I recently traveled to Hawaii with my wife for our honeymoon and had the vacation of a lifetime (Brian and Sharon were married on October 27, 2002).

Our travel started in Newark, New Jersey the night before our flight to Hawaii. Staying at an airport branch of certain hotels allow you the luxury of skipping the traffic near major metropolitan airports as well as a free place to park your car for the duration of your trip.

The morning of our flight a shuttle leaving from the hotel every fifteen minutes took us right to our gate free of charge allowing us ample time to check our bags and pick up our boarding passes. We were able to secure emergency row seating for our flight giving us ample legroom for its duration.

Our four and a half hour flight to LAX passed quickly while we viewed two full-length feature films on board. After a short, but not rushed, layover in L.A. we boarded our second and last flight to Kauai, an island of Hawaii.

Upon departure from the aircraft we were greeted by two friendly Hawaiian women who gave each of us flowered lei. We then picked up our baggage and rental car and headed to the luxurious Hyatt Regency Kauai.

Upon arrival at the Hyatt we were leied again. (I knew I would get lucky on my honeymoon, but twice before I even reached my hotel room was more than I had imagined). The valet parked our car and retrieved our bags. Most hotels have the option to self-park or valet-park. The difference between the two at this hotel was $2.00 per day making valet park an obvious winner.

The front desk staff made us feel right at home. They showed us the layout of the hotel and informed us of the goings on at the hotel during our stay. We also found out at check-in that Diana had gotten us a free upgrade to a better room with ocean view, a $150 - $200 a night upgrade. Thanks Diana!

Our room was spacious with plenty of places to put our belongings, comfortable beds, and a lanai with chairs and a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. The bathroom had two sinks, a shower/bath and a separate room for the toilet.

Each morning we were treated to a complimentary buffet breakfast at the 'Ilima Terrace, a large open air room from which you could watch the sunrise, the swans glide through the water, the humungous Japanese goldfish swim through the pond, or the large group of small birds that would swoop in and steal food left unattended. The large variety of food included anything from eggs benedict with chopped macadamia nuts and papaya juice to traditional favorites like pancakes, bacon, tasty donuts, orange juice and gourmet coffees.

The resort itself had many amenities available to pass the day. Many pools were located on the premises; many of them interconnected and all had plenty of lounge chairs for snoozing, reading, or chair side bar service in the sun or shade. The numerous twists and turns of the pool created many small intimate areas were one could feel they were lounging in their own private paradise. To the other extreme areas for pool basketball and volleyball as well as a complimentary waterslide for the younger ones or those young at heart were available.

An onsite man-made salt-water lagoon offered more lounge chairs, private cabanas for two, and roomy hammocks for your relaxation. Small kayaks, floating lounge chairs, and snorkel gear were available for use in the lagoon.

The resort's own Anara Spa is world-renowned and offers many packages including massages, facials, body scrubs, etc. You can also enjoy a healthy lunch by the spa's private pool or get your nails or hair done at the salon. Separate male and female Jacuzzis and spas were available as well as private lava rock wall showers, which offered mango shampoo, conditioner, and body wash from dispensers at each stall. A workout room was available to lift some weights, ride a bike, run the treadmill or climb the stair master.

The resort offered several world-class restaurants that offered food and service that would be given rave reviews even by the contributors to the NYC Zagat's restaurant guide. Dondero's offered fine Italian cuisine and steaks with just the right selection of wines and desserts. Tide pools, not to be missed, offered pond side open-air seating with fresh seafood selections and mouthwatering steaks.

Late night eats and drinks are offered at the Stevenson's Library. Strongly resembling a gentlemen's club with comfortable leather chairs and rooms lined with bookshelves full of Hawaiian and seaside topics, this "library" offers complimentary billiards as well as a large selection of beers, wines, spirits, and coffees.

During the day one can eat at the more casual Sea view Terrace or the poolside eatery, The Dock. If golfing is your bag you can grab a bite at the Po'ipu Bay Grill & Bar, which overlooks a stop on the PGA tour, the Po'ipu Bay Resort Golf Course. Tennis courts are also available for those wishing to hit a larger ball. If you are planning a family vacation the Hyatt offers a fun-filled children's day camp called Camp Hyatt. Plenty of shops can be found on site at the resort although you may find better bargains elsewhere.

