Hawaii: Above the Clouds, Below the Surface
Enrico and Andrea's twelve days were built four islands deep, a plan that ran from summit sunsets above the clouds to reef nights below the surface. The two of them floated under feeding manta rays off Kona, flew the Na Pali Coast doors-off, and chased Kilauea's eruption at four in the morning. Then a hurricane hit, the team reshuffled the week on the ground, a surf lesson slid in, and Enrico's verdict at the end was still a great trip.
Places you'll stay
Honolulu
The sound of surf crashing against the reef at Waikiki Beach has defined Honolulu’s image for more than a century. The city occupies the southeastern coast of Oʻahu, the third‑largest Hawaiian island, and serves as the state capital of Hawaii, United States. With a population of roughly 350,000, it blends a Pacific port atmosphere with the administrative functions of a capital.
Destination
Kailua-Kona
Kailua‑Kona records the highest average January temperature of any U.S. location, making it the nation’s warmest winter spot. The community sits on the leeward coast of the island of Hawaii, United States, and serves as the commercial and tourist hub of the island’s west side. With a 2020 population of 19,713, it is the second‑largest settlement on the island after Hilo.
Destination
Kihei
Sunlight bathes Kihei’s 23‑mile coastline, earning the town its nickname “the sunny side of Maui.” Kihei lies on the southwestern shore of Maui, one of the Hawaiian Islands, and forms part of Maui County in the United States. With a resident count of roughly 22,000, the community thrives on tourism, fishing, and a laid‑back beach culture.
Destination
Moments to look forward to
Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail
At the tip of Oʻahu’s southeastern ridge, the Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail offers a 1.5‑mile walk that climbs past a historic steel tower perched on cliffs 1,200 feet above the Pacific. The trail lies within the Makapuʻu Point State Wayside on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaii, United States, and leads hikers to a lighthouse built in 1909 that still guides ships today. Along the path, interpretive panels reveal the site’s maritime past, while the wind‑swept ridge provides sweeping views of the open ocean and, in winter, the distant spouts of migrating humpback whales.
Attraction
Waimea Bay
At the mouth of a river where the Pacific Ocean opens onto a broad bay, Waimea Bay presents a beach famous for its towering waves. The attraction lies in the United States and combines a river mouth, a Pacific bay, and a shoreline that remains largely untouched. Its sand stretches along a coast that frames the surf action for spectators and participants alike.
Attraction
Waimea Falls
The waterfall drops 45 feet, making it the most prominent feature of Waimea Falls in the United States. It sits within a setting of botanical gardens that frame the cascade with a variety of plantings. Visitors reach the falls either by strolling along a paved path or by boarding a shuttle that weaves through the gardens.
Attraction
USS Arizona Memorial
The memorial’s white, saucer‑shaped structure hovers over the sunken hull of the battleship USS Arizona, leaving a visible gap that lets visitors peer down into the wreck. It stands in Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii, and honors the 1,102 sailors and Marines whose remains lie aboard the vessel after the December 7, 1941 attack. Built in 1962 and reached by shuttle boat, the site draws more than two million visitors each year and is part of the Pearl Harbor National Memorial in the United States.
Attraction
Hōlualoa Kona Coffee Co
Free tours of an organic coffee plantation make Hōlualoa Kona Coffee Co a standout destination in the United States. The site combines a working orchard, a functional mill, and a space for tasting freshly processed beans, all without charge. A small retail shop completes the experience, offering visitors the chance to purchase what they have sampled.
Attraction
La'aloa Beach Park (aka Magic Sands)
The park’s white sand stretches beside a rugged rocky shoreline, a contrast that defines La'aloa Beach Park, also called Magic Sands, in the United States. It functions as a public recreation area where lifeguards supervise both swimming and surfing activities. The site lies on the coast, offering a straightforward seaside experience for visitors.
Attraction
Nā Pali Coast State Wilderness Park
Rugged cliffs and deep valleys give Nā Pali Coast State Wilderness Park its most striking character. The park is a mountainous spot in the United States that attracts hikers and campers seeking remote wilderness. Designated as a state wilderness park, it preserves a landscape of waterfalls and dense tropical vegetation.
Attraction
Pu’u Hinahina Lookout
At sunrise the wind‑scoured basalt of Pu’u Hinahina Lookout catches the light in a way that makes the entire crater rim glow white, a visual echo of its Hawaiian name “white hill.” The viewpoint sits on the eastern edge of Haleakala Crater on Maui, offering a direct line of sight into the volcanic basin that dominates the island’s interior. It is managed as part of Haleakala National Park, a protected area established in 1916.
