Let me preface this page by saying that ALL of the islands have amazing beaches, hikes, adventures, romance, culture and more. People from the mainland often ask which island they should travel to and I hate this questions because they are ALL special and they will ALL give you the “Hawaiian” experience. Also, visiting an island can be quite different from living on an island. You cannot go wrong in deciding where to spend limited time.
With that being said, I hope the notes below help guide your decision to craft your own magical island experience. And I sincerely hope you are able to visit Hawaii Island, Kauai, AND Maui at some point (and the rest of the islands if you ever lucky enough to be stationed on Oahu!).
PS. Check out the “Hawaii Resources” page for common words and helpful Hawaii tips!
Maui
Maui is known as the “Valley Isle” or “Honeymooner’s Island.” Their beaches are top notch, there are amazing hotels and places to eat, Haleakala is out of this world (esp for sunrise!), you can see a ton of whales during the winter months, the island’s hikes are stunning, and you can get a little bit of everything – a “Hawaii sampler” of waterfalls, swimming holes, green sand beaches, pink sand beaches, black sand beaches – along the touristy Road to Hana.
Here are a few specific suggestions:
– Molokini Crater – this is supposed to be some of the most beautiful coral and water in the whole state. The visibility is almost 100 feet! There are a bunch of different snorkel and scuba companies you can go with – I’ve tried a bunch and all are great. To those who’ve scuba dived in other exotic places, I’ve found Hawaii’s coral to be pretty lackluster in general. Lots of great sea life to see, but the actual coral isn’t as beautiful as expected. Just a forewarning in case you are a scuba snob too.
– Surf – I have only been surfing about 10 times and the best experience I’ve had is on Maui. Definitely get a lesson. No recs on companies here…all I’ve tried were great!
– Sunrise / Sunset from Haleakala National Park – Out of this world. You’ll be above the clouds looking at the most majestic view ever. I imagine this is what another planet is like. My husband and I did a bike tour (tons of options for companies) where they take you up the volcano by car and then you bike down through the clouds – it’s a incredible! Highly recommended, but you do have to wake up around 4am. It’s worth it, and you can find a beach to sleep it off in the afternoon. (There are also options to bike down later in the day without seeing sunrise, if that’s your MO) ***To note: there are 2 entrances to Haleakaka National Park…one is the “summit” district (where you see the sun rise) and one is the “kipahulu” district on the other side of the island. Make sure you double check since they are hours apart!
– The Road to Hana – I’m split on this one (and maybe a bit of a Hawaii snob). Driving this road is one of the iconic things to do in Maui and you get to see a LOT, but it takes alllllll day, there are a million tourists, and you wind up spending more time in the car than out of the car seeing the actual stops. However, there are some really cool things to see, so maybe it’s a must-do? Take a peek around google for 5 minutes and you’ll find lots of websites listing the best stops. You be the judge.
The deets: The Road to Hana winds along Maui’s North Shore (starts in Paia and ends in Hana) – some people spend all day enjoying the journey and making each and every stop and others just hit a few of the best sites. There’s no loop, so you then have to go back the way you came. If you DO drive the Road to Hana, my favorite stops were the green, pink, and black sand beaches, and there are tons of waterfall mini-hikes right along the road. Also, my husband and my overall top favorite stop was at the Wai’ānapanapa State Park…the main attraction is a black sand beach, but if you follow a trail down from the parking lot, it will take you to a cave that you can swim in…super cool and there was no one there!
Last time I went to Maui we went the “back way” to Hana which is technically illegal in rental cars, but TOTALLY worth it if you want to live on the edge and see some untouched Maui. Highly recommended, and going against the flow of traffic is waaaaay mo bettah. There are a few questionable locations where you can’t see oncoming traffic while on the edge of a cliff, however, so if you are a nervous nelly, I’d skip this route.
