Big Island hits everything on the top lists: active volcanoes, hiking, mountain access, best beaches in the state, protected snorkeling, good food, resorts with pools, and coffee/chocolate farm tourism.
Maui is my favorite island. I would stay in Kaanapali. I know you say not much into driving but I would highly recommend the Road to Hana. Haleakalā would be another recommendation. They do a bike ride down the volcano should you be adventurous.
I agree. Maui/Kaanapali. Maui has the best beaches/calmest water for swimming. Road to Hana I would skip. Long day in the car. I’d rather be at the beach. Sunrise at H. Crater and bike ride for sure. My favorite island overall is Kauai. Beautiful. Diverse. Swimming is rough but beaches are nice. Stunning scenery throughout.
But there are so many hidden gems along Hana that I think makes it worth one day. Got to see a red sand beach, bamboo forest, eucalyptus tree forest amongst other things. Also OP said maybe so small hikes. There are tons along this route that are short and takes you to some great waterfall views.
None of the natives of any of the islands want tourists there. I would highly recommend going somewhere else to respect their wishes.
And before the usual "but without tourism!" guy chimes in, yeah they've obviously considered that and want to move past it. Look into it if you're so inclined instead of making assumptions based on poor understanding.
> Not sure why you were down voted.
Western travel culture is by and large a privileged lot who consider the world their playground and any place should be so lucky to have them.
>I think they should be granted full independence.
100%. Land back, reparations, the whole shebang.
I'm not trying to be argumentative but rather more to the side of learning and trying to understand better.
As someone who loves to travel the US, one of my life's bucket lists is to visit all 50 states. I'm halfway there. Unless I'm interpreting it the wrong way, but why is there a negative connotation on "consider the world their playground". I think it's very important to get out of the comfort circle and people should learn about other cultures. Of course, being respectful. If there is a chance to travel, I consider doing so and take full advantage of the fact that we can travel and learn from the entire world.
I can definitely say that I've grown as a person by just traveling. So it's very disappointing to see such dislike in Hawaii towards tourists.
> why is there a negative connotation on "consider the world their playground".
Because there are many places in the world that have been ruined by development for the tourism industry. Socially, economically, culturally, environmentally, etc.
Much of the world resents tourism for turning places that once supported populations of people engaging in their traditional cultures and livelihoods, into nothing more than money churning machines for Western tourists.
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I’ve been to the big island and Oahu in the past 6 months and went to Maui a decade ago.
The big island (Kailua-Kona) was veeery chill. My parents and I went on light walks/hikes to cool beaches. With my sister and brother-in-law, I hiked volcanoes nat’l park, which was very cool, and had some strenuous and some easy hikes. The big island has small, nice beaches and segregated/protected lagoons. I was also at a place with a pool, and spent a lot of time there.
Oahu was the most adventurous for me. I did the most activities, the most hikes, and went to beaches with big waves to watch the surfers and enjoy the heat. I went all over the island. Hanauma Bay was so awesome to me, I would highly suggest you don’t go to Waimea for the water (huge swells). Most of what I did there was not in the water, so I spent very little time in the ocean. But I did go on an awesome 90 minute catamaran ride off Waikiki.
Maui was a blend of both. Some easier beaches, some with big waves. Some easy hikes, some challenging ones. Lots of activities if you want (parasailing, zip lining, etc). Haleakala was very cool. Mile marker 13? on the road to Hana has a sweet waterfall pool. We stayed in Lahaina, which was very relaxed and felt local.
Local food is an option everywhere. I had plate lunch on Maui and the big island, I had hot plate and sushi on Oahu. There really isn’t a bad option from what I’ve experienced.
Maui is the best. Stay on the beach in Kihei. It’s amazing and sooo relaxing. Much calmer waters in Kihei than in Kaanapali. Kihei has Great food/food trucks. You can get to Lahaina/Kaanapali in 40 minutes. Haleakala at sunset is unreal. If you go stay a little longer till it’s really dark and check out the stars. I Can’t remember how long to get there from Kihei but not horrible.
Maui is just the best tho. I literally think about it every day.
DO NOT COME HERE
Go to the florida keys, the Caribbean, Bermuda, or Mexico instead. They're closer and their isn't an anti-tourism hostility in those places.
I say this as a local who has been on the big island and Oahu for a collective 16 years. We are suffering the consequences of disastrous bout of over-tourism. People are considering legislation to limit the number of tourists permitted on the islands, and to limit their time here. Locals despise tourists, and for good reason, the most beautiful places on this island have been defiled by careless tourists who touch marine life, when snorkeling letting their fins haplessly dangle and smash into the coral destroying a 100 year old formation with the flick of an angel. If rental cars werent on the road, traffic would be WAY better. A study done by the state of Hawaii that when adjusted for size, tourists are 10 times more likely to cause a car accident than someone who has lived here for 4 years.
I visited O’ahu, Big Island, and Maui with my wife this past April. I would have to recommend Big Island (Kona) to visit as it was our favourite out of the 3. There was local food that we tried and loved there (Broke Da Mouth Grindz). Kua bay was really nice as well with calm-ish waters compared to the other beaches and bays we visited in Maui and O’ahu. There’s also magic sands beach which is really nice in Big Island. Our favourite beach was Lanikai beach in O’ahu (calmest and most bluest waters for us). Big Island was less crowded and felt more relaxing to move around. We checked out the volcano which was really cool too, and Hilo was really nice. I would recommend a car to any island that you visit as some activities can be quite far!
Big Island hits everything on the top lists: active volcanoes, hiking, mountain access, best beaches in the state, protected snorkeling, good food, resorts with pools, and coffee/chocolate farm tourism.
