Hawaii Travel Notes and Travel Guide:hawaii travel guide 2025

I took the opportunity of visiting the United States and reuniting with my family to go to Hawaii, where I stayed for a week. To be honest, Hawaii is really a great place. The great thing about it is that there are beautiful scenery waiting for you no matter when you go, and you don’t have to consider the season. We arrived in Hawaii on January 19th, and we could go swimming and surfing in the sea, with green grass everywhere. It’s great because there are mountains ⛰️; the small Hawaii actually has several high mountains as high as 3,000 to 4,000 meters, as well as active volcanoes for viewing. It’s great because there are waters and beaches—not only white sand beaches but also black sand beaches, along with numerous water entertainment projects. It’s also great because there are rich tropical rainforests and fruits for you to admire and taste. What’s more, there are unique Polynesian ethnic customs and songs and dances… The exotic atmosphere gives a unique feeling! Hawaii is an archipelago with many islands, but the main tourist attractions are concentrated in the capital Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island. The well-known city of Honolulu is on Oahu. Each of these islands has an airport, all accessible by flights from the U.S. mainland, and the means of transportation between the islands is also by plane.

Based on my experience, the must-visit attractions in Hawaii are:
1. Pearl Harbor: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor marked the beginning of the Pacific War, which is a well-known major historical event. Therefore, a visit to Hawaii must include Pearl Harbor. You can visit the USS Arizona Memorial, board the USS Missouri battleship and a submarine (I forgot its name), and also the Pearl Harbor Pacific Aviation Museum. Among them, the USS Missouri is known as the “Lucky Ship”; it participated in four wars without any casualties, and it was the site of the Japanese surrender signing ceremony in World War II. Boarding the battleship really allows you to deeply feel the magnificent history of World War II, which is震撼人心. Oahu

 

Hawaii Travel Notes and Travel Guide:hawaii travel guide 2025

USS Missouri

Hawaii Travel Notes and Travel Guide:hawaii travel guide 2025

Wreck of the USS Arizona battleship

Hawaii Travel Notes and Travel Guide:hawaii travel guide 2025

Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum

Hawaii Travel Notes and Travel Guide:hawaii travel guide 2025

Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum – Flying Tigers Shark Mouth Fighter Plane Aiding China

2. Waikiki Beach: It is one of the most famous beaches in Hawaii. Here, you can fully enjoy the sea water and sunshine, and there are activities such as surfing and diving. Among them, surfing is the most common water activity in Hawaii. Renting a surfboard costs $25 for one hour, $40 for two hours, $50 for four hours, and $60 for a full day. You can choose to participate as you like. I didn’t dare to try it this time, which is a bit of a pity. Oahu

Surfing and diving at Waikiki Beach

Waikiki Beach

3. Polynesian Cultural Center: Experience Polynesian culture and watch the “Song of Life” performance. The indigenous people of Hawaii belong to a branch of the Polynesians in the South Pacific, including the Samoan, Tuvalu, Tongan, Cook, and other archipelagos. Oahu

Polynesian ethnic style performance

Polynesian Cultural Center

4. Kualoa Ranch: It is a tropical rainforest landscape. You need to take an open-top vehicle to go up along the winding mountain road, where you can enjoy various tropical plants, including banana, pineapple, and mango trees. You can also enjoy the sea view. There is a Straw Hat Island in the sea that is very photogenic, and there are horse riding activities to participate in. There is a magical tree in Hawaii with a huge umbrella-shaped crown – the rain tree (see picture). It is said that this kind of tree has a super strong water storage capacity, absorbing water on rainy days and dripping water on sunny days. There are many such trees on the streets and in parks in Hawaii, which can be regarded as a scenic spot. Oahu. The two scenic spots 3 and 4 are in the same direction. It takes an hour to drive from Honolulu, so it is recommended to arrange them in the morning and afternoon of the same day.

