Things to do in Hawaii for Couples
There are plenty of things to do in Hawaii for couples. This post will provide a broad overview of the 50th State of the Union. We hope you will enjoy our favorite place to visit. Cos has been visiting for over 45 years and finds new things to do each trip.
News Flash – Travel Restriction to Maui
Please note that recent wildfires have resulted in the devastating loss of loved ones, homes, cultural and historical sites, and businesses in Lahaina. As of October 8th, 2023, West Maui (including Nāpili, Kāʻanapali, Honokōwai, and Kapalua) will be open to visitors again except Lahaina, which will remain fully closed to the public until further notice out of respect to the town’s residents. If you are planning a trip to Maui, it is advisable to check for updates on travel restrictions and guidelines before making any reservations. You can visit the official resource for the state of Hawaii for more information on travel to Maui
Learn About Things to do in Hawaii for Couples
If you have never travelled to Hawaii, or you have never read James Michener’s book “Hawaii”, and you’re planning a trip, get the book and read it. Published in 1959, the year that Hawaii became the 50th state, the book is an excellent introduction into the history and culture of the state. It discusses the arrivals of the different people who make up the mixed culture of the islands, starting with the original Hawaiians who sailed from Bora Bora. See more about travel aids for Hawaii and other places at our Post Travel Planning Tools. You can get the book at Amazon.com. Having this knowledge will prepare you to more meaningfully interact with local Hawaiians.
Also, if you are looking to plan a specific 10-day multiple island tour, please checkout our 10-Day-Hawaii Itinerary Tour Post.
How to Travel to and Around Hawaii for Couples
Each Hawaiian island is beautiful and unique in its own way. The most visited islands are Oahu, Maui, Hawaii (The Big Island), and Kauai. Oahu is the most visited of all the Hawaiian islands, with nearly 4.7 million visitors annually. It is primarily defined by the state capital of Honolulu. Maui and Hawaii (The Big Island) are also popular choices. Kauai is the smallest and least visited of the 4 main islands, but many argue it’s the most beautiful. You can learn more at https://www.hawaii-guide.com/selecting-the-best-hawaiian-island.
Because Hawaii is a series of Islands, if you plan on visiting multiple islands you will need to fly with inter-island flights. While there are some options to inter-island flights, we recommend using Hawaiian Airlines. We also prefer Hawaiian Airlines as a way to travel to the islands.
We recommend renting a car in Hawaii, unless you plan on just visiting Waikiki. Unfortunately, renting a car can be expensive in Hawaii (it was outrageous when Hawaii reopened right after Covid). We suggest you look into renting with Rental Cars.com, or Discount Hawaii Car Rental as they will provide you with the best choice of options.
The Best Car Rental Rates for Your Hawaiian Vacation.
Things to do in Hawaii for Couples: OAHU
Better known as Honolulu, the island of Oahu is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and the most populous with 70% of the people of Hawaii living on the island. Waikiki Beach, sitting in the shadow of Diamond Head, is the number one attraction on the Island and home to most of the hotels on the island.
Our Recent 2024 Visit to Oahu
Cos has visited Hawaii around a dozen times now, and most of the trips have begun in Oahu. On his first trip he stayed at the Hilton Hawaiin Village in 1978 and finally returned 46 years later. The place had definitely changed, as back in 1978 the only hotel was the Rainbow Tower. Now there are a half-dozen different hotels.
Find a hotel that's just right for you and get the most from your next stay.
On the recent trip, February 2024, Cos and Robin did a ten-day tour, first to Oahu and later to the Big Island. One of the highlights this year was a drive around Oahu using the GuideALong Oahu GPS Tour Guide.
We had used it previously on Maui when taking the trip to Hana and found it very helpful. It was also very helpful in Oahu as we visited some places that were new to us. Two of our new favorites were the blowhole at Koko Crater Arch Trail and the view of the valley at Koko Head Scenic Point.
We also was able to see an old friend that I first saw on my initial trip to Oahu in 1978: the China Hat.
