Breaking down the pros and cons of the most popular Hawaiian islands so you can decide which one is best to visit for the vacation your are looking to have.

Find a great flight deal to any of these Hawaiian Islands by signing up for Thrifty Traveler Premium and watching the daily flight deals (points & cash) that are emailed directly to you! Use our promo code TS10 to get $10 off your first year subscription.

Big Island: The Island of Adventure & Diversity

Download our Big Island itinerary to optimize your time there and check out these recommended activities.

Where to stay in Kona: PACIFIC 19 Kona, Royal Kona Resort, Courtyard by Marriott

✅ Pros:

• Most diverse landscapes – volcanoes, beaches, rainforests, and even snow-capped mountains
• It has a national park- Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park – possible to see active lava (when conditions allow), and so cool to walk across a caldera floor 
• Much fewer crowds compared to the other islands 
• 3 types of beachings: white sand, black sand (punalu’u), and 1 green sand beach (Papakolea).
• Great snorkeling & manta ray night dives.

❌ Cons:

• Largest island = long driving distances, Volcano is really remote and no lights on the roads at night 
• Less nightlife & fewer luxury resorts compared to Maui.
• Not as many swimmable beaches due to the rocky coastline.

👤 Best for:

• Adventurers & explorers who love road trips and unique landscapes.
• Science & nature lovers fascinated by volcanoes and stargazing.
• Travelers who don’t mind driving & want a less touristy experience.

Kauai: The Outdoor Adventurer’s Dream

Download our 8-day Kauai itinerary to do all the best things in Kauai and check out these recommended activities.

Where to stay in Kauai: Club Wyndham Bali Hai Villas, Nihilani 22C: Spacious Condo, Ko’a Kea Resort on Po’ipu Beach, Sheraton Kauai Resort 

✅ Pros:

• This is our 1st & favorite island- we spent a week there and didn’t run out of activities to do. 
• Most lush and green island – known as the “Garden Isle.”
• Less developed = fewer crowds & a more local feel.
• Breathtaking landscapes: Na Pali Coast (handsdown the most gorgeous coast we’ve seen), Waimea Canyon, Hanalei Bay.
• Amazing hiking (Kalalau Trail, Awa’awapuhi Trail).
• Great for kayaking, ziplining, and off-the-beaten-path adventures.

❌ Cons:

• Rainiest of the islands (especially the North Shore).
• Fewer big resorts & nightlife options.
• Limited transportation – rental car is a must.
• Have to be strategic in your planning because there is a highway but it doesn’t go fully around the island, so you have to group together areas and activities so you aren’t driving all over the island

👤 Best for:

• Outdoor enthusiasts & adventure seekers.
• Travelers who want peace & quiet, away from big resorts.
• Photographers & nature lovers looking for stunning landscapes.

Maui: The Romantic & Scenic Getaway

Check out our recommended activities for Maui.

✅ Pros:

• Haleakalā National Park – stunning sunrise above the clouds- you need reservations but it’s worth it 
• Home to some great beaches (Kaanapali, Wailea, Makena).
• Road to Hana – one of the most scenic drives in the world.
• Great mix of luxury resorts & local charm
• Amazing snorkeling and whale watching opportunities.
• Less crowded than Oahu but still offers amenities.

❌ Cons:

• Expensive – accommodations and activities are on the pricier side.
• Rental car needed – public transport is limited.
• Crowds are increasing – Lahaina and Kihei can get busy.
• Recent fires

👤 Best for:

• Couples & honeymooners looking for a romantic escape.
• Luxury travelers wanting upscale resorts & fine dining.
• Nature lovers who want scenic landscapes with adventure.

Oahu: The Heart of Hawaii

Download our Oahu itinerary before you go and check out our recommended activities.

Where to stay in Oahu: ⁠Park Shore Waikiki⁠, ⁠Aston Waikiki Beach Tower⁠, or ⁠Courtyard by Marriott Oahu North Shore⁠.

✅ Pros:

• Best mix of city life & nature – perfect for first-time visitors.
• Tons of historical and cultural sites (Pearl Harbor, Iolani Palace).
• Famous beaches like Waikiki & Lanikai Beach.
• Incredible hikes: Diamond Head, Koko Crater, and Pillbox Hike.
• Great nightlife, shopping, and dining in Honolulu.
• Easy to get around with public transportation & Uber/Lyft.

❌ Cons:

• Most crowded island – heavy tourism, especially in Waikiki.
• Traffic congestion can be frustrating.
• More commercialized compared to other islands.
  

