Favorite Places in Hawaii

[WillMunny]

I've spent the past 23 years visiting Hawaiian islands anywhere from a week to over a month (as well as Tahiti & the Cook Islands but that's another story for another time). It's my running travel joke that I'm a Polynesian trapped iinside a white man's body, because I enjoy remote Pacific islands so much.

At any rate, I love Kauai's North shore, especially the glaring, scenic drive from Hanalei to Ke'e beach. I also love Maui's Hana Highway area to the 7 Pools State park, with a waterfall shaped like a set of stairs. I really, really love the rainy, Hilo side of the Big Island. The area is full of unique, intense volcanic scenery and so much rain, the windward parts of these islands have the most extravagant, lush scenery and huge, hefty waterfalls all over the place.

 

[Auld Phart]

Hotel Street

 

[Bruce_T_Laney]

I've spent the past 23 years visiting Hawaiian islands anywhere from a week to over a month (as well as Tahiti & the Cook Islands but that's another story for another time). It's my running travel joke that I'm a Polynesian trapped iinside a white man's body, because I enjoy remote Pacific islands so much.

At any rate, I love Kauai's North shore, especially the glaring, scenic drive from Hanalei to Ke'e beach. I also love Maui's Hana Highway area to the 7 Pools State park, with a waterfall shaped like a set of stairs. I really, really love the rainy, Hilo side of the Big Island. The area is full of unique, intense volcanic scenery and so much rain, the windward parts of these islands have the most extravagant, lush scenery and huge, hefty waterfalls all over the place.

Hilo for me.

 

[WillMunny]

I've spent the past 23 years visiting Hawaiian islands anywhere from a week to over a month (as well as Tahiti & the Cook Islands but that's another story for another time). It's my running travel joke that I'm a Polynesian trapped iinside a white man's body, because I enjoy remote Pacific islands so much.

At any rate, I love Kauai's North shore, especially the glaring, scenic drive from Hanalei to Ke'e beach. I also love Maui's Hana Highway area to the 7 Pools State park, with a waterfall shaped like a set of stairs. I really, really love the rainy, Hilo side of the Big Island. The area is full of unique, intense volcanic scenery and so much rain, the windward parts of these islands have the most extravagant, lush scenery and huge, hefty waterfalls all over the place.

Hilo for me.

Hilo is gorgeous, I've spent my share of time there. Being America's wettest, rain-slammed city, it has a lot of large waterfalls within a half hours drive of Hilo. As well as lots of giant, lush, flowering plant life. Like I said in my OP, the Hilo general section of the Big island is really such a drop-dead-gorgeous American paradise, one of the best.

 

[Rambunctious]

Waimea Bay

 

[Bruce_T_Laney]

I've spent the past 23 years visiting Hawaiian islands anywhere from a week to over a month (as well as Tahiti & the Cook Islands but that's another story for another time). It's my running travel joke that I'm a Polynesian trapped iinside a white man's body, because I enjoy remote Pacific islands so much.

At any rate, I love Kauai's North shore, especially the glaring, scenic drive from Hanalei to Ke'e beach. I also love Maui's Hana Highway area to the 7 Pools State park, with a waterfall shaped like a set of stairs. I really, really love the rainy, Hilo side of the Big Island. The area is full of unique, intense volcanic scenery and so much rain, the windward parts of these islands have the most extravagant, lush scenery and huge, hefty waterfalls all over the place.

Hilo for me.

Hilo is gorgeous, I've spent my share of time there. Being America's wettest, rain-slammed city, it has a lot of large waterfalls within a half hours drive of Hilo. As well as lots of giant, lush, flowering plant life. Like I said in my OP, the Hilo general section of the Big island is really such a drop-dead-gorgeous American paradise, one of the best.

Went there in 2009 and when I went there many people here ask me why?

Simple answer is the fact not many go there, it was cheap and like you wrote beautiful.

Also good surfing at Kona...

 

[WillMunny]

Waimea Bay

That is one amazing picture of a Hawaiian coast, kudos to your taste. But since every island has a "Waimea" in it, which island is it?

 

[WillMunny]

I've spent the past 23 years visiting Hawaiian islands anywhere from a week to over a month (as well as Tahiti & the Cook Islands but that's another story for another time). It's my running travel joke that I'm a Polynesian trapped iinside a white man's body, because I enjoy remote Pacific islands so much.

At any rate, I love Kauai's North shore, especially the glaring, scenic drive from Hanalei to Ke'e beach. I also love Maui's Hana Highway area to the 7 Pools State park, with a waterfall shaped like a set of stairs. I really, really love the rainy, Hilo side of the Big Island. The area is full of unique, intense volcanic scenery and so much rain, the windward parts of these islands have the most extravagant, lush scenery and huge, hefty waterfalls all over the place.

Hilo for me.

Hilo is gorgeous, I've spent my share of time there. Being America's wettest, rain-slammed city, it has a lot of large waterfalls within a half hours drive of Hilo. As well as lots of giant, lush, flowering plant life. Like I said in my OP, the Hilo general section of the Big island is really such a drop-dead-gorgeous American paradise, one of the best.

Went there in 2009 and when I went there many people here ask me why?

Simple answer is the fact not many go there, it was cheap and like you wrote beautiful.

Also good surfing at Kona...

