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The Islands of Hawaii are on everyone’s vacation dream board for good reason – miles of white (and black!) sand beaches; clear blue water and all the beauty and adventure it provides; “perfect” weather all year round; a welcoming and laid back culture that helps you unwind and feel right at home; and diversity of landscape that allows you to experience multiple vacations in one – majestic sea cliffs, lush rainforests, active lava flows, towering waterfalls, green mountains, red canyons, and flowers beyond your wildest dreams. With Hawaii, you get a unique, exotic, and “foreign” vacation with all the convenience of U.S. travel. When planning a trip to Hawaii, your first decision is which island or islands to visit. If you have a week, I suggest one island. If you have 10-14 days, I suggest two or three islands. Remember, the flight to Hawaii is a long one (about 12-14 hours from the East coast), so you want to maximize your stay by seeing as much of Hawaii as possible. The good news is inter-island flights in Hawaii are short and inexpensive.
Choose from:
The energy, nightlife, history, and culture of O'ahu
The variety and beauty of Maui’s miles of swimmable beaches, lush green valleys, rainforests and waterfalls
The dramatic yet peaceful natural beauty of Kaua'i, the movie star of Hawaii
The diversity, power, and size of Hawaii or the Big Island, and the home of the largest active volcano on our planet
The serene luxury and seclusion of Lana'i
The leisurely pace and jaw-dropping scenery of quiet Moloka'i
As a certified Hawaii Destination Specialist and a frequent visitor myself with seven visits to the islands, I can offer expert guidance and personal connections (and perks!) on accommodations and adventures as well as “off-the-beaten-path” gems to help you create the vacation of your dreams. I work with all the best suppliers recommended to me by local experts, so you'll get the "best of the best" for each activity! Read on for a dive into what each island has to offer. Contact me to start planning!
O'ahu: Vibrant Mid-Pacific Hub
O'ahu offers big city fun in a small island setting. As the most populated and most developed Hawaiian island, O'ahu has many iconic Hawaii activities in a compact area making it ideal for first-timers. If you want to be in the heart of it all, stay in Waikiki Beach, two miles of oceanfront resorts, restaurants, nightlife and shopping. Accommodations are plentiful, but if you want quintessential Hawaii, The Royal Hawaiian and the Moana Surfrider are the two most historic Waikiki resorts. If crowds are not your thing and you’d prefer a more island experience, try the Ko’Olina coast or North Shore. Better yet, split your time between Waikiki and the west or North Shore.
On my first trip to Hawaii with a childhood friend, we stayed in Waikiki at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and on the North Shore, which allowed us to experience the best of both worlds in O'ahu. We thoroughly enjoyed the waters of Waikiki, strolled the promenade, and partied as late as we could at Duke’s - which was not late at all given the five-hour time change. On our way out of the city, we snorkeled Hanauma Bay (reserve a permit!) and explored quieter beaches like Lanikai, Kailua and Waimea Bay (my favorite!). We spent the afternoon at Waimea Falls Park enjoying its botanical gardens, waterfalls and peacocks before heading to see a friend who lived on the North Shore with her kite-surfing champion boyfriend. What luck getting to experience surf culture and quaint Hale’iwa town firsthand! After O'ahu, we headed to Kaua'i – more on that when we talk about the Garden Isle!
Waikiki Beach, Waimea Falls, Waimea Bay
Ten years later for my second visit to O'ahu, my husband and I took our 2½-year-old and stayed on the North Shore at the Turtle Bay Resort. Normally, I would say visit more than one island or location, but when you’re traveling with a baby or toddler, it’s easiest to stay put! We explored the North Shore, including a luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center. We drove down toward Waikiki, stopping at Waimea Falls and Diamond Head where Brady rode piggyback up the trail. But most of our vacation was spent entertaining a toddler, and all he really cared about was the beach, pool, and playgrounds.
