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Aloha WellnessHawaiʻi guide

A free, independent guide to the islands

Hawaiʻi
Wellness

Come home to yourself in the islands. Float above manta rays at night off Kona, watch humpbacks in the Maui channel, stand near a volcano that's still building land, and find out what aloha really means. Every fact checked, every operator chosen on merit.

Choose an island Things to Do
Humpback season
Nov to Apr or May, peak Jan to MarSources: NOAA whale sanctuary · NOAA boating guide
Kona mantas
Seen year-roundSource: Kona Honu Divers
North Shore
Big winter swell, Nov to AprSource: Hawaiʻi Ocean Safety
Kīlauea
Episodic eruption: today's statusSource: USGS volcano updates
Alcohol-free
Look for the leafWhat the leaf means

Four islands,
four moods.

Oʻahu gathers people, Maui gathers whales, Hawaiʻi Island is still making itself and Kauaʻi keeps its cliffs for those who walk or sail to them. Start with the island that fits the trip you want.

01OʻahuThe Gathering PlaceNorth Shore swells, open-ocean sharks and a full day at the Polynesian Cultural Center.02MauiThe Valley IsleHumpback season in the channel, sunrise above the clouds and the long road to Hāna.03Hawaiʻi IslandThe Big IslandThe island that is still alive: lava, mantas at night and a summit above the clouds.04KauaʻiThe Garden IslandNā Pali cliffs, the Waimea Canyon and green valleys you can only see from the air or the sea.

SourcesWikipedia (nickname)Hawaiʻi Tourism AuthorityHawaiʻi Tourism AuthorityHawaiʻi Tourism AuthorityUSGSUSGS

In the water

The ocean is the reason.

Two manta rays gliding over a sandy reef in clear turquoise water
Kona, Hawaiʻi Island

Manta rays of Kona

Year-round

Giant mantas live off Kona all year and come in to feed in the boat lights. It's one of the biggest wild encounters you can have without a dive card.

Sharks cruising in open blue water off the North Shore
North Shore, Oʻahu

Swim with sharks, cage-free

Oʻahu
A green sea turtle resting under a reef ledge
Oʻahu

Honu, and how close is too close

All islands

SourcesKona Honu DiversManta PacificOne Ocean DivingNOAA viewing guidelines

honu green sea turtlehāhālua manta raynaiʻa dolphinkoholā humpback whalemanō sharkʻīlioholoikauaua monk seal

Sourceshonu: NOAAhāhālua, manō: DLNRnaiʻa: NOAAkoholā: NOAAʻīlioholoikauaua: NOAA

Blue water

Whales in winter.

Thousands of humpbacks come to Hawaiian waters to breed and calve, from November to April or May, peaking January through March. The waters around Maui are part of their main winter breeding grounds. By law, everyone stays at least 100 yards away.

SourcesNOAA whale sanctuaryNOAA boating guideNOAA approach rules

Whale season, month by month
Short-finned pilot whales seen from above in deep blue water
Pilot whales, off Kona
A pod of spinner dolphins swimming through turquoise water
Kona, Hawaiʻi Island
A boat's white wake across deep blue open ocean
Off Kona, Hawaiʻi Island

After dark

Hawaiʻi gets stranger at night.

The manta ray night dive

The lights pull in plankton, and the mantas swoop in to feed, barrel-rolling right below you. Snorkelers float on top while divers kneel on the sand.

Blackwater: diving into the deep

Clip onto a line over deep ocean at night and watch glowing little creatures drift up out of the dark.

13,803ft

Maunakea, above the clouds

Measured from the sea floor up, it's the tallest mountain on Earth. It's a sacred place too, so here's how to stargaze safely and with respect.

SourcesKona Honu DiversJack's Diving LockerUSGSNOAA Ocean Service

Aerial view of Pololū Valley: green sea cliffs, white surf and a black-sand beach

Land & culture

Back on land, still alive.

Photo: Pololū Valley, Hawaiʻi Island

Out of the water, the islands get even wilder. Valleys drop straight to the sea, a volcano keeps erupting, and the culture is alive all around you. You won't meet snakes on the trails, but you will meet flash floods, cliffs and slick rock. Come curious, and leave everything as you found it.

Kīlauea, the volcano at home

The eruption comes and goes in episodes. Here's how to catch it, and where to stand.

Oʻahu · a full day

Six Pacific cultures, one afternoon in Lāʻie

At the Polynesian Cultural Center, people with roots in Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Tahiti, Aotearoa and Hawaiʻi share the dances, games and crafts of home. Stay for Hā: Breath of Life after dark.

Culture

What aloha really means

Believe it or not, it's written into state law. Take a look.

Hawaiʻi Island · KaʻūSouth Point and the green sand beachStand at the southernmost point of the 50 states, then hike to a beach that really is green.

SourcesHRS §150A-6DLNR hiking safetyUSGS volcano updatesNPS Hawaiʻi VolcanoesPolynesian Cultural CenterHRS §5-7.5NPS South Point

Turquoise water and black lava points on the Kona coast, with Hualālai under cloud
Kona coast, Hawaiʻi Island

Wellness

The best hours here start before sunrise.

Glassy water at dawn, a trail while it's still cool, turtles in the shallows and a long breakfast after. Many of the best days in Hawaiʻi never go near a bar. Start with our guide to sober-friendly travel and the honest facts on kava.

Sober-friendly Hawaiʻi Alcohol-free things to do

Looking for treatment? We don't list facilities. Our sister site Rehab Reports compares addiction treatment programs. If you're in crisis now, call or text 988.

Things to Do, and who to go with.

The full directory

SourceDetails come from each listing's own website, checked 6 Nov 2026.