Destination Hawaii: Guide to the Islands

Are you considering the purchase of a Hawaiian timeshare? No matter which island you choose–Oahu, Kauai, the Big Island or Maui–you’ll enjoy outstanding beaches, top-notch restaurants, exciting outdoor activities, glorious natural wonders and the friendliness of the locals. But each island is a bit different, so you may want to do a bit of research comparing the attractions of each before you commit. Here’s a brief guide to the four main islands to help you make your final selection.

Oahu is home to the state’s capital city, Honolulu. Here you’ll find the Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor and Waikiki Beach, the island’s best-known tourist area, with a two-mile strip of white-sand beach and a brand-new “Beach Walk” with retailers, restaurants and hotels. Watch the surfers take to the waves, the same way pioneers of the sport, like Duke Kahanamoku, did in the early 1900s. In the winter, waves reach up to 30 feet on Oahu’s North Shore. The lush, green Waimea Falls State Park is also on the north side of the island. For active fun, hike up famous Diamond Head near Waikiki, or snorkel in calm Hanauma Bay.

Kauai is called The Garden Isle because of its lush, green vegetation. Attractions here include Waimea Canyon, known as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” and the Fern Grotto, an unusual cave formation that you reach by boat. To the north, you’ll find Hanalei Bay; to the east, the major tourist towns of Kapaa, Wailua and Lihue; and to the south, Poipu and its many white-sand beaches. The northwest Na Pali coast is accessible only by hiking trail or from the ocean via boat. It’s well worth checking out this remote and pristine section of the island.
The Big Island is all about lava–you can’t miss the black-sand beaches and volcanic rock alongside the roads. On the Big Island, a drive through Volcanoes National Park is a must. Wear rugged shoes to hike over the hardened lava, and stop by the visitors’ center to get an update on lava flow–yes, you can actually see molten lava flowing. You can also drive to the top of Mauna Kea; go after nightfall to see the amazing array of twinkling stars. Save your pennies to take a helicopter tour over erupting volcanoes, or golf the scenic courses on the Kohala Coast.
Maui is chock-full of natural beauty and fun activities. The great humpback whales pass by the island as part of their annual migratory trip, so if you travel here between December and March, be sure to book a whale-watching tour. The old whaling port of Lahaina, with its shops, boutiques and historic sites, is a nice place to spend the day. The Road to Hana is not for the faint of heart–it’s a winding, 52-mile drive through amazing, breathtaking scenery you may see only once in lifetime. Other fun adventures are bike riding down Haleakala Crater and snorkeling off of Molokini.
Still can’t choose? Remember that no matter where your timeshare home base is, you can always book inter-island plane rides to check out neighboring islands–even for the day! That way you can get a feel for how wonderfully diverse all the Hawaiian Islands are.

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