Things to do in Hawaii
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Big Island Day Trip: Volcanoes National Park from Oahu
15 hours (Departs Oahu, Hawaii)
by Viator
Take a Big Island volcano tour from Oahu on a day trip to Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park. The recent eruptions of Kilauea Volcano have captured the world's…Not LP reviewed
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Old Kona Airport State Park
Despite being only a mile from downtown, the 217-acre Old Kona Airport State Park is often overlooked by visitors. Its lengthy shore offers solitude and the relaxing sound of waves, and it's a good place to picnic or stroll. The old airport runway skirts a long sandy beach laced with thick strips of black lava rock. Though there are a couple of breaks allowing entry into the water, fishing, not swimming, is the major activity here.
At low tide, the rocks reveal countless aquariumlike tide pools holding tiny sea urchins, crabs and bits of coral. One at the southern end of the park is large enough to be a keiki (child) pool. The waters offshore of the park and adjacent…
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Mo'okini Luakini Heiau
One of the oldest and most historically significant temples in the Hawaiian islands, Mo'okini Luakini Heiau sits on a grassy knoll near 'Upolu Point at the northern tip of the Big Island. The massive structure, which measures about 250ft by 125ft, with walls 6ft high, was a 'closed' heiau, reserved for ali'i nui (kings and ruling chiefs) for fasting, praying and offering of human sacrifices to their gods.
There's a clear view of Maui and, during winter, humpback whales, from the heiau site. There are no facilities. The heiau was dedicated to the god Ku, and built from 'sunrise to first light' by up to 18,000 'little people' passing water-worn basalt stones in complete…
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Kane'aki Heiau
Set within the Makaha Valley, this is one of the best restored sacred sites on the island. According to legend the rain goddess was impressed with the fishing prowess of a local chief. His generous offering to her was reciprocated with generous rainfall to the parched valley and in turn a heiau was built in her honor. The site was later used as a luakini, a temple to the war god Ku and a place for human sacrifices. Kamehameha worshipped here.
The site remained in use until the time of his death in 1812. Restoration, undertaken by the Bishop Museum and completed in 1970, added two prayer towers, a taboo house, drum house, altar and god images. The heiau was reconstructed…
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Waikiki Beach
The 2-mile stretch of white sand commonly referred to as Waikiki Beach runs from Hilton Hawaiian Village in the west to Kapi'olani Park in the east. Along the way, the beach changes names and personalities. In the early morning, the surprisingly quiet beach belongs to walkers and joggers. Strolling down the beach toward Diamond Head at dawn can actually be a meditative experience.
By midmorning it looks like a normal resort beach - body-board, surfboard and catamaran concessionaires and lots of beached bodies. By noon it's challenging to walk along the packed beach without stepping on anyone.As the beachfront developed, landowners haphazardly constructed seawalls and…
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Valley of the Temples
The Valley of the Temples is an interdenominational cemetery in a stunning setting just off the Kahekili Hwy. For most visitors the main attraction is Byodo-In, the 'Temple of Equality.' Dedicated in 1968 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Hawaii, Byodo-In is a replica of the 950-year-old temple in Kyoto, Japan. For a panoramic view of the valley, head up to the hilltop mausoleum with the cross.
The Byodo-In temple's symmetry is a classic example of Japanese Heian architecture and garden design symbolizing the Pure Land of Mahayana Buddhism. The seated 9ft-tall tall Buddha in the main hall is positioned to catch the first rays of morning…
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Waimea Canyon
Of all Kaua'i's unique wonders, none can touch Waimea Canyon for utter grandeur. While one expects to find tropical beaches and gardens here, few expect a gargantuan chasm of ancient lava rock, 13 miles long and 2500ft deep to the riverbed (or 3700ft above sea level). Flowing through the canyon is the Waimea River, Kaua'i's longest, which is fed by three eastern tributaries that bring reddish-brown waters from the mountaintop bog, Alaka'i Swamp.
