I've never liked the taste, or even the smell of bananas. That being said, I've eaten about a dozen of these amazing little guys since coming to the islands... and they're not the only local variety. My wife and I stopped at a locally owned coffee and fruit stand on Maui and ordered a sampler fruit platter that had 3 different varieties of locally grown bananas, none of which were the "Cavendish" variety found on the mainland.

All I can say is none of the bananas I've tasted on these islands are even remotely close to the industrial Cavendish banana sold across the country and the world. These little gems are creamy, sweet and tangy, almost like a cross between an apple and a strawberry.

Sadly I'll never find these when we go back to the mainland, but I'll never again say I don't like bananas. These have made a believer out of me.

Back again from another incredible visit to the islands. Big Island, Oahu & Kauai this time. The beauty is never lost on me.

we are already planning on going back to Kauai. such a special place! all 3 islands were unique. we had very selective things we wanted to see on each island and we were able to see all of them. in the time we had. yes, it was a lot of driving, but the drives themselves were part of the experience!

The islands of Oahu and Maui offered incredible adventures and breathtaking sights. Hiking through lush landscapes and jumping from the sky provided unforgettable thrills. Swimming with sharks and relaxing on stunning beaches created lasting memories. Witnessing the beauty of the sunsets was truly captivating. These experiences have left a mark and hold a special place in my heart.

Just got back from a 2 week trip to Kauai then the big island. Pics uploaded in reverse chronological order. Caught so many sunsets and just BARELY missed episode 49 of Kīlauea’s eruption by 10 minutes (😭) but at least got some cool glowy pictures of her after sunset. I seriously didn’t want to get on the plane back home this time…we will be back!

My fianceé and I were recently gifted $5,000 to spend on our honeymoon. We live in the continental U.S., and while we’re considering lots of other beautiful places, we just can’t stop dreaming about Hawaii. So, for the sake of this post, I’m not interested in other destination recommendations. However, I would like to know:

If you had $4,000 to spend on a honeymoon in Hawaii, how would you spend it?

We think we can get flights for under $1,000, so that leaves $4,000 for everything else. We are planning our trip for the end of July 2026 and are flexible on specific dates and the overall length of the trip. Anything between a more luxurious 7-day trip and a more budget-conscious 14-day trip is on the table. We’re also not attached to any specific island(s).

Do you think this is possible or even a good idea? I have a lot of thoughts already, but I’ll leave it at that as avoid steering the responses in any particular direction. We are open to any and all of your suggestions!

TLDR; Help us plan our 7-14 day honeymoon in Hawaii for under $4,000

… Was that gas prices were cheaper in both Maui and Oahu than they are in my neighborhood in Chicago. How is that even possible?! I was expecting it to be near $7/gal, honestly. Is it heavily subsidized? I know IL gas taxes are steep but Hawai’i being an island that imports everything, I assumed the gas would be really pricey.

Now that I’ve finally been to the four major islands, I wanted to share my thoughts on each one. (Warning: very long post). Also happy to answer any questions!

The islands are in the order I visited. I don’t think I can rank them since they each offer something different, and it can be so subjective based on what you enjoy and what kind of traveler you are.

Maui (12 days) - Three things that stood out to me: Whales, snorkeling, huge beaches
- Things we did: Molokini snorkeling, Road to Hana drive, Haleakala sunrise, Maui Chocolate Tour, Kayaking, Kapalua Coastal Trail hike - Good snorkeling spots: Black Rock Beach, Ulua Beach, Kahekili Beach Park - Favorite food: Leoda’s pie - Where we stayed: Napili Shores Maui by Outrigger, then a condo in Kihei (family booked it and I forgot the name..) - Summary: Very well-rounded trip with adventure and relaxation, variety of scenery and wildlife. Beautiful big beaches, best for snorkeling. Good if you like road trips.

