What We Love
Natural Treasures: You get it all, from stunning white beaches to rugged mountains, moonlike volcanic landscapes, rain forests, and waterfalls.
Hawaiian Culture: Hawaiians are proud of their culture, which survives alongside the modern world in a vibrant arts scene that includes traditional Polynesian dance, music, painting, sculpture, and crafts.
Best Known For
Beaches: There are so many amazing stretches here, from the golden sands of Oahu’s Waikiki Beach, with the Diamond Head crater as the backdrop, to the black sand of the Big Island’s Punalu’u Beach and Maui’s gorgeous Ho’okipa.
Surfing: Oahu’s North Shore is the place to watch daredevils on their boards. Or sign up for a surf lesson yourself — they’re offered all over the islands.
Pearl Harbor: The USS Arizona Memorial is a striking tribute to the sunken ship and the crewmen who lost their lives.
Best Ports
Hilo, The Big Island: The marque attraction here is Volcanoes National Park, with two of the world’s most active volcanoes: Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. Check out the lava tubes and the rivers of red-hot molten lava oozing into the sea. If you’re contemplating a splurge on a helicopter tour, this is the place to do it.
Nawiliwili, Kauai: There are many breathtaking sights on this island, including some really good beaches (Poipu Beach and the beaches on the Na Pali Coast), but the top spot is definitely Waimea Canyon, aptly called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.
Don't Say We Didn't Warn You
Hawaii Is Expensive: From lunch to sunscreen to car rentals, nothing is cheap here.
