Ultimate Guide to Island Hopping in Hawaii: Best Travel Tips and Must-Visit Spots

Let's explore the essentials of island hopping in Hawaii! In this episode, we discuss the best travel methods between the islands, provide vital tips, and highlight must-visit locations to help you craft your perfect Hawaii vacation. Join us as we explore how to navigate your island adventure smoothly, respect the local culture, and make the most of your trip to Hawaii.

What we discuss in this episode:

• Efficient methods for island hopping in Hawaii: flying, cruising, and taking the ferry.
• Key tips for planning an island-hopping itinerary, including booking early and respecting local culture.
• Highlights of must-visit attractions on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island.
• Practical advice on transportation options in Oahu without renting a car.
• Seasonal travel tips for visiting Hawaii in the winter months.
• Cultural respect and engagement with Hawaiian traditions during your visit.
• Listener Q&A addressing common concerns and tips for travelers to Hawaii.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Episode with Kamaka Dias
• Episode with Son of Oahu, Elijah McShane
• Winter in Hawaii

👉 Full show notes and resources can be found here: hawaiisbesttravel.com/125

Chapters

• 0:55 Sponsor Message: Hungry Root
• 2:13 Q&A: Transportation and Weather Tips
• 5:42 Island Hopping Overview
• 8:46 Choosing the Right Island for Your Interests

Transcript

125_Island Hopping

[00:00:00] Bryan Murphy: Are you planning to island hop in Hawaii and you're not sure where to start or what you should know? Well, in today's episode of Hawaii's Best, I'll guide you through the best ways to travel between the islands, share essential tips, and highlight must visit stops along the way. So whether you're a first timer or a seasoned traveler looking to refine your visit to Hawaii, this episode is packed with valuable insights to enhance your Hawaiian vacation.

[00:00:26] Announcement: Aloha, welcome to Hawaii's Best. Here, you'll learn what to know before traveling as we discover Hawaiian culture, local businesses, and the experiences that make Hawaii one of the most incredible places in the world. Before we 

[00:00:41] Bryan Murphy: dive into today's episode, are you dreaming of Hawaii's sunny beaches and breathtaking hikes?

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[00:01:07] Bryan Murphy: You tell them a little bit about yourself. And what your goals are and they tailor your weekly deliveries to fuel you and your family Our kids personally love hungry root and we've tried pretty much all the meal delivery services out there Hungry root is here to help you and your family reach and maintain your health goals Are you ready to embrace the journey of a healthier you in a convenient way?

[00:01:30] Bryan Murphy: We'll visit hawaiisbesttravel. com slash hungry today for 30 off your first order Let's make healthy happen together. Aloha and welcome back to another episode of Hawaii's best today. We're breaking down everything you need to know about traveling between the islands of Hawaii. Or also known as Island hopping.

[00:01:50] Bryan Murphy: So whether it's your first time planning to Island hop or just looking to. Smooth out the edges or maybe plan for your next trip to Hawaii. This episode is for you. Today's episode comes from a frequently asked question about the best way to travel between the islands in Hawaii. And if you have a question that you would like answered on the show, you can email us at Aloha at hawaiisbesttravel.

[00:02:12] Bryan Murphy: com. Here are a couple more questions that I wanted to answer briefly before tackling today's big question about island hopping in Hawaii. All right, so the first question is what's the best way to handle transportation if I don't want to rent a car in Oahu? So that's a great question. Oahu has It's a pretty robust public transport system called the bus.

[00:02:37] Bryan Murphy: It's affordable and can get you to most major attractions and beaches. However, for a more personalized touch, consider ridesharing options like Uber, Lyft, et cetera, or check out bike rentals, especially around Waikiki. And if you plan on routes ahead of time, it's totally feasible to enjoy Oahu without your own money.

[00:02:57] Bryan Murphy: Car, but staying in a Waikiki is definitely feasible without a car, especially if you just want that Waikiki experience, plenty options there. And if you're wanting to get up to the North shore, the bus does that, but it is a long route. So if you're staying on the North shore, maybe if you're staying at turtle Bay, you probably would want to look into a rental car for that.

[00:03:18] Bryan Murphy: All right. Next question is. I'm planning a trip in the winter, what should I expect weather wise? So Hawaii's winter months from November to March are slightly cooler, with temperatures ranging from around the high 60s to mid 80s Fahrenheit. This is also a great time to watch humpback whales as they migrate, especially from Maui.

