oahu

This island is known as the gathering place, so if you want to spend your vacation here, you better like being around other people! The North Shore is a quieter, more relaxed side of the island, but Honolulu is packed with things to do and places to see.

Oahu is the most visited of all the islands, not because the island’s personality matches so many visitors, simply because it is the best known. After all, this is where you’ll find The Arizona Memorial and The Punchbowl Cemetery, which are the most well-known landmarks in all of Hawaii.

But the truth is that visiting the 2 most frequented tourist attractions will only take you, at most, one day. What will you do with the rest of your time? On Oahu, there are so many options that it will take several trips to do even half of them.

In addition to lying on the beach and playing in the ocean, Honolulu, the main city of the islands located on Oahu, is a vibrant and bustling city, filled with a wide range of shopping and dining experiences, museums, rich in cultural history, fantastic scenery and much more.

Oahu is the island to visit the North Shore, where world-class surfers gather each winter to ride some of the best waves to be found anywhere on the planet. Enjoy the charming town of Haleiwa while on that side of the island.

Some other places to visit while on Oahu are Diamond Head, a famous Hawaiian landmark where you can hike to the top for amazing views from an old army bunker; Hanauma Bay, a marine park where you can snorkel with Hawaii’s fantastic array of colorful marine life; Sea World, the best setting I have seen for an aquarium and where you can participate in a program that allows you to get up close to the dolphins; I’olani Palace, the residence of Hawaiian royalty, King Kalakaua and Queen Lili’uokalani, and of course, be sure to visit China Town while on Oahu.

maui

Maui is known as Valley Island, after the valley between its two volcanoes. This is my favorite of all the islands, and it is what I consider a true tropical park. I love Hawaiian beaches, which is why Maui is my favorite. When it comes to beaches, Maui No Ka Oi! (Maui is the best!)

All the islands, in addition to having their own personality, have two island faces. One wet side and one dry side. Maui’s wet side is most famous for the road you must drive to get there, the Hana Highway. It’s more of a journey than a destination, a full-day hike up a winding road to see some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable. Make sure your camera batteries are charged!

Maui is also the best island for whale watching from October through February, with the best viewing in December and January, when the whales make Maui’s shores their winter playground. They are born in and enjoy the shallow tropical waters of the Au’au Channel off the coast of Maui. They come back year after year, and if you happen to be on Maui during whale-watching season, tour operators will guarantee you a sighting or get you another free trip.

Lahaina is a former whaling town that has become one of the premier shopping experiences on Maui, with a 1 1/2 mile long street lined with store after store, with some great restaurants to rejuvenate you so you can do more. purchases. Lahaina also has one of the largest banyan trees in the world, its branches stretching for an entire city block. Local art exhibitions are frequently held in the cool shade.

Big Island

Why is it called the Big Island? It is not called the Big Island because it is still growing, but because it is very large compared to the other islands. It could fit all the other islands combined into the same space that the Big Island occupies. Like the other islands, it has its dry side and its wet side.

The Big Island is also the island of the volcano! Kilauea has been erupting continuously since 1983. The Big Island is the only island that is still growing. The Pu’u O’o vent adds new properties to the island on a regular basis, delivering fresh magma that rolls downhill until it meets the ocean. There is a whole industry around the volcano and volcano watching.

The National Parks system provides rangers who go out into the lava flow daily to lay out safe paths for visitors to get as close as possible to where the lava meets the sea. In addition to being able to walk on fresh lava and maybe catch a glimpse of the flowing lava, you can take a helicopter tour of the volcano. You’ll almost certainly see some sort of surface flow, and if the winds aren’t too strong you can get a decent view of downtown Pu’u O’o.

An industry is also growing around viewing lava flow from the ocean. So far, there’s no real tour company taking people out, but intrepid fishermen taking paying customers out for an up-close look at the ocean. Scientists are studying the underwater world of lava meeting the ocean, but it’s quite a dangerous endeavor, but the pictures they’ve brought back of underwater lava are pretty awesome!

But the volcano is not all that the Big Island has to offer.

Kona is the dry, desert side of the island, while Hilo is the one that gets all the rain. Most of the tourist areas are on the dry side of Kona. Visitors don’t want to get too much rain on their Hawaii vacation. They want sunny skies, and that’s exactly what you’ll get in Kona. The town of Kona, or Kailua-Kona, was, like Lahaina, a former whaling town. The Kailua-Kona waterfront area is also like Lahaina in another way. It is packed with shopping and dining options for visitors to Hawaii. Behind and above the waterfront is a sprawling metropolis that not many visitors visit.

The city of Hilo is a couple of hours drive from Kona and will take you right next to the volcano, and the city of the volcano, and through some of the most uninhabited areas you will ever see. The landscape is not at all what most people imagine when they dream of Hawaii.

When you get to Hilo, the landscape changes dramatically. Gone was the desert landscape. Instead you will find the tropical landscape you are looking for. Lush green foliage, palm trees swaying in the breeze, and waterfalls are everywhere. Hilo receives the rain and the rain produces the lush garden effect. Hilo has a few motels, B&Bs, and resorts, but not like Kona and not the mega-resorts that Kohala is known for.

If you continue on the road past Hilo you will go full circle and eventually end up back in Kona. It is an island after all, so it shouldn’t surprise you. Along the way, you’ll pass through some of the most beautiful scenery on earth. Give yourself plenty of time to stop and see the sights. If you get the chance, try to spend a few days on each side of the island. If this is not possible, try to at least spend the night in Hilo, so that you do not rush around the island. It can be done in a day, but not at a leisurely pace.

kauai

Oh Kauai! They call it the garden island; the island of lush greenery, swaying palm trees, Fern Grotto and Mt. Wai’ale’ale, the wettest place on earth! Sometimes you can feel the rain fall from Mount Wai’ale’ale while sunbathing on the beach where there is not a cloud in the sky!

If you’re looking for a place to de-stress, Kauai is the island for you! There isn’t much in the way of nightlife on this island and you can’t be in too much of a hurry, because the highest speed limit on the island is only 45. You are required to slow down when going to Kauai.

In addition to Mt. Wai’ale’ale and the Fern Grotto, Kauai has Waimea Canyon, sometimes called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and Alikai Swamp. That’s a lot of diverse landscapes for a small island.

Kauai’s main tourist areas are Poipu and Princeville; Princeville sits on the lush, wet side of the island, while Poipu is where sun worshipers go to play.

That covers the overview of the four most visited islands in Hawaii. Most people will choose one of these islands for their first visit and if they are like me they will be hooked on the beauty and friendliness of the islands and will make many repeat visits until they have spent time on each one.

However, you may have noticed that I didn’t answer the question “Which island in Hawaii should I visit?”. Only you can answer that question! No matter which island you choose, you will have a great vacation. But, in my opinion, when you visit the island that matches your personality, you will have a fabulous vacation!

So do yourself a favor and do some research before you choose. I have a site where I share my love for the islands with you. Why not make it your first exploration stop? I’d love to give you a tour of the Hawaiian Islands!