Attraction
Haleakalā Summit
At 10,023 feet above sea level, Haleakalā Summit crowns the island of Maui with a crater rim that circles a moon‑like basin. The summit forms the centerpiece of Haleakalā National Park, a protected area managed by the National Park Service in the United States. Its Hawaiian name, “House of the Sun,” reflects the ancient practice of greeting the sunrise from this high point.
Attraction
Haleakalā National Park
At the rim of a dormant volcano, the park frames a sunrise that, according to legend, once held the sun captive. Haleakalā National Park protects a 33,265‑acre landscape on Maui, Hawaii, within the United States, and its name translates as “house of the sun.”
Attraction
Molokini
A crescent‑shaped islet created by a partially submerged volcanic crater attracts snorkelers from afar. Molokini, United States, is this small landform that rises from the sea as a thin arc of rock. Its defining volcanic rim gives the island a distinctive silhouette that can be seen from the water.
Attraction
Waiʻānapanapa State Park
Black lava sand stretches along the shoreline, giving Waiʻānapanapa State Park a coastline that looks like polished basalt. The park lies on the United States’ coast and combines that striking beach with tidal caves that open and close with the ocean’s rhythm, while native plants grow in the surrounding dunes. Cabins are available for rent, allowing overnight stays within the park’s natural setting.
Attraction
ʻOheʻo Gulch
Water cascades down a series of seven natural pools that spill over basalt cliffs, forming the ʻOheʻo Gulch in Haleakalā National Park on Maui, United States. The gulch lies in the park’s Kipahulu district, where the Oheo Stream descends from the summit of Haleakalā toward the sea. Visitors encounter a compact landscape of pools, waterfalls and a short trail that threads through native forest and bamboo thickets.
Attraction
Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden
Built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers as a flood‑control project, the 400‑acre Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden spreads across a rainforest setting in Kāne‘ohe on Oahu, Hawaii. It belongs to the Honolulu Botanical Gardens and welcomes visitors free of charge except on Thursdays, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Established in 1982, the garden arranges plantings from major tropical regions into distinct collections that represent Africa, Hawaii, India and Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Melanesia, the Philippines, Polynesia and the tropical New World.
Attraction
Byodo-In Temple
A faithful replica of a historic Japanese Buddhist temple stands amid meticulously kept gardens in the United States. The site presents a single‑story structure that mirrors the original’s architectural lines, while surrounding lawns and pathways create a tranquil setting. Visitors recognize it as a place of worship and contemplation, set within a broader landscape designed for quiet reflection.
Attraction
Lanikai Beach
At low tide, the powder‑white sand of Lanikai Beach reveals a shallow lagoon that frames the twin Mokulua islets against a backdrop of turquoise water. The beach lies on the windward shore of Oahu, just east of Kailua, in the United States. It is a public shoreline accessed via a short paved path from the residential road that shares its name.
Attraction
Diamond Head State Monument
The volcanic tuff cone that rises above the coastline forms the most recognizable silhouette of the monument, and its former military fort adds a layer of historic intrigue. Diamond Head State Monument sits on the island of Oʻahu in the United States, where a marked trail climbs the crater’s rim. The summit rewards hikers with panoramic views that stretch across the Pacific horizon and the urban sprawl below.
Attraction
Greenwell Farms
Established in 1850, Greenwell Farms stands as one of the United States’ earliest coffee plantations, and its historic store still serves as a tangible reminder of that origin. The farm operates as a working coffee estate, offering visitors a glimpse into more than a century and a half of agricultural continuity. Its location in the United States places it within a broader tradition of coffee cultivation that began in the mid‑nineteenth century.
Attraction
Pololū Valley Lookout
From its rim, Pololū Valley Lookout drops sharply toward a black sand beach, delivering a view that combines open sky with the dark shoreline below. The site is a scenic lookout in the United States that invites visitors to pause and take in the landscape. It also serves as the trailhead for a steep path that leads directly to the beach.
Attraction
Pololū Beach
Pololū Beach opens ontoa half‑moon cove of black sand, framed by cliffs that rise more than 2,000 feet above the Pacific. It lies at the northern tip of Kauai, Hawaii, United States, and is the only beach on the island where the dark sand meets a sweeping, crescent shoreline.
Attraction
Maunakea Visitor Information Station
At 9,200 feet above sea level, theMauna Kea Visitor Information Station greets travelers with an unobstructed view of the island’s volcanic rim and the night sky that stretches over the Pacific. The station serves as a public gateway to the summit’s astronomical facilities, located on Mauna Kea in Hawai‘i, United States, and it sits within the Mauna Kea State Recreation Area, a protected landscape managed by the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Attraction
Mauna Kea.