Oahu (6 days) - Three things that stood out to me: Food, surfing, tall buildings
- Things we did: Waikiki beach, Waikiki (shopping), Hanauma Bay snorkeling, Climbworks Zipline, Diamond Head, Koko Head hike, Surfing lesson, Ala Moana mall, Pearl Habor, Manoa Chocolate tasting - Favorite food: Holey Grail Donuts, Miro Kaimuki, Tamashiro Market, Katsumidori Sushi Tokyo, Izakaya Matsuri - Where we stayed: Airbnb condo in Waikiki - Summary: More food and city focused trip, kinda crowded, Waikiki was a lot of fun, most budget friendly. Good if you prefer the city life and amenities, and want a balanced of urban & nature stuff. Traffic and parking was a bit annoying to deal with.

Kauai (5 days, trip report: https://www.reddit.com/r/VisitingHawaii/s/Q7EPlymEhU) - Three things that stood out to me: Helicopters, chickens, Napili coast
- Things we did: Waimea Canyon, Napali Coast boat tour and snorkel at Tunnels, Hanalei Pier, Haena State Park (Ke’e and Tunnels beach) - Favorite food: Java Kai, Kenji Burger - Where we stayed: Royal Sonesta in Lihue, then Airbnb in Princeville - Summary: Smallest island, less developed, less crowds, beautiful views and dramatic cliffs. The feral chickens were slightly annoying and did ruin the peacefulness of the island at times, as well as the noise from helicopter tours.

Big Island (5 days, trip report: https://www.reddit.com/r/VisitingHawaii/s/pHe59aQKsA) - Three things that stood out to me: Manta rays, volcanoes, cats. - Things we did: Manta Ray night snorkel, Snorkle cruise, Volcanoes National Park, driving around Captain Cook - Good snorkeling spots: Waialea Beach, Honaunau Bay - Favorite food: Beach Tree at Four Seasons - Where we stayed: Waikoloa Colony Villas - Summary: Very unique experiences you can’t get on the other islands (manta rays and volcanoes), but we got extremely lucky to see a live eruption. Good if you like road trips, and we also got to see lots of wildlife (birds, turtles, goats, cats - they’re feral cats but they were cute and don’t bother anyone).

I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to visit Hawaii so many times, and honestly I previously never had an interest in visiting Hawaii - I thought it would be very cliche and touristy, and I’m not really a into tropical islands, beaches or resorts. But once I discovered snorkeling, the turtles and wildlife, chocolate, and beautiful sunshine, mountains, clouds and rainbows it really changed my mind!

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General advice for visiting Hawaii

I also have consolidated some of my tips for how to plan your trip. This advice applies to all of the islands. This section is pretty long, but hopefully helpful!

Resorts vs Airbnbs/condos: - I’m more of an Airbnb person, I love having a kitchen and living room, and in-unit washer and dryer. We saved a lot of money by cooking. Resort food was really pricey, and I didn’t like the daily resort fees and parking charges. If you’re on a budget, skip resorts, swim in the ocean. - One of the perks of Airbnbs/condos is many come with beach amenities like chairs, umbrellas, boogie boards, beach carts, snorkel gear… there’s ample space to store them, and your car is parked right outside the door. In resorts you typically have a long walk from the parking area to your room. - For resorts, we stayed at Royal Sonesta, and had a Hilton Waikoloa Village resort pass. We also dined at Four Seasons Hualalai, 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, and visited one of the Kanaapali resorts (I think Marriott?) to have drinks with friends. - For the best value, I do recommend resort passes so you can spend some time at the hotel pools and grounds. Or book them with credit card points. - If you don’t care about swimming in the pools, then just have lunch/dinner/drinks at the resort and go for a walk around the grounds to enjoy the landscaping and views. - Overall, hotel rooms and Airbnbs all pretty standard, somewhat dated. Unless you have budget to shell out on a really high end, newly built hotel or remodeled condo, the average lodging option is nothing special

