SPAC

Kahului sits on storied ground, shaped by centuries of movement, trade, and transformation. Set on Maui’s northern coast, between Haleakalā and the West Maui Mountains, the region holds deep cultural significance, as it was here, in 1790, that King Kamehameha’s forces defeated Maui’s warriors in a pivotal step toward unifying the islands. Nature is especially generous in this part of Maui. Head inland to ʻĪao Valley State Park, where hiking trails wind through the rainforest for sensational views of the ʻĪao Needle, a 1,200-foot spire that rises dramatically through the mist.

The spirit of Hawaiʻi sings in unexpected places in Honolulu, from palace corridors and open-air markets to the song of the ocean itself. Certainly, the city’s beaches are legendary; paddle a board out from Ala Moana Beach Park if you want sensational coastal views, but slip away from Waikīkī’s buzz to Kakaʻako, where bold street art, farmers markets, and salty-sweet breezes reveal the city's vibrant soul. Walk the halls of ʻIolani Palace (the only royal palace on U.S. soil) or visit Bishop Museum, the historical home for Hawai’i’s ancient artifacts.

Lying more than 1,000 nautical miles south of Hawaiʻi, Fanning Island, also known as Tabuaeran (meaning “heavenly footprint” in Polynesian), feels like a secret kept by the sea; there are no big hotels, no cars, no crowds—just sandy paths, pandanus trees, and the hush of waves on coral reef. Just over 2,000 people call the island home; unsurprisingly, local life moves gently. Children greet you in Gilbertese with songs, and women weave mats from palm leaves or sell shell jewelry from market stalls. In the water, the pace picks up with tropical sealife flitting about their daily duties.

Often called the sacred heart of the South Pacific, Raiatea was once Polynesia’s spiritual and navigational center—a legacy still felt at Taputapuātea, the island’s ancient marae and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like many of the Society Islands, its hinterland is dense with forest, home to towering mape trees, wild hibiscus, and several species of critically endangered birds. Kayak along the Faaroa River, the only navigable river in French Polynesia surrounded by pristine rainforests, and look for the elusive Tiare ʻApetahi, Raiatea’s rare, endemic flower.

Taking its name from vahine, the Tahitian word for woman, Huahine is a destination immersed in Polynesian folklore. According to legend, its topography resembles a reclining pregnant figure; low mountains and gently sloping terrain covered in coconut palms, vanilla orchids, breadfruit trees, and banana groves. This landscape stretches across two connected islands—Nui and Iti, the big and the little—which are linked by a narrow bridge over Maroe Bay.