Waimanu Valley’s ancient green amphitheater streams with white water falling from impossibly high heights. Its star, Waihilau Falls, rains down a series of drops totaling an improbable 2,600 feet. Coveted oceanside campsites in this remote and pristine region—the largest of Hawaii Island’s northern valleys—offer a chance to sleep under a blanket of stars, laze away […]
Detail on the black-sand grains of Pailoa. Photo: Daniel Sullivan/HAWAIʻI Magazine Waianapanapa State Park is a popular stop along Hana Highway—the 64.4-mile Road to Hana, known for its 620 curves, countless waterfalls, lush green scenery and remote hidden beauty. At around mile marker 32, 2 miles outside Hana Town, a sign directs you toward the
Winter awakens a beast. For a period of about 15 days a year, the surf break, Peʻahi, also nicknamed Jaws, reveals its unrest: monster waves between 40 and 60 feet—lashing its teeth at those who dare brush up against its pearly whites. Through the fearful visual, there’s also a haunting reverence, recently evidenced in the
A cosmos of plankton swirls near my face as I breathe through my snorkel, making sounds not unlike Darth Vader. Tiny orange shrimp, just-hatched, staple-sized translucent larval fish and green algal blobs dance in front of my mask, all driven by internal instinct to the surface by a spotlight facing the seafloor. Beyond, blackness is
It’s no secret that Hawaii has its fair share of incredible, awe-inspiring waterfalls. For many waterfalls, the most mind-blowing feature of them would be their height. However, they’re difficult to officially scale because there isn’t a standardized way to classify them, let alone what defines a waterfall itself. Some people believe the criteria should include
Editor’s Note, June 2, 20201: Lānaʻi Cycles is no longer in operation. Fifteen. That’s the number of times I’ve counted my guide, Marcom Pascua, wave hello to a passing vehicle. He’s the co-founder of Lanai Cycles and we’re biking across the length of this island he calls home. Every car, pickup truck and hotel shuttle that
The last thing I wanted to do on my second day of vacation to Maui was get up at 4:45 a.m., but that’s what I did. Groggy but excited, my husband and I drove the short distance from our hotel to the Kihei Boat Ramp, and met the shiny, silver B&B Scuba boat already bustling
It was 6:30 a.m. when we started our hike to Hanakapiai Falls, a roughly 300-foot tall waterfall nestled in the back of Hanakapiai Valley on Kauai’s north shore. We were the only ones out hiking. In fact, save for the vocal birds above, we had the entire beach and valley to ourselves. While this hike
Walking so far up into the clouds along steep switchbacks and knife-edge ridges that the view below is hard to distinguish between sea and sky. This is the Waihee Ridge Trail on Mauna Kahalawai, also called the West Maui Mountains. The 2.5-mile hike is known as one of the most scenic treks on the island, and
Year-round, even when the winter surf is up, Hanalei River remains gentle and placid for those who want to safely explore Kauai’s waterways. The palm tree-lined river forms on the slopes of Mount Waialeale—one the wettest spots on earth—and edges up against Hanalei town, where there are numerous surf shops with stand-up paddleboards (SUP) available
Breaking news out of Waimea today: The Eddie will go. Organizers of The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, commonly called The Eddie, have confirmed the event will happen at Waimea Bay this Wednesday—the first time the contest has been held since 2009, and only the ninth time in its 32 year
Hāna is just a gorgeous drive away. A gorgeous two-and-a-half hour drive with 59 bridges and 620 curves away, to be exact. The Road to Hāna, a highway that connects Kahului to Hāna, is a highly recommended daytime drive to really see the undeveloped scenery of Maui’s east side. Whether you’ve been to the island