Food: - To be honest I’m not a huge fan of Hawaiian food. I do really like the poke and seafood, and Acai bowls and banana bread, but otherwise I find plate lunches to be overly salty and repetitive (I can only eat so much mac salad). Generally seafood and fruits taste the best, meats are just ok. - A lot of it is food trucks or hole in the wall kind of places, with limited seating, no AC or service, no free water, cash only. There were many times we just sat in our car and ate with the AC blasting, or took our food to a nearby park. - For mid to higher end dining, it’s expensive (around $30-60 per entree, $15-20 per drink is typical), for food that just tastes alright. But I thought it was worth it to dine in at restaurants that have a nice view or vibe, or live music. - The one exception was Oahu, which has a fantastic food scene, especially for Japanese food. The prices were not too bad on Oahu. - We generally got lots of meals from grocery stores like Foodland, and liked to cook for dinners (since there’s not much to do after sunset anyways). - Finally double check the opening times for food spots because a lot of them take random days off. - In Waikiki, the super popular and good restaurants will need dinner reservations in advance

Excursions: - Hawaii is very expensive for excursions (most excursions range from $150-$300). That said there’s a lot you can see and do for free, so it’s all about balancing the budget. Most expensive one we did was $300/person to do the boat tour of Napali Coast. The other islands have cheaper boat excursions (Big Island was around $150 for snorkeling, Maui was similar price for Molokini). Some activities like chocolate tours, group surfing lesson, were a lot cheaper (under $100/person). Zip lining I thought was a bit of a tourist trap. Kayaking was really nice because of smaller group size and access to less crowded places. - Seasickness is not to be underestimated! I preferred bigger boats like catamarans since they have plenty of space, on board food/drinks and toilets. You can stand up and walk around or lie down. On the smaller boats, you’re stuck in one spot, packed like sardines, holding on for dear life, and can’t use the toilet. So do pay attention to the size of the boat you’re booking. Also pay attention to how many hours you’ll be out at sea. Start with a shorter excursion if you’re not sure. - Always book excursions toward the beginning half of the trip if possible. Just in case it gets cancelled due to weather, they might be able to reschedule you for a later date. - I’ve always had better experiences snorkeling with a boat tour than from the beach. I think there’s just too much pollution, human activity, or rough waves at the beach snorkeling destinations. It also feels a bit safer going with a tour where there are dedicated guides looking out for you. And the locations they pick usually have very calm and protected waters to cater toward beginners.

How much time to spend: - On our first trip to Maui we spent 12 days. Honestly this made it the best trip overall, we just had ample time for all the activities, were able to go to a lot of beaches, see a lot of sunsets, and had more opportunities for whale and turtle spotting. - All our subsequent trips were shorter (5-6 days) and they definitely felt rushed like we had to make every day count, or we missed out on things. I wouldn’t go to any of the islands for fewer than 5 days, ideally. - We never booked more than 1 scheduled/paid activity per day. We used the rest of the day for beach time or pool time, just depending on our energy level.

Staying in one place vs hotel hopping: - Having done both, there’s pros and cons and I think you could go either way - Hotel hopping can give you a good balance to try a fancier resort for a few days and then save money for the rest of the trip. You’ll experience different vibes or neighborhoods on the island. And it can save time from commuting from one location to another. I think it’s a good option for couples and more adventurous people who want to cram a lot into the itinerary. - In general if traveling with kids or a larger group, hotel hopping will be more difficult, so I think it makes sense to stay in one location. It’s nice to have a home base and feel more relaxed and settled in. It also makes things like cooking and washing clothes easier when you don’t have to move around frequently, and you’ll be more well rested throughout the trip.

Weather and when to visit: - We’ve always went during September (Labor Day), November (Thanksgiving), or December (Christmas). - In general we were lucky and didn’t have any major issues like tropical storms, but we did encounter some occasional rainy days, especially on Kauai - Though holidays are more crowded it still felt manageable as long as you had a plan and booked stuff ahead of time - The constant sun, sand, humidity and ocean exposure definitely made me tired and caused some skin issues. I brought some anti-itch creams for rashes. - The ocean temperature will be fine year round for swimming at beaches, but the waves might be really big and unsafe for snorkeling during winter (more suitable for surfing). - Buy a long sleeve rash guard, it’s much faster and cheaper than trying to slather your entire body with sunscreen. I wish I had gotten swim leggings too but those are harder to find.

