Most agree that Kauai is #1.
But what’s the second best island for trails? … Leave a comment if you have an opinion.
2nd best island in Hawaii for hiking?
Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
Best hikes, treks, tramps in the world.
Most agree that Kauai is #1.
But what’s the second best island for trails? … Leave a comment if you have an opinion.
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I’d argue that Maui is the best island for a complete vacation, and though it doesn’t feature the Na Pali coastline, it does feature hikes which are just as good (eg. Pipiwai waterfalls at the end of Hana Highway) and Maui can also boast a spectacular volcano hike (Haleakala, pictured above) which you won’t find on Kauai.
Maui also shares some of the ‘grungy’ areas that you’ll find in Kauai, but it also has some of the most upscale resorts and also plenty of reasonably priced condos too. All resorts (Kauai included) have the cruise ship town(s).
Thanks Stuart. I’ll start shopping for Maui. …
I assumed it would end up being Maui. With the big island after that.
We’ve done four hikes on Maui, which you can find over at Trailspotting – the two hikes I mentioned above are essential hikes, and the other two were ok/good.
Lodgings/Towns ..
– Lahaina & Kaanapali is the coastline with the upscale resorts (which is also good if you like a game of golf).
– Kihei is where we stayed at a condo. The place is full of strip malls, grocery stores and restaurants (some chains). Access to the whole island is very good from here however.
– Kahului is where the airport and ferry terminal is located. From what I saw it’s pretty commercial and not that much of interest, but I may be wrong.
– Grungy area is around Paia, which is also where the best surfing is (I think).
Other notes
– Car rental restrictions won’t allow you to drive around either the western or eastline coastlines because of the poor quality of the roads. When navigating & planning your routes look at the island as an ‘X’ rather than a sideways figure ‘8’.
– Driving Hana Highway (36/360) is a must-do, but set off really early for the best experience to minimize the risk of slow traffic and oncoming vehicles on this narrow, twisty road.
I say Kaua’i is number 1 and number 2.
Seriously, it’s the most spectacular. I lived there from 1996 to 1999 so I’m a bit biased.
The Big Island is where I went when I wanted to play tourist. Hard to beat active volcanoes you can hike very near to.