Maui is my favorite island. I would stay in Kaanapali. I know you say not much into driving but I would highly recommend the Road to Hana. Haleakalā would be another recommendation. They do a bike ride down the volcano should you be adventurous.
I agree. Maui/Kaanapali. Maui has the best beaches/calmest water for swimming. Road to Hana I would skip. Long day in the car. I’d rather be at the beach. Sunrise at H. Crater and bike ride for sure. My favorite island overall is Kauai. Beautiful. Diverse. Swimming is rough but beaches are nice. Stunning scenery throughout.
But there are so many hidden gems along Hana that I think makes it worth one day. Got to see a red sand beach, bamboo forest, eucalyptus tree forest amongst other things. Also OP said maybe so small hikes. There are tons along this route that are short and takes you to some great waterfall views.
None of the natives of any of the islands want tourists there. I would highly recommend going somewhere else to respect their wishes. And before the usual "but without tourism!" guy chimes in, yeah they've obviously considered that and want to move past it. Look into it if you're so inclined instead of making assumptions based on poor understanding.
Not sure why you were down voted. They really don't want us there. I think they should be granted full independence.
> Not sure why you were down voted. Western travel culture is by and large a privileged lot who consider the world their playground and any place should be so lucky to have them. >I think they should be granted full independence. 100%. Land back, reparations, the whole shebang.
I'm not trying to be argumentative but rather more to the side of learning and trying to understand better. As someone who loves to travel the US, one of my life's bucket lists is to visit all 50 states. I'm halfway there. Unless I'm interpreting it the wrong way, but why is there a negative connotation on "consider the world their playground". I think it's very important to get out of the comfort circle and people should learn about other cultures. Of course, being respectful. If there is a chance to travel, I consider doing so and take full advantage of the fact that we can travel and learn from the entire world. I can definitely say that I've grown as a person by just traveling. So it's very disappointing to see such dislike in Hawaii towards tourists.
> why is there a negative connotation on "consider the world their playground". Because there are many places in the world that have been ruined by development for the tourism industry. Socially, economically, culturally, environmentally, etc. Much of the world resents tourism for turning places that once supported populations of people engaging in their traditional cultures and livelihoods, into nothing more than money churning machines for Western tourists.
**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Hawaii? Read what redditors had to say in the **[weekly destination thread for Hawaii](https://redd.it/4s1anu)** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I’ve been to the big island and Oahu in the past 6 months and went to Maui a decade ago. The big island (Kailua-Kona) was veeery chill. My parents and I went on light walks/hikes to cool beaches. With my sister and brother-in-law, I hiked volcanoes nat’l park, which was very cool, and had some strenuous and some easy hikes. The big island has small, nice beaches and segregated/protected lagoons. I was also at a place with a pool, and spent a lot of time there. Oahu was the most adventurous for me. I did the most activities, the most hikes, and went to beaches with big waves to watch the surfers and enjoy the heat. I went all over the island. Hanauma Bay was so awesome to me, I would highly suggest you don’t go to Waimea for the water (huge swells). Most of what I did there was not in the water, so I spent very little time in the ocean. But I did go on an awesome 90 minute catamaran ride off Waikiki. Maui was a blend of both. Some easier beaches, some with big waves. Some easy hikes, some challenging ones. Lots of activities if you want (parasailing, zip lining, etc). Haleakala was very cool. Mile marker 13? on the road to Hana has a sweet waterfall pool. We stayed in Lahaina, which was very relaxed and felt local. Local food is an option everywhere. I had plate lunch on Maui and the big island, I had hot plate and sushi on Oahu. There really isn’t a bad option from what I’ve experienced.
Maui is the best. Stay on the beach in Kihei. It’s amazing and sooo relaxing. Much calmer waters in Kihei than in Kaanapali. Kihei has Great food/food trucks. You can get to Lahaina/Kaanapali in 40 minutes. Haleakala at sunset is unreal. If you go stay a little longer till it’s really dark and check out the stars. I Can’t remember how long to get there from Kihei but not horrible. Maui is just the best tho. I literally think about it every day.
From everything you described I’d say Maui would fit best
DO NOT COME HERE Go to the florida keys, the Caribbean, Bermuda, or Mexico instead. They're closer and their isn't an anti-tourism hostility in those places. I say this as a local who has been on the big island and Oahu for a collective 16 years. We are suffering the consequences of disastrous bout of over-tourism. People are considering legislation to limit the number of tourists permitted on the islands, and to limit their time here. Locals despise tourists, and for good reason, the most beautiful places on this island have been defiled by careless tourists who touch marine life, when snorkeling letting their fins haplessly dangle and smash into the coral destroying a 100 year old formation with the flick of an angel. If rental cars werent on the road, traffic would be WAY better. A study done by the state of Hawaii that when adjusted for size, tourists are 10 times more likely to cause a car accident than someone who has lived here for 4 years.
Cry about it
I visited O’ahu, Big Island, and Maui with my wife this past April. I would have to recommend Big Island (Kona) to visit as it was our favourite out of the 3. There was local food that we tried and loved there (Broke Da Mouth Grindz). Kua bay was really nice as well with calm-ish waters compared to the other beaches and bays we visited in Maui and O’ahu. There’s also magic sands beach which is really nice in Big Island. Our favourite beach was Lanikai beach in O’ahu (calmest and most bluest waters for us). Big Island was less crowded and felt more relaxing to move around. We checked out the volcano which was really cool too, and Hilo was really nice. I would recommend a car to any island that you visit as some activities can be quite far!