places I like. I then google the address to see if I can book it directly. It is a bit more difficult because places get booked up for Xmas, as you can imagine.

 

[meanmiJ01]

Maybe late to the party since I only really see the sig pics at work on the desktop... But great to see Ro is back to himself!!

 

[PSU2UNC]

Thanks.

This is one of my concerns - with this many people how do we get everyone around? And with the islands being so far apart, would we end up "island hopping", which means constant packing and unpacking.

I have to meet up with family and decide what they want to do. The logistics of Hawaii are a bit much for this number of people.

I wouldn't recommend island hopping unless your total trip is more than a week. It's not super cheap to do (unless you luck out on fares), will suck up a lot of time and you'll end up not having a relaxing trip.

The other thing that I would add regarding the Big Island is that there is a tremendous variety of nature/landscapes ranging from Volcanoes National Park to black sand beaches to tropical dry forests (I think the island has something like 8 different climate zones, which is pretty amazing). If your family is into science and doing outside stuff (rather than just chilling on the beach), you will find the big island pretty impressive.

 

[Air Force 1]

I lived on Oahu for 4 years. Recommendations without a doubt if the surf is up on the North Shore you have to go, Weimea bay is a great place to watch the surf (go early as there will be a lot of traffic headed that way if it up). Then stop in Haleiwa for something to eat. There are a lot of great hiking spots if your into hiking and if your in really good shape climb the stairway to heaven (on the way to Kaneohe). There is one trail you can hike (don't remember the name of it but you can see the wing of a downed Japanese Zero. Hit the flea market on the weekend at Aloha stadium.

 

[mjh218]

I have been to all of the islands several times, except for the Big Island. Here is my take -

Waikiki - highly touristy and urban. I would say this is by far my least favorite Hawaiian destination. I haven't explored the rest of the island, but my friends who surf love the north shore. Not sure there is much to do on the north shore for a family though.

Maui - probably the best mix of rural and urban. Tons of outdoor activities, but Lahaina and Kihei have all the entertainment/dining you could want. Plenty of cool activities on the island - e.g the volcano. I have been to Maui about 6 times and will be there next year for xmas. I rented a house right near Lahaina, there were tons of options on Airbnb.

Kauai - beautiful, but definitely more rural than urban. Not much nightlife outside of the resorts. If you are someone who wants to fill their days with hiking then you probably can't beat Kauai. There are 2 sides to the island - Princeville and Poipu and they have very different weather patterns depending on the time of year.

 

[Obliviax]

one other point...just to be clear....your biggest challenge is going to be managing everyone. They will all want different experiences and food. I've seen some families have big challenges. This is heightened when you are in a place like Hawaii because there will be people that want to put the family in the rear view mirror to do those once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

My recommendation is to set expectations. Set up some preplanned events while giving people the opportunity to do their own things.

 

[psuro]

Appreciate all the insight.

I did Hawaii in August of 2001, and island hopped, but I planned it that way. But, with a big family, it's more difficult.

Thanks and please keep it coming.