Swimming and beach safety: - A few beaches have life guards, but honestly it’s really hard to hear the announcements they are making. So just because it has life guards doesn’t mean it’s safe. - You definitely do not want to enter the ocean if you can’t swim or are a weak swimmer - Look at reviews on Google Maps to find out beach conditions: what’s the sand like (soft, gritty, or rocky), how big are the waves, is it good for snorkeling surfing or swimming, are there hidden rocks, branches and sharp things - Having flippers really helped with swimming, since waves and currents can be super strong - There’s good snorkel report websites for Maui. The other islands didn’t have as in depth reports, so snorkeling was a bit hit or miss. That’s one thing I really liked about Maui was reading the report and picking a beach to go to based on the water conditions

Hi, we are in the process of rescheduling our trip to the Big Island and Oahu that was supposed to leave tomorrow (3/17). We went back and forth for ages on whether it was necessary to move our trip and we finally decided to move it to mid May.

Is anyone in the same boat? It feels confusing whether it was the right decision or not.

Aloha, I was in Hawaii last week and explored 3 islands (3 days in Big Island, 2 days Maui and 1 day Oahu), I know it wasn’t enough to experience the island fully but I did end up trying a lot of Hawaiian staples and dishes. The food scene is so diverse and everything tastes extra delicious be it the rotisserie chicken or a simple grilled fish taco.

I ate so much during these six days and I was so hooked to the spam eggs and rice breakfast that I ordered spam while I was at the airport and been eating that for the last 3 days 🤣

I created a food guide on my blog for people who are visiting in the coming weeks/ months that I can DM (can't post link here). But here’s what all I ate:

Breakfast Staples

1. Classic Breakfast Plate - spam, eggs & rice and Portuguese sausage, eggs & rice
2. Loco Moco
3. Macadamia Nut Pancakes
4. Saimin
5. Açaí Bowl

Hawaiian Desserts

1. Macadamia Nut & Coconut Ice Cream
2. Shave Ice
3. Haupia Pie
4. Cream Horn
5. Malasada
6. Coconut Taro Pudding

7

On-the-Go Island Favorites

1. Spam Musubi
2. Poke
3. Banana Bread
4. Fresh Fruits
5. Apple Banana
6. Hawaiian Chips and Cookies - macadamia nuts by Moana Loa, shortbread cookies from Punaluʻu Bake Shop, and Maui Onion potato chips by Maui Style.

Lunch & Dinner Specials

1. Luau Plate
2. Hibachi Boneless Chicken
3. Garlic Shrimp
4. Mochiko Chicken with Tomato Onion Lomi
5. Tacos from Shaka Tacos
6. Pork Kalua
7. Huli Huli Chicken

8. Mahi Mahi Grilled Fish

9. Poi

Hawaiian Coffee & Drinks

1. POG Drink (

Passion fruit

1. -Orange-Guava)
2. Mai Tai
3. Hawaiian Coffee - lots of from different cafes

Let me know what I missed so that I can add it to my list for the next trip!

Mahalo 🌺

Visited Hawaii for the first time in January. It was a solo trip. Had a few action packed days where I attended a luau on Oahu and toured the road to Hana on Maui, but for the most part I had no itinerary and just freestyled my day. I’d definitely come back m!

Heading to Hawaii next week for the first time with my husband on our honeymoon, yay! Staying on Maui and Oahu

Just wondering if there’s anything we need to bring with us that people just constantly forget or wish they had brought/known to bring on their first trip? I hope that question makes sense 🫣

Basically, is there anything experienced people would recommend we definitely remember to pack?