[00:03:44] Bryan Murphy: You can watch that also from any of the islands, but Maui, especially also packing light rain jacket because the weather is a little bit more unpredictable. More chances for, uh, rain, obviously. And I'll link some blog posts about winter in Hawaii, in the description of this episode, there's just some things to know, especially depending on what Island and even what side of the Island that you're going to be staying on.

[00:04:09] Bryan Murphy: So make sure you go through those guides in the episode description. All right, final question. And then we'll dive into the main topic of Island hopping in Hawaii. All right. Any tips on how to respect Hawaiian culture during my visit? And that's a. Incredible question. So thank you so much for sending that in.

[00:04:27] Bryan Murphy: Respecting Hawaiian culture starts with understanding it, even having a brief understanding it. So, you know, it could be little workshops, virtual workshops, even following some people on, you know, Instagram, Uh, son of Oahu is one guy we've had on Elijah McShane, great guy. So be sure to maybe check out his Instagram account.

[00:04:48] Bryan Murphy: Also, just last week at the time of this recording and this release of this episode, just last week, we had on Kamaka Diaz, who gave some great tips on how to respect. Hawaiian culture during your travels to Hawaii and also From afar so be sure to take a listen to that Also some kind of no brainers, but I think it's worth saying always stay on marked trails and beaches And avoid touching or taking anything from sacred sites And like I mentioned be sure to check out the episode I had with Kamaka Diaz last week On the podcast.

[00:05:23] Bryan Murphy: All right. So that's it for today's Q and a thanks to everyone who sent in their questions. I hope these questions will help your vacation planning. So keep those questions coming in and just send us an email or DM us on Instagram. I would love to hear from you and might even feature your question in.

[00:05:38] Bryan Murphy: Uh, future episode. All right. So let's dive in. Just an overview of island hopping, what it is and what to know. Each Hawaiian island from Oahu's vibrant city life to Lanai's quiet beaches has distinct characteristics and attractions. So the most common method for island hopping is flying. With options like Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest, and Mokolele Airlines offering daily flights that last between 30 to 45 minutes, the longest trek being from Big Island to Kauai, these airlines connect the main islands quickly and are often budget friendly.

[00:06:14] Bryan Murphy: Also cruising offers a luxurious travel option. Cruises depart from Honolulu acting as a floating all inclusive hotels with food, entertainment, and accommodations on board provided. This allows you to visit multiple islands without the hassle of packing and unpacking and the travel in doing airports and that whole thing.

[00:06:34] Bryan Murphy: So as we discuss the best options for your Hawaiian vacation, remember that each transportation method caters to different areas of Hawaii. Preferences, whether you prioritize speed or comfort. All right. So I can mention flying is the preferred method for many due to its speed, efficiency, and cost effectiveness.

[00:06:51] Bryan Murphy: Major airlines like Hawaiian airlines, which is the airline that we prefer and Southwest operate many flights daily. To key destinations like Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the big island of Hawaii for smaller options like Molokai or Lanai. Mokulele Airlines is your only option. Keep an eye out for deals.

[00:07:11] Bryan Murphy: Sometimes flights go as low as 39 for one way and also leveraging airline miles or travel rewards can significantly reduce costs. That's what we like to do with Hawaiian Airlines. We have Hawaiian Airlines card and business card and we do a lot of our travel through miles when we were doing an island hopping So, for those not in a rush, taking the ferry offers scenic ocean views between Maui and Lanai.

[00:07:40] Bryan Murphy: And note, there is no ferry service between Maui and Molokai. And also note that there is currently no inter island ferry services between any of the main Hawaiian islands. So the only one is between Maui and Lanai. So with cruising, if you prefer a more slow, luxurious travel experience, consider cruising.

[00:07:59] Bryan Murphy: Uh, companies like Norwegian Cruise Line operate out of Honolulu on Oahu, offering a multi island cruise that includes accommodations, food, and entertainment, much like a floating resort, really. And also, as you travel between islands, consider doing guided day trips. These can help structure your itinerary and stress free, especially if you're staying on Oahu and you want to do something on Maui.

