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Hawaii

It's easy to see why Hawaii has become synonymous with paradise. Just look at these sugary beaches, Technicolor coral reefs and volcanoes beckoning adventurous spirits.

Natural Beauty

Snapshots of these islands scattered in the cobalt blue Pacific Ocean are heavenly, without the need for any embellishment by tourist brochures. Sunrises and sunsets are so spectacular that they're cause for celebration all by themselves, such as atop Haleakalā volcano on Maui. As tropical getaways go, Hawaii couldn't be easier or more worth the trip, though be aware that visiting these Polynesian isles isn't always cheap. But whether you're dreaming of swimming in crystal waterfall pools or lazing on golden-sand beaches, you can find what you're looking for here.

Play Outside

Just as in days of old, life in Hawaii is lived outdoors. Whether it's surfing, swimming, fishing or picnicking with the ʻohana (extended family and friends), encounters with nature are infused with the traditional Hawaiian value of aloha ʻaina – love and respect for the land.

Go hiking across ancient lava flows and down fluted pali (sea cliffs). Learn to surf, the ancient Hawaiian sport of 'wave sliding,' and then snorkel or dive with giant manta rays and sea turtles. Kayak to a deserted offshore island or hop aboard a whale-watching cruise. Back on land, ride horseback with paniolo, Hawaii's cowboys.

Island Style

Floating all by itself in the middle of the Pacific, Hawaii proudly maintains its own distinct identity apart from the US mainland. Spam, shave ice, surfing, ukulele and slack key guitar music, hula, pidgin, aloha shirts, 'rubbah slippah' (flip-flops) – these are just some of the touchstones of everyday life, island style. Pretty much everything here feels easygoing, low-key and casual, bursting with genuine aloha and fun. You'll be equally welcome whether you're a globe-trotting surf bum, a beaming couple of fresh-faced honeymooners or a big, multigenerational family with rambunctious kids.

Modern Multiculturalism

Hawaii is as proud of its multicultural heritage as it is of former US President Barack Obama, who was born in Honolulu on Oʻahu. On these Hawaiian Islands, the descendants of ancient Polynesians, European explorers, American missionaries and Asian plantation immigrants mix and mingle. What's remarkable about contemporary Hawaii is that harmonious multiculturalism is the rule, not the exception. Boisterous arts and cultural festivals keep diverse community traditions alive, from Hawaiian outrigger canoe races to Japanese taiko drumming. Come here to see what the future of the USA could be.

Planning Toolkit

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Hawaii.

  • See

    Hanalei Bay

    Hanalei Bay is Kauaʻi's postcard-perfect beach, embracing surfers, paddlers, bodyboarders and beach bums alike. It's a perfect crescent of golden sand lining the two-mile stretch of the beautiful bay, running west from the mouth of the Hanalei River. It’s divided into four named sections, though as you enjoy a beachfront walk you can’t tell where one ends and the next begins. Each offers different conditions for swimming and surfing, so don’t assume it’s safe to enter the ocean anywhere along the continuous strip. Black Pot Beach The short easternmost stretch of Hanalei Bay, alongside the rivermouth, usually offers the calmest surf among the wild North Shore swells, and is popular with novice surfers. It's also known as Hanalei Pier for its unmistakable landmark jetty, perfect for a sunset stroll. In summer, swimming, snorkeling and SUP are decent – though the river itself can carry bacteria. Kayakers launch from a boat ramp on the river. Hanalei Pavilion Beach Park Once you’ve admired the view from the pier, slip off your shoes and walk a half-mile to Hanalei Pavilion Beach Park, absorbing the beauty of Hanalei Bay. If the waves are large, you'll see surfers charging the point break way offshore; if seas are calm, have a swim before heading south on Weke Rd. Waikoko Beach Protected by a reef on the western bend of Hanalei Bay, sandy-bottomed roadside Waikoko beach – literally "blood water" – offers shallower and calmer waters than the middle of the bay. It’s thus the safest for family swimming, but sadly it has no facilities. Local surfers call the break here Waikokos; watch them at work to spot where it is. Waiʻoli (Pine Trees) Beach Park Winter brings big swells, and locals dominate the surf spot that’s known as Pine Trees in honor of the waterfront ironwoods. There’s a more challenging shore break here than anywhere else on Hanalei Bay, and swimming is dangerous, except during summer calms. Parking and facilities in Hanalei Bay There's a small parking lot at Hanalei Pavilion Beach Park, and street-parking spaces are often available. Facilities here include restrooms and outdoor showers. Waiʻoli Beach Park offers respite from the sun, with with restrooms, outdoor showers, beach volleyball courts and picnic tables.

