Hawaii Travel Guide: A Photographer's Pick of Each Island

The first time I landed in Honolulu I made the mistake of trying to "do Hawaii" in seven days. Two islands, four hotels, three rental cars, and one sunburn that peeled for a month. I came home with a memory card full of nothing in particular and a sense that I'd missed the actual place.

Hawaii rewards slowing down. Pick the island that matches the trip you actually want, give it more days than you think you need, and let the weather pick your itinerary. This page is the front door to everything I've written about the islands. Start here, then dive into whichever piece matches your trip.

Why Hawaii is my photographer's playground

The light in Hawaii is unlike anywhere else I shoot. The trade winds keep the air clean, the volcanic terrain kicks up dramatic backdrops on every island, and golden hour stretches longer than you'd expect for the latitude because the cloud layer constantly diffuses and reshapes the sun. I've made some of my favorite frames at 6:15 AM on a Kauai cliff and at 7:40 PM in a tide pool on the Big Island, and the gear in my bag was almost an afterthought.

The honest reason I keep flying back is that no two islands feel related. Oahu is a city. Maui is a road. Kauai is a wall of green. The Big Island is an active geology lesson with beaches strapped to it. If you treat them as one destination you'll be disappointed; if you treat them as four, you'll plan smarter trips.

When to go (by activity)

• Whales (humpbacks): December through April. Peak in February and March. Maui's Au'au Channel is the densest viewing in the state.
• Surf (north shores): November through February. Pipeline, Waimea, Hanalei. Stay out of the water unless you know what you're doing and watch from the sand.
• Snorkeling and calm water: May through September, especially on south-facing shores. Molokini, Hanauma Bay, Kealakekua.
• Hiking and waterfalls: February through April catches the green peak after winter rain. Trails on Kauai are lethal when wet — give them a day to drain.
• Crowds and price: Cheapest in late April to early June and again in late September to early November. Avoid Christmas and the week after Thanksgiving unless you've booked nine months out.

Best islands for what you want

Quick version, since this is the question I get asked most:

• Oahu is the urban island. Honolulu, Waikiki, the North Shore surf circuit, and the best food scene in the state. First-timers should consider it. Repeat visitors usually fly past it.
• Maui is the variety pick. The Road to Hana, Haleakala sunrise, Kapalua and Wailea beaches, and a long enough drive between coasts that you can shape an entire trip without leaving the island. My most-recommended island for a first real Hawaii week.
• Kauai is the photographer's pick, and where I keep returning. The Na Pali coast, Waimea Canyon, Hanalei Bay, and a quiet pace that makes you actually rest. Less infrastructure, less nightlife, more weather.
• Big Island is the geology trip. Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Kea stargazing, black sand and green sand beaches, and the Kona coffee belt. Bigger than the other islands combined; rent a 4WD and don't try to circle it in a day.
• Molokai and Lanai are the slow islands. Empty, expensive in their own way, and worth it if you've already done the big four.

If it's your first trip and you only have seven days, I'd split them: three nights on Maui, four on Kauai, and skip Oahu entirely if you've already seen a city. Don't try to see all four major islands on a single trip.

Getting around (interisland flights)

You'll fly. Driving doesn't apply once you're past one island. Hawaiian Airlines is the default for predictability, Southwest is the discount option, and Mokulele runs the small-plane routes the jets don't touch. I broke this question down in detail in my inter-island flights guide, including which carrier I actually book under which conditions.

A few things I learned the hard way:

• Honolulu inter-island gates are a hike from the main terminal. Give yourself two hours if you're connecting off a mainland flight.
• Carry your camera gear on. The 717 overhead bins are smaller than a mainline 737.
• Rental cars on the smaller islands run out fast in peak season. Book before you book the flight if you can.

What to eat

Hawaii's food scene is wider than poke bowls and shave ice, even if those are the postcards.

• Plate lunches. The proletarian foundation. Two scoops rice, mac salad, and a protein. Rainbow Drive-In on Oahu is the classic, but every island has its version.
• Poke. Skip the chains. Find a local fish counter — Foodland's poke bar is shockingly good for a grocery store. On the Big Island, Da Poke Shack in Kona is worth the line.
• Shave ice. Matsumoto's on the North Shore is the famous one. Ululani's on Maui is, in my opinion, better.
• Saimin and ramen. A Hawaii hybrid that exists nowhere else. Hamura Saimin on Kauai still runs cash-only and is still worth it.
• Loco moco for hangovers. Don't argue with this one.

A note on splurge dinners: book Mama's Fish House on Maui six months out, not six weeks. The view is the food, the food is also the food, and you'll thank yourself.

Recent stories from Hawaii

The articles below are everything I've written about Hawaii so far — inter-island flights, planning logistics, the budget angle, multi-island itineraries, and where I actually take photos at sunrise. Pick the one that matches your trip and start there.