👤 Best for:

• First-time visitors to Hawaii.
• Those who love a mix of adventure, history, and city vibes.
• Travelers who want a balance of beach, culture, and nightlife.

Which Hawaiian Island is Right for You? 

• Best island for first-time visitors? → Oahu
• Best island for luxury & romance? → Maui
• Best island for adventure & outdoor lovers? → Kauai

Which Hawain Island is Right For You – Episode Transcript

0:45

Today you have just me, Jamal and Brittany for an episode on the Hawaiian Islands and we’re breaking down the pros and cons of the four main Hawaiian islands, including Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Big Island, of course, known as Hawaii, but Big Island, Hawaii.

1:08

So you can decide which island has the right vibe for you.

So the reason for this episode is Brittany and I just completed going to our 4th Hawaiian Island.

1:19

Of course there are more, but the other ones are more local islands, not really anything to do

touristy.

1:24

So these are known as the main 4.

We just completed Oahu and we had a squaddy reach out to us and ask us for a recommendation.

1:32

We thought to ourselves, what better platform to give you that information than here in this episode

to really break down on the pros and cons of each to help you decide what’s best suited for you.

1:42

Yeah.

So we’re going to talk about them in alphabetical order.

1:45

So we’re going to start off with a Big Island.

This island is the island of adventure and diversity, and this is the second of the Hawaiian Islands

1:54

that we visited.

So we visited Big Island back in 2020, right at the onset of COVID.

2:00

We had another trip planned to Asia, specifically Hong Kong.

It got cancelled and then our airline told us we can rebook anywhere else.

2:08

Of course, America was still open and we landed on Big Island and I’m really glad that that actually

happened.

2:14

I loved Big Island a lot and some of the pros of Big Island is it is the largest of the Hawaiian

Islands and it is the most diverse.

2:23

I feel like in terms of landscape you have the volcanoes, beaches, lots of the rainforests and

believe it or not, during certain times of the year even snow capped mountains.

2:33

It also has a National Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and it is possible possible to see

active lava at times and it’s safe and it’s also really cool to walk across a caldera floor.

2:46

Yeah, we were there when it was not erupting at Hawaii Volcanoes and we got to walk across the

caldera, which is the hardened top of the volcano that now it’s turned from magma to solidified rock

2:58

and had this just eeriness to it of just being all black on there.

But then the lush rainforest all around of the trees, the plant life.

3:06

So that was a really cool, unique experience.

But also, Big Island has much fewer crowds compared to the other islands.

3:15

You would think the largest island, it has a National Park, It’d be really crowded, but not so much.

So not a lot of crowds.

3:21

And you really do get a lot of local vibes out here.

And you can experience three different types of beaches.

3:27

You can experience white sand beaches, black sand beaches, and they even have one green sand beach.

It’s only one of four in the world.

3:35

So really cool and unique on that.

And it has really great snorkeling and you can do a manta ray night dive, which makes it really

3:43

unique.

I loved when we did the manta ray snorkeling.

3:46

That’s one of the more popular activities to do on Big Island, specifically in Kona.

The manta rays are known to come in this area, feed, and you can do a night snorkel and just watch

3:57

them come up to you, feed, do flips all around you.

Such an incredible unique experience.

4:03

But some of the cons of Big Island is that it is the largest island.

I know we said that’s also like a pro because it gives the diverse landscape in different regions.

4:13

But it’s a con in the sense that it takes longer driving time to get from one place to the next,

depending on where you’re going on the island.

4:21

And in the volcano region, it is really remote, so a lot of the roads have no lights and it becomes

really, really dark at night.

4:29

So it can be a little bit dangerous.

So I would say the large aspect of the island for driving distance and of course the remoteness can

4:36

lead to safety issues.

If you’re into nightlife or luxury resorts, there are less and fewer than compared to like Maui, so

4:44

just keep that in mind if that’s the vibe that you’re looking for.

And there’s not as many swimmable beaches because a lot of the coastline is very rocky.

4:52

So those are just some of the cons.

But you’ve heard the pros, you’ve heard the cons.

4:55

This island is best for travelers who love Rd. trips and unique landscapes, science and nature

lovers who love volcanoes and stargazing, and travelers who don’t mind driving and want a less

5:08

touristy experience.

There is a Big Island itinerary available for you on our site.

5:14

Shop travelsquadpodcast.com.

So go check that out.

5:16

The next island that we’re going to talk about is the island of Kauai, which we really feel is the

outdoor adventurer’s dream now.

5:23

This was the first Hawaiian island that we ever went to.

This was an OG squad trip with Zaina included.

5:31

Kim was on it just as well.