My next visit to O'ahu, we will be sure to visit Pearl Harbor and Kualoa Ranch, two must-see attractions I make sure my clients visit!
Ko'Olina Coast, Pearl Harbor, Hanauma Bay
Maui: The Valley Isle
I absolutely adore Hawaii and feel that each island is special, but Maui is my favorite. It has the best of everything Hawaii has to offer - beautiful beaches (the most miles of swimmable beaches in Hawaii), lush valleys and rainforests, volcanic landscapes, rich culture and culinary delights - all packaged into a sophisticated tropical paradise with down-home appeal. That’s why most first-time visitors to Hawaii have Maui at the top of their list. And it’s why Show Them the World’s #1 destination is Maui!
I've now visited Maui four times - in 2008 with our 6-month-old, in 2021 and 2023 with our kids, and most recently in 2024 with my husband for an incredible event with Fairmont Kea Lani Maui.
When we visited with my baby, we stayed the whole week at the Mana Kai Maui in Kihei (south Maui). My mom traveled with us and stayed with her cousin and babysat Brady when we could bear to be away from him. We took advantage of her babysitting offer for a snorkel excursion for the two of us, but otherwise, we brought him with us! We traveled the Road to Hana with him, pulling over at the easy stops like the black sand beach and blowholes. I remember Brady squealing with delight when the blowholes would blow! I also remember him screaming like crazy on the ride home from Hana because he had suddenly decided breastfeeding was not enough for him, and we made a frantic pit stop for baby food. We also took a trip to the Iao Valley where the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful. Beyond that, it was mostly beach, pool, repeat for us, but we were all happy to be lazy.
Since that trip, I've become a Maui expert, with stays in Wailea and Ka'anapali and tours of all the major resorts. While we still have a few things on our bucket list we haven't yet checked off, our favorite activities include:
Rainforest waterfall hike
Waterfall rappel at Halfway to Hana
Road to Hana where you helicopter one way and van back
Haleakala at sunrise or sunset
Surf lessons
Outrigger canoe
Old Lahaina Luau
Lana'i island, surf lessons, outrigger canoe, welcome leis
Kaua'i: The Garden Isle
The lush tropical paradise of Kaua'i is what most people dream of when they think of Hawaii, because it’s the landscape most featured in iconic movies like Jurassic Park, Avatar, Soul Surfer, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. With two trips to Kaua'i under my belt, this island holds a close second to Maui for me because of its natural beauty, relaxed pace, and small-town charm. The only reason Kaua'i isn’t my top recommendation for visitors is because it’s not as easy to navigate as Maui given that 80% of the island is only accessible by water, air or on foot. But I love that about Kaua'i because it challenges you to be adventurous.
On my first trip to Hawaii when I visited O'ahu and Kaua'i in 2000, my childhood friend and I kayaked the Na Pali Coast – 17 miles of open ocean, majestic cliffs, and sea caves to explore. Other than the Chicago marathon and childbirth, it was the most physical activity I’ve done in my life - but it certainly was more fun than the other two! I will do this again when my kids are a bit older! We also toured the island by helicopter, saw the red canyons of Waimea, bought a coconut on the side of the road on the way to Opaeka’a Falls, and hung out in Hanalei Bay where we stayed in a B&B. On our last day, we hiked the first two miles of the Na Pali coast. (The rest of the 11-mile hike is for experienced backpackers and requires a permit). On the hike back to our car, I decided to speed ahead of my friend to get more of a workout. I must have been entranced by the view, because next thing I knew, I was sliding off a cliff on my bum. Luckily, another hiker saw me go over and pulled me up to the path before I could slide too far. The lesson here is to watch where you’re going and actually stop to admire the view because falling off a cliff is a real thing here!
Na Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon
I visited Kaua'i a second time on our babymoon, so I wasn’t quite as adventurous that go around. We stayed at the Princeville Resort (now it's 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay and still just as amazing), and we hiked the Na Pali coast again. Luckily, I did not fall down the cliff this time!
