Hawaii

To fully experience Maui – or at least peer into its soul – make your way to the summit of Haleakalā. Like a yawning mouth, the huge crater opens beneath you, in all its raw volcanic glory, caressed by mist and, in the experience of a lifetime, bathed in the early light of sunrise. Lookouts on the crater’s rim provide breathtaking views of the moonscape below, and the many cinder cones marching across it. The rest of this amazing park, which is divided into two distinct sections, is all about interacting with this mountain of solid lava, and the rare lifeforms that live upon it, some of them found only here. You can hike down into the crater, follow lush trails on the slopes, or put your mountain bike through its paces. For the ultimate adventure, get a permit, bring a tent and camp beneath the stars. However you do it, the experience will stick with you.

Haleakalā National Park

Originally a plantation-era supply town in the 1900s, Haleʻiwa today is the de facto surf city of the North Shore. It’s all about the waves here and everyone knows it. If the town is all hustle and bustle, chances are the ocean is flat. If the swells are breaking, it could take you an hour to travel the 8 miles through rubber-necking traffic to Sunset Beach.

Haleʻiwa

Stretching from Waipiʻo Valley to Hilo, the Hamakua Coast combines rugged beauty and bursting fertility. Here you'll find rocky shores and pounding surf, tropical rainforests and thunderous waterfalls. The color green takes on new meaning, especially in Waipiʻo Valley, which you can explore on horseback or by a steep, exhilarating hike. On the slopes of Mauna Kea, farmers grow vanilla, tea, mushrooms and other boutique crops, modernizing and diversifying island agriculture. Visit these small-scale farms for a close-up look at island life (and to sample its delicious bounty). Sugarcane once ruled the Hamakua Coast, with acres of plantations and massive trains chugging along the coast and across towering bridges spanning the tremendous gulches. Stop at old-time museums and delve into the rich history here. Pause to imagine the 'old plantation days.' Go slow, explore the back roads and step back in time.

Hamakua Coast

Rugged and remote, East Maui is the go-to spot for Mauians looking to get away from it all. Instead of golf courses and beach resorts, you’ll see a place that’s hardly changed in ages. Overgrown jungles, lonely churches and narrow roads to the coast – it's wild yet welcoming. In slow-moving Hana you’ll learn to talk story – l-o-n-g story – with people who take a personal approach to everything. You'll want more than a few hours here. If you keep going ‒ and you should ‒ you'll reach Haleakala National Park, followed by sleepy Kipahulu, which makes Hana look urban. Then it’s a wild drive on the Piʻilani Hwy to Kaupo, where the main street has one building. Finally you’ll disappear into miles of open country on the back side of Haleakalā: one spectacular drive. From beginning to end you’ll find off-the-grid farms, under-the-radar restaurants, secluded beaches and voices from the past.

Hana & East Maui

There are precious few towns with the majestic natural beauty and barefoot soul of Hanalei. The bay is the thing, of course. Its half-dozen surf breaks are legendary, partly because local surf gods such as the late Andy Irons cut their teeth here. Even if you aren't here for the waves, the beach will demand your attention with its wide sweep of cream-colored sand and magnificent jade mountain views. So will the pint-sized town where you may take a yoga class, snack on sushi, shop for chic beach gear, vintage treasures and stunning art, or duck into a world-class dive bar. Sure, Hanalei has more than its share of adults with Peter Pan syndrome, and you’ll see as many men in their sixties waxing their surfboards as you will groms with ‘guns’ (big-wave surfboards). Which begs the query: why grow up at all when you can grow old in Hanalei?

Hanalei

Forget Eden. The North Shore’s quilted green slopes and valleys are the picture of fertility. Somewhere between Hanalei Valley and the ‘end of the road,’ the seemingly untouched landscape makes it easy to imagine what life must have been like for ancient Hawaiians. Swim through the turquoise sea, bite into juicy fresh-picked wild guava or nap away the afternoon on warm, sugary sand. With the nearest traffic light almost 20 miles away, the North Shore runs on 'island time.' To be sure, this sleepy little enclave is a treasure: it's the island within the island.

Hanalei Bay & the North Shore

From the often-snowy summit of Mauna Loa, the world's most massive volcano, to the boiling coast where lava pours into the sea, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (car/bicycle or pedestrian 7-day pass $25/12) is a micro-continent of thriving rainforests, volcano-induced deserts, high-mountain meadows, coastal plains and plenty of geological marvels in between. At the heart of it all is Kilauea – the earth’s youngest and most active shield volcano. Since 1983 Kilauea’s East Rift Zone has been erupting almost nonstop, and while an active volcano tends to draw visitors, it can also be a geologic liability. From May to August of 2018, sustained eruptions yielded seismic activity and lava flows that quite literally reshaped Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (and resulted in the destruction of 700 homes). Some attractions have been indefinitely closed, but other activities, including the stunning Chain of Craters Road and most of the park's backcountry, remain open to visitors. In any case, local national park staff excel at managing this chaotic landscape. Their education programs deftly blend modern science with ancient beliefs and customs, and their outreach feels boundless. Ample interpretive signs, unusually informative trail guides, a slew of well-thought-out ranger-led hikes, living history programs and a weekly lecture series all provide visitors with a solid connection to the park and the people of Hawaiʻi. Of all the national parks in the USA, this is the one where you really want to check conditions before visiting; check out www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit for up to date information.

