Every Country

Ever since I watched 50 First Dates and Lilo and Stich, I have wanted to go to Hawaii. It has been on my to-do list for years but for whatever reason it has never been the right time to go. So when the opportunity came up to stop there on our way over to South America, I was so excited.

Once we had booked the one-way ticket to Honolulu and decided we would stay in Hawaii for 12 days, I started researching things to do. Despite years of wanting to go there, I realised I knew hardly anything about the islands themselves. I didn’t know which were the best ones to visit or what to do on each island. Thankfully my sister and another couple we knew had been there shortly beforehand so told us their thoughts. In the end we decided on Oahu, Hawaii (Big Island) and Maui, which may have been slightly ambitious for our relatively short trip.

Hawaii is located in the Pacific and is the 50th state of the US. It is made up of hundreds of islands spread over 2,400 km, however only 6 islands welcome visitors. Here is a brief run-down on these main islands based on my own and other traveller’s experiences, as well as what I managed to research along the way. When planning your own trip you should consider things like; length of stay in Hawaii, how many islands you want to see, what kind of holiday you are having (relaxing, adventurous, hiking, sight-seeing), what activities you want to be doing and how much travelling around and between islands you are happy to do.

O’ahu
Honolulu International Airport is located on O’ahu and is the most popular option for reaching the Hawaiian Islands. As the most developed island, it is home to 80% of the states population. Honolulu is the capital and only city in Hawaii, however Waikiki 25 mins away is the preferred locations for tourists to stay. The island is stunning with beautiful beaches and luscious rainforests.

Highlights include:
– Waikiki Beach
– Diamond Head Crater
– Pearl Harbour
– Hanauma Bay (good spot for snorkelling)
– North Shore (Banzai Pipeline, Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach)
– Stairway to Heaven hike

Hawaii (The Big Island)
Home to 5 volcanoes, the baron landscape of lava fields on the west side are a stark contrast to the green forests and farmland of the rainy east coast. As the name would suggest it is the biggest Hawaiian island, exceeding the size of all the other main islands combined. Despite a number of people saying the Big Island was their favourite and the best place to live, I actually liked it the least out of the ones we visited. After coming from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki Beach, the island is a lot quieter than I was expecting and I don’t think the landscape and beaches are as beautiful as O’ahu and Maui. Kailua-Kona followed by Hilo are the two main tourist destinations.

Highlights include:
– Kailua- Kona town
– Hilo town
– Halema’uma’u Crater (area of active volcano)
– Mauna Kea volcano
– Hamakua Coast
– Waipi’o Valley (black sand beach)

Maui
This was my favourite island because there is something for everyone. It is the perfect combination of a busy tourist area (Lahaina) and cute towns (Haiku and Pa’ia) ideal for a romantic getaway. Beaches with white sand that are good for surfing, swimming and sun-baking. Dormant volcanoes for hiking and snorkeling. Majestic coastline hugging highways with waterfalls and rainforest walks.

Highlights include:
– Road to Hana
– Ho’okipa Beach
– Molokini Crater (good for snorkelling)
– Lahaina town
– Haleakala Crater

Kaua’i
The one that got away….or more like the one we didn’t get time to see. By all accounts Kaua’i is the most beautiful island and I’m sorry we missed out on it. Geologically it is the oldest of the main islands and the fourth biggest. Nicknamed the Garden Isle because of how green Kaua’i is, it also has legendary cliffs around the coastline and is surrounded by beautiful beaches. Without actually going to the island it’s hard to say where’s the best place to stay, but through my research, the general consensus is you can’t go wrong on the Eastside (Wailua, Waipouli, Kapa’a). It’s a great base to see the rest of the island, has a variety of hikes and water activities and lots of options for shopping.

Highlights include:
– North Shore beaches (Ke’e, Hanalei, Hideaways)
– Ha’ena Beach
– Hanakapi’ai Falls
– Na Pali Coast
– Waimea Canyon

Lana’i
Is quite an exclusive island and probably not in the ideal price range for a backpacker. Lana’i City is home to almost the whole island population and the best place to stay, with a small variety of accommodation, food and entertainment places. To explore the island you will need a 4WD as many of the sights are off dirt roads that can only be accessed with one.

Highlights include:
– Shipwreck Beach
– Hulopo’e Bay (good for snorkelling)
– Lana’i City
– Garden of the Gods
– Manele Bay Hotel (meals and a cocktail)

Moloka’i
Due to the long native ancestral history of the inhabitants in Moloka’i, the culture has been preserved and it is commonly known as the ‘most Hawaiian Island’. It is an island lost in time, with no large developments (or traffic lights). It is a place where the people are friendly, the ‘aloha’ spirit is strong and where hula was born. Kaunakakai is the main town of Moloka’i and has the most options for accommodation, eating places and the necessities (banks, post offices, pharmacies).

Highlights include:
– Twenty Mile Beach
– Road trip to Halawa Valley
– Kalaupapa Peninsula (hiking)

 

 

TIP: the best way to see all an island has to offer is hire a car. Apart from O’ahu which has a bus service there is little to no public transport on the other islands.