We took the kids in 2023 and stayed in Po'ipu Beach and did all the adventures. Mountain tubing was a hit! I didn't get my fill of the north shore, though, so I want to go again and stay at 1 Hotel, so we can spend multiple days exploring that side of the island.
Kauai mountain tubing and ATV
Island of Hawaii: The Big Island
The Big Island is just that – big – bigger than all the other islands of Hawaii combined. With the most ecologically diverse landscape – multi-colored beaches, lush rainforests, waterfalls, lava fields and a very active volcano, plus a snow-topped mountain – the Big Island has a lot to offer! I visited the Big Island on our Babymoon when I wasn’t feeling so hot. With all the driving required to see the sights plus a helicopter tour and the fumes from the volcano, I don’t have the best memories from this part of our trip. However, I’m ready for another go! Next time we will stay on both sides of the island – Kohala or Kona on the west side and near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park – so that we aren’t spending so much time in the car. You can even fly into one side and fly out the other (Kona west airport, Hilo east airport). Drive time between the two airports is 1.5-3 hours.
Kona/Kohala offers luxury resorts, the best beaches, more sun, and nightlife, so you'll probably spend more time on this side. However, the drive from Kona to Volcanoes National Park - the major attraction on this island and where you'll spend a day or two - is at least 2 hours.
Our next trip to Hawaii will likely be a combo Big Island/north shore Kauai itinerary. On the east side of the Big Island, the volcano experience (including lava tubes, cloud forest, black sand beach, and waterfalls) will top our list, and I plan to hire one of the private tour guides to make it easier than last time. We'll also explore the Hamakua Coast, head to the summit of Mauna Kea, and relax at Lili’uokalani Gardens.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Lava Tube, Lili'uokalani Gardens, Maunakea Summit
On the west side, my #1 pick for our next visit with the kids is the night-time manta ray swim. Recently, I had the pleasure of a quick trip to the Big Island, courtesy of Fairmont Orchid. On our arrival night, we checked the nighttime manta ray swim off our bucket list. It was surreal swimming with those magical creatures. You don a mask and snorkel and lie face down in the water, holding onto a lighted float. The manta rays swim up to the lights to feed on plankton. They came so close to us, doing barrel rolls right by our faces. You could hear everyone squealing through their snorkels! I can't wait to take my kids next time! We'll also daytime snorkel Captain Cook and do the Kohala coast zip 'n dip!
Fairmont Orchid and nighttime swim with manta rays!
If Hawaii is on your dream board, contact me and we'll work together to make that dream a reality! I'll help you decide which islands to visit, find the best accommodations to meet your needs, and fill your vacation with amazing activities you and your family will never forget! Through my relationships with the top Hawaii resorts and my luxury partnerships, I can offer you exclusive VIP perks and promotions you can't get on your own. My expertise and personal connections help make your vacation easy ... and spectacular! Hawaii is waiting for you! Aloha!
Heather Vergara is a former PepsiCo marketing executive who left the corporate world to be a Mom and never found her way back. Instead, she focused on her passion for travel and adventure and created Show Them the World, a travel concierge service for busy families longing to reconnect and see the world together. In less than four years, she's helped more than 300 families experience Hawaii, Alaska, Costa Rica, France, England, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, the Caribbean, National Parks, and more to come!
Heather has an MBA in marketing from Indiana University, a Digital Marketing Executive Education certificate from Columbia University, and a BA in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She lives with her husband, two kids, and two furry dogs in Zionsville, Indiana.
Planning a trip to Hawaii sounds amazing! From the stunning beaches to the lush landscapes, there’s so much to explore. Don't forget to check out local activities and experiences to make the most of your visit. If you ever find yourself in Europe afterward, consider experiencing the Amsterdam nightlife for a different kind of adventure. With vibrant clubs and events, it’s a perfect way to continue your travels! Enjoy your Hawaiian journey!