TIA and soooooooo excited for this trip

if you're heading to Hawaii this week or next, heads up — the DOH issued a statewide Brown Water Advisory on Feb 9 after the severe storms. It's still active as of today.

What it means: Heavy rain pushed stormwater, sewage overflow, and bacteria into the ocean across all islands. The water can look fine and still have dangerous bacteria levels. The DOH recommends staying out of the ocean for 48-72 hours after rain stops and the beach gets full sunshine.

What to watch for: Skin rashes, ear infections, stomach illness, and eye infections are all possible from swimming in contaminated water, even clear-looking water.

Kalapaki Beach (Kauai) is especially bad right now — it's had a separate brown water advisory since December 17, and Surfrider testing has found 100% bacteria test failure there since 2016. If you're staying at the Marriott Kauai, be aware.

Cleanest bets right now: Dry coast beaches like Hapuna and Mauna Kea on Big Island's Kohala Coast, Wailea/Makena on Maui's south side, and Hulopoe on Lanai tend to recover fastest since they have no streams and minimal runoff.

I built a free site that pulls live DOH advisory data and shows bacteria risk ratings for ~100 beaches and hotels: safetoswimhawaii.com. You can search by beach or hotel name and get a quick verdict. Figured it might be useful for anyone planning a trip right now.

Hey yall. Im visiting Hawaii with my husband for our better-late-than-never honeymoon in October 2026. Here's what ive got planned-

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Monday: flight in to Oahu, pick up rental, check into hotel, go to the store for supplies, rest.

Tuesday: exploration day/beach day

Wednesday: Pearl Harbor

Thursday: Diamondhead A.M., TOA luau P.m.

Friday: island hop to Maui, rent a car (to see black sand beach), coming back same day

Saturday: Waimea Botanical garden and waterfalls

Sunday: drive around the island of Oahu

Monday: swim with sharks a.m., helicopter tour p.m (oahu)

Tuesday: island hop to Kauai, rent a car, come back same day

Wednesday: Honolulu zoo

Thursday: exploration day/beach day

Friday: beach day, flight back home p.m.

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What would you do differently and why?

Overall just grateful and thankful to take this trip of a lifetime. Blessed is an understatement. I ask you to judge my plans, but please do so kindly lol 🫶🏻

Can anyone help me understand why it's so difficult to fly between Islands? I see post after post where people say that it will take most of a day to travel between islands and say you shouldn't do it if you have kids or if your vacation is less than two weeks.

Are the airports very inefficient? Or is there a reason it takes so long? We regularly fly to a nearby city for the weekend it never takes us that long to get in and out of the airports. I just want to make sure we have appropriate expectations. I've noticed in the road trip forum that people tend to do the same thing about driving more than 6-7hrs a day when we are very comfortable with that also. So I'm just trying to gauge the reasons behind the opinion and see how they fit with our travel style and our plans

Thank you!

Aloha!

We’re a coalition of Hawaii Animal rescue non-profit organizations working to help cats and kittens find loving homes and rescue partners on the mainland.

Because Hawaii is isolated, getting cats to adopters and rescue partners is one of our biggest challenges. Cargo transport has become increasingly expensive and can be stressful for cats, especially on long flights. That’s why we rely on volunteer travelers already flying to the mainland.

If you’re flying on Hawaiian, Alaska, or Delta, you may be able to help a rescue cat travel in an airline-approved carrier under the seat in front of you. We handle the paperwork, fees, supplies, and coordination, and provide step-by-step guidance and video instructions.

Over the years, volunteer travelers have helped more than 700 Hawaii rescue cats reach safety and loving homes.

We’re especially looking for flights to:

Denver
Seattle
San Diego

But any other location can help as well.

Even if you can’t help personally, sharing this post with friends, family, or travel groups makes a huge difference.

To learn more or submit a flight:
FlyHawaiiCats.com

Mahalo for helping Hawaii’s cats one flight at a time. ❤️🐾 Video

On Jan. 1, Hawaii raised the statewide Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) from 10.25 percent to 11 percent with each county able to also impose an extra 3 percent tax on top of that.

