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The new guide to the Island of Hawaii  – Island of Inspiration

From its fiery volcanoes and snow-capped peaks to its lush valleys and jet-black sands, the island of Hawaii is an unrivalled expression of the power of nature.
Selfie, Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Island, Hawaii
Make sure to hike the many astounding sites of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Best things to do on the Island of Hawaii

Volcanoes on the Island of Hawaii: home to Pele, the volcano goddess.

Visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to see Kilauea Volcano, the world’s most active volcano, and  Aunaloa, a massive shield volcano. You can hike the Devastation Trail and the challenging Crater Rim Rail encircling the Kilauea Caldera or walk through the Nahuku Lava Tube. Also visit the sometimes snow-covered Maunakea, the island’s highest volcano and highest point in Hawaii, which is an excellent spot or stargazing, best done as part of an organised tour.

Keck Observatory, Mauna Kea, Hawaii, U.S
Visit the sometimes snow-covered Mauna Kea, the island’s highest volcano.

Water adventures on the Island of Hawaii

You’re spoiled for choice with beaches on the island of Hawaii. For white sands, head to the north-west for Hāpuna Beach, the largest white-sand beach on the island. Great snorkeling can be found at Kahaluu in Kona. The most famous black-sand beach is Punaluu in the south-east, which is also a great place to see honu (green sea turtles).

green sea turtle, hawaii
The black-sand beach, Punaluu, is a great place to see honu (green sea turtles).

For golden sands, visit palm-tree-lined Waialea, home to lots of tropical fish. Anaehoomalu Bay, along the Kohala Coast beach, is an excellent spot to snorkel and scuba dive, and rent kayaks and body boards. A historic Hawaiian fishpond also hugs the beach. Many beaches do not have lifeguards. Only swim when the waters are calm, generally during the warmer months.

 

See the manta rays at night in Keauhou Bay, south of Kona, with Anelakai Adventures, on a double-hulled outrigger canoe. As you help paddle the canoe, owner Iko shares cultural stories that keep the Hawaiian waterman spirit alive before you snorkel with the majestic manta rays on this eco-friendly sustainable adventure.

Manta rays, Anelakai Adventures, Hawaii USA
See the manta rays at night with Anelakai Adventures.

Rainforest adventures on the Island of Hawaii:

In North Hilo, go ziplining above streams and waterfalls, or visit Akaka Falls State Park where you can see two towering waterfalls on one short hike. Visit any of the tropical botanical gardens. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park , an International Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers a variety of hiking options, several through lush rainforests atop Kīlauea

Experience Hawaiian culture on the Island of Hawaii

There are several historic sites on the island of Hawaii that take you back to the days of ancient Hawaii with heiau (temples), house sites, petroglyphs, and fishponds. These are located at: Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park; Lapakahi State Historical Park;  Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park; and Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site. King Kamehameha dedicated the last temple to the war god Kukailimoku as part of a prophecy that was fulfilled when he successfully united the Hawaiian islands.

Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, Hawaii Island, Hawaii
Puuhonua o Honaunau was a place of sacred place of refuge and the only hope for ancient Hawaiians who had broken the law ore ‘kapu;. Today explore the National Historic Park and find these fierce looking kii or gods guard the sacred temple.

The Island of Hawaii’s best to food tours and experiences

 

Coffee on the Island of Hawaii

One of the oldest cash crops on the island of Hawaii is Kona coffee, which was first brought here in the early 1800s from Brazilian cuttings. There are about 600 small family-run coffee farms dotted along a pretty 50-kilometre stretch of the Mamalahoa Highway with panoramic views over the coast below.  Kona coffee can only be grown on the lush mountain slopes of the active Hualalai and Maunakea volcanoes, which provide near-perfect growing conditions: Rich volcanic soil on cool mist-shrouded hillsides, a year-round warm climate and plenty of rain. Take a tour at Buddha’s Cup, Greenwell Farms, and Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation and enjoy a roastmaster tour at Ueshima Coffee.

Kona Coffee berries, Hawaii, USA
One of the oldest cash crops on the island of Hawai‘i is Kona coffee.

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

Chocolate

Learn how cacao pods grown on site are transformed into chocolate at the tiny Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory.

 

Honey

Discover the intense flavours of white ohia lehua blossom, red Christmas berry, and Macadamia nut blossom in single-flower raw and organic honeys at Big Island Bees.

Beekeeper, Big Island Bees, Hawaii USA
Try the raw and organic honeys at Big Island Bees.

