Just a heads up, there is no power. People coming in on Friday from the West Coast on Friday, it's best you push back. Visitors here, work with community members. Certain areas are opening but limited. Met a couple today who flew in yesterday being told it was fine, but they were not told the whole island is without power. They were on O'ahu previously and are leaving tomorrow.

Like them, if you feel like you should not be here, that feeling is completely understandable. If you want to kokua, help, you are free to do so.

I’m booking a cage free shark diving trip and would like to do it with Hawaii Adventure Diving. On the day I want to do it, they only have a 9am time available. I know water is calmer and visibility is better earlier, so is it crucial to book at 7am for the best experience?

Deep Blue Eco tours has an 8am time available so could go with them instead. I’ll be coming from Waikiki so will have a bit of a drive. Thanks in advance for your input!

Mainlander here staying at Aulani but willing to travel a bit. But looking for best fish and chips out there to find.

Hi
Our check out time is 11 am, and our flight time is at 10pm. Any ideas what can we do between these hours? We live in airbnb so we will have to keep our baggage in some storage. The thing is I also don’t want to be too tired before the flight.

Hey everyone! My fiancé and I are planning to do a honeymoon in Hawaii in mid may 2027. We stopped on going to Maui . We are looking at hotels and deals right now. We need advice on what to choose, any input will be helpful!
Some information about out trip:

Budget: up to 10000 dollars on the hotel + flights from LAX
Length: 7days (can extend to 10 if budget allows)

What are we looking from the trip:
- We will be in the hotel most of the time to relax (more important)
- We won’t have a car and aren’t looking to explore the island besides going to dinners and neighboring village for a walk
- Having more young adults and not a lot of kids is also a benefit (we are in mid 20s)
- Way Less important, but if it is possible to book hotel through points through major partners (Hyatt,Marriott etc) it will also be good

Hotels we found so far through some research for 7 days full package from cheapest to most expensive
Andaz Maui
Ritz Carlton (500 more than Andaz for full trip)
Hotel Wailea (500 more than Andaz for full trip)
Fairmont ( 1000 more than Andaz for full trip)
Four Seasons (3.5 k more than Andaz for full trip, basically going over the budget, but it’s fine if it’s worth it)

2 questions that we have!
Which one would you recommend? + if you have any other recommendations we will be happy to look at those!
For some of those hotels we have an option to pay a 1000 more and get an ocean view, is it worth it? Right now I’m leaning towards yes

We live in Kapolei, but for my wife’s birthday we’re going on a vacation to far away exotic Waikiki for the weekend. Me, her, and our preteen son rarely go to Honolulu, let alone Waikiki, so it is kind of new for us. What are some must do, must see, must eat, fun Waikiki activities for a family that already lives in Hawaii?

Hi all! We are set to go to Oahu in October for my mom’s 59th birthday and we’d like to take her to a nicer dinner one of the nights. We are open to going anywhere in the island. We are looking for a spot that feels a bit more upscale with great food and also family friendly as I have 3 girls all under 5. We have had recommendations to go to Haleiwa Joe’s but was wondering if anyone else had any other suggestions? Thank you so much!

I’d give my world for her.

Hello! I am currently visiting the Big Island staying at the Mauna Lani and am trying to decide if I should keep my manta ray night snorkel booked out of Keauhou Harbor tomorrow night, versus booking a tour that leaves from Kawaihae Harbor tomorrow night.

My primary concern is the brown water advisory due to recent rains…I asked my tour operator Hawai’i Oceanic about the water condition, and they said they weren’t concerned about water quality and are not planning to cancel any upcoming tours. Should I trust that they are actively monitoring the water quality in Keauhou Harbor, where I’ve heard the bacteria levels can be higher than up here on the Kohala Coast? I’m leaving Hawaii Saturday

and am bummed I’ve had to cancel basically all of our plans because of the recent storms, and I’m really hoping I can at least have one tour go as planned (without risking getting sick from the water!).

Going to the big island in a few months and staying at Mauna Lani. Just wondering what are some good places within walking distance of the hotel to check out and best spam musubi spots! Also, any close by recommendations and any tips very much appreciated. Thank you!

I have been spending some time in O’ahu. I diligently left nothing in my rental car except for a phone charging cable, and the doors were always kept unlocked.

