10 reasons Hawai‘i is worth the flight

Think Hawai‘i is all mai tais and ocean views? Not quite. This is a sacred land of active volcanoes and ancient valleys, where culture is lived, not staged, and where you’re invited to travel with care, connection and curiosity. Here’s why it’s worth going the extra miles.

Hawai‘ian craftsman

It’s not just another tropical archipelago

Hawai‘i often gets grouped with the Caribbean or the Maldives – tropical, relaxing, easy on the eyes. But it’s also shaped by wild landscapes, welcoming island communities and one of the richest living cultures in the Pacific. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure across varied islands, each with its own rhythm, scenery and sense of place rooted in the ‘āina (land).

Wailua falls, Hana Maui

Each island has something different

Wondering which Hawai‘ian island you should visit? Here’s a better question; which ones will you combine? You’ve come all this way – to the other side of the world – so it makes sense to soak up as much of this remote paradise as you can. Chase waterfalls on Kaua‘i, cruise coastal roads on Maui, hike lava fields on the Island of Hawai‘i or find art, food and city-meets-nature vibes on O‘ahu.

At a minimum, pair up two icons like Maui and the Island of Hawai‘i, like on our Volcano and Beaches itinerary. Or go all in with a four-island-hopping adventure to get the full Hawai‘i experience.

View of Napali coast, Kauaʻi

The landscapes are outrageous

This is nature turned up to eleven. Emerald cliffs plunge into the sea on the Nāpali Coast. Mist drifts over the crater at Haleakalā on Maui. Volcanoes bubble and breathe at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. There are black-sand beaches, coffee plantations, bamboo forests, lava tubes, red-earth canyons… every turn in the road has a mic drop moment.

Hula dance

The culture is real, proud and ever-present

Hawaiian culture is a huge part of daily life. You’ll hear it in the ʻōlelo Hawai‘i place names, see it in the rhythm of hula, and feel it in the principle of mālama, the care taken to protect the land.

Learn about ahupua‘a (traditional land divisions) on a guided tour, join a lei-making class with a local practitioner or experience a lū‘au that honours tradition through food, music and storytelling. Across the islands, annual festivals like the Ukulele Festival and the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival offer even more ways to embrace Hawai‘i’s heritage.

Peace and space come naturally

In Hawai‘i, slowing down comes easy. Watch sherbet-hued sunsets from a clifftop lookout or catch rainbows stretching like ribbons across the valleys. Swim alongside honu (sea turtles) in shallow bays, soak in volcanic hot pools or share a quiet moment under the palms after a lomilomi massage.

It’s a dream for honeymooners and wellness-seekers but families are warmly welcomed too; kids will be off-the-charts happy exploring waterfalls, wild swimming spots and trails teeming with tropical life.

Surfing on O‘ahu

The adventure’s built in

An archipelago this dramatic was never going to play it low-key. Zipline across rainforest canopies, snorkel with schools of fish or spot humpbacks breaching off the coast. Ride your first wave in Waikīkī, take on mountain tubing on Kaua‘i or hike a crater on the Island of Hawai‘i. There are even world-leading golf courses carved into lava fields with sweeping Pacific views.

Of course, if adventure isn’t on your agenda, the islands do big name beach resorts very well, with cabanas, cold towels and front-row seats to the sunset.

Going off track is the whole point

Hire a car, roll down the windows and take the scenic route. Hawai‘i’s roads are quiet, well-kept and made for a joyride, whether you’re hugging the hairpin bends of the Road to Hāna or cruising past the red-dirt ridges of Waimea Canyon. 

You’ll pass fruit stands, family run cafes, cultural centres, secret beaches and ridge trailheads with no one else around. It’s easy to go off track here and the rewards are big for you and the local communities you’ll support along the way.

Hawai‘ian-style Poké

Tastes as diverse as the islands

From laulau to loco moco, Hawai‘i’s food is layered and laced with history. Taste traditional staples like poi and poke, try kūlolo (taro and coconut pudding) or sample modern tasting menus where wild and island-grown ingredients are the stars of the plate. Farmers’ markets brim with mango, passionfruit and breadfruit, while shave ice cools things down in every colour of the rainbow.

San Francisco

Because you can have a side quest

Break up the journey and double the fun with a US stopover. One city on the way out and another on the way back? We’re all for it. Stroll through San Francisco’s Mission District, catch a show in Las Vegas or soak up the sunshine and street art in California. It turns your travel time into bonus adventure and helps you ease into island time when you land in Hawai‘i.

It stays with you

Hawai‘i is more a place you feel than a place you visit. It’s in the people you meet, the land you walk and the deep-rooted culture that runs through everything. Go with an open heart, travel pono with care and respect and you’ll head home feeling connected with an understanding of why this place means so much to those who call it home.

This feature was created on 20th May 2025. The information within this feature is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. Feature by Heather Flanagan.