The idyllic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean offers gorgeous beaches, great surfing and diving, hiking, culture, dining, and much more.
United States / Hawaii
The idyllic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean offers gorgeous beaches, great surfing and diving, hiking, culture, dining, and much more.
Regions
Itineraries
A Week on Maui
Maui is arguably the most popular of the Hawaiian Islands. It certainly has a lot going for it: great beaches, whales, volcanoes, and one of the best drives anywhere. Maui Revealed is the best guide…
Big Island of Hawaii
Hawaii's Big Island (also called Kona and the island of Hawaii) is a rugged tropical paradise. You'll see incredible volcanoes, beautiful beaches, towering waterfalls, great hiking, and towns with an…
Kauai Highlights
This is a laid back, beautiful green island. The sort of place that feels like one friendly small town. There is not as much happening as on other islands – which is the charm. It’s been al…
Eat & Drink
Merriman’s Big Island
A Hawaii institution, Merriman’s serves some of the best food on the island, featuring farm-to-table regional cuisine and delicious local fish. Their Big Island location, in the town of Waimea, is their original restaurant and worth the trek.
Merriman’s Kapalua
Gorgeous oceanfront farm to table dining easy walking distance from Napili bay with fantastic food.
Pacific’O
Lovely farm to table restaurant in Lahaina right on the water.
Old Lahaina Luau
If you want to experience a luau, Lahaina is the place with it’s Old Lahaina Luau. While many luaus are disgustingly touristy (think big resort luau), this one tends is more authentic and shares more of Hawaii’s history and culture (you’ll need reservations).
Kauai Ono
Unique outdoor venue with rustic communal tables for set five-course, farm-to-fork meals. It’s BYOB, though Princeville Wine Market will deliver to your table.
Mama’s Fish House
Delicious Hawaiian restaurant offering lots of yummy seafood and great ocean views.
More
Huggo’s
This restaurant right on the coast offers steaks, pastas, and seafood, alongside tropical cocktails, beer, and wine.
Anuenue Ice Cream & Shave Ice
This small spot makes some of the best shave ice in Hawaii, as well as ice cream and milkshakes.
On the Rocks
The outdoor lounge for Huggos, the Kona institution, On the Rocks serves up tasty food, cocktails, and draft beers right on the coast. Some of the seating is even right on the sand. A great spot for happy hour or a casual dinner.
Kuleana Rum Shack
Operated by a rum distillery, this bar/restaurant offers excellent cocktails and a menu of tasty Hawaiian food.
Maui Brewing Company
A neat spot with a relaxed vibe offering local brews.
Napua at Mauna Lani Beach Club
Located right on Mauna Lani beach, Napua is a great option for a delicious dinner with an ocean view. The restaurant serves tasty food and creative cocktails in this tranquil spot.
Magics Beach Grill
Perched on a deck above the ocean, Magics offers a welcoming atmosphere, neat views, and tasty sandwiches, salads, and seafood. It also has a full bar with good signature cocktails and beers on draft.
Kimo’s Lahaina
Waterfront Restaurant in Lahaina and a good place for lunch – try the poke appetizer and kula pie dessert especially.
Tropics Ale House – Waikōloa
This casual restaurant is a great spot for a quick bite. The food includes yummy salads, sandwiches, and pizzas. Drinks include an extensive beer list, cocktails, and a smaller selection of wines.
Monkeypod
Located close to downtown Wailea, Monkeypod, located next to one of the trees it’s named after, is a fun restaurant located a short drive from the beach, offering local Hawaiian dishes, fresh fish, wood-fired pizzas, and island-inspired cocktails served in some extra fun glasses.
Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice
Shaved ice can be found all over the Maui. This is our favorite.
Lava Lava Beach Club Restaurant
It’s hard to beat dinner and drinks right on gorgeous Waikoloa Beach.
Halfway to Hana
Roadside stand which is actually more like 2/3 of the way to Hana. Awesome banana bread, shaved ice, and pineapple smoothies.
Seafood Bar and Grill
The Seafood Bar and Grill is aptly named; it offers tasty seafood and sandwiches as well cocktails in a tiki lounge atmosphere.
Meridia
Located at the beautiful Westin Hapuna Beach Resort, Meridia is overpriced, but the food is good. The restaurant serves up tasty Mediterranean-influenced dishes above spectacular Hapuna Beach.
Big Island Brewhaus
This Waimea spot offers tasty locally-brewed beer alongside scrumptious burgers, sandwiches, and tacos.
The Preserve Kitchen and Bar
There are VERY limited dining options in Hana and this is probably your best bet unless you want to dine at a food trucks or a chain.
