Kauaʻi is home to lush greenery, pristine beaches and crystal-clear waters, making the oldest Hawaiian island an ideal spot for snorkeling enthusiasts. These five snorkeling spots topped the list of our 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards. 1. Mākua Beach (aka Tunnels Beach) Poʻipū Beach. Photo: Getty Images This popular family-friendly beach on Kauaʻi’s South Shore is […]
Our readers know how much natural beauty can be found in Hawaiʻi—it’s part of what keeps visitors coming back. From lush rainforests to breathtaking canyons to surreal sea cliffs, here are the five state parks (out of 50) you ranked as your top places to visit in our 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards. 1. Waimea Canyon
If you see a shark approaching you, be sure to make eye contact with it.” As someone who’s never once seen a shark in person, this is troubling advice. I have to look at the shark? In the eyes? I have trouble doing that when I’m talking to strangers. My head is racing. I can’t
Every time I visit Hilo, I’m amazed by how much the sleepy town on Hawaiʻi Island has changed—and how much is hasn’t changed at all. The little town on the northeastern side of the Big Island has seen a lot of changes. It was first settled around A.D. 1100 by Polynesians, who established agricultural and
When I was 9, I almost drowned at Waimea Bay on O‘ahu’s North Shore. My dad, a seasoned waterman, knew there was a swell on the way, but the bay looked flat and picturesque that morning as I floated in the shorebreak on my bodyboard. But from there, things changed fast: A rip current dragged
In November 2018, Hawaiʻi Forest & Trail expanded to Oʻahu, with three tours that did what the Hawaiʻi Island-based tour company did best: connect people to Hawaiʻi’s natural beauty. SEE ALSO: Tour Company Hawaiʻi Forest & Trail Expands to Oʻahu But this year it’s adding one more thing we people love about the Islands: food.
Hawaii is unique in so many ways, from our always-tropical weather to the blending of diverse cultures. We celebrate the holiday season a little differently, too. For starters, our year-round sunshine means we can don board shorts and bikinis and go surfing on Christmas morning—and maybe even catch Hawaiian Santas throw shakas from outrigger canoes. Here
My friend and I sit on wooden Adirondack chairs, basking in the sun and talking about the next few days of our Maui getaway. It’s her first time on the Valley Isle and we have a lot planned: Visiting Haleakala, cruising Upcountry, seeing the culturally significant Kukaemoku (Iao Needle). Plus, she has a foodie’s hit
It’s pretty hard to have a proper road trip in Hawaii. Driving from Oahu’s central city of Honolulu to the North Shore, for example, takes less than an hour (without traffic). This is not the case on Hawaii Island, which rightfully earns its moniker, the Big Island. Driving to and from the island’s two largest
At dusk on a cloudless day on the Kohala Coast on the northern tip of Hawaii Island, I pull into a small cove hidden by some houses in the residential neighborhood of Puakp. A couple of local families picnic on the shore, the ocean slowly turning an inky blue as it gently laps against the
It’s not just honu (Hawaiian green sea turtles), fish and reef in the waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands. The ocean around Hawaii also serves as the final resting place for ships and even planes, each with its own fascinating history and tale of untimely demise. And for scuba divers, it’s even possible to see these
I like to think that I’m in pretty good physical shape. I surf daily, go to yoga a few times a week and watch what I eat. But as I’m about 20 minutes into my kayaking journey to Na Mokulua, the two picturesque islands off the coast of Lanikai, I’ve come to realize that paddling a