Another option is to hightail it to Hana making no stops, stay there for the night, and then work your way backwards from Hana to Paia the following day so there are less people. Since most tourists end the trip in Hana, they don’t spend very much time here since they are anxious to make the drive back, but there’s lots to do and it is least crowded. Then you can have all the cool stuff to yourself in the morning and work backwards to avoid the biggest crowds. If you ARE staying in Hana, visit Seven Sacred Pools first thing in the morning and you’ll have them all to yourself for some awesome pics.
– Haleakala National Park – visiting this park at the “summit” district (where you see the sun rise) is amazing but the “kipahulu” district (on the other side of the island near Hana) has its own wonders. It’s kinda a pain to get to because you either have to take the road to Hana which is slooooow or go the back route which is supposedly illegal in a rental car. However, in my Hawaii experience, the harder it is to get somewhere, the less people there are, and the more awesome the experience is.
A must-do at this National Park is the Pipiwai Trail. The 4-mile round trip hike to Waimoku Falls might be one of my favorite easy “hikes” ever. Also, it’s not very hike-y – it’s more like a walk (no real incline, probably why it’s one of my favorites). You’ll go through an incredible bamboo forest and come to one of the coolest/biggest waterfalls ever that you can swim in! Beware: mainland waterfalls will be forever ruined.
– Mama’s Fish House – Expensive but the *most* amazing setting / food.
– Paia – super funky “granola” town on Maui’s north shore…there are a ton of healthy (and not) places to grab a bite to eat. Very funky and hippie but authentic.
– Lahaina – this is an adorably cute harbor town in West Maui with tons of great places to eat, drink and walk around. Very sweet. There’s a place to try pineapple wine which I suggest trying once, and then never again. Also some cool breweries. Make sure to find the crazy huge banyan trees. This is a great place for shopping, restaurants, and there’s a ton of scenic places to watch sunset. I’m no foodie, so you’ll have to do your own research here!
– Maui Brewing Co – get the Bikini Blonde!
Enjoy!
Kauai
Kauai is known as the “garden island” and for good reason. So lush and so green. The Na Pali Coast is possibly the most beautiful place in the world (yes, I will fight you for this!), and you can see it via hiking or on a boat (tons of options for companies and experiences). We hiked all 11 miles to the hippie colony to camp for a weekend (amazing experience if you have the time!), but there’s also a 4-mile hike that takes you along the coast and then cuts inland to a sweeeeet waterfall…if you take this option you’ll get the coastal views that you see on screen savers PLUS a waterfall, so that would be my vote if you have less time. Sometimes the hike is closed and you have to get a permit if you want to camp, so you’ll want to google before making the trek.
On Kauai there are waterfalls everywhere (everywhere!) and a river that you can stand-up paddle on (never did this but always wanted to since it’s the only river you can do this on in all of Hawaii). Check ’em all out! Or don’t, and just wait until it rains and you’ll find your own waterfalls.
Waimea Canyon is breath-taking; it’s known as the “mini grand canyon” and it is unlike anywhere else on the island or in the state). Go here. You won’t be disappointed.
Kauai is obviously home to lots of amazing beaches and surf spots…there are too many to list! Although if I had to pick ONE it would be Tunnels, even with the whole shark eating Bethany Hamilton’s arm thing there.
Last and certainly not least, apparently the best way to see Kauai is to spend some money and get on a helicopter, which one day I’d like to go back and do. Treat yo self!
Kauai feels slightly more local and less touristy to me than Maui, and so you get all the good AND bad that comes along with that. But it all depends on what you want to do and see. And no matter what you are doing while in Hawaii, GO EARLY!
I know you’ll love Kauai…and all its roosters!
Big Island
The Big Island is the biggest and youngest of the Hawaiian Islands. It’s known as the “adventure island.” There are two main areas to stay – on the east side is Hilo, which is more local (meaning less fancy resorts, but also less tourists) and on the west side is Kona, which has more establishments (so more of your typical hawaiian fruity drinks and gorgeous hotels, but also more people). Both have equally beautiful beaches, hikes, and the like – the main difference is the amount of infrastructure and what type of an experience you are looking for. The Big Island is BIG so you’ll want to check driving distances to the various places before deciding on lodging.