We went all the way back in 2018 and we all really fell in love with Kauai and I really think it’s

5:41

set the tone for us on all the other islands and what we compare them to, we compare to Kauai.

And we spent a week there and at first when we booked the trip to Kauai for a week, Kim said maybe

5:52

we could island hop, but we really didn’t want to at the time.

We really wanted to enjoy Kauai, so we didn’t.

5:57

And we did not run out of any activities to do while we were there.

The island is very lush and green, known as the Garden Isle, and it’s less developed, meaning

6:06

there’s fewer crowds and a more local.

It has such a breathtaking landscape, more particularly than Nepali Coast.

6:13

It’s hands down the most gorgeous coastline we’ve probably ever seen.

Just really steep seaside cliffs, a beautiful mirage of different colors.

6:24

It’s just so incredible.

If you haven’t been, just Google Nepali Coast and you’re going to be blown away even by the photos.

6:31

But of course, it has Waimea Canyon, which is known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific and Hanalei

Bay.

6:37

So really, really breathtaking.

Taking landscapes on the island of Kauai.

6:41

Kauai also has really great hiking, kayaking, zip line, and some off the beaten path adventures.

Some of the major cons of the island is it is the rainiest of the islands, more particularly on the

6:52

north side.

So it can be a little bit of a damper, but I do feel like a lot of times when you’re in Hawaii, it

6:59

will rain.

It will rain for maybe 10-15 minutes, sometimes even less than clear up.

7:05

Could be clear for the rest of the day or just spot raining off and on.

So mostly it’s on the North Shore but do keep that in mind.

7:11

It rains here more than any other.

That’s why it’s known as the Garden Isle.

7:15

It’s so much water and rain that it’s just so green, but can be a hindrance.

There are fewer big resorts and nightlife options, and there’s limited transportation, so a rental

7:24

car is definitely a must.

And you have to have a strategic plan in place because there is a major highway that goes around the

7:33

island.

But when I say around, it doesn’t fully go around.

7:36

Imagine the island like a clock.

The road goes from maybe 12:00 to 9:00 and in that last little quarter, which is the Nepali coast,

7:45

you really can’t put a road there at all.

So depending on what you are doing, you really need to have a game plan so you’re not doing a lot of

7:53

backtracking and driving so many places.

So you should really section off what you’re going to do and time it appropriately based off of the

8:01

fact that there really is 1 main road and it’s not even a complete circuit.

This island’s best for travelers that like to be outdoors and love adventure, who want peace and

8:11

quiet away from the big resorts and photographers and nature lovers because this island is perfect

for that because it has so many stunning landscapes.

8:20

And Brittany mentioned it earlier when we were talking about Big Island, but we also have a Kauai

itinerary available.

8:27

Spoiler alert, I love Kauai.

So I’m just going to really say this, if you haven’t been to a Hawaiian island yet, if you’re

8:33

getting ideas or wanting ideas, head over to shoptravelsquad.com and check out our itinerary there.

The next island we’re going to talk about is Maui.

8:41

This is the romantic and scenic getaway island.

It was the 3rd island that we visited and a few of the pros is it has a National Park, Haleakala

8:51

National Park.

We highly recommend booking the sunrise above the clouds.

8:56

You do need reservations but it’s so worth it.

Maui’s also home to a few great beaches like McKenna and Wailea Beach.

9:05

Of course, Maui is home to the famous Road to Hana, which is one of the most scenic drives in the

world.

9:11

And we did the Road to Hana.

I liked it.

9:14

I didn’t love it.

I was very scenic but.

9:17

I would agree.

That is one of the major highlights is the Road to Hana.

9:21

It has a great mix of luxury resorts and local charm.

But I would say that Maui is probably the island that is most built up for tourism in terms of

9:30

luxury, probably one of the most visited, if not Oahu, which we’re going to get to next, but really,

really up there.

9:35

So you have local charm, but I wouldn’t say as much.

Maui is also known to have good snorkeling and whale watching, and it’s said to be less crowded than

9:45

Oahu but still has a lot of amenities.

Some of the cons of Maui is it’s really expensive.

9:51

Accommodations and activities are on the pricier side.

Like I said, Oahu is more crowded, but that’s because it has a big, big city.

10:00

I really feel like a lot of people go to Maui here and because of that everything is more overpriced

than Hawaii already is.

10:07

I also think it’s more expensive because a lot of couples and honeymooners go here for an

anniversary, so I think that adds up the the price too because we’re looking for luxury experiences

10:17

and resorts.

You also need a rental car because there’s not a lot of public transport on the island and crowds

10:23

are definitely increasing.