Most tourists to HI stay on the drier, more desert-looking, traffic-jammed parts of Hawaiian islands. The windward, very wet sides of each island don't attract as many tourists for the same reason they're the most beautiful: the almost daily afternoon, fierce rain storms tend to drive tourists away to some degree.

 

[Geaux4it]

I used to work at PMRF on Kauai. Lived in Poipu.

Good times

-Geaux

 

[Rambunctious]

That is one amazing picture of a Hawaiian coast, kudos to your taste. But since every island has a "Waimea" in it, which island is it?

Oh sorry..... Oahu north shore

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hotel Street

Will, Hotel Street is not the same Hotel Street of years gone by... Yuppies have started little quaint eateries and Bars for millennial's to spend their hard earned money... Chinese dominate during the day... pretty people at night... Hell there is even a Police sub-station at the corner of Smith and Hotel... Also Hotel is shut down to all traffic except bicycles and the city bus...

That is one amazing picture of a Hawaiian coast, kudos to your taste. But since every island has a "Waimea" in it, which island is it?

Oahu... North Shore as you can see the bell tower in the far distance...

 

[WillMunny]

That is one amazing picture of a Hawaiian coast, kudos to your taste. But since every island has a "Waimea" in it, which island is it?

Oh sorry..... Oahu north shore

Ah, Oahu is the only island on which I've never stayed (simply changed planes in HNL a bunch of times); I've always visited Kauai, Maui and the Big Island. No wonder I didn't recognize it.

 

[Auld Phart]

Hotel Street

Will, Hotel Street is not the same Hotel Street of years gone by... Yuppies have started little quaint eateries and Bars for millennial's to spend their hard earned money... Chinese dominate during the day... pretty people at night... Hell there is even a Police sub-station at the corner of Smith and Hotel... Also Hotel is shut down to all traffic except bicycles and the city bus...

That is one amazing picture of a Hawaiian coast, kudos to your taste. But since every island has a "Waimea" in it, which island is it?

Oahu... North Shore as you can see the bell tower in the far distance...

 

[Rambunctious]

Ah, Oahu is the only island on which I've never stayed (simply changed planes in HNL a bunch of times); I've always visited Kauai, Maui and the Big Island. No wonder I didn't recognize it

We used to surf there when I was stationed at Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps. air station...worth a look see...I've been to two other islands and this beach and jungle are beautiful...

 

[WillMunny]

Ah, Oahu is the only island on which I've never stayed (simply changed planes in HNL a bunch of times); I've always visited Kauai, Maui and the Big Island. No wonder I didn't recognize it

We used to surf there when I was stationed at Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps. air station...worth a look see...I've been to two other islands and this beach and jungle are beautiful...

Maybe I should check out the beautiful, rural parts of Oahu, it would certainly be a new experience. I've always visited the more rural, neighboring islands because I really like the peace and quiet in more thinly-populated island paradises.

 

[Rambunctious]

Maybe I should check out the beautiful, rural parts of Oahu, it would certainly be a new experience. I've always visited the more rural, neighboring islands because I really like the peace and quiet in more thinly-populated island paradises

It gets a bit crowded during the big surf season but the rest of the year it's very quiet and slow...mostly locals and if you like golf there is Turtle Bay just a few miles north...we still go there...

 

[Ridgerunner]

In a state so geographically beautiful how can someone have just one favorite spot... I suppose if I am wanting tropical I would also have to chose Hanalei on Kauai's north shore...

But... I have a special fondness for Waimea, on the Big Island of Hawaii... A large majority of folks that live here in Hawaii are very exceptional of spirit... Aloha is alive and well and the Paniolo town of Kamuela is da kine...

 

[Care4all]

Maui...the whole island! Especially the small secluded beaches we found, the wonderful snorkeling opportunities, and the spectacular views on the drive to Hana, with cliffs, and waterfalls with swimming pools to jump in and cool off.... black sand beaches, the smell of flowers in the air...ooooooooh and the Hawaiian bread.....roasted pork......yummy!

Best vacation we ever had!!!!

BUT it was a long ass trip getting there from Florida!

 

[WillMunny]

In a state so geographically beautiful how can someone have just one favorite spot... I suppose if I am wanting tropical I would also have to chose Hanalei on Kauai's north shore...

But... I have a special fondness for Waimea, on the Big Island of Hawaii... A large majority of folks that live here in Hawaii are very exceptional of spirit... Aloha is alive and well and the Paniolo town of Kamuela is da kine...

That Hanalei Valley in your first pic has blown me away every one of the multiple times I've seen it in person. It's literally a Hawaiian postcard just waiting to happen.

 

[WillMunny]

Maui...the whole island! Especially the small secluded beaches we found, the wonderful snorkeling opportunities, and the spectacular views on the drive to Hana, with cliffs, and waterfalls with swimming pools to jump in and cool off.... black sand beaches, the smell of flowers in the air...ooooooooh and the Hawaiian bread.....roasted pork......yummy!

Best vacation we ever had!!!!

BUT it was a long ass trip getting there from Florida!

Maui has a very wide variety of attractions to offer, that's for sure. Yeah, I guess from FL it would be around 10-11 hours in total flying time. The advantage of the west coast is that we're only 5 flying hours each way and just a few hundred $ round-trip.

I'm curious, did you drive on the long Hana Highway and its glaring, otherworldly tropical scenery? Everyone rates it in the top 10 scenic drives in America. Maui's Hana area also has one of Hawaii's biggest black sand beaches, Waianapanapa beach if I'm not mistaken.