The snorkeling / scuba diving on the Big Island is some of the best I’ve experienced (the coral seems to have more color or life or something and there are more animals compared to what I experienced on Oahu, but maybe I was just lucky on my Big Island trips). Seeing the lava from the volcano slide into the ocean at night is something I always wanted to do (but you’ll have to google to see if it’s active right now). And the observatory is world famous – the best place to see stars that I’ve ever been to. Here are some specifics:
– Manta Ray Dive – if you don’t scuba dive you can do a night snorkel where the manta rays come out – it is out of this world. Scuba divers on the bottom of the ocean shine lights upwards and snorkelers on the surface of the water shine lights downwards and the manta rays are attracted to the light in the middle to feed. It is scary / amazing / wonderful all at the same time. This might be my husband’s favorite thing we ever did in Hawaii.
– “City of Refuge” – this is a beautiful swimming area near Kona where you can swim with dolphins – personally, I think the most beautiful place I’ve ever snorkeled! I’ve been twice and once the dolphins were there and once they weren’t – I hope you have good luck!
– Mauna Kea – if you go to the Big Island you HAVE to go here for some milky-way-gazing. And don’t trust the rental car BS about not being able to drive up the mountain – it is perfectly fine! Go at sunset and then wait for the stars to come out. Mauna Kea is one of the top (if not THE) top astrological observatory in the world and there are more stars than you could ever image. Dress warmly!
– Volcano – Volcanoes National Park is pretty cool – just being near an active volcano is unreal. However, watching the smoke from a big hole in the ground isn’t all that exciting (and it’s usually pretty cloudy/rainy). BUT, if you drive down towards the water you can see half eaten stop signs and places where the lava took over the street, which is unreal. And if you go on a boat tour at some points of the year you can see the lava sliding into the ocean. I’ve never done this but am dying to!
– Coffee – Hawaii Island is where all of the great coffee plantations are. You can take a tour or visit many of the local establishments.
I hope you find your “adventure” here!
Lanai
There’s not a lot to do on Lanai unless you want to stay in one of two fancy resorts and have a staycation (my husband – boyfriend at the time – was feeling rich after a deployment and took me here on a “first date weekend” – the rest is history). There is one Four Seasons inland that has skeet shooting, croquet, big fireplaces, fancy tea services, and cooler temperatures – perfect for when you’ve been in Hawaii for awhile and want to treat yourself to a taste of “winter” (I use that term VERY loosely) and coziness.
Or there’s another Four Seasons by the water, where you can have your typical beachy experience with cabanas, fruity drinks, “sweetheart rock” views, snorkeling, etc (both have amazingly fancy accommodations and ridiculously expensive breakfasts. Use that military discount fo sho). There’s a free shuttle that goes between the two resorts, so you can get a taste of both. My friends found other adventures on Lanai besides eating, drinking, and living the spoiled-life dream, so I’ll have to ask them for other recs here.
Molokai
I could write a book about visiting Kalaupapa, Molokai’s tiny isolated peninsula and home to the former leper colony (which is now known more politically correctly as “Hansen’s Disease”), where thousands of Hawaiians were banished. Since I left Hawaii they’s actually turned this special area into a National Park!
In the past, you had to be sponsored to visit this secluded and remote section on Molokai – I was only able to stay there thanks to a tiiiiiiny plane and a friend of a friend connection. Now people may visit by taking a mule ride or hike down the cliff from “topside” (the main area of Molokai that is on a higher elevation). I need to ask friends for recs for “topside” because I’ve only ever visited Kalaupapa.
If you are choosing which island to visit on a first time trip to Hawaii, I’d look at Oahu, Kauai, Hawaii Island, or Maui. But if you’ve been in Hawaii for a bit, get yourself over to Kalaupapa for one of the most incredible experiences of truly untouched Hawaii.
Nihau
There is a waiting list to visit this island, so not gonna happen. Not even really sure what’s there.
Las Vegas
“The Eighth Island.” No joke.
Jelly Side Up 
Beautiful captures!! Truly paradise!!