Every Thursday and Sunday evening at sunrise the resort offers an Oceanside lu'au experience entitled the Drums Of Paradise. This event is so popular tourists staying all over the island travel to the Hyatt for this oft sold out show. The lu'au's entrance fee includes all you can eat Hawaiian style meats, vegetables, fruits, deserts, coffees and teas, as well as complimentary bar service wine, beer, mixed drinks, and table service mai tais. Seating is first come, first sit so get there early for a spot close to stage for a good view of the hula dancers, musicians and fire-eaters. Don't forget to wear your favorite flowered Hawaiian shirt!

Before and after the show you can visit the local merchants selling Hawaiian collectables at tables opposite the stage. You may however choose to skip the tourist trap prices and head straight to Wal-Mart on your way to the airport and choose from an enormous selection of Hawaiian coffees, macadamia nuts, chocolates, shirts, leis and just about any other thing Hawaiian you might ever want as a souvenir at always everyday low prices. Most items were identical to those found elsewhere on the island and were literally half the price.

If you actually plan on leaving the resort just dial up the valet fifteen minutes before you go and your car will be waiting for you right at the door when you leave. You can also get complimentary hotel towels from the valet to take with you to the beach. The concierge will gladly make reservations for restaurants and other activities such as helicopter tours, or boat tours of the island and snorkeling.

The boat tour we took allowed us to see some beautiful views of Kauai including the Napili Coast as well as some other smaller islands nearby. Snorkeling gear was provided for a nice view of coral and exotic fish. After swimming up an appetite a delicious picnic style lunch was served. If you are vacationing during the winter months beware, the seas are angry at this time of year. Whether you choose to motor or sail don't forget your Dramamine or you might not enjoy the ride.

We also visited the Waimea Canyons. The drive to the top is along a long winding road with many scenic stops took look down on the canyon or other parts of the island. During the drive you will get a chance to see the bright red dirt that is indigenous to islands of Hawaii. Many stores on the island sell the famous "Red Dirt" T shirts that are dyed from this red earth. If you buy one don't wash it with other clothes the first few times unless you want "Red Dirt" underwear and socks as well.

Near the top of the drive there is a place to get something to eat, restrooms, a souvenir shop, as well as a small museum with some interesting history of the islands. If you haven't already you'll get a chance to meet some true "road warriors" during this stop.wild chickens. The roosters are very colorful and seem to have no fear of humans. When we were leaving one of the scenic stops a small group of these birds were running around the parking lot and I thought one was going to jump right into the car with us when we left.

When you reach the top you are treated to a spectacular view of the coast, however, if you truly want to see some of the best views of the canyon you should stop at several of the stops along the way to the top. There are also some paths to hike along at the top if you want to get a little closer to nature.

You may also want to visit "Secret Beach" on the north side of the island. After parking your car you hike along a ½ mile trail down to this secluded beach. If you plan on spending the day bring plenty of water and something to eat since there are no venders at this locale. Again if you are visiting during winter months beware.the water can be VERY rough and drowning could be a serious possibility if you go in too far.

Kauai is also home to some beautiful waterfalls. The waterfall that was shown on the old TV show "Fantasy Island" can be found on this island. Another of our favorite spots was a swimming hole that had a rope swing and an area to cliff dive into the water below. These spots can be hard to find so I suggest getting a visitor's guide to the island that will tell you how to get to the many sites and beaches of Kauai.

At the end of our stay on Kauai we took an island hopper (short flight) on Aloha airlines to Maui. Seats are not assigned on this flight so be sure to arrive early so you can board early enough to sit together. If, however, you get randomly searched as we both did, enjoy your short flight sitting next to strangers. Skip the coffee on the flight and go with the complimentary orange juice. By the time you get your beverage you will be landing and you'll never finish a hot beverage.

The differences between Maui and Kauai were immediately apparent. Kauai is a paradise island that seems to have been made for a truly relaxing vacation. It is also the island that more closely resembles the stereotypical view of the Hawaiian Islands and is the site of many films such as Jurassic Park. Maui reminded me more of a spring break vacation. You still felt like you were on vacation, but it seemed a more like a party atmosphere than like a honeymoon.