And of course, we do know that Maui had the recent fires, so the area of Lahaina has been affected,

10:30

which was one of the more popular tourist areas.

So right now may not be the best time to go because of that.

10:36

So this island is great for couples and honeymooners, luxury travelers wanting some upscale resorts

and fine dining, and nature lovers who want scenic landscapes with adventure.

10:47

The last island that we’re going to talk about is Oahu.

This is known as the heart of Hawaii and we visited this island most recently.

10:54

We visited in February of 2025.

So it was the last of the four for us to visit.

10:59

Some of the pros include the fact that it’s the best mix of city life and nature so we think it’s

actually perfect for first time visitors.

11:07

I know I was hyping up Kauai and I really mean it, but Oahu has that good mix of big city in

Honolulu and the nature readily available so close and central to the city, so it gives you that

11:21

good mix.

It also has a ton of historical and cultural sites like Pearl Harbor.

11:26

It’s famous for beaches like Waikiki and Lanakai Beach.

So some of the more famous Hawaiian beaches are right here on the island of Oahu.

11:35

And there are incredible hikes such as Diamond Head, Cocoa Crater, the Pillbox hike.

So there’s no shortage of outdoor activities to do.

11:43

These hikes are challenging but not incredibly long, so so they’re good get in get out type hikes,

but definitely a little bit of grit needed to complete them.

11:53

Since Oahu has the city of Honolulu and the area of Waikiki has a great nightlife scene, shopping

and dining, and it’s easier to get around with public transport and Uber and Lyft.

12:05

Some of the cons is it is the most crowded island.

There’s heavy tourism, especially in the area of Waikiki.

12:13

There can be traffic congestion and it can be kind of frustrating and it’s definitely more

commercialized than the other islands.

12:19

Well, I feel like commercialized hit the nail on the head because this is the only Hawaiian island

that actually has skyscrapers in Honolulu, right?

12:27

Not to say that there’s not tall buildings on the other islands, but of course Honolulu is the

capital.

12:32

So a lot more concentrated.

That’s what we’re saying.

12:35

You get that city life.

So that’s what makes it really, really crowded and commercialized as opposed to the other 3.

12:41

So this island is best for first time visitors to Hawaii, travelers that like a mix of adventure of

history and city vibes and ones that wanted a balance of beach culture and nightlife.

12:52

And we also have in Oahu itinerary available on our site shop travelsquad.com.

So we went over all four of the major Hawaiian islands.

13:01

Which island is right for you?

We really feel like the best island for first time visitors is Oahu for the reasons that we

13:10

mentioned.

The best island for luxury and romance are going to have to say Maui.

13:14

The best island for adventure and outdoor lovers is going to be Kawaii, and the best island for

unique landscapes and volcanoes is of course, Big Island.

13:23

If I were to rate these Hawaiian islands for me personally and my travel style and my travel vibe, I

would give Kawaii my number one spot, followed by Big Island.

13:34

But I feel like Big Island for me only has a slight edge over Oahu just because I prefer nature.

But I did tell Kim that I think she’d like Oahu more than Big Island, and I would put Maui last for

13:47

me personally.

I would have to agree with Brittany.

13:50

I would probably put it in that same order.

Maybe Big Island and Oahu could be a coin flip, but I would wager to say Big Island just because it

13:58

does have a National Park.

Hawaii Volcanoes is really cool and I so, so enjoyed our experience night snorkeling with the manta

14:07

rays.

So I’m going to give it that edge.

14:09

I know we said that we really think Oahu is going to be the best island for first time visitors.

I really do think so, but I love Kauai.

14:19

I mean, I think you could tell just as we’ve been going through this episode, it’s my number one,

it’s Britney’s number one.

14:25

Why I’m not going to say put that one as your first one for a first time visitor is it’s really

going to set the bar high for you for the other islands, right?

14:34

If you go here, the other islands are cool, but you know, you’re just really maybe not going to

enjoy them as much because it was such an incredible island.

14:42

It’s not very crowded, beautiful nature, has the right mix of all sorts of different things to do.

So Kawhi is definitely my number one.

14:50

If you want to know how I feel about Maui, I guess you could go back and listen to the Maui episode.

The girls said.

14:55

I hated on it, but I just think Maui is nice but overrated, especially in comparison to the other

three.

15:02

And no surprise then that it’s made bottom of the list for Brittany and I.

But if you love Maui, message us, Let us know because I want to know what did we miss about Maui and

15:11

what can you tell us that we need to do next time we go to make it higher on our list?

Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of Just the Tip.

15:18

Make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and follow us on all the socials at Travel Squad Podcast.

And have fun traveling this weekend.