No matter the place you go in America’s fiftieth state, Hawaii provides all kinds of topographies, lodging, actions and experiences.
Related: The best methods to get to Hawaii utilizing factors and miles
Each Hawaiian island has its personal distinctive vibe. Six main islands in Hawaii are open to guests, together with Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Hawaii Island. (The different two main Hawaiian islands aren’t open to guests: Niihau is privately owned, and the U.S. army used Kahoolawe throughout the a long time following World War II for bombing workout routines and stays off-limits to the public.)
How do you select between so many various variations of paradise? Here’s a information to discovering the best island to visit in Hawaii in your subsequent trip.
Oahu
Good for:
- First-time guests to Hawaii
- Solo vacationers
- Large teams
- Budget vacationers
Oahu is Hawaii’s most bustling and concrete island. It’s dwelling to the state’s largest metropolis and industrial heart, Honolulu. Its airport, Daniel Okay. Inouye International Airport (HNL), has the most air service of any location on the islands, making it the least expensive vacation spot for vacationers from the mainland. It additionally provides the most nonstop flights.
Related: Best methods to redeem factors and miles on Hawaiian Airlines
Within Honolulu metropolis limits, Waikiki Beach is the place to see and be seen, with loads of purchasing, eating and facilities to take pleasure in at high-rise resorts.
Oahu’s choices are extra various than simply Honolulu, although. The rising resort space of Ko Olina has a number of upscale lodging, together with Disney’s Aulani Resort and the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina. On the manner to Ko Olina from Honolulu, cease at Pearl Harbor, certainly one of the most visited historic websites wherever on the islands.
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Oahu’s North Shore gives one other vibe that is downright chill with its beach-hopping, food-truck-loving, small-town surfer scene. In 2024, Marriott reflagged the iconic North Shore resort — Turtle Bay Resort — right into a Ritz-Carlton resort bookable from 88,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors per evening.
Hikers will discover loads of trails throughout Oahu, from the peaks of Diamond Head to less-traveled spots like Makiki Valley and Waimea Valley. Some widespread spots do require advance reservations.
Maui
Good for:
- Travelers with youngsters
- Multigenerational journey
- Anyone in search of resort-based rental properties
The second-most-visited island in the state and in addition the second largest, Maui is dwelling to the famed Road to Hana, Haleakala National Park and the best whale watching wherever in Hawaii throughout the winter months.
For many vacationers, a trip to Maui is the best of each worlds. The island provides a few of the identical infrastructure, conveniences and actions of Oahu with out the site visitors and concrete sprawl. It’s potential to visit lots of points of interest right here and have an lively trip or simply take pleasure in some island relaxation and leisure at a resort.
Though a lot of Lahaina stays off limits to tourism following devastating fires in 2023, the remainder of Maui is open for enterprise and is encouraging vacationers to return.
Related: Maui is nonetheless recovering from the devastating wildfires: Here’s why you must go and the way to assist
Maui is an excellent choose for households with school-age youngsters due to its many actions. It works properly for multigenerational teams as a result of it has experiences that grandparents and grandkids can take pleasure in, comparable to the Maui Ocean Center or dawn at Haleakala National Park.
The island of Maui additionally has many superb resorts and resorts at all kinds of value factors. Most are clustered in two main areas: on the Ka’anapali-Kapalua hall on the northwest facet of the island and in Kihei-Wailea farther south.
Related: 29 resorts in Maui, Hawaii, you’ll be able to e book with factors
For its measurement, Maui provides a powerful number of resorts for vacationers to e book with factors. Most main chains have outposts right here, and plenty of properties provide rental lodging that work for households or bigger teams. The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, the Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott, the Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, and the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort have all scored properly with TPG contributors and readers. Set jetters can verify into the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, which portrayed “The White Lotus” resort in the first season of the hit HBO present.