[00:08:23] Bryan Murphy: Having a guided tour on Maui would just help that, uh, experience and alleviate stress from having to plan for a quick day on Maui or two days on Maui. Uh, these are an excellent choice. So these trips come with a pre planned itineraries, expert guides, allowing you to just enjoy the experience without the hassle of planning.

[00:08:46] Bryan Murphy: And just speaking of what to do and some tour options, choosing which island to visit, you want to kind of consider your interest in your group's interests prior to selecting which island to visit. And just a brief overview of each of the main islands, Oahu, it's known for rich history and vibrant nightlife like Waikiki.

[00:09:06] Bryan Murphy: I think it's cool to stay in Waikiki, maybe a couple nights, maybe one night, and you just have that iconic backdrop of diamond head. Waikiki beach dukes. It's just cool to experience that at least for once but Oahu has so much more to offer than just Waikiki the north shore is amazing. A lot of country as you're traveling towards the north shore west side.

[00:09:29] Bryan Murphy: We love the west side You got resorts over there in koalina and also the east side of Oahu is just Incredible. So Oahu has a lot to offer Maui. It's ideal for beach enthusiasts. There's so many amazing beaches on Maui and you got places like the road to Hana, Haleakala national park. One of two national parks.

[00:09:53] Bryan Murphy: In Hawaii, so be sure to look into that as you're considering what island to hop over to, uh, Kauai. It's a nature's paradise, you know, this, the, so many trails, waterfalls, areas like on the Poly Coast, Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific is this one of those places that kind of leaves you in awe.

[00:10:16] Bryan Murphy: Kauai is an amazing place. Small island that has some of the best views some of those classic, you know, hawaii views that you think of a big island of hawaii offers diverse climates and activities, especially if you're staying on kona side or traveling over to hilo Which is where you find volcanoes national park the other national park in hawaii so many diverse places around hawaii island Um, it's big.

[00:10:44] Bryan Murphy: You definitely want to rent a car research, the unique offerings of each Island. So it aligns with your vacation goals. This ensures your time in Hawaii is spent enjoying activities that interests you most in our website is packed with guys to help plan your perfect itinerary. So you can get the most out of your vacation to Hawaii.

[00:11:03] Bryan Murphy: And these attractions and places they're just starting points. Each island has Some less known spots worth visiting but always allow flexibility in your schedule when exploring sometimes when you're traveling over to the next spot Or if you're trying to get over to you know Waimea canyon and you see something alongside of the road or you see this the spot you want to stop at Make sure you do that because some of those spots are some of the, you know, best local spots that maybe aren't on any of the itinerary lists and you can strike up conversations with locals and just to get to know the island a little bit better and just, uh, just kind of makes your vacation more personable than just getting to point A to point B.

[00:11:46] Bryan Murphy: So avoid overscheduling. That's probably one of the biggest tips and the charm of Hawaii often lies in spontaneous discoveries and moments of relaxation. So ensure your itinerary allows for downtime to absorb the local, just the feel of the Island. I hope this episode has given you what to know and some tips for planning a smooth Island hopping experience.

[00:12:09] Bryan Murphy: Experience in Hawaii. And the aim of this is not just to visit and how to visit, but how to deeply experience the diverse cultures, landscapes, and atmospheres of each island, because each island has its own feel and vibe. And if you're staying maybe for the first time on Oahu and you want to, um, You know, island hop over to Kauai and Maui.

[00:12:31] Bryan Murphy: You get to the feel of that island. So maybe next time, maybe your main island of choice will be one of those islands and vice versa. So a couple of things that just take away from this episode to make the most out of your trip, begin to plan. Early in advance, this allows you to secure the best flights, accommodations, and activities using some of the strategies that I've shared today.

[00:12:51] Bryan Murphy: Visit our website for further guidance and some guides. Go to hawaiisbesttravel. com and you'll find more information there and more overview about each of the islands. And also, if you found today's episode helpful, please follow on your favorite podcast platform wherever you're listening and share it with others who might be planning a Hawaiian vacation.

[00:13:13] Bryan Murphy: Your share can help enhance your friends travel plans as well. So thank you so much for considering to do that. So you know, travel to Hawaii offers more than just relaxation. It's a chance to engage respectfully with the local culture and environment. And by traveling thoughtfully, You can contribute positively to the islands and ensure a more rewarding experience for yourself and for your family as well.

[00:13:39] Bryan Murphy: So until next time, my friends be well, Aloha.