TIPS : Planning a trip to Hawaii

ALOHA! Planning a trip to Hawaii is very exciting once you figure out the islands you want to visit, until then it might seem a lil overwhelming. One thing to remember is you will never go wrong irrespective of the islands you pick, all 4 islands (Maui, Big Island, Kauai and Oahu) are beautiful in its own way.
Remember Hawaii is beautiful in pockets, so you must drive around the island to find those spots. I had a moment of disappointment when I landed in Hawaii as the airport is pretty basic like a normal bus stand in India :). The surroundings around the airport was looking like a village in India with chickens and roosters running around. I was wondering if this is what Hawaii is all about and why the hype? So be prepared to see some normal landscapes that doesn't look anything like the pictures you see online BUT look forward to driving to those beautiful spots which are hidden around the island and that makes your trip worthwhile.

Some common questions I had while planning for Hawaii trip are below:-
# What is the best time of the year to plan a trip to Hawaii?
Check this website https://santorinidave.com/best-time-to-visit-hawaii
# How many islands to visit? If we decide on visiting 2 islands then which of the 2 among the 4 islands should we pick?
I would recommed doing a multi-pack Costco travel package covering 2 islands. Roughly 3 to 4 nights in each island. One of our friend recommended renting a Jeep instead of car and that was good as we could enjoy the scenic view much better during the drive.
# What are top attractions in each island?
Talk to fiends who have already been to Hawaii. Also I would highly recommend Google search top attractions in each island and see what activities aligns with your line of interest. However down below I have shared my itinerary so you can get an idea.
# What activities to do in each island?
Some activities I would recommend are as follows:-
* HELICOPTER RIDE It's lil pricy but totally worth every buck-so don't miss it. We went with Blue Hawaiian Company for the ride in Big Island Waikoloa--Kohala Coast Adventure and it was the best ride ever!
* SNORKELING OR SUBMARINE RIDE Hawaii doesn't have great corals so it's a good activity to do but wouldn't give great rating for that, but kids liked it though.
* LUAU HULA DANCE SHOW-Luau is traditional Hawaiian feast and Hula is a Polynesian dance show. All islands have few hotels that have Luau with Hula dance performances, we can book it online and show up. Dinner buffet is included along with the dance show within the package.
* SCENIC DRIVE to some popular valleys, falls and beaches are some activities you shouldn't miss out. You should have a good plan for each day activities as drive from one scenic spot to another might take 2+ hours sometimes and use maps to plan your itinerary ahead.
* FOOD- Loco Moco, Sea food and Malasadas DON'T MISS OUT on these authentic Hawaiian dishes.
Loco Moco is very authentic Hawaiian food and they have chicken flavor too along with other red meat options, it is topped with half done eggs and you can choose to go with well done eggs.
Hawaii is one of the best place for Sea food restaurants and shacks. Fish fillets,Calamari and Crab cakes were just awesome!
Dessert Malasada is a Portuguese confection-think of it like a stuffed Donut. They have Coconut and Mango stuffed malasadas along with other traditional flavors. It was simply delicious!

Here is our trip Itinerary for reference:-
We visited Maui and Big island and loved it.
# Day 1 Flew to Maui, reached the hotel and walked around trials near hotel and took a dip in the beach.
# Day 2 Atlantis Submarine ride near Lahaina 30 minutes from hotel. Enjoyed one of best Seafood in one of shacks near the piers. Don't miss out if you are Seafood lover!
# Day 3 Road to Hana is 2 1/2 drive from Kapalua villas and we have several locations to stop in between like Twin Falls, Bamboo Gardens and Garden of Eden at different mile markers. Some folks stay back in Hana but we headed back to our resort the same day.
# Day 4 Relaxed at Kapalua villa resort beach, had plans to go to Haleakala national park for sunrise but we couldn't wake so skipped it.
# Day 5 Flew to Big island and in the evening we went to Luau Hula dance Show at Royal Kona resort. We stayed at Royal Kona resort but the room wasn't great so wouldn't recommend that place.
# Day 6 Helicopter ride at Waikoloa--Kohala Coast Adventure with Blue Hawaiian Company, then drove to Polulu Valley for Hiking and enjoyed the evening at a beach near by.
# Day 7 Drove to Akaka Falls and we stopped at different spots en route to the falls. If you have time they have good Zipline trails near by too.
# Day 8 Drove to Volcano National Park to see Lava craters. However for us it was a super misty day and we couldn't see the Crater as it was very cloudy but the restaurants inside the park were simply amazing with really good unique food, so relaxed and enjoyed the evening inside the park.

MAUI HAWAII 2019
Maui has 2 major attractions one is the drive called " ROAD to HANA" and the other attraction is watching the early morning sunrise at " Kipahulu at Haleakala National Park". One other activity we did was Submarine ride. ROAD to HANA is 2 1/2 drive from Kapalua Villas and we have several locations to stop in between like Twin Falls, Bamboo Gardens hike to waterfalls and Garden of Eden.

HOTEL: We stayed at Kapalua villas Lahaina which was recommended by one of my buddy and it was a paradise. Villa had a great living room with beach view and kitchen was fully equipped for cooking.
You can spend a day just in this hotel as they have great walking trails with scenic view and beach attached to the resort.
https://www.outrigger.com/hotels-resorts/hawaii/maui/the-kapalua-villas

BIG ISLAND HAWAII 2019
Big Island has lot of attaractions, we loved the following places Akaka Falls, Polulu Valley Lookout, Waikoloa--Kohala Coast Adventure Helicopter ride and Volcano National Park.

MAUI Kapalua Villas