See
Waimea Canyon
The Grand Canyon of the Pacific is ten miles long and 3,600 feet deep. The canyon offers incredible views and the best hiking in the state of Hawaii
Moloa’a beach (north shore)
Great on calm days. Not a lot of parking but not a lot of people either.
Napili Bay Beach
A fantastic beach in west Maui – sandy and with safe swimming. It’s walking distance from Napili lodging. Good snorkeling at offshore and left side of reef.
Upper Waikani Falls (3 Bears)
Gorgeous waterfall on the way to Hana – probably the most impressive as three falls cascade into a fern filled basin. You can walk to the falls and swim below them but the “trail” is slippery and is basically muddy rock scrambling. Don’t try it in flip flops. It leaves just on the far side […]
Ke’e beach (north shore)
Best beach on the island. At the end of the road to the Na Pali trail (State park here with a parking lot if not full – I’d go early) lies a gorgeous beach with great snorkeling when the water is not rough.
Tunnels (Makua) Beach
This north shore beach offers some of Kauai’s best snorkeling.
More
Kīpahulu District
A beautiful portion of Haleakalā National Park on Maui’s southeast coast that has spectacular pools, beaches, and waterfalls, as well as a great hike up the valley.
Poipu area beaches
Some of Kauai’s most beautiful beaches, and the island’s best spots for relaxing, swimming, and body surfing are in the area around Poipu.
Spouting horn beach park
Waves spout up through a small lava shelf squirting through a blow hole. Makes a loud moaning / gasping sound. The scientific reason has to do with air being forced through but the real reason is a giant lizard tried to attack a man and got stuck in the lava tube…
Pali Ke Kua (Hideaways) beach (north shore)
Nice snorkeling in calm seas. Near the St Regis
Hanalei Bay beaches (north shore)
Hanalei is the Hawaii of your dreams – a gorgeous spot but not necessarily the best for swimming much of the time. Pounding shore break and backwash a lot of the time in the winter. Popular with surfers. There are several areas around the bay with access The “town” consists of beach houses Black pot beach […]
Sealodge beach (north shore)
Lovely often secluded beach. Steep rocky sometimes slippery trails may be why. Tranquil beach accessible by a half-mile trail, with native vegetation, clear water & snorkeling. The public access trail is in front of building A at Sealodge and takes 15 minutes to walk. The trail goes down a ravine with some wood steps at […]
Black Rock Beach / Kaanapali beach
A great beach with great snorkeling on the right side near the lava rock. There are many, many people here, mostly served by giant resorts. There is pay public parking at the Sheraton (this is the side of the beach you want). Whalers village mall is right adjacent to the middle of the beach and […]
Honokeana Cove
This is the cove right adjacent to the Napili point condominiums. It offers amazing snorkeling. Be careful getting in (you need to get in via lava rocks) and don’t go in if it is rough. The upside: lots of turtles live here!
Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park
One of ancient Hawaii’s best-preserved prehistoric sites, Pu’uhonua O Honaunau (also called the City of Refuge) is an incredible opportunity to learn about Hawaiian history.
Wailua Falls
This 173-foot double waterfall is easy to get to. In ancient times men would jump from the top to prove their manhood, which we guess worked if they survived
Kapalua Beach
Lovely beach within walking distance (along the shore path just past Napili Kai condos / Merriman’s) of Napili condos. This is usually calm and has great snorkeling as well. Not better than Napili bay, but a lovely different option.
Waiʻānapanapa State Park
A required stop on the road to Hana. Visit to see the beautiful black sand beach and stunning sea arch.
Secret (Kauapea) beach (north shore)
10-15 minute hike only swimmable on calm summer days. It even has a waterfall .
Honolua Bay
A beautiful bay with great snorkeling. Park near preserve signs and take the short walk through jungle to reach snorkeling. The right side of the bay is sandy but the water is cloudy from the stream.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
This unique national park protects the area around Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, two of the most active volcanoes in the world, and extends from sea level to 13,681 feet of elevation.
‘Opae-ka’a falls (east)
Lovely 151 foot waterfall with an easy to drive to overview
Big and Little Beach
These are great beaches in Makena state park in south Maui. Big Beach is, well big, but also beautiful. It offers good body surfing at times but the waves can get too big to make it safe. Little beach is a short walk over trails though lava on the right end of big beach and […]
Surfing Goat Dairy
A beautiful dairy farm located on the scenic slopes of Haleakalā. Take a tour, meet the goats, and sample some delicious cheeses.
49 Black Sand Beach
This beautiful salt-and-pepper beach offers some of the best snorkeling on the island (we recommend exploring the rocks to your left as you look at the ocean).
Hāmoa Beach
A beautiful beach beyond Hana with good body surfing when conditions aren’t too rough.
