Hi

Just a set of suggestions but we have always rented a car to explore places. A return to Kauai is on our bucket list. We know you had only ten days, but the following are suggestions for when you go back - and you will go back!

Oahu - Not a big fan of the hotels in Honolulu or of Waikiki Beach with its people covered with oil (apologies to JB). The best view of Diamond Head, Waikiki and Honolulu was from Puu Ualakaa State Park. A drive south takes you to Hanauma Bay State Underwater Park, where you can snorkel with the reef fish (a crowded version of Trunk Bay on St. John). Lots of tour busses - so go early. The east coast is beautiful, with the Halona Blowhole and Sandy Beach and Waimanalo Beach - a beautiful place to eat lunch and swim. We stayed in a cottage whose porch extended into Kaneohe Bay. Got to be tough duty to be stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii! On this side of the Pali Overlook, you would never know Honolulu existed. The Hoomalahia Botanical Garden is the best thing the Corps of Engineers has ever done. Or visit the Valley of the Temples (an incredibly fancy multi-cultural cemetery) to see the Byodo-In Temple, a replica of a temple I had seen in Kyoto. The Polynesian Cultural Center is essentially a Mormon-run theme park, but just beyond it is Malaekahana SRA, a very under-utilized area with picnic tables under the ironwood trees overlooking a fabulous beach. Or you can visit Waimea Bay - hopefully on a day when the surf is really pumping - or alternatively the other famous surfing places, Pipeline and Sunset Beach. There’s a web can for Wiamea at http://livesurfcamhawaii.com/oahu/waimea.html . (Very quiet this time of year.)
Kauai - At the Lihue Airport, Hawaiian Helicopters is located right across the tarmac : www.hawaiihelicoptertours.com/south_sea.html. They have a great heli tour : from Lihue, you can visit Hanapepe Valley, Manawaipuna Falls (the Jurassic Park falls), Waimea Canyon, the Na Pali coast, Kalaulau Valley and Wailua Falls. The other must see (for us) was Hanalei Bay on the north end of Kauai - if you’re in luck you may see Puff the Magic Dragon! Another great option is to rent a car and go to Waimea Canyon - the Waimea Canyon drive takes you to the main Waimea Canyon overlook and continues to Kokee State Park, with more views of the canyon and great hiking trails. The Kalalau Lookout and the Puu O Kila Lookout offer great views of the Kalalau Valley and a glimpse of the cliffs of the Na Pali Coast.
Maui - The Road to Hana is a spectacular drive - the people we felt sorry for were those who chose to have someone else drive there. Although the rental car agencies don't want you to continue around the south side of the island - go for it! The best stop along the way was at Waianapa-napa State Park, with its beautiful black stone beach, with a set of beautiful sea arches nearby, complete with noddy terns. . The cabins are great, a must-do if we ever come here again. Hana Bay is a must see along with Kauiki Hill (a cinder cone) across the harbor. Farther along are Wailua Falls and O'heo Pools. We never did see Lindbergh's grave or the church where it was located. The SW coast of Maui is cattle country, with Ulupalakua Ranch, where we stopped at the Tedeschi Winery and tasted wine samples, purchasing some pineapple wine.
Hawaii (the Big Island) - At Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, you can take Crater Rim Drive (occasionally closed is there is an active lava flow) and take the trail down into Halemaumau Crater. We only went as far as Byron Ledge Trail, which is marked by cairns of lava rock. There were native Hawaiian offerings to Pele, wrapped in Ti leaves, just outside the railings. Another place to visit is the Thurston Lava Tube, a very moist fern-filled area also filled with birds songs! Then there’s the north coast, where you can visit the Parker Ranch, an enormous cattle ranch (about 130 K acres), that’s now run by a foundation. It’s so strange to see prickly pear cacti in Hawaii! You can take a horse back ride into the ranch proper. On the west coast, our favorite place was Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, with its reconstructed City of Refuge. The Captain Cook memorial is across the bay (he was killed here) and the Royal Kona Coffee Company is nearby. Nothing quite like Kona coffee! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

Peace
Dugg & Chris
Our VI pics are at http://picasaweb.google.com/papadugg/ and the 2014 pics are finally done