Hawaiʻi is amazing. We’ve truly enjoyed the mix of beaches and hikes that each island offers. We visited the four main islands across 3 different trips and always had a fantastic time. Since traveling to Hawaiʻi requires a long flight, it’s worth planning ahead. The first question to ask yourself is: Which island should I choose?
Which Island?
Hawaiʻi consists of four main islands, listed from north to south (and from oldest to youngest geologically): Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Big Island. It’s unlikely you’ll have time to visit all four in a single trip, so you’ll need to choose—though there’s no wrong choice! We recommend spending 4 to 8 days per island, and visiting at least two if possible.
Kauai
Kauaʻi is arguably the best island for hiking and nature lovers. It’s relatively small, and 4 to 6 days is enough to cover most of the highlights. Top activities include: Hiking in lush forests and Waimea Canyon, snorkeling, touring the Nā Pali CoastMore info here.
Oahu
Most flights connect through Honolulu, making Oʻahu easy to include in your itinerary. Waikīkī is fun to explore for a day or two, but there’s much more to see beyond it. Top activities include: Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, exploring Waikīkī and hiking Diamond Head, watching surfers on the North Shore, hiking ridge trails, visiting the Pearl Harbor Memorial or Kualoa ranch . More info here.
Maui
Maui offers a great mix of beaches and hikes. You can explore lush forests and waterfalls in the Hāna region, relax on the beaches of the west coast, and hike volcanic landscapes at the summit. Top activities include: snorkeling with turtles, sunrise and hiking at Haleakalā National Park, discovering the waterfalls and forests of Hāna. More info here.
Big Island
Big Island is similar to Maui in its mix of beaches and hikes, but it also has a strong Aloha spirit and is home to the spectacular Volcanoes National Park. Top activities include: visiting Volcanoes National Park, swimming with manta rays, hiking and snorkeling at Captain Cook Monument, seeing the sunset at Mauna Kea. More info here.
Budget – How much does it cost?
Spending time in Hawaii is expensive. In addition to the plane ticket you will need to add car rental (can be avoided in Oahu), and the housing. The housing is certainly the most expensive part. Paid activities (boat tour,…) will also be costly, but you can have amazing time without them. The food budget is up to you, it can be expensive if you take all your meals at restaurants, and unexpansive if you do your own cooking or if you just buy poke with rice bowl at the supermarket.
From One Island to the other
To go from one island to the other the best option is to take a flight. The inter island flights are very frequent and not too expensive.
When should I go?
Good news, there is never a bad time to go to Hawaii. We went in November and December and the weather was always great. Winter usually bring more waves (good to see pro surfers and bad for snorkeling visibility). But even in winter we always have been able to find great snorkeling spots.
Where and what to eat?
Our top food options in Hawaii are:
- Local supermarket where you can buy poke fish. This is usually very affordable, you can buy some fish and cooked rice.
- Food truck. They are often around 15$ and very tasty.
- Cook your own food. If you are in a rental with a grill you can find some good local fish or meet to grill.
- Local bakeries.
- Restaurants.
What to pack?
As you may imagine you should be prepared for warm weather. So mainly short sleeves and beach gear. If you plan to hike, or go to rainy, high elevation area you should pack the needed equipment. Some advices:
- We always bring our own snorkeling kit. It takes a little bit of space in the luggage but then you don’t have to plan the renting before to go snorkeling.
- We have some snorkeling water proof bag. So when we go snorkeling we can bring all our valuables with us and do not worry. Water proof bag are affordable and easy to find online.
- Buy some corals friendly sunscreen. And check carefully before buying, some brands advertise corals friendly but are not really. We usually have two sunscreen: one expensive coral friendly for snorkeling and one less expensive for swimming pools or hikes.
- If you plan to hike, buy hiking shoes. It sounds stupid but we have seen many people with brand new white Nike running shoes. This kind of shoes will not last long with volcanic rocks. If you don’t like the hiking shoes brand you can buy Adidas Terrex or Nike trail.
Where to Snorkel
For all the trips to Hawaii we used TropicalSnorkling.com website to prepare the snorkeling. They have great explanations about all the best spots.