We stuck with the Hyatt Regency again on Maui. The resort here was luxurious as well but it greatly paled in comparison to the Hyatt on Kauai. Although I would suggest the Hyatt Regency over any other resort on Kauai, I would recommend looking into other resorts on Maui. Self-parking here was free, while valet was $8 per day. If you do stay here self parking is close enough you may want to skip the valet service.

Our room at the Hyatt Maui was a bit smaller than on Kauai. We had two smaller lanais, one facing the ocean and one facing in towards the island. The bathroom was a bit small and less space was available for your bags.

This hotel also offered a fine complimentary buffet breakfast. Again there was a Japanese Goldfish pond located adjacent to the open-air room as well as those little birds flying around. Unlike in Kauai, here there was a slight fishy smell present from the pond.

The pool here was just a large oval with a small waterfall, a waterslide, and a basketball hoop on one end. During our stay part of the pool was under construction. An area of the pool that went under a little tunnel and had a poolside bar was unavailable for use and would have enhanced poolside enjoyment. A luncheon restaurant was available near the pool and chair-side drink and food service was available.

The resort here offered free beginner scuba classes. You could attend a one-hour course getting acquainted with scuba gear and practice "diving" in the large pool. After the one-hour course you had the option of going out on the resort's own catamaran for a $50 charge to scuba dive off the coast. The free one-hour course would also be good towards the hours needed to get your scuba certification back home.

The spa here was pretty unremarkable. Workout facilities were also available, but were smaller and further away from the guest rooms making their use less likely.

The resort offered several places to eat including an Italian restaurant and a restaurant that overlooked the pool that offered sushi and other fish entrees.

While on Maui you may want to take a swim near the North east area of the island where you can rent snorkel gear for less than ten bucks. In this area we saw lots of coral, colorful fish, turtles and even manta rays. If you stay at any of the resorts on this side of the island you can walk north along the beach or the boardwalk past the different resorts to get to this area.

Other attractions on Maui include the drive to Hana and a bike ride down the volcano. We've gotten mixed reviews on the drive to Hana from our friends so we decided to skip it. Basically if you want to get up early (6:00AM) to avoid traffic and drive all day along the coast and see beautiful scenery this ride is for you. If you leave too late you will hit a lot of traffic making this trip a nightmare. Also if it rains your car may get stuck on some of the roads on the south side of the island so you may want to skip it.

We chose instead to ride down the volcano. I was really excited by the idea because I thought I would actually ride down into the crater of a dormant volcano, careening out of control, jumping lava rocks, and spewing dust on those behind me, but. this wasn't the case. You are actually riding down a long road around the volcano. To do this you need to get up REALLY early. A van will pick you up at 2:00AM Hawaii time (7:00AM EST). They take you to a base camp; give you muffins and a low down on what you'll be doing at the top. The drive in the van up the volcano road takes about 1 ½ hours. Once at the top warm coats are distributed and you have the opportunity to see a beautiful sunrise over the lip of the volcano. On a nice day you can see pretty far because you are on one of the highest points of the island.

After the sunrise you get on a big bike that looks like the one in the Pee-Wee Herman movie. After you don a motorcycle helmet you are all set for the ride down a long windy road that coasts along the outside of the volcano. Basically this is a test of how well you can use your brakes. Gravity takes over and it is not much of a workout except for your forearms. The ride down is very scenic and at the end you are treated to a nice breakfast of bacon and eggs or pancakes, coffee and O.J. The wake up time is a pretty tough sell, but I would say this is well worth doing. Everyone I know who has been to Maui has enjoyed this attraction.

In summary this was a great vacation. I highly recommend Hawaii to anyone who is planning a honeymoon or has never been there before. If you want to relax, go to Kauai and stay at the Hyatt Regency Kauai.it is definitively the best. If you are looking for more to do outside your resort go to Maui, but stay somewhere other than the Hyatt on this island. If you have the time visit both, it is great mix. I thought this would be a one-time deal, but we had such a great time that my wife and I plan to go again in the future.

My thanks to Diana. She did a great job helping us plan our vacation and made the whole process effort free. She really went out of her way to help us get the most out of our vacation. Everything was smooth, right down to itineraries that gave us timelines for arriving at airports, hotels, etc. It was very nice taking a vacation without all the headaches of planning one. I will happily use her services again for future trips.

Please note: several of the places mentioned above may be misspelled. I did not have any of our trip's literature available to me at the time of authorship. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.