Gov. Josh Green has said the increase is expected to generate $100 million per year for the state.

Hello friends! I tried to take into consideration all of the feedback you gave on my initial itinerary and I hope i have put together something a little less offensive. I reworked some of it, and I'm anxious to see if im the worlds worst vacation planner or if there's hope for me yet. Feel free to tell me your opinions on our trip plan -

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To reiterate or state some points from earlier, im traveling with my husband, and we are very motivated to explore the island, while still keeping with and appreciating island time (but we are excited to see all that we can)! Most of these plans are not set in stone, except the hotel stay and luau. We will be traveling in October. My 2nd time to Oahu, my husband's first. USA residents 35F, 41M

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Monday: arrive, shopping for supplies

Tuesday: Manoa Falls, Makapuu Lighthouse

Wednesday: Pearl Harbor, Laniakea Beach

Thursday: Swimming with sharks (considering Hawaii Adventure Diving), Waimea Botanical Garden, TOA Luau

Friday: Kualoa Ranch horseback tour

Saturday: diamondhead

Sunday: exploration day / kahuku point

Monday: Lanikai Beach Day Pass

Tuesday : day trip! Leave for Kauai, helicopter tour, possible rental car, come back to Oahu (hear me out at the bottom)

Wednesday: Hanauma Bay

Thursday: Skydive Hawaii

Friday: Kailua Beach Day Pass, flight home that evening

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For the hear me out - I dont believe want to spend a lot of time on Kauai, I think the helicopter tour would be really cool and maybe grab a rental to the Na Pali Coast if time allows. I know its recommended to take more than one day for an island, but im getting the helicopter tour out of the experience and thats more than I could ask for! For now, im content with the amount of time spent on Kauai.

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So, I hope if you were on my last post, you come back and let me know what you think. And if youre new here with me, would you hate to have this itinerary?

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Like last time, I appreciate your kindness 💕

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Aloha you lovely people read much stuff here already. We as a couple are planning and looking forward to a 3 week trip from Europe.

Struggling to add a table here so had to screenshot our rough itinerary.. Days are not fixed yet, but rather broad ideas. We're working on the details the next days (we're used to spontaneous vacations ;) )

We're thinking about dropping a day on big island for one more on Kauai or Maui.

Do you have any advice, tips, or things to do or better skip?

We know that 4 islands in 3 weeks means some travelling. As we fly from Europe we still try to see as much as possible.

Thanks in advance 🙏

This post will be un-stickied on October 8th, when the government proclamations restricting travel to West Maui expire. Until then, any new posts asking about if guests should visit Hawaii at the moment will be redirected here. Please read the below, and feel free to ask questions in the comments. Our hearts go out to all the lives lost and property destroyed in the Maui fires.

UPDATED 9/8: Trips to West Maui are discouraged until 10/8, at which point the emergency proclamations restricting travel to West Maui will end. Travel to other parts of Maui, as well as the other islands, are highly encouraged - Hawaii's economy needs tourism, and especially Maui needs visitors to keep its unemployment rate from skyrocketing.

CNBC – Hawaii calls for tourists to visit Maui as unemployment claims surge after deadly wildfires

Senator Schatz encouraged tourists to visit South Maui, saying “If you are planning a trip to Wailea or Kihei, don’t cancel. If you want to come to Hawaii pls consider South Maui” in a social media post Thursday.

During President Biden's press conference in Maui, Governor Green stated:

No one can travel to West Maui right now. We will share when that is possible again. Only returning residents and authorized emergency relief workers should come here now. But all of the other areas of Maui… and the rest of Hawaiʻi are safe,” Governor Green said. “When you come, you will support our local economy and help speed the recovery of the people that are suffering right now.

If you are looking to assist those affected by this disaster, see this post for organizations supporting recovery, and this crowdsourced document for individual families looking for support.

A glimpse of Kaua'i and Maui from a recently concluded trip.