Hawaii (Big Island & Maui)

For a first trip of 10 days or so, the Big Island plus Maui combination covers the greatest range. The Big Island is bigger than all the other Hawaiian islands combined: volcanic, raw and varied, with everything from black-sand beaches to snow-dusted summits. Maui is gentler and more polished, with the best balance of beaches, scenery and restaurants.

Inter-island flights are short (30-45 minutes) but eat half a day door to door, so resist adding a third island on a short trip. Fly into Kona (KOA) and out of Maui (OGG) or vice versa to avoid backtracking.

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is the headline. Kīlauea is one of the most active volcanoes on earth; when it's erupting, the glow from the crater overlooks at night is unforgettable, and when it isn't, the hike across the solidified lava lake of Kīlauea Iki is still extraordinary. Check the park's eruption updates before you plan.

The Kona coast (west) has the sun, the snorkelling and the resorts. The manta ray night snorkel off Kona, where huge rays loop beneath you in the light beams, is one of the great wildlife experiences. The Hilo side (east) is wet, lush and local: waterfalls, the botanical gardens and Waipi'o Valley. Drive the saddle road between the two over Mauna Kea; the stargazing at the visitor station is world-class.

Sunrise from Haleakalā's summit at 3,000 metres is the island's signature moment: freezing cold, above the clouds, and requiring a (cheap, but limited) sunrise reservation that releases weeks ahead. Descend in daylight and the crater's reds and silvers look like Mars.

The Road to Hāna is 100 km of one-lane bridges, waterfalls and bamboo forest along the north coast. Start at dawn, drive slowly, and go past Hāna itself to the bamboo forest and pools of the Pipiwai Trail in Haleakalā's coastal section. The road is about the journey, not the town.

From December to April, humpback whales crowd the channel between Maui and Lānaʻi; you can often see them breaching from the beach. Molokini crater, a half-sunken volcanic ring offshore, has the island's clearest snorkelling on morning boat trips.

On the Big Island, Hāpuna Beach is the big white-sand classic, Punalu'u is black sand with resting sea turtles, and the snorkelling at Two Step next to Pu'uhonua o Hōnaunau is outstanding. On Maui, Ka'anapali and Wailea are the resort beaches, while Big Beach (Makena) is the wilder local favourite.

Respect the ocean: Hawaii has powerful shore break and rip currents, and more drownings than anywhere else in the US per visitor. If locals aren't swimming, don't swim. Never touch or chase turtles or monk seals; it's both illegal and genuinely harmful.

A rental car is essential on both islands; book it far ahead, as fleets are small and prices spike. Everything in Hawaii costs more than the mainland US (groceries included, since most of it is shipped in), so self-cater some meals and use the farmers' markets and poke counters rather than restaurants for every meal.

Weather is good year-round, with April to October drier and calmer; winter brings bigger surf on north shores and the whales. Microclimates are extreme: it can be pouring in Hilo and blazing in Kona at the same moment, so pack a rain layer whatever the forecast says. Book Haleakalā sunrise, manta tours and popular luaus in advance; everything else can stay loose.