Baltrum - I will be traveling to Hawaii for the first time, which hotel and island is the best?

I will be traveling to Hawaii for the first time, which hotel and island is the best?

I will be taking along my fifty-year old hubby and teen daughter, we all want to snorkel with sea turtles and really want an all inclusive resort(at least four stars) any suggestions would really be helpful! Thanks

Public Comments

all the islands have something to offer... kauai has so much natural beauty, without the hustle and bustle of waikiki in oahu oahu is touristy, but it has a nightlife and great attractions maui is between oahu and kauai, it's touristy but is beautiful, with many charming little towns and the famed "Road to Hana" the Big Island is huge and seems nearly deserted, with lava rocks and ancient petroglyphs, and Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea if u go to oahu, my recommended hotels are the Halekulani, Ihilani at Ko Olina or Outrigger Reef on the Beach. the Hakelulani is a beautiful hotel, where my parents got married actually :), and they have the award-winning restaurant "House Without a Key" and wonderful suites. Ihilani has five beautiful lagoons, and a neat pool with sharks, stingrays, fish the Outrigger chains are wonderful, with a friendly staff and great rooms. Outrigger Reef on the Beach is in waikiki and right on the beach, with two beachside restaurants you can snorkel in hanauma bay, which is packed full of colorful fish you can also snorkel and tidepool-fish in "Shark's Cove", in Pupukea Beach Park. on the north shore, be sure to visit Laniakea Beach, where you can see wild sea turtles resting on the sand. if u go to oahu, be sure to also climb Diamond Head (amazing views!), visit the beach, eat a shave ice and take a drive around the historic North Shore
There are no all inclusive resorts in Hawaii - but you CAN get an alla inclusive "pass" if you go to Oahu. You can get them from corporate travel brokers & can do ALL the activities for FREE (museums, tours, diamond head hike, catamaran breakfast ride, kayak tour, snorkel with sea turtles, waterpark entrance, etc etc. They only cost around $150 but each activity is usually at least $50-100 each, so it MORE than pays for itself. Here is a link to one site where I know you can get them, it looks like its combined with the hotel offer they have on the site but its separate. If you do need a good hotel though they have a 4 star hotel for 5 days for just $399 also - good luck!
Oh yeah if you want to do a bunch of stuff for super cheap get a Fun Pass like stacy said - I used these & they are really sweet. There was an all you can eat authentic luau that was normally just under $100 to attend & we got in free. We took an incredible hike to Diamond Head which everyone said we should do & it wasn't too strenuous & was really incredible. We got to take an Outrigger Canoe ride, went to Iolani Palace, & did so much other stuff & it was all included. This is the best $ saver you can find, & if you want to see sea turtles, you can do that with the pass too because they have multiple snorkel adventures. I got mine from the same site as well but here it is