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Hawaii

Destination guide

Hawaii

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Aereal photo of Waikiki beach with view of Diamond Head mountain in the distance. iStock image for Traveller. Re-use permitted.
The dormant volcano Le’ahi or Diamond Head next to downtown Honolulu.

As a first-time visitor to Hawaii, one thing surprised me most

Blame The Brady Bunch. I’d always imagined Hawaii as “America in the Pacific”, but I was totally wrong.

  • Kate Armstrong
Waikiki beach in Honolulu, Oahu island.

Cheap eats are (thankfully) delicious in this wallet-draining paradise

Dining out in Honolulu doesn’t need to be a pricey affair. You can eat delicious local and Hawaiian cuisines without it taking a huge bite out of your wallet.

  • Kate Armstrong
Business class on a Qantas Airbus A330.

Qantas’ new route to Pacific paradise a winner (but Jetstar pulls out)

Despite the four-hour time lag, with a restful sleep on this overnight flight you can hit the beach running.

  • Kate Armstrong
To avoid the crowds on Honolulu, head to the North Shore.

Your questions: Where should we go to avoid the crowds of Honolulu?

Just one hour north of Waikiki you’ll find the chilled side of Oahu, popular with surfers and visitors looking for a less frantic version of Hawaii.

  • Michael Gebicki

Hawaii’s best places to eat and drink

Visitors used to come to Hawaii for the beautiful beaches, not the food. Now, the culinary scene is booming.

  • Kristie Kellahan
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Sunrise over the pool at Halekulani resort.

The best places to stay in Hawaii

Most visitors stay close to the action in Waikiki resorts, while some venture to Oahu's quieter North Shore or neighbouring islands of Maui, Kauai and the Big Island.

  • Kristie Kellahan
Wayfinder Waikiki: cool and affordable.

This is the best-value hotel you can find in Honolulu’s top location

I’m a huge fan of Hawaii, yet even I will admit it can be a painfully expensive destination. That’s what makes this hotel such a pleasant surprise.

  • Kristie Kellahan
Beachcomber Waikiki Hotel.

Revamp for these Hawaiian hotels is a circus, literally

Outrigger is a heritage resort operator with plenty of loyal repeat customers. But it’s not one to rest on its laurels, or leis, as the case may be here.

  • Julietta Jameson
New terminal Honolulu.

Hawaii’s main airport terminals are 15 minutes, and 50 years, apart

Honolulu’s Terminal 2, the main gateway for international and domestic flights, opened in 1927. It was “modernised” in the 1970s.

  • Kristie Kellahan
The beautiful and unique landscape of coastal Oahu, Hawaii and the Kualoa Ranch where Jurassic Park was filmed as shot from an altitude of about 1000 feet over the Pacific Ocean. tra15-rants
Photo credit: iStock
Reusage permitted for print and online

How to travel on a budget in this wallet-busting paradise

Holiday in Hawaii? Don’t shell out too much; there’s more aloha, less moolah, with these money-saving Hawaii hacks.

  • Kristie Kellahan