Want to go to Hawii for my honeymoon. Not sure where to go here is a list of who we are and the stipulations
-Stay one place for two weeks on or very close to the beach
-Swim and take surfing lessions
-hike a ton
-smoke the local shrubbery if there is any
-see a valcano
-stay away from the tourist thing as much as possible
-quiet but a nice place to stay.
-slow it down a bit.
we're in our late 20's and very adventurous.
BLB
Favorite Answer
Sounds like you'll love Kauai!!!!
Dani
Stay in Kona on the Big Island. The Big Island of Hawaii (which is a different island from Oahu, where Honolulu, the captitol, is) is the only Hawaiian island that has an active volcano. Maui has a dormant volcano, but from your post it sounds like you're interested in lava.
The Big Island will definitely let you slow down and get away from it all; staying in Kona will still give you plenty of things to do. Many water activities, such as sailing, SCUBA, snorkel trips, etc., will leave from the Kona side of the island. Kona also has some of the best weather of the entire state.
You will be faced with quite a drive from Kona to the volcano, so I would suggest staying at one of the volcano lodges for one night. I know you said stay in one place for two weeks, but if you really want to see the volcano and enjoy some of the spectacular hikes in the area, you will want more time there. I would recommend just packing a small overnight bag and staying at one of the lodges that are actually inside Volcano National Park - Volcano House or Kilauea Lodge.
There are several hikes throughout the Big Island. In addition to the fabulous hikes through Volcano National Park, there is a 1.5ish mile hike across a lava field to a green sand beach. There are also several black sand beaches that are accessible via short or long hikes.
There are not a whole lot of beaches on the Big Island because it is so new relative to other islands. I would recommend looking in to staying along the Waikoloa and Kohala coasts or in Kona. I am not sure what hotels are beachfront, but in the sources below is an excellent list of resorts with aerial photos so you can see just how close some of the places are to the beach.
Enjoy the trip!
islandgoddess79
I think that the two of you would really enjoy the Big Island. The nightlife is not like Oahu's, but the island is absolutely gorgeous, and the people are amazingly friendly. Also the beaches come in different colors, like black, white, gray and green! The island is quite big, so factor driving times and distances into your plans. You can definitely spend a day at the Volcano National Park, but you might also want to take a tour to the top of Mauna Kea--where you will find the only snow in the islands! Most of the tourism happens in Kona, while Hilo tends to be slower paced, and it's where the locals live. That side of the island is also extremely lush, and full of waterfalls and orchids! If you have time, check out Waimea, where you can see Hawaii's paniolo (cowboy) past...yeah, you should totally check out the Big Island, I'm sure you'll love it!
G.T. Hildebrand
I prefer the Big Island. It does not have the nightlife of Honolulu but Kona is more laid back and a little cheaper. There are some really nice resorts there too. If you want to see a volcano it's where you have to go as that's where the only active volcano is. The observatory is there as well and worth seeing. Hilo is worth the trip but I would not want to stay there it rains a lot. Stay in Kona and drive to Hilo. Check out a lot of the little towns on the north end of the island where the locals live, go down to South point, see the Place of Refuge, do some snorkeling, take the Captain Bean Dinner Cruise...
That's my recommendation.
Hawaiian Dee
Sounds like the Big Island is the place for you guys!!
Enjoy!!!