I pretty well agree with buffy fan. My favorite island is Maui for the lovely town of Lahaina, whale watching and the Kaanapali area, Kaui is the prettiest (lushest) but except for the Waimeia Canyon & Fern Grotto not a lot to do, the big Island of Hawaii has the volcanoes and City Of Refuge. If it is your first trip to Hawaii you really need a couple days on Oahu to see Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor and the big waves at the North Shore.

I don’t have any cost cutting hints, but Oahu has the most things to do. You can go to the beach, hike, kayak, hit the clubs (dance and adult), surf, and much more.

In terms of ‘things to do’, Kawaii probably isn’t at the top of the list. But it is absolutely beautiful, in my opinion the prettiest of them all. Hawaii is too commercial and crowded for my taste… but if you like that, then there’s a LOT to do on that island. And Kawaii does have some activities, like luaus, helicopter tours, lots of hiking, some shopping (cute stores!), and there’s that “grand canyon of the pacific” as well. The beaches are nice, and you can find peaceful ones. It’s also a smallish island, so you can get from top to bottom in (relatively) short time.

Good luck on your decision! Have fun!