A first timer's guide to Hawaii

Far away in the North Pacific lies the island chain of Hawaii – the USA’s 50th state. Pioneering Polynesian voyagers sailed for months in dugout canoes to reach these volcanic outcrops 3,220km west of California. Today their remote location has resulted in a close-knit community, with the local greeting aloha the people’s code for love and respect. 

Once visited, this enchanting prehistoric paradise stays with you, from Big Island’s dramatic volcanoes and Maui’s rainforest waterfalls to Kauai’s Eden-like rainbows and Oahu’s vibrant surf scene.

Hawaii: Big Island

Wisps of smoke swirl above mountains as raging lava clashes with white waves around the largest, youngest and most southerly of Hawaii’s main islands. Big Island’s peaks may be capped with snow but its heart is fiery, with the Hawaiian goddess of fire, Pele, said to reside in Kilauea volcano’s crater. 

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park’s bubbling lava fields smoulder with molten lava hissing through steam vents, while Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, soars above. 

Even higher, Mauna Kea Summit, 4,170m above sea level, is the highest point in the Pacific basin. Stargazing here is like nowhere else on Earth, according to Pat Wright from Mauna Kea Summit Tours, who invites you to “Explore the serenity of the night sky through a special cosmic window from this astonishing mountain that stands in the calm.” 

Inland, Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden bioreserve is home to 2,000 plant species and waterfalls trickling through the foliage. 

Chasing waterfalls is encouraged in Hawaii, and Akaka Falls State Park is reached by a short hike leading to a 135m cascade. Rainbow Falls, near Hilo, reveals its namesake in the drifting mist. 

For a taste of local flavours, Waimea town’s Saturday farmers’ market has good coffee and edible souvenirs such as honey and spicy ‘ninja’ sauce. Tune into live music while browsing homemade herbal remedies and wood carvings. 

Hawaiian-born Ricki Castanieto now lives in Texas but she loves Big Island Art Fair, which is often held at the former cattle farm Anna Ranch Heritage Center. The paniolos or Hawaiian cowboys may no longer be there but it attracts artists from all over the island. 

Hawaiian cuisine shows influences from Japan, the Philippines and Portugal. Comforting soul food such as loco moco – rice topped with a burger, onions, fried eggs and gravy – is the local go-to. Dishes like this keep Ricki coming back for more. “A typical ‘plate lunch’ of kalua pork with Hawaiian mac salad will fill you up all day,” she explains. Her tip? “For true Hawaiian fusion food, visit Zippy’s in Honolulu.” 

Heading south to Mahana Beach, a pitstop at Papakolea Beach or Green Sand Bay means swerving into Punaluu Bake Shop for sugary malasadas – fried pastries filled with cream or preserves. 

Visitors can learn about the art of vanilla cultivation at boutique farm The Vanillerie and sip homegrown coffee at Heavenly Hawaiian Kona Coffee Farm – the place for a premium java hit. 

Ricki also recommends the three-hectare Paleaku Gardens Peace Sanctuary near Kona, which overlooks Kealakekua Bay. “Here you can view ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs and meander through macadamia orchards under the shade of palm trees among  spiritual monuments,” she adds. 

Further south on Big Island, barren rock gives way to jungles and sandbars where you can snorkel with manta rays on the Kohala coast. Alternatively, kick back on Hapuna Beach’s white sands, marvel at Punaluu Beach’s black sands or snorkel in the crystal-clear waters off Maniniowali. 

With more time you might also want to do the scenic Kohala hike in Pololu Valley to a lookout over Black Sand Beach, stopping for chargrilled ahi (yellowfin tuna) at Merriman’s restaurant in Waimea.

Maui: The Valley Isle

As your ship glides north of Hawaii into Maui’s azure waters, keep an eye out for breaching whales, particularly near Wailea Beach. Spot them from your ship’s deck – or for a closer look explore in a small boat with Maui Adventure Cruises. 

The whole island is a playground for sun-seekers and surfers, with upscale resorts galore on Kaanapali Beach. Linger after golden hour in its mountainous northwest for memorable sunsets. 

For snorkelling and diving, the underwater sights off lava promontory Puu Keka are hard to beat, but if you prefer to relax then stretch out under Napili Beach’s swaying palms for sheltered sunbathing before sampling the fine dining restaurants that line Wailea Beach. 

Snorkel Kapalua’s calm, clear waters and spot turtles swimming off the coast of Makena Bay – Molokini Turtle Snorkel Tour has all the gear. 

Makena’s Big Beach with its wide expanse of sand and powerful waves sums up Maui’s untamed beauty, and you can join a snorkelling excursion to crescent-shaped atoll Molokini Crater, which teems with fish. 

Maui’s dormant volcanoes are blanketed with eucalyptus forest. For a pre-dawn adventure, join a tour to Haleakala Crater for a jaw-dropping sunrise at the summit – an almost spiritual experience. 

Kula and Makawao are gateways to a historic whaling village, a volcano whose summit is more than 3,050m above sea level, and a bird-watcher’s paradise. Hire a driver and you can  explore further inland, snaking along the legendary Hana Highway past plummeting cliffs and winding through rainforests to waterfalls plunging into cobalt pools and pristine rivers. 

There are photo opportunities at every turn but Kaihalulu Beach is an essential stop, to marvel at its rust-red sand and electric-blue water. 

