Waterfalls
With more than 100 waterfalls on the island of Oahu, it is one of the best places in Hawaii to go waterfall hunting. Waterfall locations include Akaka Falls in Waimea, Kauai, and Hana on Maui. Many waterfalls stay inside the water due to their height, meaning you will never have to hike very far for a great view of one. Just drive down a road, and there is likely to be at least one waterfall waiting for you.
Hiking Trails & Canoeing Trips
Since Hawaii has little elevation change between some of its islands, hiking trails are easy and accessible. Hiking trails are usually located in the mountains’ mauka (mountain) region. Mountain biking is another popular activity in Hawaii, where a network of off-road trails take riders over lava fields and Cliffside trails to view lush tropical vegetation. The northern region of Oahu has many great hiking and mountain biking trails.
Water Sports
With so much water on the islands, it is easy to find something to do with that water! There is some snorkeling at some beaches, but for the most part, your access to the ocean will be limited to small boats or kayaks that you can rent from tour operators that have several docks throughout Hawaii. Hawaii also has several surf beaches, some of the best in the world. Windsurfing is another popular activity due to the winds that blow across Hawaii. This activity is great if you can deal with the strong winds. Many other marine sports include diving, spearfishing, and kiteboarding.
Hawaii is home to some of the best scuba diving in the world. Since Hawaii has no oceanic islands nearby with other aquatic life, many species of marine life are not present in other areas of the world that you can see on your dives here. Hawaii has several protected areas around its reefs, and these sites are guaranteed to be untouched by human activity, including fishing and industrial activities like oil drilling. On top of this, there are several marine parks on the coastline for dive enthusiasts to enjoy.
Star Gazing
Hawaii is an excellent place for anyone interested in astronomy because it is so remote from major cities or light pollution, making it great for stargazing. The observatories on top of Mauna Kea have some of the clearest skies in the world, and there are observatories located all over Hawaii at various volcanoes and high points throughout this range. There are also observatories located in Hawaii for the United States Air Force. There are no cities to light up the sky, so you will be just as likely to see stars at night as you would in areas with lots of light pollution. The major observatories here are Maui, Kauai, Oahu, and Hawaii Island. Rare events like solar eclipses and meteor showers can also be seen here.
Hours
The observatories in Hawaii run on a schedule that differs from those found in other parts of the world. The observatory closes during the winter months. They stay open all year round in other parts of the U.S. Hawaii is located in a different time zone than the continental U.S., so you must plan if you want to see an event.