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Hawaii 2008
 Oahu, Big Island, Maui, Kauai
 Conclusion & Tips

 		 
 

Hawaii is beautiful and definitely worth a trip. If you love nature, hiking, snorkelling, this is for you! But it's also great for just relaxing on the beach, surfing, etc.

The best island

That's really difficult to say. We loved to see all four of the main islands, but I guess we liked Kauai best. It's tropical vegetation, Waimea Canyon and the spectacular Na Pali Coast. Maui is worth seeing for the Haleakala and a drive on the Road to Hana, Big Island for Mauna Kea and Volcanoes NP and Oahu for Honolulu with its world-famous Waikiki Beach, lots of beautiful beaches and mountains that remind of Kauai's Na Pali Coast.

Highlights

  • Helicopter flight (Waimea Canyon, Na Pali Coast) on Kauai

  • Flight from Honolulu to Hilo, Big Island, with beautiful views

  • The view from our hotel room at the Hilo Hawaiian onto snowcapped Mauna Kea, Big Island

  • Drive up to snowy Mauna Kea, Big Island

  • Hiking the Napau Trail in Volcanoes NP, Big Island

  • Sunrise on Haleakala, Maui

  • Hiking through the bamboo forest (Pipiwai Trail) on the Road to Hana, Maui

  • Whale-Watching on Maui

  • Snorkelling with sea turtles in Hanauma Bay, Oahu

  • Snorkelling in the Kapoho Tide Pools, Big Island

  • Snorkelling with beautiful fish and sea turtles at Kahalu'u Beach, Big Island

  • Sea turtles at Punaluu Black Sand Beach, Big Island

  • Watching the outrigger boats at Makaha Beach, Oahu

The best hikes

  • Kilauea Iki Trail, Volcanoes NP, Big Island (2 hrs.)

  • Napau Crater Trail to Naulu Trail, Volcanoes NP, Big Island (4.5 hrs.)

  • Pololu Valley Trail, Big Island (2 hrs.)

  • Pipiwai Trail to Waimoku Falls, Haleakala NP, Maui (2 hrs.)

  • Sliding Sands Trail to Ka Luu o Ka Oo Crater, Haleakala NP, Maui (3 hrs.)

  • Pihea Trail/Alakai Swamp Trail, Kokee State Park, Kauai (5 hrs.)

  • Kalalau Trail to Hanakapi'ai Beach, Na Pali Coast, Kauai (2.5 hrs.)

  • Nualolo-Awaawapuhi Loop Trail, Kokee State Park, Kauai (6.5 hrs.)

  • Diamond Head, Oahu (1,5 hrs.)

  • Maunawili Trail, Oahu (2 hrs.)

The best snorkelling sites

  • Hanauma Bay, Oahu: sea turtles

  • Kapoho Tide Pools, Big Island: just like an aquarium

  • Kahalu'u Beach, Big Island: schools of fish plus sea turtles

  • Lawai (Beach House) Beach, Kauai: lots of colourful fish

  • Poipu Beach, Kauai: lots of colourful fish

  • Ke'e Beach, Kauai: lots of colourful fish

  • Napili Bay, Maui: beautiful reef, sea turtles

  • Puuhonua o Honaunau, Big Island: sea turtles

Beaches

Here's a list of Hawaii's best beaches: http://www.hawaiiweb.com/hawaii/html/beaches/default.htm

When to come

Hawaii can be visited year round. It's rainy season in winter, but you may escape your own cold season and it's not as hot and humid as in summer, the whales are there. The disadvantages are that it's raining more often than in summer, hiking trails may be impassable when wet, it's more crowded and more expensive. A good time to visit may be between seasons in April/May or October/November.

Flights

We decided on a flight without stopover on the US mainland. On the return flight it makes good sense to make sure not to have two red eye flights in a row! Here is airport and airline information for Hawaii: http://www.hawaii.gov/dot/airports/ or http://state.hi.us/dot/airports/index.htm.

Interisland flights can be booked via www.priceline.com or www.cheaptickets.com, or directly via the airlines. Travel agencies may be more expensive. If possible, make sure you can get non-stop flights between islands.

Accommodation

We booked our accommodations directly via their websites. This was the best deal with the current dollar exchange rate. Good value B&Bs fill up quickly and often they don't accept payment via credit card due to the additional cost.

Here are some websites offering accommodation:

Car rental

We had booked the cars separately for each island at Alamo, midsize SUV including unlimited miles and full insurance coverage. Alamo had a choice line on Maui and Kauai. Jeep Wranglers can be rented quite cheaply as well.

Helicopter flight

Kauai:
We booked our helicopter flight on Kauai with Interisland Helicopters who fly with the doors off. It's just 4 persons plus the pilot, so everyone gets a good view. Here's a video of a flight along the Napali Coast (Jack Harter Helicopters).

Big Island:
Tropical Helicopters flies from Hilo. They also offer flights with the doors off to see the lava flow.

Maui:
Alex Air offers a number of different tours, including one with the doors off over Haleakala.

Boat trip Na Pali Coast

You can see Kauai's Na Pali Coast by boat as well, check out Blue Dolphin Charters or Holo Holo Charters.

Whale Watching Tour

Maui is probably the best place for Whale Watching from December to April. The height of season is February/March. We booked with Pacific Whale Foundation. Rafting tours are offered by Captain Steve's.

Travel guides

We used a travel and hiking guide in German. But I was told this are some of the best guides: O’ahu Revealed, Maui Revealed, The Ultimate Kaua’i Guidebook, Hawai’i – The Big Island Revealed.

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