11 Nights in Hawaii

I have eleven nights to spend in Hawaii and would like to break this up between 2-3 islands. I am thinking Oahu, Kauai and Maui. My ideal vacation is one with secluded crystal clear beaches. But since I won%26#39;t be travelling alone, I will need the option to drive to other beaches or sites as required by my companions. Can anyone suggest destinations on the above mentioned islands that have great beaches but also serve as good starting points for day ventures?

11 Nights in Hawaii

First off if I were you i%26#39;d limit it to 2 islands. I just think you%26#39;d get more out of your trip that way. Though the flights are short between the islands the airports still take up a lot of time.

I happen to big a big Kauai fan. I just love the %26#39;mellow%26#39; feel of the Kauai. I%26#39;ve been there 3 times, usually spending 10 days, and i still haven%26#39;t seen everything.

Kauai isn%26#39;t a %26#39;ritzy%26#39; type of a place. No high end shopping like some of the other islands. The North shore of Kauai is incredably lush and beautiful. It does tend to get more rain, even a little in the summer. The South side is drier and not quite as dramatic of scenery but still very nice. Kauai has many very nice beaches. It%26#39;s the oldest Island so it has more time to build up sand. Poipu beach in the south is very nice and I love Hidaways in the north. Hideaways fits your desire for a secluded cyrstal clear beach if you are coming in the summer. In the winter the waves a high on all the North shore beaches on all the Islands.

This year we are planning a 3 night stay in Waikiki before an 8 night stay on Kauai. I think Oahu and Kauai are 2 good Islands to get a good feel for Hawaii.

11 Nights in Hawaii

My favorites in order are Oahu, Maui, Big Island, Kauai.

Rule of thumb:

7 nights - 1 island

8-10 nights - 1 or 2 islands

11-14 nights - 1, 2 or 3 islands

15+ nights - 1, 2, 3 or 4 nights

So either

6 nights Oahu %26amp; 5 nights Maui

or

4 nights Oahu, 4 nights Maui, 3 nights Big Island.

You will lose about 4-6 hours each time you change islands.

Lots of info including sites with free brochures for all islands:

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g29222-i37-k647862…

You can%26#39;t beat Maui for great beaches. It also has the widest choice of lodgings and restaurants outside of Honolulu.

IMO Oahu is less %26#39;beach-y%26#39; but has plenty of beauty and it has the interesting city life of Honolulu/Waikiki.

Kauai is not only a small island, it seems even smaller because so much is vertical -- only to be seen by helicopter. Winter makes the north cool, windy and rainy, further limiting the beaches.

Pick two of the smaller islands: Kauai, Oahu, Maui.

BTW, Hawaiian waters are not as crystal clear as those of the Caribbean -- beautiful, but not quite the same and with less powdery white sand.