9 days in Island of Hawaii, Molokai & Kauai Itinerary

Aptly nicknamed the "Big Island," the Island of Hawaii features sunny, black-sand beaches on the western side by Kona and a tropical rain forest on the eastern by Hilo. In between, the massive mountain Maunaloa covers half the island, and Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, erupts continuously. Twice as large as all the other Hawaiian Islands combined, this big chunk of land in the Pacific manages to retain a laid-back atmosphere despite its immense popularity with tourists. Instead of spending your entire vacation at one of the island's luxurious tourist resorts, go on tours of this Pacific haven's coffee and macadamia nut plantations and working ranches, or explore its nature reserves and rugged trails.

The northernmost of Hawaii's major islands, Kauai earned the nickname "Garden Island" because of its abundance of lush greenery and tropical plants, watered frequently with plentiful rainfall. Kauai's landscape continues to suffer from powerful erosion, resulting in natural attractions that include plunging canyons, tall mountain peaks, and the longest sandy coastline of all the Hawaiian islands. Offering a mild tropical climate and pristine wilderness areas largely unspoiled by mass tourism, Kauai is a great vacation destination for visitors eager to escape Hawaii's more crowded tourist resorts. For a genuine Kauai experience, join the locals for one of their famous traditional meat and vegetable feasts, prepared in underground pits lined with hot rocks.