At its peak rises the world’s largest astronomical observatory, a complex that operates thirteen working telescopes. The summit itself is a mountain in the United States, offering a stark, open landscape that frames the scientific installation. Visitors who reach the top encounter a cluster of domes and instrument platforms that dominate the horizon.
Attraction
Mama's Fish House
Epicocean views dominate the dining room of Mama’s Fish House, a local landmark in the United States that draws fans with its distinctive setting. The restaurant offers a seafood‑driven Hawaiian menu and is wrapped in Polynesian decor, creating a vivid sense of place for diners.
Attraction
Baldwin Beach Park
A tree‑lined cove frames the shoreline, giving Baldwin Beach Park its most memorable visual cue. The park lies on the Atlantic coast of the United States and combines natural beach scenery with modest recreational facilities. Visitors encounter a stretch of sand shaded by a canopy of mature trees, a setting that invites both relaxation and activity.
Attraction
Waimea Canyon State Park
A ten‑mile‑long chasm cut up to 3,000 feet into red‑soil cliffs, Waimea Canyon is often called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. The canyon lies on the western side of Kauaʻi, Hawaii, and the surrounding area is managed as Waimea Canyon State Park, a protected wilderness destination in the United States.
Attraction
Waimea Valley
The waterfallthat drops into a lush basin defines Waimea Valley, a large parkland in the United States that blends natural scenery with cultural interpretation. The site combines a botanical garden, a waterfall area, and displays about Native Hawaiian history. It offers visitors a single place where nature and heritage intersect.
Attraction
Iolani Palace
The palace’s most striking feature is its opulent 19th‑century architecture, built as the home of Hawaii’s last monarchs. Today it functions as a museum that offers guided tours and displays. It stands in the United States, on the islands of Hawaii, preserving a unique chapter of American history.
Attraction
Pearl Harbor Historic Sites Visitor Center
Themost striking aspect of the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites Visitor Center is its location on a still‑active naval base that bears the imprint of the 1941 Japanese attack that pulled the United States into World War II. The center sits within the harbor’s military complex in the United States, where the echo of that day remains part of the living landscape.
Attraction
Punaluʻu Beach
Black sandstretches beneath a ring of coconut palms at Punaluʻu Beach, a coastal spot in the United States. The shoreline’s dark hue catches the eye, while the presence of green sea turtles adds a living element to the scene. As a beach, it offers a simple yet striking coastal experience.
Attraction
Kilauea Iki Crater
A 0.9‑kilometer-wide pit that opened in 1959, Kilauea Iki Crater reveals a fresh volcanic landscape within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the island of Hawai‘i, United States. The crater’s floor hosts a shallow lake that fills the depression left by the 1959 eruption, and the rim rises about 200 meters above it. Visitors reach the crater by descending the 2.5‑mile Kilauea Iki Trail, which winds through a forest of native ohia trees and past steaming vents that hiss as hot gases escape underground.
Attraction
Honokohau Small Boat Harbor
Turtlesfrequently surface in the waters of Honokohau Small Boat Harbor, a bustling marina on the United States coastline. The harbor serves as a launch point for both sailing and snorkeling excursions, drawing visitors who seek marine activity as well as calm dockside scenery. Its reputation rests on the lively mix of boat traffic and the regular presence of sea turtles gliding near the piers.
Attraction
Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park
A rare glimpse into ancient life, Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park preserves burial grounds alongside reconstructed villages. The site lies in the United States and is managed as an archaeological park that invites visitors to explore its historic landscape. Self‑guided tours provide the framework for moving through the area without a guide.
Attraction
Nāpo'opo'o Park
A 100‑year‑old banyan tree dominates the waterfront promenade at Nāpo'opo'o Park, a modest green space at the mouth of the Wailoa River in Hilo, Hawaii, United States. The park sits directly on Hilo Bay, offering a view of the harbor’s fishing boats and the distant silhouette of Mauna Kea. It serves as a daily gathering point for locals and visitors alike.
Attraction
Incredible Stays
Hotel Recommendation #1
A 7.9/5 guest-rated stay in Kailua-Kona.
Hotel Recommendation #2
A 9.2/5 guest-rated stay in Kihei.
Hotel Recommendation #3
A 8.6/5 guest-rated stay in Honolulu.
Curated to you
Insider-led United States Design & Concierge
Your insider team designs the trip around what you care about, then supports you in-country with private logistics, vetted partners, and concierge help when plans change.
