How To Choose The Best Hawaiian Island For Your Vacation

How To Choose The Best Hawaiian Island For Your Vacation

Which Hawaiian Island Is Right For You? Time for some real talk. There's been something gnawing at me on social media lately, and no, I'm not talking about politics. According to your Facebook, Instagram, and Tweets, I must be the only person on earth who has not been to Hawaii. And quite possibly, I may be the only person who isn't there right now. It seems like every day, someone new is saying Aloha and showing their feet in the sand.

PICKING THE RIGHT HAWAIIAN ISLAND Each Hawaiian island has a different vibe, tourist highlights, and stunning geography. To give a few examples: Oahu is the most populous island and is home to North Shore and Diamond Head. The Big Island of Hawaii offers active volcanoes Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Maui has fantastic beaches, with picture perfect sunsets. And Kauai is breathtaking with excellent hiking trails.

MAUI Maui has a bit of everything with touristy sights balanced with good beaches and hikes. It is usually recommended for a first trip- and it's certainly less touristy than Honolulu over on Oahu.

OAHU To start, check out Oahu. If you are arriving by air, you are likely to fly into Honolulu Airport on Oahu as it's often the least expensive option. And that's one thing you will quickly learn: getting to Hawaii isn't cheap! All major airlines fly into here from the mainland, and many international airlines are serviced here as well.

KAUAI Kauai is a favorite because it is the least touched island. Friends report Kauai as having the most "Hawaiian feeling" of all the islands. It offers an authentic atmosphere with guava plantations, a lighthouse, and waterfalls to explore. The large waterfall scene in Jurassic Park (the original) was filmed on Kauai; you can visit the falls.