Regenerate the Island of Hawaii: A Mālama activity

Plant a koa or iliahi (sandalwood) tree from Hawaiian legacy seedlings to help restore the endemic vegetation on the slopes of Maunakea, once the personal forest of King Kamehameha the Great, the first king of Hawaii. Hawaiian Legacy Tours offers the only tree planting eco-excursion of this kind in the world. Receive a certificate with its radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip technology so you can follow its growth on Google Earth via the ‘TreeTracker’ program.

Malama, Planting, Hawaii, USA
Plant a koa or iliahi (sandalwood) tree from Hawaiian legacy seedlings.

For all your Hawaii travel information visit Go Hawaii, or download the GoHawaii app.

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12 grand journeys throughout North America

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    Discover North America’s epic adventures — from Route 66 and Alaska cruises to Hawai‘i road trips, NYC culture, Mexico trails and more.

    1. Route 66, the Main Street of America

    Travelling with: Ricky French

    Sunset on Route 66 in the California Mojave Desert.
    Hit the open road and trace America’s legendary highway. (Image: Getty/Der_Thomasa)

    Dubbed the Main Street of America, Route 66 radiates serious main character energy, cemented into popular culture through everything from John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath to the Disney Pixar film Cars. Spanning nearly 4000 kilometres from Chicago to Los Angeles, the historic highway celebrates its centenary next year, a timely invitation to take the mother of all road trips along the Mother Road. Allow two to three weeks to tackle the full length, or bite off a smaller chunk at either end, cruising the dramatic deserts of California or the more pastoral landscapes of Illinois, lined with neon-lit diners, retro gas stations and quirky roadside attractions.

    2. Mexico’s Día de los Muertos

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    emblematic catrina of mexico with flowers and necklace with sempasuchil flowers
    Celebrate life and honour loved ones in vibrant style. (Image: Getty/Fabian Pacheco)

    You might know Oaxaca as the birthplace of mole and mezcal. But the state in southern Mexico is also where the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) began. Time your visit to coincide with the colourful holiday, on 1–2 November, which honours and celebrates loved ones who have passed away. Oaxaca is also Mexico’s Michelin-starred culinary capital, with 18 restaurants and a humble taco stand listed in the 2025 guide.

    3. Museum-hop in New York City

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    The Guggenheim Museum’s iconic spiralling exterior, a highlight of North America Epic Adventures.
    Step inside and marvel at bold, world-class art. (Image: Damiano Fiore)

    Your map app will look like it’s been scattered with confetti after you’ve dropped pins on all the museums you want to visit in New York City. Must-sees are the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art aka the Met, and the Museum of Modern Art. The American Museum of Natural History is also a draw. It’s also worth venturing into the boroughs to browse institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum, which has a huge permanent collection categorised by culture.

    4. The USA’s music scene

    Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

    The Seattle skyline at night, aglow with city lights on North America Epic Adventures.
    Soak up skyline views and dive into the city’s coffee culture. (Image: Abigail Boone)

    If you’re a muso, chances are you’ve wanted to make a pilgrimage to the United States, the epicentre of so many beloved genres. Whether you’re head-banging your way around the Grunge Circuit in Seattle, chasing the twang of the pedal steel through Tennessee or bouncing between blues bars in the Mississippi Delta, the USA’s rich music culture has something that’ll strike a chord.

    5. Road-tripping Hawai‘i

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    A woman surfing in Hawaii, gliding across turquoise waves on North America Epic Adventures.
    Catch the waves and ride Hawaii’s iconic swells. (Image: Ben Ono)

    Hawai‘i is one of the most diverse US states to road trip around. Of the six major islands to visit, the Island of Hawai‘i packs in everything from the snowy summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa to black-sand beaches and lava fields frozen in the act of flowing forward. Change down a few gears on the island of O‘ahu, too, where you can find your own patch of sand on Waimanalo Beach. Visit poi and pineapple plantations. And hang ten on beginner-friendly waves on the North Shore.

    6. Cruising Alaska

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Explora Journeys ship cruising in Alaska.
    Sail past glaciers and spot whales in pristine waters.

    Seeing Alaska from the sea allows you to cover a lot of distance quickly. This immersive frontier now beckons more than ever before with Explora Journeys adding the American state to its global destination portfolio. Best of all are the pre-and post-journey immersions that connect the luxury of a cruise onboard Explora III with the rugged grandeur of the Alaskan interior. UnCruise Adventures also weaves in access to remote national parks, legendary wildlife corridors and authentic cultural experiences on its Alaskan itineraries.

