Post #652632 by Hibiscus on Wed, Sep 19, 2012 6:40 AM

Aloha, and what a lovely dilemma to have! :^)

Kauai is probably my favorite island of the 4 I've been to so far for reasons I can't quite put my finger on (the quiet? the small scale?), but since you've been there already, my natural inclination is to say go to the Big Island. LOTS to do and see beyond the volcanoes - an incredible array of scenery from lava desert to rainforest (in some cases only a few miles from each other) to pasturelands to lush valleys. If you're a hiker you'll probably really enjoy it. The Kona side is sunnier, dryer, and has some wonderful cultural offerings, and the Hilo side is wetter, more lush and closer to the Waipio Valley area, which I haven't been to yet but is supposed to be beautiful.

Kona has Don the Beachcomber's for good cocktails overlooking amazing sunsets. You can take a stargazing tour to the top of Mauna Kea, or just drive yourself around Kilauea's crater at your own pace. You can take a lava boat out at sunset to see the lava spill into the ocean, or see the waterfalls around the Hamakua coast. Good snorkeling at Kealakekua Bay and Place of Refuge. Like I said, lots to do. Also it's a low-key sort of island, compared to say Maui or Oahu, so it's great for just hanging out and looking at the ocean with a cocktail in your hand.

Here's a link to our trip a few years back where we went to both Kauai and the Big Island. It's heavier on the tiki/cocktails aspect of the trip than scenery, but it'll give you a bit of an idea what's there - http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=30561&forum=16&hilite=Hibiscus

Just my $.02. Either way, I'm sure you'll have a great time.