To support the local community, stop by the village of Lahaina, which is being rebuilt following a catastrophic wildfire. Symbolically, the town square’s sprawling 151-year-old banyan tree is also growing back. 

On Saturdays, take local cash to Maui Swap Meet and shop for handmade souvenirs such as pottery and coconut soap, then drop into Malai Bakery for orange and cranberry scones baked by Patricia Martinez. The market may offer a rainbow of produce but you can also pick juicy fruit for yourself at Haliimaile, a working pineapple farm.

Oahu: The Gathering Place

North of Hawaii/Big Island and Maui, Oahu is named after the islands’ original settlers and is now home to most of the state’s population. Near the cruise terminal in its buzzing capital, Honolulu, there are key sights such as the Pearl Harbour National Memorial, commemorating more than 2,400 lives lost in the Japanese surprise attack of 1941, and Iolani Palace, which was built under King David Kalakaua in 1882. Both evoke a poignant sense of Hawaii’s history. 

While the intrepid hike their way round Diamond Head State Monument, the island’s golden beaches are a magnet for surfers. Oahu has been a beach holiday oasis ever since Elvis Presley promised dreams would come true when the film Blue Hawaii hit the silver screen in 1961. Hollywood was smitten and a wave of Hawaii-based filming followed. 

Wannabe surfers traditionally make Waikiki Beach the place to catch their first wave and watch hula dancers at a traditional luau feast silhouetted by the sun as it melts into the sea. 

Oahu’s wow-factor film settings are found inland too. Frank at Kualoa Ranch delivers a Raptor Tour, cruising around locations of the sci-fi epic Jurassic World in an open-sided truck. Buckle up to enjoy a tour sprinkled with a little ikena (knowledge in Hawaiian) – or, if you prefer a gentler pace, join a horseback tour. 

You may recognise Oahu’s forests from TV’s Lost, which was filmed in Kaaawa Valley, a home to curious and fascinating chameleons. 

The windswept North Shore is the place to go for turtle sightings at Laniakea Beach or watching the surf roll in at Waimanalo Beach. Pretty Lanikai has powder-white sands and views across shimmering turquoise water out to the Mokulua Islands. Hire snorkelling gear from the folks at Kailua Beach Adventures or venture into the blue aboard a kayak or paddleboard, floating past gentle giant green turtles and lazy monk seals. In the words of Disney’s Moana, “See the line where the sky meets the sea, it calls me.”

Kauai: The Garden Isle

Sailing a little further north still, the blooming garden isle of Kauai is the northernmost and fourth largest island in the Hawaiian chain. 

Kilauea Lighthouse has guided mariners safely around the rocks since 1913. Open to visitors, this historicred-roofed beacon perches on a promontory overlooking the Pacific Ocean. History buffs, meanwhile, can visit Grove Farm Homestead Museum in Lihue to hear the bittersweet story of how sugar plantations transformed the island’s landscape. 

Wild at heart and unlike its more built-up neighbours, Kauai contains not a single building taller than a coconut tree – and that’s the law. 

Desert-like Waimea Canyon is also worthy of exploration. This is where Captain James Cook dropped anchor in 1778, off the mouth of the Waimea River, to become the first in a line of European visitors. 

Rotors whirr as pilot Curt Lofsted gets ready for take-off on one of his adventure helicopter tours. Swooping above the towering cliffs, lava tubes, untouched beaches and crashing surf of the Napali coast, Island Helicopters Kauai also lands at Manawaiopuna Falls so visitors can, in Curt’s words, “feel the awesome power of the waterfall.” 

Located deep in the Hanapepe Valley, the spectacular 123m waterfall was made famous by the original Jurassic Park. Curt will tell you how the film’s location director exclaimed, “That’s it; it’s perfect!” the moment he saw it. Other film-makers followed, and Curt’s company has since worked on Tropic Thunder, King Kong and Six Days, Seven Nights. Film buffs might also recognise Black Pot Beach’s pier in Hanalei Bay from the classic musical South Pacific. 

Kauai, like the rest of Hawaii, has at least 50 shades of green in its palette, with hues ranging from the teal in the fields to verdant jade in its mountains. When the sun pierces the clouds it brushes everything a pale lime thanks to shafts of light. Could this be magic in motion? It most certainly is.

4 reasons to go to Hawaii

Bliss out on the beach From world-class surfing to palm-fringed golden sands and turquoise shallows where the water stays a balmy 27C, Hawaii is a beach paradise. 

A whale of a time From November to April, humpback whales from Alaska breach above the waves off Maui’s coast to attract a mate, while mothers return to birth calves in the warm shallows. 

Get on set Hawaii is the location for many a movie, from 1934’s White Heat to Raiders of the Lost Ark and the 2002 Disney animation Lilo & Stitch. 

Fabulous flavours Chow down on local popcorn shrimp, healthy poke bowls and loco moco – a burger and fried egg on rice. Sip spiced chai or coconut java and cool off with a shaved ice cone.

Which cruise lines sail to Hawaii?

Most of the major cruise lines offer itineraries in Hawaii, including Azamara, Carnival, Cunard, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, P&O Cruises, Princess, Royal Caribbean International, Seabourn and Viking. And if you really want to push the boat out, Crystal will include the US state on its 2026 World Cruise + French Polynesia itinerary.

Have you cruised around Hawaii? Then share you photos and travel tips with us by emailing [email protected]