These islands offer outdoor pursuits, jaw-dropping scenery, and loads of romance, each with its own twist. Find the right flavor for you.
By: Donna HeiderstadtBonus: For the Cinephiles: Island Hopping
If you have a love of movies and TV series, consider island hopping in search of recognizable film locations. (Ideally spending three nights on each island.) If you only have a week, book a cruise on NCL’s Pride of America. You’ll start and end in Honolulu and spend two days each on Maui, Kauai and the Big Island.
Oahu: Four major TV shows have been filmed here, beginning with the original 1970s Hawaii Five-O (the opening sequence featured the Ilikai Hotel), continuing with Magnum PI in the 1980s and culminating with Lost (there are several tours to filming locations) and the new version of Hawaii Five-O. Movies set here have included From Here to Eternity, 50 First Dates, Pearl Harbor, Blue Crush, Forgetting Sarah Marshall (both filmed at Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore) and The Descendants.
Maui: The Magic Isle has fewer film credits — namely Papillon and Die Another Day (the opening surf sequence) — but it’s home to the annual Maui Film Festival in Wailea each June that draws top stars.
Kauai: When it comes to big-screen credits, Kauai wins best supporting island: South Pacific, Blue Hawaii, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, The Descendants, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Just Go With It and Soul Surfer were all filmed here — as were dozens of other films.
Big Island: The island’s diverse landscape has been featured in Waterworld, The Karate Kid, Part 2, The Planet of the Apes remake and dozens of other films.