Lydgate beach park
Picnic area, large grassy area, playgrounds, two large boulder enclosed ponds – perfect for kids. The adult pond has snorkeling
Greenwell Farms
See a beautiful coffee farm in the mountains above Kona, learn about the coffee-making process, and sample some delicious coffee.
Ke’anea Peninsula
Stop here on your way to Hana for incredible views and sheer Hawaiian beauty.
Lumaha’i Beach (north shore)
Lumaha’i Beach. Wide long beach beautiful beach that you access after a sort walk through a pandanas grove made famous in the movie South Pacific. Unfortunately not safe for swimming. Look but don’t touch
Hapuna Beach
One of the prettiest beaches on the Big Island, Hapuna is a long expanse of beautiful white sand. It’s a great place to relax on the sand or swim, and sometimes the surf comes up enough for some body boarding.
Anini beach park (north shore)
Large shallow bay. This has the most protected swimming on the north shore when seas are high
National Tropical Botanical Gardens (south)
Two beautiful gardens in the Poipu region.There are guided tours lasting about two hours. Allerton is the more desirable of the two Be aware that these tours are not cheap
Haleakalā Crater
Get up very early to drive to the top of Haleakalā and see the sunrise and take in the gorgeous views, drive up a little later in the day for just the views, or come at night for stargazing.
Pua’aKa’a Falls
This is a small state park/wayside with picnic tables and bathrooms and offers you the easiest access to swim in the pond below waterfalls.
Māhukona Beach Park
Don’t be disappointed that there’s actually no beach here; Māhukona offers some of the Big Island’s best snorkeling.
Hasegawa General Store
Worth a quick stop in Hana for the eclectic selection and arrangement of hardware next to fishing equipment and breakfast cereal. Oh and yes, you can of course gets snacks and drinks. Check out the best machete options on the wall above the register.
Makalawena Beach
It may be hard to get to, but gorgeous Makalawena Beach is one of the prettiest on the Big Island. To get here, you have drive a rough road to Mahai’ula Bay and then hike about a mile and a quarter.
Hana Town
A small town at the end of the aptly named road to Hana. You don’t need to spend much time here, but it’s a nice spot to get lunch if you’re hungry after the long drive.
Kalapaki Beach
In Lihue. The beach at the Marriott. Popular for swimming and beginning bodysurfing
Hanalei town (north shore)
Hanalei remains old Hawaii at its best. The resorts are up on the bluff in Princeville, the best food is probably the food trucks and the few shops are funky mom and pop stores. Farner’s market Saturdays
Saint Gabriel’s Mission Coral Miracle Church
In 1860 the residents of Hula wanted to build a church out of lava rock and intended to use coral as a bonding agent. But they were stymied by the fact that harvesting coral from the ocean took a huge amount of time and effort. As they prepared to begin building, a massive storm washed […]
Grove Farm Plantation Museum
100 acre homestead preserved much as it was when sugar was king. Located right in Lihue. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, starting at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (2 hour escorted tours) $20 adults $10 children
Do
Ho‘opi‘i Falls Hike
1 mile to some lovely falls (about 20 minutes)
Ko’kee park / Waimea hiking
Many many trails here: here are some of our favorites.
Queen’s Bath
In the summer, with calm seas there is a pool to swim in on a lava shelf with an inlet to the sea. In the winter do not go (many people have drowned here). Even in the summer only go in calm seas and watch for rogue waves.
Kalalau Trail
This is an awesome hike. Just do the hike to the first beach and you encounter magic. You leave the end of the road near Ke’e beach and walk along the steep coastline and arrive at a totally wilderness tropical beach (Hanakapi’ai) in just two miles.
Snorkeling on Maui
Half of the Hawaii you need to see is under the water. If you don’t get to see it you are missing out. There’s a lot of great options for where to go – some of our favorites are listed here.
Hana Highway
In our opinion the Road to Hana is a must see. it is undeniably gorgeous. Waterfalls, jungle greenery, spectacular ocean vistas, and a view of “old Hawaii” await you. If you are not comfortable with driving winding roads, a variety of tour operators make the trip – a quick google search will give you a ton of options.
More
Night Manta Ray Snorkel
Hawaii is perhaps the best place in the world to see manta rays. You’ll cruise to the ideal spot to see the rays and hang onto a lighted float while the rays swim and swirl around you. A truly magical experience.
Whale watch by sailboat
If you love sailing this is a great way to get out on the water. Most of the other whale watch trips are by power boat, which is fine for seeing whales but there’s something really relaxing about sailing and this boat spends their time under wind power.
PacWhale Eco Adventures
Enjoy a morning of snorkeling with dolphins or whale watching with this company that offers trips that leave from Lahaina.
Lanaʻi Snorkel & Dolphin Watch
Spend a fantastic morning watching dolphins frolic and snorkel off the coast of the mostly uninhabited island of Lanaʻi.