Viewing Straw Hat Island from Kualoa Ranch

There is a huge umbrella-shaped rain tree on the right

5. Dole Pineapple Plantation: It is a plantation with a 150-year history and the largest pineapple plantation in Hawaii. Dole almost monopolizes the entire U.S. market for pineapples and pineapple juice. Take a small train to see large areas of pineapple plantations. In addition to pineapples, there are various tropical plants and other tree species in between, such as mango and coffee, etc. They all have huge labels to make it easy for tourists to identify. I saw many tree species for the first time, and it is very worth visiting. Oahu

6. Lanikai Beach: Known as the “Sea of Paradise”, it is praised as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The beach stretches as far as the eye can see, with fine sand that is close to white in color, so it is also called White Sand Beach. However, there are no toilets, shower facilities, or lifeguards here. In fact, none of the beaches in Hawaii have dedicated lifeguards. Many are not as strictly and standardizedly managed as in China. The beaches here are completely open freely, and you can go into the sea anytime and anywhere you want. Of course, you are responsible for your own safety. Oahu

Lanikai White Sand Beach

Beach, elderly, children and dogs

Fine and white sand

7. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Explore volcanic lava and black sand beaches, and feel the grandeur of nature. Due to time constraints, I didn’t go to the Big Island this time, so I don’t know the details. It is said to be more than 4,000 meters above sea level and very spectacular. Big Island

8. Haleakala National Park is definitely the top choice on Maui Island. Haleakala Volcano is known as the “House of the Sun”. Here, you can not only enjoy the magnificent sunrise, sunset glow, and sea of clouds, but also experience the mysterious charm of the crater. The most amazing thing is that you can drive directly to the viewing platform at the top of the mountain, which is more than 3,000 meters above sea level. To the west of the mountain is an endless alpine meadow, and you can occasionally encounter herds of cattle along the way. The entire mountain-climbing process itself is a visual feast. It is said that Mark Twain once called the sunrise here one of the most spectacular scenes in his life. Maui

Viewing the sunset at the top of Haleakala Volcano

Many people watching the sunset

The road to the mountain

Driving this car up the mountain

9. Hana Road: This is a road with picturesque scenery along the way. It is on the northeast coast of Maui and also on the eastern side of Haleakala Mountain. You can see that this side of the mountain is completely different from the alpine meadow on the western side. The eastern side is dominated by forests, with endless beautiful scenery such as small waterfalls and beaches along the way. Due to limited time, we only stopped at Turtle Beach and Wai’anapanapa State Park (Black Sand Beach). Maui

Black Sand Beach

Turtle Island

Big waves and very blue water

10. The last must-do activity is going out to sea to watch whales. There are large boats and rubber boats for whale watching. This time, we took a rubber boat that can carry 15 people (excluding two drivers who are also guides and lifeguards). Compared with large boats, rubber boats can get closer to whale groups, and the experience of the rubber boat cutting through the waves is also great. Whales appear quite frequently. Within two hours, we saw a total of five groups of whales active. According to the guide, it is not every time you go out to sea that you can see so many whales. We were quite lucky. Feeling the huge figures of whales spouting water and leaping out of the water at close range is really shocking. Whale watching at sea is not just about seeing whales; it is also a rare opportunity to view mountain scenery from the sea, with a unique visual experience. Maui

Watching whales and enjoying the scenery at sea

Whale arching its back and spouting water

Multiple whales playing in the water

Whale lifting its tail

There are many other interesting places to visit in Hawaii, such as Diamond Head, Iolani Palace, Mauna Kea Volcano near Honolulu, etc. As long as you have the time and money, you won’t get bored even if you stay for a month. In addition, it is recommended to rent a car when traveling to Hawaii. There are many car rental companies not far from the airport, and their services are professional and standardized. The car rental cost varies according to the model, about $100 per day. We rented a Wrangler in Maui, which was a bit more expensive, and a Jaguar SUV in Oahu, which was relatively cheaper, less than $100. Reservation is a common practice in the U.S. service industry. You need to make reservations for everything, such as dining, haircuts, car rentals, hotel stays, park tickets, etc. So you must book your itinerary in advance before traveling.

 

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