  • See

    Kilauea

    Kilauea volcano lies at the center of activity in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The unassuming bump on Mauna Loa's southeast flank would be easily overlooked if not for its massive steaming crater and crater-within-a-crater, Halemaʻumaʻu, which has spewed lava nearly continuously over the last 25 years. Researchers initially thought Kilauea was just a vent of Mauna Loa, but later discovered a separate lava system – a particularly active system that first broke the earth's surface as early as 600,000 years ago. How active Kilauea Volcano will be when you visit is subject to the whims of Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes who makes her home here, so set expectations low, and hope to be pleasantly surprised. Is Kilauea currently erupting? The most active of the five volcanoes that make up the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, Kilauea's calendar is usually hot stuff. Chances are good that visitors to Halemaʻumaʻu will get a sight (and smell) of some of the action. In 2018, a months-long eruption went out with a bang when the volcano's caldera collapsed/exploded, shooting a plume of ash 30,000ft high. Recent activity restarted in December 20, 2020, but it's decidedly less pyrotechnic. The USGS posts daily reports on Kilauea's activity. Is Kilauea safe to visit? Even though Kilauea is one of the world's most active volcanoes, it's very safe to visit. The eruption in 2018 caused property damage and just over two dozen injuries, but no fatalities were reported. If Halemaʻumaʻu and Puʻu ʻOʻo are erupting, they belch thousands of tons of the gas daily. When lava meets the sea it creates a "steam plume," as sulfuric and hydrochloric acid mixes with airborne silica (or glass particles). All this combines to create vog, which, depending on the winds, can settle over the park. People with respiratory and heart conditions, pregnant women, infants and young children should take care when visiting if an eruption is taking place. Follow hawaiiso2network.com for air quality reports. History On March 19, 2008, Halemaʻumaʻu Crater shattered a quarter-century of silence with a huge steam-driven explosion that scattered rocks and Pele's hair (strands of volcanic glass) over 75 acres. A series of explosions followed, widening a 300ft vent in the crater floor which has continued to spew a column of gas and ash across the Kaʻu desert. At time of research, the vent had filled with a lake of bubbling molten lava that occasionally overflows into Kilauea Caldera before receding again – like a slow heart-beat of Kilauea. If you are lucky, Pele may be in a rare mood, sending spatter and rocks shooting up to the now-closed section of Crater Rim Drive. In 1823, missionary William Ellis first described the boiling goblet of Halemaʻumaʻu to a wide audience, and his fantastic account attracted travelers from all over the world. Looking in, some saw the fires of hell, others primeval creation, but none left the crater unmoved. Mark Twain wrote in 1866 that he witnessed: "[C]ircles and serpents and streaks of lightning all twined and wreathed and tied together…I have seen Vesuvius since, but it was a mere toy, a child's volcano, a soup kettle, compared to this." Then, in 1924, the crater floor subsided rapidly, touching off a series of explosive eruptions. Boulders and mud rained for days. When it was over, the crater had doubled in size – to about 300ft deep and 3000ft wide. Lava activity ceased and the crust cooled. But not for long. Since then, Halemaʻumaʻu has erupted 18 times, making it the most active area on Kilauea's summit. All of Hawaiʻi is the territory of Pele, goddess of fire and volcanoes, but Halemaʻumaʻu is her home, making it a sacred site for Hawaiians. How to see Kilauea The best spots to see the latest eruption are from, Kilauea Overlook, Steam Vents & Steaming Bluff and overlooks along Crater Rim Trail. Viewpoints can get crowded, so arrive early. All fall within the boundaries of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, which charges a $30 fee per car for a 7-day pass.

