One of Kauai’s most breathtaking beaches is one you can’t see from the highway. The rewards for those who venture to it, though, are well worth the effort: No resorts, no crowds—just serenity and picturesque seascapes. Kauapea Beach, also known as Secret Beach or Secrets, is a large yet secluded North Shore hideaway with deep, […]
The 10-acre forest reserve known as Polipoli sits at 6,400 feet on the slopes of Haleakala in Upcountry Maui. Its trails wind through redwood trees and misty mountaintops, producing a dreamlike experience—and a distinct feeling of not being on Maui anymore. You start with a winding road from Kula to Polipoli… …that climbs above the morning
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
Within earshot of Kailua-Kona’s lava-enclosed airstrip and close enough to the ocean to feel the sea spray, a tiny blue building fronts an unusual aquatic farm, the only one of its kind in the United States. On any given day, Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm is home to more than 20,000 seahorses and I’ve flown from
Last weekend, I checked something incredible off of my bucket list. I hovered mere inches above a 12-foot feeding manta ray in an otherwise pitch-black ocean at night. It sounds crazy—and maybe it is—but these encounters, offered nightly by dozens of operators in the Kailua-Kona are very safe and very popular. An estimated 80,000 people
Have you ever slept under the stars at Malaekahana Beach on Oahu’s North Shore? Whether you’ve visited before or plan on making a first-time visit, there are some exciting improvements you should know about. A new company, Malaekahana Beach Campground, took ownership of the campsite of the same name. Its grand opening was held in
Chances are good that you’ve never been to Waimanu Valley. The largest of a string of remote valleys along a dozen miles of rugged, windswept Hamakua coastline between more accessible and well-known Big Island valleys Waipio and Pololu, Waimanu is not an easy place to visit. There is only one way in—by foot on the
Squinting into central Maui morning sunshine, I survey blue skies directly above a Hike Maui van and worry about the waves of cumulus camouflage rushing toward our alpine hiking destination: the summit of Haleakala volcano. My heart sinks a bit at the sight. I begin wishing that the warm, sunglasses-and-T-shirt weather in the sea level
Just as certain as there are surfers flocking to Maui’s best surf breaks when waves are up, when the weather is clear in the dense forests of Upcountry Maui, outdoor adventurers are headed up the slopes of massive Haleakalā volcano. Here, high above the island’s vast central plain, upland pineapple fields, former sugar land and
We weren’t even three minutes into the craggy dirt roadway to Kaena Point Natural Area Reserve when one of our companions busted a tire on his bicycle. A not-exactly welcome, if unexpected chance to absorb my surroundings. It was the first time in years I had been on the coastal trail traversing remote Kaena Point,
On your next visit to Pololu Valley Lookout, at the end of the Big Island’s northernmost highway, do the following. Take a seat on the lookout’s rock wall. Close your eyes. Inhale the salt-kissed air of the meeting of rugged North Kohala and Hamakua coastline. Exhale slowly. Then open your eyes and take in the
When I found out there was a guided day hike of the majestic natural wonder that is the Napali Coast, I was off to Kauai as soon as I could book a flight. Before I continue, some clarification is in order. I’m fairly certain there’s still no humanly means of hiking the 22 miles of
