Hawaii - The Other Islands

When I visited Hawaii, I explored just one island, O’ahu.  However, there are 5 other islands in Hawaii full of adventure and fun yet to explore.  Here’s my list of places I’d visit and things I’d do by island.

The Island of Kauai (http://www.hawaii-guide.com/kauai)

The Wailua Falls of Kauai (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60623-d546344-Reviews-Wailua_Falls-Lihue_Kauai_Hawaii.html) is a 173-foot waterfall and is used in the opening credits of the TV show, Fantasy Island.  In the aerial shots, the area looks so pretty.

Also, I’d like to visit the Kilauea Lighthouse (http://www.kilauealighthouse.org/about_lighthouse.html), which opened in 1913.  It’s just so cute and I bet it has a great ocean view.  It is said to be one of the island’s most visited site and best loved places.

The Island of Maui (http://www.to-hawaii.com/maui/)

The Hana Highway (http://www.vacationidea.com/maui/hanahighway.html) looks so beautiful and there are so many places along the road to stop and just enjoy the experience and the views.  The Wailua Falls of Maui (http://www.traveltohawaiireviewed.com/maui/Attractions/Wailua_Falls.html) is one such place located at mile marker #45 off the Hana Highway.  That looks like paradise to me.

Another place on the island of Maui I’d like to visit is the Haleakala Crater and National Park (http://www.nps.gov/hale/index.htm).  It’s just so different than what I’ve seen before.  They also have endangered species that don’t exist anywhere else.

The Island of Molokai (http://www.molokai.com/)

I have pictures of me on horses and donkeys at the age of 4-6 years old.  But, I got on a horse in West Virginia a few years ago and was petrified!  I stayed on the horse and rode the whole trail though.  HOPEFULLY I could do this AWESOME 2.9 mile mule ride through Kalaupapa National Historical Park to the Kalaupapa Peninsula (http://www.muleride.com/ and a good review of the ride can be read at http://www.travelviews.aaa.com/post/2009/03/05/Molokai-Cliff-Hanger.aspx).  They’re mules so they’re shorter and maybe the ride wouldn’t be so scary.  They ride along sheer cliffs overlooking the Pacific so it might not help being closer to the ground and the cliff though.  But, look at the view!  AH!  Beautiful!

The Island of Lanai (http://www.gohawaii.com/lanai) (also known as Hawaii’s most secluded island)

I found the Munro Trail (http://www.to-hawaii.com/lanai/attractions/munro-trail.php) to be very pretty.  It’s a popular 7-mile long hike that leads up to the highest peak on the island  This is the only spot in the state of Hawaii from where one can see five other Hawaiian islands (Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Kahoolawe, and Hawaii) but only on a very clear day.  The trail is a one-lane dirt road that is accessible by foot, bike or four-wheel drive – the 4-wheeler sounds fun!

The Island of Hawaii or “the Big Island” (http://www.hawaii.com/travel/explore_bigisland.php)

The Akaka Falls State Park (http://www.gohawaii.com/big-island/regions-neighborhoods/hamakua-coast/akaka-falls-state-park) looks like a tropical rainforest paradise.  WOW.  Beautiful!  The Hilo Farmers Market (http://hilofarmersmarket.com/) is open year round with a HUGE amount of vendors and different varieties of fruits, meats, vegetables, etc.  It seems like a cool place to go exploring and be adventurous with food.  Also, I hear you have to visit the Hawaii Volcano National Park (http://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm).  It’s a live volcano!  I think it would be an experience you have to have in your life – something we just have to see.

One of my favorite finds was the Coffee Festivals on the Big Island:

Kona Coffee Fest in November:  http://www.konacoffeefest.com/
Kau Coffee Fest in May:  http://www.kaucoffeefest.com
Awesome!  Every six months, another party that involves my favorite drink – coffee!  Yippee!  I’m all onboard with that.

While researching the Hawaiian Islands I discovered that there are more than the 5 islands I set out to talk about in this post.  In addition to Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii (the Big Island), Hawaii has two private islands – Niiahu (http://www.aloha-hawaii.com/kauai/niihau/) and Kahoolawe (http://www.to-hawaii.com/kahoolawe.php

These are just the places I’d like to visit on the other islands of Hawaii if I went back.  If you know of anywhere else in Hawaii we should check out, please leave a comment below.  See you next week when we’ll explore what’s just round the corner in Idaho.