  • See

    Shangri La

    In the shadow of Diamond Head, the former mansion of billionaire tobacco heiress Doris Duke is a sight to behold for art-lovers and celebrity hounds. Shangri La is a treasure house of antique Islamic art, including ceramic-tile mosaics, carved wooden screens, silk tapestries and glazed paintings, all embraced by meditative gardens filled with fountains and offering stunning ocean vistas. Who was Doris Duke? Doris Duke (1912–1993) inherited an immense fortune after her father died in 1925, when she was just 12 years old. She was once nicknamed "the richest little girl in the world", and this money granted her freedom to do as she pleased. Among other things, that meant two very public divorces and a scandalous marriage to an international playboy. While living in Hawaii, she became the first white woman to surf competitively and, naturally, she learned from the best: Olympic gold medalist Duke Kahanamoku and his brothers. Doris had a lifelong passion for Islamic art and architecture, inspired by a visit to the Taj Mahal during her honeymoon at the age of 23. During that same honeymoon in 1935, she stopped at Oʻahu, fell in love with the island and decided to build Shangri La, her seasonal residence, on Black Point in the shadow of Diamond Head. For over 60 years Duke traveled the globe from Indonesia to Istanbul, collecting priceless Islamic art objects. Duke appreciated the spirit more than the grand scale of the world wonders she had seen, and she made Shangri La into an intimate sanctuary rather than an ostentatious mansion. Curious to know more? Watch the HBO movie Bernard and Doris (2006), starring Susan Sarandon as Doris Duke and Ralph Fiennes as her butler Bernard Lafferty. Upon her death, Doris appointed her butler as the sole executor of her fortune. She directed that it to be used to further her philanthropic projects, including supporting the arts and against cruelty to children and animals. The Shangri La estate One of the true beauties of the place is the way it harmonizes with the natural environment. Finely crafted interiors open to embrace gardens and the ocean, and one glass wall of the living room looks out at Diamond Head. Throughout the estate, courtyard fountains spritz. Duke’s extensive collection of Islamic art includes vivid gemstone-studded enamels, glazed ceramic paintings and silk suzanis (intricate needlework tapestries). Art often blends with architecture to represent a theme or region, as in the Damascus Room, the restored interior of an 18th-century Syrian merchant’s house. Visiting Shangri La Tours of Shangri La are on hold in 2021, but are expected to resume later in the year. The museum can only be visited on a guided tour departing from downtown’s Honolulu Museum of Art where you’ll travel as a group by minibus to the estate, watching a brief documentary on Doris Duke en route. Tours last 90 minutes. Tickets must be reserved online in advance, and tours often sell out weeks ahead of time. Children under eight are not allowed.

