Aloha Nights

Large, spacious one-bedroom suites complete with kitchen, living room, and large bath. The rooms sleep six and are very clean. The kitchen had everything you needed down to a blender, and even the dishwasher soap and paper towels.

This hotel has two small swimming pools and a hot tub. The beach is walking distance, but is not for swimming. There are no restaurants on-site, but plenty around. It is located in an area of finer hotels, and we used the amenities from several of those, for example the bar at Coconut Grove Hotel and the larger pool at Kauai's Beach Boy Resort.

A nice place to stay for a value vacation.

This Smith's Family Luau is the ultimate luau experience. I recommend the Fern Grotto Cruise at 3:30pm for just $15 -- it will take you back to the park at 5pm when the luau grounds open. Make sure to park by the luau and walk to the cruise. You will walk the beautiful garden park before the luau begins. Purchase the bird seed for $.50 and watch everything from chickens to peacocks follow you.

The Imu ceremony starts at 7pm, followed by the dinner. It is all you can eat and drink for one price: $58. Most luaus limit the number of drinks or do not include an open bar, unlike this one. The luau show is fantastic with volcano eruptions and dancers from all over the islands. It is also performed at an ampitheater, so no seat is a bad seat.

Great burgers and fries. Everything is fresh. Be sure to sit outside and watch the people go by. There information center is the best (Club Bub) -- just a local guy or girl giving real info about the island and things to do.

We were skeptical about this place located right on the river next to Smith's Luau, but it is a great place to eat. The grilled ahi ahi was superb and for those non-seafood lovers, my husband ordered the stuffed pork chop and it was HUGE. All dinners also include the salad bar. We found this place to be one of the best value dinners around.

Be sure to sit outside. The view of the river was beautiful, especially as the sun was setting.

Beautiful pristine beaches for everyone. There is a reef offshore so the waves are calm. Perfect for young children, snorkeling, and kayaking. We visited in the summer, but I was informed that in the winter, the waves can become very rough.

Traveling down a windy sandy path through the sugar cane fields to the Na'pali coast was an adventure in itself. Don't worry, you will get there. Be careful where you park if you do not have 4-wheel drive. We did not and did just fine.

The drive is well worth the it. This was the most beautiful beach we had seen -- miles and miles of white sand beaches. The remote location can guarantee few people on this stretch of sand.

The Waimea Canyon is called the "Grand Canyon" of Hawaii. A beautiful deep river gorge that lasts approximately 10 miles. There is a winding twisty road that will take you to the top of the canyon. Be sure to take something if you are prone to motion sickness.

I would also recommned taking your own picnic lunch, snacks, and drinks. There is a restaurant at the top of canyon, but it looks pricey and its the only one. There are also hiking trails and rental cabins at the Kokee Lodge.

Great place to shop for Hawaiian clothing and gifts. The Hawaiian silk shirts are suberb and the best buy -- they start at $25. You can also check them out online, but the website only contains a small selection of what their island store has to offer.