Hawaii, US islands & the Pacific
Kai Nakamura
Published work
26 signed pages across 3 collections, biggest section first.
Rankings 14
- The best Hawaiian island for a honeymoonMaui is the classic Hawaii honeymoon for good reason: Wailea and Kapalua resorts, Haleakala at sunrise and winter whales. Kauai is quieter, Lanai is the splurge, and Oahu is the value pick.Read
- The best Hawaiian island for familiesMaui is the best Hawaiian island for a family with mixed ages and a rental car. The Big Island suits school-age kids who like volcanoes; Oahu is the easy pick with toddlers and no car.Read
- The best Hawaiian island for a first visitMaui and Oahu are the two easy first picks, 0.2 points apart. Maui if you will drive and want beaches; Oahu if you want a city, more flights and lower prices. Save Lanai and Molokai for later.Read
- The best Hawaiian island on a budgetOahu wins the budget ranking easily: the cheapest rooms in Hawaii, the most flights and no need for a car. Kauai's rooms average less than Maui's or the Big Island's; Lanai is the most expensive island in the state.Read
- The best Hawaiian island to visit in DecemberDecember brings the first whales, big North Shore surf, new winter flights and the most expensive weeks of the year. Maui leads, Oahu is the value and events pick, and Kauai slips on rain and closures.Read
- The best Hawaiian island to visit in JanuaryIn January every Hawaiian island is warm, so the ranking turns on whales, which shore is calm, rain and price. Maui wins; Oahu is the value pick; the Big Island has one of its best months.Read
- The best Hawaiian island to visit in JulyJuly is hot, dry and, on Maui, cheaper than winter. Maui and Oahu lead, Lanai climbs to third on calm seas, and the Big Island sinks on Kona rain. Hurricane season is open; plan for it.Read
- The best Hawaiian island to visit in JuneJune gives Hawaii its calmest north shores, its driest weeks on Maui and Oahu and the King Kamehameha Day parades. Maui wins with its top score of the year; the Big Island falls to last on Kona rain.Read
- The best Hawaiian island to visit in MarchMarch is the tail of whale season and the start of spring break. Maui wins again, Kauai falls to last on rain and closures, and the Big Island is the pick if you want hula's biggest week.Read
- The best Hawaiian island to visit in OctoberOctober is shoulder season: an 81°F sea, the North Shore surf season starting, and food festivals on three islands. Maui wins, the Big Island is a strong third, and Kauai is still reopening after Lowell.Read
- The best Hawaiian island to visit soloOahu is the clear solo pick: Waikiki is walkable, TheBus goes around the island and rooms start at $139. Maui and the Big Island work alone too, but only with a rental car.Read
- The best Hawaiian island to visitMaui, Oahu and the Big Island sit within half a point of each other; Kauai is fourth while Lowell closures last. Here is what separates them, island by island, with hotel prices and the 2026 storm damage.Read
- The best Hawaiian island with teensThe Big Island is the best Hawaiian island for teenagers: lava, night snorkels with manta rays and volcano hikes. Kauai and Maui follow; Oahu is the pick for surf lessons and a city.Read
- The best islands in the USPuerto Rico tops the US list on flights, price and variety; Maui and Oahu follow. The US Virgin Islands are cheaper than you think, and Key West and Hilton Head trade beaches for easy access.Read
Islands 11
- Bora BoraOne of the most famous lagoons on earth, ringed by motus and overwater bungalows, with Mount Otemanu in the middle. You fly to Tahiti, then hop over. Resort nights started at $865 in January and $1,467 in July.Read
- Fiji (Viti Levu and the Mamanucas)The most accessible South Pacific trip from the US: nonstop to Nadi, cheap rooms near the airport, and the Mamanuca islands a short boat ride out. The mainland beaches are average; the islands are why you come.Read
- MauiThe most balanced Hawaiian island: long sandy beaches on the west and south shores, Haleakala, the Hana road and winter whales. It is not cheap, and Lahaina is a town under reconstruction, not a sight.Read
- OahuHawaii's easiest island: Honolulu's airport has the most US nonstops, Waikiki has the cheapest decent rooms we found, and you can skip the rental car. You trade quiet for a real city.Read
- KauaiKauai has the Na Pali cliffs, Waimea Canyon and Hanalei Bay, and fewer resorts than Maui. In September 2026 it took Hawaii's first direct hurricane hit since 1992, so check what has reopened before you book.Read
- Big Island (Hawaii Island)The Big Island is for volcanoes, stargazing, manta rays and Kona coffee, not a week of beach hopping. It is huge, so plan on driving, and know that two 2026 hurricanes left damage on the south and east sides.Read
- LanaiA small, quiet island that is almost entirely a luxury resort plus one plantation town. Hulopoe Bay is superb, but rooms start near $2,000. Most people should see it on a day trip by ferry from Maui.Read
- MolokaiMolokai is farm towns, sea cliffs and Kalaupapa, not beaches and resorts. It suits travelers who want quiet and history. Most visitors should not make it their first or only Hawaiian island.Read
- Key WestThe southernmost town in the continental US: Old Town inns, Mallory Square sunsets and the Dry Tortugas ferry. Come for the town, not the sand, and go in winter if you can pay for it.Read
- NantucketCedar-shingle town, harbor beaches and bike paths 2 hours off Cape Cod by ferry. Superb in July, very expensive, and largely closed from November to April. Go in June or September.Read
- Hilton Head IslandA drive-to island in South Carolina with flat, wide beaches, bike paths, golf and villas. Cheap for a US beach island and easy with kids, as long as you are not expecting Caribbean water.Read