But, our overall best new experience was visiting the surfing championship at the Banzai Pipeline.
Here are some of the other places we recommend you should see on Oahu.
Polynesian Cultural Center
The Polynesian Cultural Center is one of the top places to visit not just on Oahu, but in all of Hawaii. Cos visited it on his first visit to Hawaii in 1978. Robin and Cos have tried to visit it every time they go to the North Shore of Oahu, only to learn that the shows are only in the evening. If you are staying in Waikiki, we recommend that you might book the show with transportation included through a tour with, Get Your Guide. That will allow you to go enjoy the show and not have to worry about the long trip back late in the evening.
Hawaii’s Historic WWII Sites
The USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Missouri and the National Memorial Cemetary of the Pacific, also called the “Punchbowl”, are all worth a visit. Cos has been to the USS Arizona at least four times and every time he fails to leave with a dry eye. The pictures below are from a visit to Honolulu in 2015. You could still see oil leaking from the sunken USS Arizona. The picture above is the Japanese surrender at the end of WWII, which took place on the USS Missouri.
Things to do in Hawaii for Couples: Maui
When you ask American tourists which Hawaiian island is their favorite, Maui is often the answer. Cos and Robin got married on Maui in April of 2021. Pictured below are photos from their wedding dinner that night.
Maui is popular because there is so much to do. We usually stay in the Ka’anapali part of the Island, since it is close to Kapalua, and we love its golf course, Lahaina and Merriman’s Restaurant. The ocean is also very active at Kapalua as shown in the picture below. You can take a nice easy gorgeous hike along the beach. We also now have access in Kihei to a brand-new Hilton Grand Vacation Resort (please visit hiltongrandvacations.com for more information). It has an outstanding pool setup and is closer to Wailea and Makena where we got married.
Road to Hana
One of the fun things to do on Maui is to travel the road to Hana. It is a windy road that takes you past some magnificent waterfalls and ends up in a beautiful scenic part of the island. If you continue beyond Hana, you will reach the Haleakala National Park which has some great hikes and views. Beyond this park is the grave site of Charles Lindberg, a peaceful setting next to the Palapala Ho’omau Church. Robin is a fan of Anne Morrow Lindberg, so this was a must do. Continuing on this road is the less travelled part of the road which has some gorgeous scenery. It’s quite a treat.
We recently hired a tour that spent the full day driving the road to Hana. We were especially looking forward to having someone else drive this rugged road but we were pleasantly surprised that our guide was a native Polynesian. She shared many local stories and customs. We also did the road in reverse, which made for a much more pleasant experience with little traffic and frequent beautiful stops. However the day was long, starting at 6:15 a.m. and returning at 3:45 p.m.
Because there had been a lot of rain just before our trip, the waterfalls were especially robust and the forest was a lush green. We made several stops including one with chopped fresh coconuts, yielding coconut water and fresh coconut meat. We also visited the Hana Cultural Farmstand with the biggest avocados I’ve ever seen and some delicious banana bread (of course), ginger and coconut candy and a real ginger soft drink.
Other Road Trips
A lesser known but equally hair-raising road is at the end of Highway 30, called Highway 340 (Kahekili Highway). This trip whcih starts just past Kapalua at the northern end of Maui is a beautiful trip. It will show you some amazing sights. One that we thoroughly enjoyed was the blowhole just past Honokohau.
For more information about Road Trips, please visit our Road Trips Post.
Stories from the Road Trip
One particularly poignant story the guide shared was the story of the arrest and imprisonment of Queen Lili’uokalani in her home with the landing of U.S. Marines after the attempted uprising to restore the monarchy in 1893. On January 24, 1895, Lili’uokalani was forced to sign a document of abdication, choosing this alternative to save the lives of those who supported the Queen. She lived out her life in her residence as a private citizen in Washington Place until her death November 11, 1917.