Hawaii (the Big Island)
Good for:
- Romantic {couples} getaways
- Luxury vacationers
- Adventure seekers
The island of Hawaii, typically referred to as the Big Island, is the largest and latest island in the chain. Because it is so huge, you want shut to per week to see every thing. But, it provides many various journey experiences from day to day.
Related: Delta Air Lines pronounces new Hawaii route from its Salt Lake City hub and extra flights subsequent winter
The overwhelming majority of Big Island guests stick to the western facet of the island close to the metropolis of Kailua-Kona and the Kohala Coast, the place the giant resorts are. Luxury seekers can take pleasure in high-end properties like the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai; Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort; the Mauna Lani, an Auberge Resort; and the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection.
Families on a reasonable price range can discover ample resort choices, too. The Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa and the Hilton Waikoloa Village significantly cater to vacationers with youngsters. Pool complexes are an enormous draw.
Related: Top resorts on the Big Island, Hawaii, in your subsequent trip
Although it is completely potential to spend per week on the Big Island enjoyable on a resort seashore, the island may also be an journey traveler’s paradise. On the northern a part of the island, vacationers can zip line, take excursions on all-terrain autos, bounce into waterfalls, scuba dive or snorkel with big manta rays, or flume down historic sugar cane irrigation channels.
Related: American Airlines provides long-haul Hawaii route as soon as once more
On the southern a part of the island, you’ll be able to visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park — however earlier than you go, verify which areas are closed due to lively eruptions. The city of Hilo on the japanese facet of the island has its personal native vibe that may be an excellent getaway for vacationers in search of an genuine Hawaiian expertise.
Kauai
Good for:
- Romantic getaways and babymoons
- Adventure junkies
- Relaxation seekers
Kauai’s lush greenery makes it, in my opinion, the most lovely of all the Hawaiian islands. It is dwelling to waterfalls, mountain climbing trails and a wide range of eco-adventures. Most vacationers hunt down Kauai to keep away from the hustle and bustle of Oahu and Maui and have a extra unplugged trip expertise.
Unfortunately, Kauai’s pure magnificence additionally makes it much less dependable as a trip vacation spot. The island’s greenery comes from the substantial rainfall it will get, which makes it potential that your trip in paradise is a humid one. For that motive, it is in all probability best to plan for an extended journey simply in case the climate does not cooperate all the time.
There are ample resort choices on Kauai. For households, the hands-down winner is the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa in Poipu, recognized for having certainly one of the best waterslides and swimming pools wherever on the island. The Grand Club lounge is fairly particular, too, with easy accessibility to breakfast, drinks, snacks and extra.
Poipu to the south is dwelling to fairly just a few different main resorts, together with the Sheraton Kauai Resort. Princeville to the north has many others, comparable to the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay and The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas.
Related: True aloha spirit at the Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort
Smaller islands: Lanai and Molokai
Good for:
- Returning Hawaii guests in search of new experiences
Although the overwhelming majority of vacationers to Hawaii visit Oahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauai, there are two smaller islands that vacationers can visit as properly. Getting to each of them requires slightly further effort, as neither has air service from the mainland.
Lanai, the island owned by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, is accessible by a ferry experience from Maui that takes simply over an hour. You may also take a 50-minute flight from HNL or a 35-minute flight from Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG) to Lanai Airport (LNY) on regional service Mokulele Airlines. Lanai has two luxurious and dear Four Seasons resorts on the island — the adults-only Sensai Lenai and the Four Seasons Resort Lanai.
Molokai, against this, has no name-brand lodging, making it a spot of refuge for native residents and vacationers in search of genuine Hawaii journey experiences. Mokulele Airlines additionally serves Molokai Airport (MKK) from HNL (45 minutes) and OGG (35 minutes).
I would not suggest that vacationers head to both of those locations till they’ve visited a number of of the bigger Hawaiian islands first. You’ll seemingly get extra out of them (and know which one is the proper match for you) upon getting extra context to respect them.
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