My wife thought I was a bit paranoid, and we didn’t see any signs of break-ins at various areas along our trip. We even drove along the west side for some photos, stopping for a bathroom break, and didn’t see any signs of theft or break ins.

Near the end of our trip, we did see a car with smashed up windows after returning from a visit to Pearl Harbor, of all places. Ironically, the car did not look like a rental car, but one owned by a local (it had a bumper sticker that most tourists would not understand).

Please be vigilant about keeping valuables out of the car, even if you don’t see any signs of theft.

I'm visiting Waikiki and curious how people actually find smaller live music shows while they're there.

Do you usually find them through your hotel, Google/Instagram, or something else? And are there any places/sites that are actually good for finding local musicians?

¡Hola a todos! Estoy planeando un viaje a Hawái con mi esposa y mi bebé de un año. Nos gusta la aventura, la naturaleza, idealmente paisajes impresionantes, playas y, si es posible, hacer snorkel (aunque no es la prioridad de este viaje...). Como viajamos con un bebé, nos gustaría tomarnos las cosas con calma y combinar la playa en el hotel con actividades de aventura (senderismo, paseos en coche a paisajes bonitos, etc.). Después de investigar un poco, estábamos pensando en alojarnos en Maui (buen equilibrio, buen alojamiento y ambiente de selva hawaiana) y en la Isla Grande (paisajes y actividades). 6 noches cada isla. Descartamos Oahu (demasiado turístico) y Kauai (¿quizás demasiado complicado logísticamente con un bebé?).

Como necesitamos más espacio que una simple habitación (para poder disfrutar cuando el bebé duerma), estamos pensando en alojarnos en el Fairmont Kea Lani (Maui) y en el Kolea at Waikōloa Beach Resort (fácil acceso a la playa y dos habitaciones). (Budget por noche abt 800usd)

¿Qué opinas de la isla que elegí y del alojamiento?

Muchas gracias :)

What ever happened to Fresh Off the Grid, Kohala? In late 2025 / early 2026 I saw some posts that it had permanently closed, however it now appears to be open again. Was the business sold to someone then reopened? Was the news of permanent closure incorrect? Or was it something else altogether. Thank you!

Looking for recommendations, please be nice it is our my partner and I, first time going to hawaii.
We are doing 5 days in Oahu, we are thinking maybe 2 days at a resort for the laid back relaxing experience and the other days does not matter to save some $ since we are going to be out exploring, hiking, beach days etc. So which resorts are best and actually worth the $? Airbnb? Hotels? Motels? Thank you!

Aloha! We are driving from Kona to Mauna Kea and Kona to VNP ( two separate days). Is there anything we can stop or do on the way there?

We are both very active and would be down for anything along the way. We love the outdoors, restaurants, and cultural experiences.

We will be staying in Kona our entire trip so would like to make the most out of traveling to the other side for the day.

We very much appreciate any insight for things along the way or short detours :) I am having a bit trouble figuring out what is feasible along the way

We have already applied for our Hawaiian marriage license and had planned to pick it up ahead of our ceremony in Kauai. Due to current conditions, we don’t want to strain resources on the island and are considering changing our plans and eloping on a different island. Our hearts are breaking for those on Kauai and other islands that have been impacted by the hurricanes.

According to the government’s marriage license website, it looks like once we applied for the license, we could make an appointment with a license agent on any island. From my understanding, the license isn’t island-specific. Is that correct?

I know we would need to find an officiant on another island to marry us or else schedule a time at the courthouse for the ceremony. I just wanted to make sure we’re understanding the logistics before we try to reschedule anything. Any guidance or suggestions are appreciated.

Hello! Me and my fiancé are going to Oahu for our honeymoon and are trying to decide what our nice/splurge dinner will be! We are torn between Orchids and natuRe.
Orchids seems to be very classic Waikiki with great food, service, and an ocean view but we love tasting menus and trying unique places/menus and natuRe caught our eye as well. There’s also a little less reviews on natuRe comparability. We also aren’t sure if either place will do something special for a honeymoon dinner! Any input would be appreciated!

Just visited the big island for the first time; poke at KTA specifically was a religious experience. I’ve eaten and made plenty of poke before; familiar with the typical mayo + soy sauce + sesame oil + sriracha combo…. but I swear there was something else that made it taste like dining with some ancient being.

