Hello there I'm planing my holidays for April, and we are spending 5 nights in Hawaii on the way to Australia so where should i stay and see? and i don't want to stay in a $200 a night hotel please help.

Which island of Hawaii are you going to stay on? Oahu, Maui, The Big Island, etc. My family and I did a cruise on NCL for Hawaii this past October. After the cruise we stayed 2 nights in Waikiki at the Marriott Beach Resort and Spa. It was part of our package so I'm not sure how much it was. But if you look online like travelocity or any of those other ones you can get an idea of the prices. The closer to the beach the higher the price it seems. Another good site for things to do/excursions is hawaiiactive.com. You can even book them online. Good luck! It's absolutely beautiful there. I can't wait to go again.

I've stayed at the same hotel both times I went there. Once was when my mom and my sister went and the other time was for my honeymoon, so I can't really help you with the hotel. If you are scuba diver, DEFINITELY do the Manta Ray night dive. Even if you aren't a diver, you should do the snorkel version. The divers sit at the bottom, with lights, and the snorkelers are on the surface with lights, all grouped together. The light draws in the plankton, which Mantas eat, and both times I went there were more than 10 different rays. It was totally amazing. Other than that, you can check out the volcano stuff on the big island. I don't know much else.

We are going to be on The Big Island, My sister in law is suposed to come and meet us from Australia cant wait. I love going on holidays.

Check out the Polynesian Culture Center. It is run by a church, but not religous based. They have a water parade, with all 7 or 8 of the Polynesian Islands represented, and dancing in full costume---they are all very different...some are slow and fluid like the slow hula you see, and others--the Tonganese for instance, are big on stomping feet, and do the really, really fast hula! They have shows for each island culture, you see how they bake in banana leaves, and watch them scale Palm trees, barefooted, learn how to break open coconuts, throw a spear, etc. It is realllly pretty too...of course most of the islands are!!!! Each of the islands has a small village for you to visit, and you can take canoe tours. I can remember some of the islands without benefit of looking it up, but not all...Tonga, Fiji, Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa....and I forget the other 2...oh yeah New Zealand........ Sorry, I remember it being fun, but I was vacationing not studying for a test!!!!

Also check out Hanauma Bay---awesome, awesome place to snorkel. They rent the equipment, and are all set up for it, the reef is unbelievable, we spent hours following schools of bright fish, saw manta rays----totally worth going to!!!! You will drive through very desert like country, then look over the retaining wall into paradise!!! Buy a disposable underwater camera or 2!!!

Of course Pearl Harbor is very sobering, and something you will be glad you saw. When you are there, you see for yourself exactly how our ships were trapped in there.

They have a swap meet on Wed. & Sat. at the Aloha Bowl, PERFECT place to buy your souveniers to bring home----not a flea market---all items are new---just all around the entire football field is this HUGE swap meet!

There is also an International Market Place...look it up, huge trees growing inside the marketplace!!!! Just a cool place!!! It too is in Waikiki, I think.

Waikiki Beach is fun, sky scrapers on one side of the road, with shops selling 5K dollar purses, and beach a stones throw away. Fire lit tiki type of torches lit by roller bladers each evening while we were there!!! There is also a really cool aquarium on Waikiki.

If you are not afraid of them, the glider rides, in the bubble top gliders are awesome!!! You see the island in a way you will not otherwise. The one we took was on the Dillingham Airforce field--on the north shore.....a beach you definitely want to see---wild wild waves!!

Enjoy all the wierd Banyan Trees, with all the above ground roots, and the gum trees with orange and green bark, and Monkey paw trees that stretch all across the road from one small tree---and whatever you do.....sniff some Plumeria for me. I love it more than I can say!!!!

My DD and her husband were stationed on Oahu for 4 years, at Schofield barracks with him in the Army. We visited---was good while it lasted!!!! Someday we will go back! But with the way we stayed, I have no suggestions for places to stay---sorry!

Enjoy your trip!!!! Take tons of pics!!!!

Kat