From afar, the view of the canyon tends to be hazy. The optimum viewing conditions are sunny days following heavy rain, when the lava layers turn deeper red and waterfalls cascade throughout the canyon.
Waimea Canyon was formed…
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'Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii
'Imiloa Astronomy Center is one of Hawaii's most fascinating museums and is a provocative look at the creation stories of two very different peoples: Native Hawaiians and modern astronomers. This combination wouldn't make sense except that it embodies the story of Mauna Kea, which is central to Hawaiian mythology. Comparing these stories, one is struck by both their points of divergence and their synchronicities.
You begin by walking through a recreation of Mauna Kea itself. Then you are introduced to the kumulipo, the Hawaiian creation story (which is chanted in Hawaiian), and to wider Hawaiian culture. This is followed by bilingual exhibits (in English and Hawaiian) on…
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Wailua Falls
Wind your way 4 miles north of Lihu'e to Wailua Falls, made famous in the opening credits of the Fantasy Island TV series. While officially listed as 80ft, the falls have been repeatedly measured at between 125ft to 175ft. Indeed, this gushing double waterfall (Wailua means 'two waters') misting the surrounding tropical foliage is a fantastic photo op, especially when the falls merge into one wide cascade after downpours.
At the lookout spot, a sign reads: 'Slippery rocks at top of falls. People have been killed.' Of course, this tempts folks to scramble down the unmaintained path for the thrill of swimming beneath the falls. The path is steep and people actually do…
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Menehune Ditch
Constructed prior to Western contact, Menehune Ditch, a stone and earthen aqueduct is an engineering masterpiece, with rocks carefully squared, smoothed and joined to create a watertight seal.
According to legend, Ola, a king, ordered Pi, a kahuna (priest), to create a dam and ditch to water his lands west of the Waimea River. Pi contracted with the menehune living on the canyon rim to build the ditch for payment of one 'opae (shrimp) per menehune. As always, they finished the project in one night, received their payment and returned to their mountain home, humming so loudly that their voices were heard as far as O'ahu.
When Captain Vancouver visited Waimea at the close of…
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Kaua'i's Hindu Monastery
On an island virtually devoid of Hinduism, the splendid Kaua'i Aadheenam, commonly called simply Kaua'i's Hindu Monastery, is both serious monastery and growing tourist attraction. Located on 458 acres of lush rainforest above Wailua River, the traditional South Indian Saivite (Shiva-worshipping) monastery is a sprawling garden oasis, with a meditation hall and Ganesha statues sitting amid wildly tropical landscaping. The gift shop here has chanting CDs, alarm clocks with the Great Crystal on the face, granite lingams and tiger-eye Ganesha figurines.
Access is limited to tours three or four times a month, which are well worth the time. Check the website for tour dates.
In…
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Shark's Cove
Shark's Cove is beautiful both above and below the surface. The origin of its name is uncertain, but sharks are no more common here than anywhere else on the island. It's part of the Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District, dedicated to conserving the unusual coral reef here, noteworthy because of its resistance to the impact of big winter waves. From May to October, when the seas are generally calm, it offers great snorkeling and diving.
Turtles are commonly sighted and often crawl up onto the ledges so that the waves and smaller fishes can clean their shells of algae. A fair number of beginning divers take lessons here, while the underwater caves and caverns will…
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Alekoko (Menehune) Fishpond
Although the view is distant, you won't regret a quick stop to look at the tranquil 39-acre Alekoko (Menehune) Fishpond, an ancient loko wai (freshwater pond), surrounded by a vast area of forest. According to legend, Kaua'i's menehune (little people) formed the fishpond overnight when they built the stone wall running along a bend in Hule'ia River. The stone wall is now covered by a thick green line of mangrove trees.
