Question:  David Henning asks:  My wife and I are planning to go to Hawaii in March 2010.  What is a good length of time to stay (7 days, 10 to 14 days)?  We’d love to island hop, so what islands should we visit?  We enjoy the beach, we are not golfers, and we enjoy doing things on our own.

Answer:  Tonya Powell, Vacation Sales Specialist at the AAA office in Chico, Calif., says:  If you were going to visit just one island, I usually recommend five to 10 night stays.  Since you want to island hop, you need to determine how many islands you really want to see first.  My personal suggestion is no more than two islands in a seven to 10 day stay and no more than three islands for an 11 to 14 day stay.  However, you should consider the amount of time that it takes to get to the islands from your origination and then count those days as travel days, not vacation days.  Please keep in mind that every day you are checking in and out of a hotel and checking in and out of the airport is a lost vacation day.

That being said, you do have options for island hopping. You could start in Honolulu and take the seven night cruise that goes to all of the islands, and then after the cruise you could return to one or two of the islands that most interest you.  Another option is to island hop from one island to another by plane.  This allows you the flexibility to choose your own number of nights for each island as well as choose your own departure and arrival times.  They have even started using ferries; however, I have not gotten any positive response with that option due to rough water, cancellations, and the fact that the locals don't want the ferry service.

Each of the islands has its own personality.  The Hawaii TourBook guide is an excellent planning tool to learn about the islands.  When people say they like beaches, I think of Maui first.  Maui has lots of wonderful beaches like Kaanapali, Wailea, and Makena.  They are all spread out from the north side of the island to the south side.  March is an excellent time to see the giant humpback whales in the offshore waters of Maui too.

Oahu has Waikiki Beach which is amazing but very crowded, Sandy Beach, Makapu'u Beach, and Sunset Beach north of the Waimea Bay which is the home of the Eddie Aikau big surf contest.

Kauai offers Poipu and Kekaha beaches on the southern sunny side and the north side is sprinkled with a host of perfect beaches and an incredible Hanalei Bay where you are sure to see rainbows every day.

Each of the islands offers many activities that you can do on your own from visiting botanical gardens, state parks, churches and museums to more active activities such as hiking, biking, diving, fishing, sailing and waterfall trekking.  The list goes on and on.  Again, the more you know about the destination before you go, the better chance you’ll have a successful and rewarding vacation.  Matching your personality and preferences to those of each of the islands is the best way to go.