In 2019 my girlfriend and I had a vacation in Hawaii and visited O‘ahu, Big Island and Maui. I created a GeoJSON with the route and some points of interest we visited.

  • Day 1 (2019-02-08) Flew from Frankfurt, Germany via Seattle to Honolulu with Condor and Alaska Airlines (EUR 1319.92 return). We needed to re-check our luggage, but Seattle-Tacoma airport had a huge delay in unloading it, so we ended up missing our connecting flight to Honolulu. After some back and forth with Condor, we were lucky that they paid us the hotel, Hyatt Regency, 1053 Lake Washington Blvd N, Renton, WA 98056 although the airport was at fault.

  • Day 2 (2019-02-09) We and four other stranded passengers booked a taxi to the airport which didn’t show up because of the heavy snow falls the night before. We managed to get a Lyft for USD 60 which was more reliable. In Honolulu we got a Ford Fiesta from Alamo (5 days, EUR 192) and drove to the Waikīkī Beach where we spent the rest of the day. Stayed four nights at an AirBnB, 319 Kawaena Place, Honolulu, HI 96813 (EUR 361.15).

  • Day 3 (2019-02-10) Hiked along abandoned rail tracks to the top of the Koko Head Crater, rewarded with a stunning view. Went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay and hiked to the Makapuu Point Lighthouse.

  • Day 4 (2019-02-11) Visited the Dole Plantage. Drove to Banzai Pipeline, no surfers but high waves and a beautiful wide beach. Garlic shrimps at Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck, absolutely recommended. Matsumoto Shave Ice. Short hike in Waimea Valley.

  • Day 5 (2019-02-12) Nu‘uanu Pali Lookout and hike to Lulumahu Falls. Hard to find the right path but worth it. Ate Kalua Pig at Kono’s Northshore, desert at Leonard’s Bakery. Drove to Diamond Head Crater and walked to the summit.

  • Day 6 (2019-02-13) Flew from Honolulu to Hilo with Hawaiian Airlines (USD 178.00 without fees and taxes). Rented a Jeep Wrangler 4WD from Alamo (5 days, EUR 160). Visited Akaka Falls State Park and Onekahakaha Beach Park. Stayed at Arnott’s Lodge, 98 Apapane Road, Hilo, HI 96720 for two nights (USD 183.50).

  • Day 7 (2019-02-14) Wanted to go to Mauna Kea. The website said the gate is closed due to bad weather conditions, tried our luck. At the visitor information station (Onizuka Center for International Astronomy, 2800m) they told us, we couldn’t drive to the summit. Instead we drove to the Mauna Loa Observatory (3397m), also very foggy and no views. Had a Loco Moco at Cafe 100 in Hilo.

  • Day 8 (2019-02-15) Visited the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. No active volcanoes or lava fields. Drove to Hōlei Sea Arch. Stayed at AirBnB, 76-6122 Plumeria Rd Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 for two nights (EUR 177.06).

  • Day 9 (2019-02-16) Finally made it to Mauna Kea summit (4205m). Spent the rest of the day at Kumukea Beach and Hapuna Beach.

  • Day 10 (2019-02-17) Wasted time at Mahai’ula beach until our flight departed. Flew from Kona to Kahului with Hawaiian Airlines (USD 150 without fees and taxes). Rented a Hyundai Elantra from Alamo (5 days, EUR 131). Drove around the north tip of Maui. Saw the Nakalele Blowhole. Stayed at Maui Seaside Hotel, 100 West Kaahumanu, Kahului, HI 96732 for four nights (USD 796.36).

  • Day 11 (2019-02-18) Visited Lāhainā harbor and joined a two hour whale watch excursion (USD 95.62). Experienced the beaches around Lāhainā and had a breathtaking sunset with a beautiful view to Lanai.

  • Day 12 (2019-02-19) Drove to the Haleakalā National Park Visitor Center. No views, very foggy. Visited a black sand beach at Paia.

  • Day 13 (2019-02-20) Drove along the Road to Hāna and made a lot of stops in between. Angelas & Walters Secret Aha Point. Had Aunty Sandy’s Banana Bread. Waiʻānapanapa State Park (black sand beach). Lost my sunglasses at Hamoa Beach due to the high waves and strong currents. Saw the Banyan Tree and the Falls of Makahiku.

  • Day 14 (2019-02-21) Spent the day at Makena Beach. Flew back to Honolulu with Hawaiian Air (USD 117,60 without fees and taxes). Had a flight scheduled to depart at night and arrive the next morning in Seattle.

  • Day 15 (2019-02-22) Visited the Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass. Went to Pike Place Market, had Chowder. Went to an Amazon Go store and experienced cashierless retail for the first time. Seamless experience. Flew back to Frankfurt.

View to Lanai from a beach in Lāhainā

For accommodation we spent about EUR 1400 for the two of us. By far the most expensive hotel was in Kahului (Maui), although it was dated and run down. When we searched for accommodations on Maui we also found camping spots that were more expensive than 4-star hotels in other places. Not sure why it was so expensive there and cheaper on the other islands.

On some days, we weren’t so lucky with the weather but all in all, it was a great Once-in-a-Lifetime trip.