The pond was in great condition until 1824, when Kaua'i's leader Kaumuali'i died and ali'i (chiefs) from O'ahu and Maui ruled the island as absentee landlords. With no ali'i to feed and maintain the pond, it sorely declined. Later the surrounding area was…
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Big Island Day Trip: Volcanoes National Park from Oahu
15 hours (Departs Oahu, Hawaii)
by Viator
Take a Big Island volcano tour from Oahu on a day trip to Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park. The recent eruptions of Kilauea Volcano have captured the world's…Not LP reviewed
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Mission Houses Museum
Containing three of the original buildings of the Sandwich Islands Mission headquarters, the Mission Houses Museum is authentically furnished with handmade quilts on the beds, settees in the parlor and iron cooking pots in the stone fireplaces. The first missionaries packed more than their bags when they left Boston; they actually brought a prefabricated wooden house, now called the Frame House, around the Horn with them!
Designed to withstand cold New England winter winds, the small windows instead block out Honolulu's cooling trade winds, keeping the two-story house hot and stuffy. Erected in 1821, it's the oldest wooden structure in Hawaii. The coral-block Chamberlain…
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Ali'iolani Hale
The first major government building constructed by the Hawaiian monarchy in 1874, the 'House of Heavenly Kings' was designed by Australian architect Thomas Rowe to be a royal palace, although it was never used as such. Instead, the Italianate building houses Hawaii's Supreme Court and was once home to Hawaii's legislature. It was on the steps of Ali'iolani Hale, in January 1893, that Sanford Dole proclaimed the establishment of a provisional government and the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. Peek inside to find displays on Hawaii's judicial history dating back to the time of Kamehameha the Great.
Outside, a bronze statue of Kamehameha the Great stands in front of…
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National Tropical Botanical Garden
If plants aren't your thing, National Tropical Botanical Garden might inspire you to develop that green thumb. NTBG, a nonprofit working to propagate tropical and endangered species, manages five gardens (three on Kaua'i, one on Maui and one in Florida).
In Po'ipu's NTBG, don't miss the 80-acre Allerton Garden, a stunning landscape masterpiece, showcasing giant Moreton Bay fig trees (seen in Jurassic Park), an 'undulating' fountain, golden bamboo groves, pristine lagoon and valley walls blanketed with purple bougainvillea during summer. In 1870 Queen Emma, the wife of Kamehameha IV, lived in Lawa'i Valley - and her summer cottage still stands today. The garden's namesake…
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Malaekahana State Recreation Area
Swimming is generally good year-round here, although there are occasionally strong currents in winter. This popular family beach is also good for many other water activities, including bodysurfing, board surfing and windsurfing. Kalanai Point, the main section of the park, is less than a mile north of La'ie and has picnic tables, barbecue grills, camping, rest rooms and showers.
You'll feel all sorts of intrepid pride when you discover the wild and rugged beach, just north of town, in the Malaekahana State Recreation Area. A long, narrow strip of sand stretches between Makahoa Point to the north and Kalanai Point to the south with a thick inland barrier of ironwoods.
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Lapakahi State Historical Park
Lapakahi is part of a marine conservation area and certain sections are sacred. Follow the 1-mile loop trail (unshaded) past the remains of house sites, canoe sheds and fishing shrines. Learn how fishers used lift nets to catch opelu (pan-sized mackerel scad), a technique still practiced today, and how the salt used to preserve fish was dried in stone salt pans. Try 'o'o ihe (spear throwing) and 'ulu maika (stone bowling).
Lapakahi was a remote fishing village 600 years ago. Fish were plentiful, and the cove provided a safe canoe landing year-round. Eventually some of the villagers moved to the wetter uplands and began to farm, trading their crops for fish with those who…
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Wai'oli Hui'ia Church
A popular site for quaint church weddings, Wai'oli Hui'ia Church was built by Hanalei's first missionaries, Reverend and Mrs William Alexander, who arrived in 1834 in a double-hulled canoe. Their church, hall and mission house remain in the middle of town, set on a huge manicured lawn with a beautiful mountain backdrop.