  • See

    Stones of Life of Kapaemahu and Kapuni

    Near the police substation at Waikiki Beach Center, four ordinary-looking volcanic basalt boulders are actually sacred and legendary Hawaiian symbols. They are said to contain the mana (spiritual essence) of four māhū (individuals who were both male and female in mind, body and spirit) healers who came to Oʻahu from Tahiti around AD 400. According to ancient legend, the healers helped the island residents by relieving their maladies. Soon the māhū healers became very famous. As a tribute when the healers left, the islanders placed the four boulders where they had lived. The two heaviest stones weight eight and 10 tons respectively, how the ancients moved them the two miles from a quarry east of Diamond Head is a mystery. Like the Hawaiian people, the stones suffered many indignities in the 20th century. Archibold Scott Cleghorn, the Scottish husband of Princess Likelike and father of Princess Kaʻiulani, discovered them on his Waikiki waterfront property. He had them excavated and stone idols were found with them. The princesses regularly placed seaweed offerings on them. When Cleghorn died in 1910, his will stipulated the stones be protected, which didn't happen. In 1941 a bowling alley was built on the site and the stones were used in the foundation, despite protests from the local community. After the structure was demolished in 1958, the stone were given some prominence in the newly created Kuhio Beach park. However, more indignities were to come. They were dug up yet again in 1980, so a sewer line and toilet could be built on the spot. Tourists began using them as a towel-drying rack, sparking many Hawaiian community protests. In 1997, the stones were moved yet again to their present spot and fenced off. Look for the sacred ahu (altar) that was added.

  • See

    Spitting Cave

    This impressive, little-known viewpoint is at the end of Lumahai St in Portlock, makai (toward the sea) from the traffic lights at the Koko Marina Center. It's a tad hard to find but well worth the effort for the spectacular views, the pounding surf on layered volcanic rock and an enthralling cave that spits waves back out at the ocean. Take care getting down to the best viewing spots, where whale-watchers often set up to take whale-count surveys in winter – the rocks are uneven and it can be very slippery. Cliff jumping Cliff jumping is not advised – there have been deaths at this beauty spot – but thrill-seeking locals and experts can sometimes be seen making the 70ft leap from here into the sea.

  • See

    Green Sand Beach

    This legendary beach on Mahana Bay isn't really that green, but it is a rare and beautiful sight. Its color comes from crystals of olivine, the mineral found in the semiprecious gemstone known as peridot. Olivine is created in high-heat environments – like during the formation of stars or volcanic eruptions. This batch comes from the latter, and is what's left behind as waves erode the littoral cone looming above the cove. Swimming is only advisable on the very few exceptionally calm days. How to get to Green Sand Beach To get here take the left (east) fork of South Point Rd some 10 miles from Hwy 11 to the old barracks. Park here (don't leave any valuables in your car) and hike the dusty, windy, hot 2.5 miles to Mahana Bay. Start by heading south to the Kaulana boat ramp then veer left (east) following the coastline. The unceasing winds will sandblast your face the entire way making the trip feel twice as far as it is. Bring lots of water. Walking is free and has less impact on the local environment, but you can also get there by bouncing along in the back of one of the dilapidated 4WD pickups that usually cluster at the barracks offering rides for cash. Whether you arrive on foot or off-road vehicle, you'll have to scramble down the cliff to the beach, which is becoming a major tourist attraction despite the difficult access. Go early, late or when it's overcast to beat the crowds.

  • See

    USS Arizona Memorial

    This somber memorial is one of the USA's most significant WWII sites, commemorating the Pearl Harbor attack and its fallen service members with an iconic offshore monument reachable by boat.

  • See

    Makalawena Beach

    If what you're after is an almost deserted, postcard-perfect scoop of soft, white-sand beach cupping brilliant blue-green waters, head to 'Maks.' Although popular, this string of idyllic coves absorbs crowds so well you'll still feel like you've found paradise. The northernmost cove is sandier and gentler, while the southernmost cove is (illegally) a naked sunbathing spot. Swimming is splendid, but beware of rough surf and rocks in the water. Bodyboarding and snorkeling are other possibilities.

  • See

    Keʻe Beach

    Long renowned as one of the North Shore’s most glorious beaches, lovely Ke‘e Beach, beside the Kalalau trailhead at the end of Kuhio Hwy, has been given a new lease of life by recent parking restrictions. There’s usually safe swimming in the reef-enclosed area at its western end, hard against the Na Pali cliffs. Always follow lifeguards’ advice, however; Ke‘e’s looks can be deceptive, and vicious currents can suck swimmers through the reef and out to sea.

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