How to Travel Between Islands in Hawaii?

Those who live in or have an idea about Hawaii will already know that the place is coordinated by so many exceptional islands. And this includes fascinating destinations such as Lanai, Maui, Molokai, Kauai, Oahu, and of course Island of Hawaii. It’s more like a ritual for Hawaiian to explore routinely the islands. Let’s find out how to travel between islands in Hawaii today for those who have no idea.

How to Travel Between Islands in Hawaii According to Your Scene.

Paring the islands for an incentive trip can be done through many combinations. And this gives chance to many possibilities with touring plans. Here are few ideas you can use for a safe and fun trip experience.

Understand the Basic Geography

There are a total of eight major islands that makes Hawaii. These are Niihau, Kauai, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Maui, Oahu, Hawaii, and Molokai. The Big Island is the largest one in the chain and sits at the state's southeastern end. Kauai and Niihau sit at the northwestern end of the main islands.

The islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe make up Maui County. Oahu draws the most visitors, thanks to Waikiki's beaches and the city of Honolulu.

Airlines for Island Hopping.

Hawaiian Airlines is the main jet carrier between the major islands, and it also flies to the U.S. mainland and the South Pacific. For smaller planes, Mokulele Airlines serves 9 airports across 5 Hawaiian islands, including Molokai, Lanai and Hana on Maui.

Many inter-island flights go through Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), formerly Honolulu International Airport. Some neighbor-island routes fly direct, but others, such as Big Island to Kauai, often connect in Honolulu.

The Big Island has two main airports, Hilo on the east side and Kona on the west side, plus a small airport at Waimea-Kohala. On Maui, most flights land at Kahului Airport (OGG), a short drive from Kihei.

Kauai (Lihue), Molokai and Lanai all have commercial airports too, according to the Hawaii Department of Transportation airports list. Most hops between islands are short flights of well under an hour.

You Can Take a Trip on Ferries Too.

Hawaii has very little inter-island ferry service. The Molokai ferry from Maui shut down in 2016, and Maui County is planning a new county-run service.

That leaves Expeditions, a private ferry that runs three round trips a day between Maalaea Harbor on Maui and Manele Harbor on Lanai. The crossing is about 22 miles and takes roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes each way.

A ferry ride gives you views of the warm, shallow channels between the islands. In winter, these waters are also a habitat for humpback whales, so you may spot one on the way.

Something to Expect When Island Hopping.

Having routes inside your vacation means you are far from getting only relaxation. Because once you arrive at the hotel, there’s chore of unpacking stuff. During the visits, they’ll be getting sandy, dirty, and sweaty. And you will be packing them with your fresh clothes despite the fact because there’s no other choice, you need to get to next hotel.

Loading up the rental car comes next. Driving and dropping at the airport after that. Another rental car would be there at the next airport. You may have a tight vacation budget and this will keep on giving you extra stress.

Picking the correct flight will be a worry too. Checking out of the hotel timely also includes stressful list. And not to forget checking timely to the next hotel as well. Some decide to reach early and wait.

So, you should now know for the fact that a trip to Hawaii will not be just relaxation and fun. But it will also have some evident exhilaration too. Island hopping should be only on your list when you are okay with all the moving parts.

A Cruises Can Take All That Stress Away Though.

Getting in cruse can be a fantastic solution to all that stress stories. You will be able to visit all the islands without having to deal with hassle and fuss. There are many cruises that offer such services. Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America, for example, sails a seven-day loop from Honolulu that visits four islands and passes highlights such as the Na Pali Coast.

Most nights you sail, and most mornings you wake up in a new port, though some itineraries include overnight stays in port. Time ashore varies by stop, and it can feel short for some travelers. But considering the fact that you’d get to visit more islands, the period is pretty reasonable. It’s good to have a few destinations picked to explore on each island to keep the voyage fulfilled.

Scooters to Rent.

Near ports of calls, there is hardly any car to rent. But you’ll have the chance to rent scooters easily as there are quite a few rental offices. Low-powered mopeds (50cc or less) are easy to rent in many tourist areas. Hawaii counties define mopeds by engine size and top speed and require them to be registered, so ride only a registered rental and bring a valid driver's license.

Rules on licenses, helmets and where mopeds may ride can differ from scooters and motorcycles, so ask the rental shop what applies before you head out.

When exploring with a scooter, you’ll have more freedom to have a look at each island. Also make sure to get all controls down before venturing out. Or else hitting the gas while trying to brake could be a possible thing to take place.

It may take some time to get used to it. A moped in Hawaii tops out at about 30 miles per hour. Steep hills will be difficult to climb. You can proceed with steady hands and patience, however.

A scooter ride can be one of the best things you do for island exploring as the unobstructed views will be there to cheer your mood. However, be sure you are not completely distracted to lose track of riding the scooter safely. Scotting off the road is definitely not something you want to go for.

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Wrap Up

And the whole saga of how to travel between islands in Hawaii comes to an end for today. Hopefully, the notes and ideas will come to use for you when you’re going for island hopping. It’s for sure one of the thrilling things to do in Hawaii.

But it definitely needs your consideration before the trip. As you’ll need to know about the possibilities of what obstacles might show up and how to deal with those. Hopefully by going through this piece of writing some of that information was able to reach you.

Sources

• Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Hawaii Department of Transportation
• Maui County-run ferry service aims to launch for Lanai next year, Molokai in 2029, Maui Now
• Pride of America, Norwegian Cruise Line
• Mokulele Airlines, Mokulele Airlines