Which island?

I will tell you what we are looking for then please give me your suggestions:

We are looking for beautiful beaches that are not crowded. We don%26#39;t need nightlife. We want a safe, friendly atmosphere and somewhere that has places to go within walking distance or maybe local transportation so we can venture out some. Mostly just a peaceful beautiful place - and not too expensive. I don%26#39;t need a 5 star resort.

Also - it%26#39;s a 9 hour flight from Chicago. Never flown that long. Is is horrible??

Any suggestions are appreciated!

Which island?

I flew from St. Louis. The flight there was 10 hrs and the way back was 14 hrs. On the way there we stopped of at LAX which wasn%26#39;t too bad except for getting lost. The flight back was horrible. Your nine hour flight shouldn%26#39;t be too bad. If you are older make sure you take an aspirin to prevent problems. There will be less people on Kaui, but also less activities. Local transportation isn%26#39;t developed on most islands except for Oahu. The windward side of the islands tend to be less crowded, but it does rain more. The best place I would recommend is Kihei, on Maui. It has everything you would want in walking distance. The prices for condos/resorts are cheaper than say Lahaina. The atmosphere is great and you are close to Wailea which has great beaches. Kihei has nice beaches also, just not as good as Wailea in my opinion. I guess that is why they have the most expensive resorts on Maui built in Wailea.

Oahu is a cheap island to visit, because it is cheap to fly there. Local transportation is very good, but I didn%26#39;t like Waikiki because everything is very expensive. You can find cheap hotels but food is high priced and the beach was crowded. My first day in Waikiki I found people sleeping on the beach, and the water wasn%26#39;t as clear as I imagined. Lanikai area on windward side has a great beach/atmosphere, but you have to rent a car. It isn%26#39;t too crowded, and the beach is a soft white sand. You can rent a kayak and go to one of the two islands that are located in view of Lanikai beach. One is a bird sanctuary and the other could be your own private island during the week with a natural hot tub located on it. You can find a nice rental place for less than $100 a day in Lanikai or Kailua area(which is right next to Lanikai). Both have great beaches. If you have any other questions you can e-mail me at mattassss@yahoo.com. I have pictures of all the beaches I visited and local areas.

Which island?

I would say Oahu and then Maui would be your best choice for islands. Waikiki is crowded, but that doesn%26#39;t mean you have to stay there. But the walking distance is there. That doesn%26#39;t mean you can%26#39;t venture out to the other magnificent beaches like Kailua, Lanikai, Waimanalo (all very short driving distance from Waikiki on the windward coast).

About the flight; honestly -- the anticipation of going to Hawaii will make the time go fast. I take enough reading material, music -- whatever it takes to keep you occupied. I fly PHL %26gt; ORD %26gt; HNL all the time. It%26#39;s not the shortest flight ever; but certainly not the longest.... and it%26#39;s sooooooooo well worth it!