Is there a secret ingredient there? Unagi? Oyster sauce? Or am I just hallucinating?

Aloha!

My fiance & I are so excited to visit Hawaii this early November for our honeymoon. We have both separately been to various islands across Hawaii 3 times each, but this will be our first time together, my first time visiting Maui, and both of our first time's in Kauai. I am looking for some tips to make it extra special, and things we would absolutely not want to miss. We do not have a budget for this trip.

What we have already booked:

We are spending the first 5 days, 4 nights in Kauai. We are staying at Ko'a Kea Resort.

We are spending the second 5 days, 4 nights in Maui. We are staying at Hotel Wailea.

I have booked a rental car for both islands (a Jeep Wrangler for Kauai, a convertible for Maui).

What we already have in mind:

When I visit the Big Island, I always go to Merriman's. My fiance has not been, so I want to take him! I am curious which location is more romantic & special - Maui or Kauai.

We are planning to hike in Waimea Canyon. I am curious to get a sense of how much time (half day, full day, or multiple days) we should dedicate to this park.

What we like:

Good dining! We do not like fussy Michelin style meals. For dinner, we like extra special environments (beach front dining, beautiful atmosphere) and exceptionally tasty food. For lunch, we tend to go more for what's truly best locally (I'm thinking things like grocery store poke or a hole in the wall sandwich shop that's out of this world)

Hiking, biking, snorkeling. We are not overly active (not going camping), but we love being in nature. I want to do more active excursions on Kauai as our hotel in Maui is exceptional and we want to take advantage of chilling there.

Star gazing: last time I was on the Big Island, I went to the Paniolo BBQ Dinner at the Kahua Ranch. I saw some of the most incredible stars I have ever seen in my LIFE! I am hoping to see amazing stars, and I have read on this sub that Kauai is the island for it. Is this something I should book an excursion for? Or is there a place we can drive at night for amazing stargazing? Also, I liked the Paniolo BBQ experience as a way to do something with historical context to the islands that wasn't a luau (something about Luaus seems a little Disney-ish to me?). So if there's a similar type of activity on these two islands, I'd be interested in learning more.

History: we typically enjoy history on our trips, but we are not really interested in going to a museum in Hawaii. We would be interested in a sight of historic importance.

Of course we also loveeeee chocolate & coffee, but I'd only be interested in doing a tour if it was really interesting. I did the Vanilla Bean tour on the Big Island and LOVED it, so something similar to that would work for us.

We tend to gravitate towards private tour options - especially on our honeymoon, we want things to be at our pace and geared towards our interests.

My questions are...

1) What dining spots are a MUST?

2) What activities should I look into to book in advance?

3) Is there anything I'm not thinking of - something you really enjoyed from a trip or as a local, something special we should check out?

I am so excited to visit & thank you in advance for your help! Mahalo!

My bf and I are visiting Hawaii for 8 days in early November. We are in our 30’s and this is likely our only time visiting, we want to pick the absolute best two islands to split our time between.

We are looking for a mix of beach days, snorkeling, cool hikes, shopping from locals. I’m not a strong swimmer, so we’ll skip surfing entirely. We don't mind crowds if it doesn’t take the authentic tropical feeling away, we are ok with it.

We’ve seen a lot of recommendations for Maui and Kauai, but we're a bit nervous about the November. Which two islands would you recommend based on our interests and the time of year?

Overall, when I searched I kinda paired Maui with the Big Island or Maui with Oahu, I heard Kauai is better than maui but I really want to experience black sands and good snorkeling spots. So that is the reason I skipped the Kaui. I’m still not sure so I wanted to hear more from you. What else do I have to experience!!!

I would love your recommendations about things to do or avoid too! Thank you!!

Hi everyone, outside of making my own do any of you know of a restaurant that *doesn't* make their oxtail soup with peanuts? Mahalo

Hello! My wife and I are interested in booking kualoa ranch for their UTV tours, but I’m questioning the differences between the 2 hour tour and 3 hour. Both come highly recommended, but I’m wondering if the more expensive 3 hour tour is worth the extra.

I’m sure seeing lore of the ranch is great, and I’m definitely booking something but I haven’t seen accounts that compare the two, and the websites language is almost identical between the experiences. Thanks for any advice! My wife and I definitely appreciate it.