When we chose Hawaii as our honeymoon destination, our first question was “which island/s should we visit?” In trying to decide, the first thing you should do is make a list of what you want out of your vacation and what your budget will allow. Do you want to go somewhere quiet and relaxing? Or would you rather stay out late drinking mai tai’s? Deciding what fits your needs is the first step.
Second step, decide how many islands you want to visit during your vacation. Since island hopping is simple and affordable, many people choose to visit multiple islands in one trip. If you’re like me and love new places, this was so difficult. If I could, I would’ve gone to every island! But I wanted to be completely present in each place and really get to learn the place I was in. Be realistic about what you have time for.
Third step, narrow it down to your final choice(s). That’s it!
Our decision-making process included a lot of research. Between talking to many people who had been there and researching each island, we gathered a lot of information. Here is a fraction of what we put together:
Maui
Perfect for honeymooners. This is the island for couples who want to relax at the pool or beach, shop, and enjoy the natural beauty of Hawaii. A big attraction of Maui is the Road to Hana. It’s a curvy highway where you can see the rainforest, waterfalls, and ocean views all in one. There are multiple stops along the way, but it leads to a cute, little town called Hana where you can chat with locals and get to know the “real” Hawaii. That’s what we heard anyway… I get super carsick, so this was an easy “no” for us. As much as we would have loved to experience the Road to Hana, I got a queasy stomach just thinking about it. We ended up nixing Maui off our list because when we get the chance to go, we want to experience it all. So fingers crossed that when we finally get to visit Maui, this curse of motion sickness will be gone!
Kauai
Everything we read about Kauai made us picture full on Jurassic Park beauty. Rainforests, beaches, and mountains. I’ve added a picture of the Na Pali Coast so you can see what I’m talking about. While there isn’t too much tourist action, this is the island to visit if you want the “local feel”. Kauai was high up on our list both because we wanted to see the natural beauty and we enjoy visiting the local side of places. When it came to narrowing it down, we decided against visiting Kauai on this specific trip because of time. Had we visited 3 islands – this would’ve been the third. *P.S. we’ve had family and friends that visited Kauai and loved it, but mentioned that everything shuts down early there. There is no nightlife and not much shopping. Could be exactly what you’re looking for or could be what leads you to choose a different island!
Big Island
Hawaii is home to one of the world’s most active volcanoes! Which immediately put it high on our bucket list. On this island, you have rainforests, snow-capped mountains, waterfalls, and beautiful beaches all in one. It is known for its coffee farms in Kona that produce some of the best coffee in the world (okay that’s my opinion but whatever). That right thee should be enough explanation for why we chose to visit this incredible island. .
Oahu
The reasons we chose to visit Oahu are too many to list, but if you want adventure, history, nightlife, shopping, and good eats, this is the place to go. Waikiki is famous for obvious reasons – Pearl Harbor is a humbling experience, “the” beach is postcard perfect, but the North Shore of Oahu was our favorite spot on the island. On the drive, you have the chance to stop at the Dole Plantation, visit the cute little town of Wahiawa, and see the mountains where part of Jurassic Park was filmed. Once you get to the North Shore, you have miles and miles of stunning beaches, waves famous for surfing, and more shrimp trucks that you can count. If you want to read more about our time on Oahu, keep an eye out for a detailed post coming soon! We spent 8 days on Oahu and wish it could’ve been 800.
Don’t stress too much when you pick an island, I don’t think one could go wrong.