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

Indulge your spirit of adventure on the biggest Hawaiian island. It's still a vast frontier, full of unexpected wonders. Island Diversity We doubt that it's possible to get 'island fever' on Hawaiʻi. The aptly named Big Island is fantastically diverse, with miles of highways – and, better yet, byways – to explore. Eight of the world’s 13 climate zones exist here, adding sensory variety as you circumnavigate the island. Gaze at vivid emerald cliffs, swaths of black-, white- and even green-sand beaches, majestic volcanic mountains (possibly snowcapped!), stark lava desert, rolling pastureland and misty valleys, weathered by rain, waves and time. Hawaiʻi is twice as big as the other Hawaiian Islands combined, and its dramatic terrain is ever fascinating. Volcanic Wonders Less than a million years old, Hawaiʻi is a baby in geological terms. Here you'll find the Hawaiian Islands' tallest, largest and only active volcanic mountains. Kilauea, on the eastern side, is the world's most active volcano, spewing molten lava continuously since 1983. If you see glowing, red-hot lava, you are witnessing Earth in the making, a thrilling and humbling experience. At 33,000ft tall when measured from the ocean floor, Mauna Kea is the world's tallest mountain, and its significance cannot be overstated – as a sacred place to Hawaiians and a top astronomical site to scientists. Ancient History & Modern Multiculturalism Ancient history looms large on Hawaiʻi, a place of powerful mana (spiritual essence). The first Polynesians landed at Ka Lae, the windswept southern tip, still raw and undeveloped today. Kamehameha the Great, who unified the Hawaiian Islands, was born in Kohala and died in Kailua-Kona. Hula and oli (chant) are deep-rooted here, and Miloli‘i on the Kona Coast is perhaps the last Hawaiian fishing village. During the sugarcane era, traditional ways became intertwined with those of immigrant cultures: Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese and more. This legacy is palpable in the mix of languages, foods and festivals. The most striking element of this multiculturalism is the pidgin vernacular. Roads Less Traveled Thanks to its sheer size, Hawaiʻi has lots of legroom. Enjoy the delicious freedom of the open road, where the journey becomes the main attraction. From east to west, the island has multiple personalities, and it's worthwhile experiencing them all. While the 'Gold Coast' – South Kohala to Kailua-Kona – caters to travelers en masse, most island towns are rural and exist primarily for residents. Even the capital seat, Hilo, is a former plantation town that's still slow-paced and populated by kamaʻaina (people born and raised here). Ultimately this down-home localness marks the real Hawai‘i. Don't miss it.

Hawaiʻi the Big Island

Kailua-Kona may host more visitors, but Hilo is the beating heart of Hawai‘i Island. Hidden beneath its daily drizzle lies deep soil and soul, from which sprouts a genuine community and aloha spirit. Hilo's demographics still mirror its sugar-town roots, with a diverse mix of Native Hawaiians, Japanese, Filipinos, Portuguese, Puerto Ricans, Chinese and Caucasians. People might seem low-key, but they're a resilient lot. Knocked down by two tsunamis, threatened with extinction by Mauna Loa lava flows, deluged with the highest annual rainfall in the USA and always battling for its share of tourist dollars, Hilo knows how to survive and to thrive. Hilo had a life before tourism, and it remains refreshingly untouristy. Yet it offers many attractions: compelling museums, a walkable downtown, two thriving farmers markets and dozens of indie restaurants. Hilo is an ideal base for exploring Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Kea, Puna and the Hamakua Coast.

Hilo

Here in Honolulu, away from the crowded haunts of Waikiki, you get to shake hands with the real Hawaii. A boisterous Polynesian capital, Honolulu delivers an island-style mixed plate of experiences. Eat your way through the pan-Asian alleys of Chinatown, where 19th-century whalers once brawled and immigrant traders thrived. Gaze out to sea atop the landmark Aloha Tower, then sashay past Victorian-era brick buildings, including the USA’s only royal palace. Browse at the world's largest open-air shopping center at Ala Moana, then poke your nose into the city's impressive art museums. Ocean breezes rustle palm trees along the harborfront, while in the cool, mist-shrouded Koʻolau Range, forested hiking trails offer postcard city views. At sunset, cool off with an amble around Magic Island or splash in the ocean at Ala Moana Beach. After dark, migrate to Chinatown’s edgy art and nightlife scene.

Honolulu

Most Hawaiian Islands have a working town like Kahului, full of warehouses, strip malls, shopping centers, and that island-wide magnet, the big-box store. Like its counterparts, Kahului also contains Maui’s main harbor and airport, turning it, in the eyes of many, into a transit stop. But at the same time, you’ll find a great swath of local life here if you linger a little longer. You can talk to the locals at the Saturday swap meet, watch a concert on the lawn of the cultural center and join the wave-riders at Kanaha Beach.

Kahului

A long, graceful bay protected by a coral reef is Kailua’s delight. The nearly 4-mile-long stretch of ivory sand is made for strolling, and the weather and wave conditions can be just about perfect for swimming, kayaking, windsurfing and kitesurfing. None of this has gone unnoticed. Decades ago expatriates from the mainland bought up cottages crowded into the little neighborly lanes; the ones near the beachfront were often replaced with megahouses. South along the shore lies the exclusive enclave of Lanikai, with million-dollar views – and mansions to match.

In ancient times Kailua (meaning ʻTwo Seas’) was a home to Hawaiian chiefs, including, briefly, Kamehameha the Great after he conquered Oʻahu. Today it’s the Windward Coast’s largest town, where you’ll find the vast majority of the coast’s restaurants and retail. This is the place for a day trip from Waikiki or a weeklong pleasurable idyll.