Which island is best for you depends on what you want to do.

If your into adventure, hiking and sight seeing, that’s pretty much all of the islands. But Hawai’i Island might be on the top for that.

If your into lounging on a sunny whitesand beach and frolicking in turquoise waters, south shore O’ahu and Maui would be your best choice.

If your into going on a surfari or learning how to surf Kaua’i and O’ahu would be best.

Message me if you have any questions.
References :

I highly recommend kayak.com – it’s an aggregator meaning you can search all the airline websites, orbitz, expedia and a bunch of other sites at once. Kayak will also show you whether airfare prices are on the rise (kind of like looking at a stock chart).

If you’re visiting two islands, here’s a tip:

From the mainland: fly into one island and depart from another. So you could fly into Maui and out of Oahu on, say Hawaiian Airlines. Then book one-way flight between islands using a local carrier such as Pacific Wings or Go. Last time I was in Hawai’i it cost me $39 to fly between islands on Pacific Wings – much cheaper than on Hawaiian Airlines. You’ll fly in a smaller plane (prop plane) and you’ll fly lower so it’s like getting a quasi-helicopter tour. You get amazing views.

For rental cars, if you don’t mind a used car, try Word-of-Mouth rent a car. I’m pasting a link to the one on Maui. The cars are definitely used, they’re not dirty but they’re not pretty either. You’re not going to get a convertible or be turning heads in the 1998 Nissan with cloth seats that they give you. BUT…they’re cheap and pick you up from the airport for free.

Have a great trip – and if you haven’t tried scuba diving, you should definitely do it while you’re there. Hawaii’s underwater world is not to be missed.
References :
http://www.kayak.com
http://www.pacificwings.com
http://www.iflygo.com/
http://www.maui.net/~word/

Expedia.com
Travelocity.com
Bookit.com
Priceline.com

I also recommend looking at the site http://www.tripadvisor.com. I used this to help us pick a hotel, users rate their experiences at hotels and then Tripadvisor turns it into a ranking.

We will be staying at the Aqua Palms and Spa, it’s #23 out of 100 hotels (with over 400 positive reviews), two blocks from Waikiki beach, and on a bus route. The bus is really popular in Honolulu from what I’ve read and it goes all over. And FYI: If you’re planning on renting a car, the daily rates to park in Waikiki are really high.

Good luck on your vacation!
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