    7. The Wixárika Route in Mexico

    Travelling with: Elizabeth Whitehead

    People journeying through the Wixarika Route.
    Journey deep into sacred Huichol traditions and art.

    For generations, the Indigenous Wixárika People of Mexico have walked a sacred path known as Tatehuarí Huajuyé, or ‘The Path of Our Grandfather Fire’. The annual pilgrimage route spans 500 kilometres, taking in significant sites in Wixárika spirituality and cosmology. The route passes through the deserts, mountains and forests of northern Mexico before reaching Wirikuta, believed to be the place the sun first emerged. The route is a living cultural landscape of Indigenous culture pre-Columbian influence and, in July this year, was formally inscribed into UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

    8. Drive the Iceberg Coast in Canada

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Iceberg off the east coast of Canada
    Chase icebergs along Expedition 51 on Canada’s east coast. (Image: Canadian Tourism Commission/ Chris Hendrickson)

    Download the icebergfinder.com map to better plan your road trip along Canada’s Iceberg Coast. The new highway, which has been nearly 25 years and CAD$1.1 billion in the making, threads through the country’s pleated coastlines around Quebec, Newfoundland, Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick before looping in the French islands of St Pierre and Miquelon. As well as chasing icebergs along Expedition 51, travellers will have the opportunity to engage with cultures that have thrived in the pristine provinces for thousands of years.

    9. A foodie tour of Nova Scotia

    Travelling with: Katie Carlin

    Lunenberg Nova Scotia
    Try lobster rolls in Lunenburg on the east coast of Canada in Nova Scotia. (Image: Natalia Kvitovska/ Unsplash)

    World-famous for its lobster, Nova Scotia is a Canadian province best savoured through its culinary clout shaped by sea and terroir. Bite into lobster rolls at historic Lunenburg’s Salt Shaker Deli & Inn and sip maple rum at Ironworks Distillery. Winery-hop around Wolfville’s rising vineyards (don’t miss Lightfoot & Wolfville). Take a maple syrup tour at Sugar Moon Farm near Earltown. And pull up a seat at waterfront Bar Sofia in Halifax, where Nova Scotia oysters aguachile arrive bright with cucumber, lime and pickled onion.

    10. Soak up the sun in the Caribbean

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Overwater bungalows off a beach in the Caribbean
    Experience the white-sand beaches and cerulean seas of the Caribbean on board a cruise.

    The Caribbean is on the radar for seasoned cruisers. And it’s easy to see why, with white-sand beaches, cerulean seas and swaying palms so picture-perfect they look AI-generated. Cruise with Windstar, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity on its inaugural Xcel season to the Caribbean to enjoy action-packed excursions such as snorkelling coral reefs and shopping for local trinkets. And those sea days? Spectacular.

    11. Red Chair Hikes of Canada

    Travelling with: Kassia Byrnes

    Red Adirondack chairs overlooking Lake Minnewanka in Canada
    Take a seat at Lake Minnewanka, one of more than 400 red Adirondack chairs scattered across Canada’s hiking routes. (Image: Getty Images/ Autumn Sky Photography)

    No one appreciates the great outdoors more than Canadians, emerging from snow-covered winters to tread glacial rivers and snowshoe through forests, or to hike mighty mountains and wildflower-strewn valleys come spring. Along popular hikes around the country, more than 400 red Adirondack chairs have been placed in peaceful, breathtaking locations. What started as a social media contest now sees hikers soaking in classic Canadian lake and mountain vistas, overlooking historic sites or gazing down on the mountainous path they just travelled.

    12. Ride the Rocky Mountaineer from Denver to Moab, USA

    Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

    Sweeping views from the Rocky Mountaineer.
    The Rocky Mountaineer will continue as the Canyon Spirit in 2026, seen here carving through Ruby Canyon.

    Sighting wild animals is one of many incredible thrills along the two-day luxury Rockies to the Red Rocks route onboard the Rocky Mountaineer across America’s Southwest between mid-April and mid-October. In addition to the lone bear, we spot bighorn sheep, elk, beavers, pronghorn antelope, bald eagles and ospreys. Riding the rails onboard the luxury train, which was founded in Canada in 1990 and has been awarded the prestigious World’s Leading Travel Experience by Train several times, has never been about just getting from A to B. Ride the train from Denver to Moab and you will see the scenery change from snow-capped peaks to meadows, red-rock canyons and soaring cliffs that resemble ornate Gaudí-esque cathedrals. But it’s not until you get off the train that you can produce the ultimate Venn diagram, with nature and adventure in the intersecting spheres.