Things to do in Hawaii for Couples: Helicopter Rides
Another fun thing to do on Maui is to enjoy a helicopter ride. One path takes you over the northern part of the island of Maui and gives you a bird’s eye view of the Island of Molokai. The picture below is the northern coast of Molokai.
You can take helicopter rides on all of the islands. Cos also took one on a previous trip when he was on Kauai. That trip is magnificent as it takes you over the Na Pali Coast, see below.
Other Fun Activities on Maui
Maui Ku’ia Estate Chocolate offers farm tours and tastings of their premium chocolates grown in the hills above Lahaina. This local product has had some amazing award-winning success, including the 2021 Cocoa of Excellence Gold Award for the Asia Pacific region and the 2022 Good Food Award.
UPDATE
Unfortunately, Maui Ku’ia Estate Chocolate’s farm was seriously damaged by the August 2023 Wildfire. Fortunately, no one was hurt and their factory and show room is ok, but a number of the employees lost their homes. For more information, please visit Maui Ku’ia Estate Chocolate (@mauichocolate) • Instagram photos and videos.
Things to do for Couples in the Big Island of Hawaii
The Island of Hawaii is the biggest of the Hawaiian Islands and has the second largest population. It has an active volcano and is more rugged than the other islands. The two pictures below on the left show the impact of the volcano and the fact that it is still active. The third picture is a beautiful sunset on the south shore where most of the hotels are located. The sign on the right, is from the Merriman Restaurant in Waimea. Peter Merriman has restaurants on all four of the islands described in this blog post. For more information about the restaurants in Hawaii and around the world please visit Our Favorite Restaurants.
Our Recent Visit to The Big Island
As part of our February, 2024 trip to Hawaii, after we visited Oahu we spent five days on the Big Ialand. We stayed at Hilton’s Waikola Resort. The views are spectacular.
Find a hotel that's just right for you and get the most from your next stay.
Next to the Hilton is the Marriott Waikola Resort. It is equally spectacular.
Whale Watching
One of the really fun things to do either on the waters around Maui or the Big Island, or from certain places on those islands is to see humpback whales. We took this picture from our hotel on the Big Island. The whales come down to Hawaii from Alaska in the winter months to eat and have their offspring.
Hidden Gems on the Big Island
One true Hidden Gem on Hawaii is the Painted Church. It is in a small area called Honaunau that is off the beaten path. We strongly recommend a visit. It is near a memorial for Captain Cook where he was killed during his last visit.
Pu’ukohola Heiau
Another Hidden Gem that we discovered on our recent trip was the Pu’kukohola Heiau which is just down the road (HI 270) from the Mauna Kea Resort. A Heiau was a temple that was a very sacred site for the Hawaiians. This particular temple is fairly well preserved and was important as the place where Kamehameha first gained full control of the Island of Hawaii. This ultimately led to his becoming the first King of all Hawaii. the site is a US National Historic site. It has an impressive site, and the Ranger Station shows a very professional film explaining the history of the site.
Luau at Mauna Kea
Finally, you can’t leave Hawaii without at least enjoying a Luau. One that we did and thoroughly enjoyed was at Mauna Kea. Mauna Kea is an Autograph Collection Resort, also part of Marriott. It is a great place to stay and a beautiful place at sunset to enjoy a Luau.
Things to do in Hawaii for Couples: Kauai
Kauai is the westernmost of the Islands and the fourth largest. It is nicknamed the “Garden Isle“, as it has a more wet, tropical climate than the other islands. Waimea Canyon State Park and the Na Pali Coast State Park on the northwest coast of Kauai are two of the most beautiful places you could imagine. Na Pali cannot be reached by car. Cos has visited the Na Pali Coast both by a wild catamaran ride and an equally wild helicopter ride. It is truly spectacular and well worth a visit. In addition to Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast, Kauai provides a number of great places to hike. See Survival tips for hiking for more information on hiking. The Wailua Heritage Trail, on the eastern side of Kauai offers some beautiful scenic views as it follows the Wailua River.
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