Molokini snorkel
Molokini is a small island visible from wets Maui. It has incredibly clear waters and thus is a destination for MANY snorkel trips. There are dozens of boats that can take you out there and we can’t really recommend one over the others, but grab the latest copy of Maui Revealed and make a selection.
Lahaina
Lahaina is Hawaii’s historic former capital and was the hub of whaling and missionary activity. It’s a great town to wander around on foot with real charm.
Sleeping Giant hike
Nice hike through forest to great views. Generally uphill but not awful to the picnic table )on the giant’s chest. If you choose to proceed onto the giant’s face you’ll have great views but be very cautious as the ridge is narrow and can be slippery.
Pololū Valley Hike
This beautiful hike offers spectacular views of Hawaii’s northern coast. Start at Pololū Valley Lookout (see map below), and hike a quarter mile and about 300 feet down to the beach.
Kapalua Zipline
There are quite a few zippiness which have sprung up on Maui. We did this one and had a blast. It has the advantage of (besides being fun, beautiful, and the largest on the Island) being 5 minutes from your Napili bay condo.
Paniolo Adventures
Paniolo Adventures offers excellent horseback riding trips on the slopes of the beautiful Kohala Mountain on the northern tip of the island of Hawaii.
Haleakalā Stargazing
Visit Haleakalā at night to avoid some of the crowds and check out the cosmos through the mountain’s famously clear air. Be sure to dress very warmly.
Kealakekua Bay Snorkel Cruises
A fantastic place to snorkel on the Big Island is Kealakekua Bay, where the Captain Cook Monument stands. A snorkel cruise is one of the best ways to see it.
‘Īao Needle State Monument
Take an easy half-mile (paved) hike to a scenic viewpoint of Kuka‘emoku (ʻIao Needle), a formation that rises 1200 feet from the valley floor.
Kayak Wailua
Kayak up the Wailua river to secret falls. About 5 miles round trip (allow three hours) If you dot want to go as far you can canoe from closer
Wailua River Canoe
You can rent canoes here and paddle up to secret falls (about 10 minutes) Alternatively for a longer tour rent from Kayak Wailua for a longer (5 mile round trip) 3 hour tour
Kīholo Bay
Kīholo Bay might be one of the most beautiful spots on the Big Island. An idyllic turquoise gem surrounded by white sand beaches frequented by green sea turtles with good snorkeling, it’s worth the trek.
Na Pali Cats
In the morning, in good weather, take this boat tour along the gorgeous Na Pali coast. 4 hour trip with 45 minutes of snorkeling. check in at 6:45 AM for 7:30 departure from Hanalei bay Afternoon tour check in at noon but seas not as calm for snorkeling. Includes drinks, snacks, sandwich, snorkel gear
Stay
Makena Surf
This is an ideally situated condominium in Wailea. There’s a beach and snorkeling right outside the door. (Not inexpensive but nothing is in Wailea)
Napili Point Condos
This is a lovely condominium on a point very near Napili Bay beach and right on one of the best snorkeling bays on Maui. It is one of the few lodgings in the area that has multiple room condos (Note you can also search VRBO for condos in same complex).
Princeville Resort
This is THE fanciest place on this end of the Island. It has everything you’d expect from a fancy resort (and prices to match). Used to be the St Regis
Marriott Wailea Beach Resort
Fantastic location right on the beach with infinity pool overlooking the ocean. Not cheap but nothing in this area is. Be sure and check out the great coastal path and nearby snorkeling
Grand Hyatt Kauai
This is a nice place (and costs accordingly).Everything is first class and it’s located right on the beach, with a lovely pool, spa, restaurants and basically everything you might expect from a full resort property.
Waimea Plantation Cottages Resort
Kauai is the most laid-back of the main islands, and this place really drops you into that vibe. There are 61 restored plantation cottages (where the sugar workers lived). Each cottage has a kitchen and private Lanai. It’s right on its own black sand beach, has a oceanfront pool.
More
Napili Shores
Condos directly adjacent to Napili Beach with very lovely grounds.
Napili Surf
Lodging right on Napili Bay. It’s pricier than some of our other listed options but is in an awesome location.
Hanalei Kobayashi Family Beach Houses
We have not stayed here – YET, but every time we have been to Hanalei we have drooled over the possibility of staying in those gorgeous houses on the beach – well here they are. There are a whole variety of options.
Hanalei Colony Resort
Nice condos right on a beach. If you want remote you have come to the right place – it is the only lodging PAST Hanalei Bay. Right on the beach (but the beach cis usually too rough to swim)
Hana Lodging
We can’t comment on any of these, as we’ve not stayed here. But we will the next time we drive the Hana Highway.