9-Day Trip to Hawaii - Where to Visit/Photo? Need Advice!

NON-STOP to Hawaii from the East Coast is absolutely a disaster for 85% of the people. If

you are in that 15% who can do it by placing your brain "on hold" for 15 hours, you already

know it. But most people can't and they end up arriving in Hawaii, heading directly to bed

without even opening their luggage, then sleep for 10 hours.

 

For most people it's a no-brainer. Stop on the West Coast, get a nice dinner, go to sleep,

get up in the morning fresh and relaxed and head out for another 6 hour flight to Hawaii.

 

Admittedly there are people who regularly fly from Chicago to Japan and LA to Australia

but the have adapted to it the way a lot of military people have adapted to flying from

North Carolina to Bagdad.

 

 

Again, if you are "tuned" to doing long flights--and so is your spouse--then you already

know that. It is no time to start "practicing" when going on vacation because the NET time

that you save is ZERO. You lose the whole first day in Hawaii to sleeping and adapting to

the time change.

 

Flying the OTHER WAY--from Hawaii to the East Coast--is not as bad an adjustment. If

you want to see if you can adapt to long air trips without stopping, that would be the way

to try it first. That way you'll only miss a day at work when you get back if it doesn't agree

with you. You won't mess up your vacation.

I too have gone to Hawaii and take Continental's non-stop Newark-to-Honolulu flight. It's not 15 hours, just a little over 9 1/2 or so hours. I sleep very soundly and usually travel first class, so it's not a very rough flight for me.<p>

Take a look at some good books, like <i>Driving and Discovering Oahu</i> and <i>Driving and Discovering Maui and Molokai</i>; I think there are ones for the other islands. The series are geared toward photographers and give you exact advice on where to get the best shots.<p>

I wish I were going! Have a great time.

I can second the recommendation of Richard Sullivan's <i>Driving and Discovering</i> books. I found the Maui book extremely helpful when I went there last year. It gives routes and locations illustrated with great pictures, and even identifies where each picture was taken.

I was on the big island in December - It is beautiful, and i would recommend reading up on what interests you and your wife the most then try and break you trip up into 2 or 3 hotels staying near what you want to see most. Certainly makes sunrise/sunset shots easier that way.

 

The two most remarkable things we did was sunset/stargazing tour on Mauna Kea (we went with Hawaii Forest and Trail) and the dusk hike to see the lava flowing into the ocean in Volcano's National Park. If you're up to this, it is a strenuous hike and in the dark particulary challenging bring plenty of water, snacks and spare batteries for your flashlight. It was one of the coolest things i have ever seen - we were very lucky and saw a lot of lava.

 

 

I went snorkling just below the Captain Cook Monument in Ka'awaloa Cove it was a very good spot, i had also heard that the beach just beside the place of refuge (i cant remember the name right now) was also a very good spot

 

oh, and i 2nd the recommendation for Lonley Planet's guide to the Big Island

You've received many good suggestions here already. I'll just post some photos I took on my last trip to the Big Island.<p>

<table>

<tr>

<td><img alt="Captain Cook monument"

src="http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/7434/captaincookmonumentrz5.jpg"

/></td>

<td><img alt="Flowing lava"

src="http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/8057/lava9ve8.jpg" /></td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td><img alt="Mauna Kea"

src="http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/4144/maunakeatj0.jpg" /></td>

<td><img alt="Hawaii"

src="http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/7274/hawaiiej1.jpg" /></td>

</tr>

</table>