The pretty green wooden church retains an airy Pacific feel, with large, outward-opening windows and high ceilings. The doors remain open during the day and visitors are welcome. A Bible printed in Hawaiian and dating from 1868 is displayed on top of the old organ. The Wai'oli Church Choir, the island's best, sings hymns in Hawaiian at the 10:00 Sunday…
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Contemporary Museum
Occupying an estate with 3.5 acres of tropical and meditative gardens, the Contemporary Museum is an engaging modern-art museum, with views of Honolulu below. The cafe has healthy nibbles from salads to sandwiches, and you can just pop in for lunch without paying the museum admission. Admission to the museum is free every third Thursday of the month. The estate house was constructed in 1925 for Mrs Charles Montague Cooke, whose other former home is the present site of the Honolulu Academy of Arts. A patron of the arts, she played a founding role in both museums.
The main galleries feature changing exhibits of paintings, sculpture and other contemporary artwork by local,…
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Lydgate Beach Park
Families flock to the clean, safe, conveniently located Lydgate Beach Park, with calm waters in a large seawater pool protected by a stone breakwater. It's ideal for shallow swimming and beginning snorkeling. Beware of the open ocean beyond the pool, where currents are strong. Amenities include changing rooms, rest rooms, showers, drinking water, picnic pavilions, lifeguard and ample parking. The Eastside paved coastal path runs through the park.
In 1994 thousands of local volunteers helped build the enchanting Kamalani Playground at the northern end of the park. This massive 16,000-sq-ft wooden castle has swings, slides, mirror mazes, a suspension bridge and other…
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Kahalu'u Bay
Kahalu'u Bay is an easy-access snorkeling spot and a giant natural aquarium loaded with rainbow parrotfish, silver needlefish, brilliant yellow tangs and Moorish idol. At high tide green sea turtles often swim into the bay to feed or rest on the beach. They're endangered, so give them space. According to legend an ancient breakwater was built on the reef by the menehune (Hawai'i's mythical race of little people) and protects the bay.
This surf spot is popular with locals. It's normally a long-board wave, but when the surf is high Kahalu'u can harbor strong rip currents that pull northward into the rocks. If you're a novice, talk to a lifeguard about the day's conditions…
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Ko'olau Forest Reserve
Hold on to your hat - now the real fun begins! As the highway snakes along the edge of the Ko'olau Forest Reserve, the jungle takes over with a one-lane bridge and waterfall offering drama at every other bend. Ko'olau, which means 'windward,' catches the rain clouds and squeezes out about 80in of rain annually on the coast and a mighty 200in to 300in up the slopes. No surprise - that makes for awesome waterfalls as the rainwater rushes down the reserve's abundant gulches and streams.
Paralleling the highway is the Ko'olau Ditch, a century-old system that carries up to 450 million gallons of water a day through 75 miles of ditches and tunnels from the rain forest to the…
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Lindbergh's Grave
Charles Lindbergh, who relished his privacy during the final years of his life, moved to remote Kipahulu in 1968. Following his death from cancer in 1974, Lindbergh was buried in the graveyard of Palapala Ho'omau Congregational Church. The inscription he selected for his simple grave ('If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uppermost parts of the sea…') is taken from Psalm 139.
The church with its 26in-thick walls and simple wooden pews dates from 1864. Take a look at its window painting of a Polynesian Christ draped in the red and yellow feather capes that were worn only by Hawaii's highest chiefs.
Lindbergh's spirit (and his desire to be out of the public…
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Kilohana Plantation
Amid sprawling, manicured lawns, Kilohana Plantation is now a tourist magnet featuring Gaylord's restaurant, estate tours and one-stop upscale shopping. Sugar baron Gaylord Parke Wilcox, once the head honcho of Grove Farm Homestead, built the house in 1935. Trivia buffs take note: the Wilcox family was the model for James Michener's famous epic, Hawaii.
The 15,000-sq-ft Tudor-style mansion has been painstakingly restored and its legacy as one of Kaua'i's distinguished historic houses is unquestioned. Antique-filled rooms and Oriental carpets laid over hardwood floors lead you past cases of poi pounders, koa bowls and other Hawaiiana to a row of gallery shops.
Clydesdale…
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