Like a lot of visitors to Hawaii, you're probably wondering, which Hawaiian island is the best for you and your travel party? The islands are so diverse, that selecting the right island really is an important decision. And once you've started visiting the islands, coming back to a different island can often feel like a totally different place with a whole new set of experiences, sights, and attractions. Having been to all the major islands, we've already formed some bias on which we favor. But we'll put our bias aside for a while and objectively tell you about the beautiful islands in the Hawaiian chain so you too can pick the island that's just right for you. In due time, we're sure you'll pick your own favorites. The following quiz was developed using a variety of resources around the web. There are many similar quizzes out there, and a lot of chit-chat about the "best" island. Ultimately, if you still can't decide, you might try heading over to TripAdvisor.com and asking your questions there. We usually hang out on a few of the forums daily as well.

While it's always going to be close to impossible to predict the weather months or even weeks ahead of your vacation, you can look at past weather and climatic variables to determine what is likely to occur. Below we'll go over some of the most common concerns about Hawai'i weather. If nothing else, you'll have a general idea of what to expect. As always, be sure to check local weather through the TV stations during your stay for day to day updates. Avoid the Weather Channel's web site, they'll say it's going to rain every day. It's not.

A question we hear frequently is "What's the best time to travel to Hawaii?" or "When should I visit Hawaii?" This question is typically followed by "What’s the weather like in Hawaii?" You can learn about the general weather conditions on our Hawaii Weather page (also linked at the bottom of this article). On this page we’ll discuss our personal favorite times of the year to visit and why. We should note that this article is written in bias towards the Big Island, Maui, and Kauai, and doesn't detail Oahu as much. We highly recommend checking a local Hawaii calendar online prior to scheduling your trip, thus allowing you to determine what is and what is not occurring on the island of your choice ahead of time. We've detailed a few of the major events (specifically on the Big Island) below. Also, as a general rule of thumb, if you hope to avoid the crowds, then consider planning your trip to avoid holidays. Many folks from the west coast of the mainland (or even from neighboring Oahu) will jump over to the less visited islands for the holiday(s). This is especially true during the Christmas holidays, when things get very busy in the islands.

So you're thinking about Hawaii and here you are at our website. Now what? If you're still on the fence about Hawaii, then hopefully we'll convince you along the way it's one of the most amazing places you could ever visit. And if you've already decided Hawaii is your next vacation stop, then the following steps should help you better start to plan your trip and understand the layout of our site. There's a lot of useful and professional information here, so pull up a chair and lets get to the good stuff.

This article is written for all visitors, but especially first timers...

Before you pack your bags, put on your Aloha shirt, and jump the Pacific Ocean to head to Hawai'i, there are a few basic things you should know about the island, its people, weather, geography, and lifestyle. Furthermore, this section of our guide is meant to help you plan the perfect Hawai'i vacation by covering some of the most essential facts all visitors need to know. On this website we'll cover some of these facts and planning tips including money, when to visit, the weather, what you'll need to pack, the best way to get to the island, online trip planning, accommodations and car rental tips, and include itineraries for the one and two week travelers.

Lastly, if you're like most visitors to the islands, this is an investment. It's your money, your time (planning), and you want to make sure its the best experience possible, the most bang for your buck. Consider this section of our website a tutorial on good investing in Hawai'i.

The islands of Hawaii could each easily be described as paradise. But even paradise has its hazards and we'd be foolish not to at least educate you on a few of them. Please make sure you and those who travel with you know about these hazards. Our statements below are rather candid because we want you to know the truth about the place you are visiting. This isn't Disneyland; it is often wild, rough, and natural law prevails out here. The more you know, the better prepared you are to avoid the hazards of our beautiful islands. We've made this short section a chapter in all of our recent guidebooks, and that should show how much emphasis we put on this subject.

On any island (including Oahu in our honest opinion) a rental car in Hawaii is definitely the best option for getting around the island you're visiting and viewing all the sights we detail both here on our website and in our physical guidebooks. The rental rates in Hawai'i are some of the cheapest anywhere in the world because the competition is fierce.

There is no *serious* bus service on the islands, excluding Oahu, and taxi services are both expensive and illogical for sight-seeing purposes. Mopeds and bikes can be a practical alternative for day excursions along the drier south coastlines, but generally are not as useful in other parts of the island, especially where long distances and/or rain storms may prevail between locations you'll want to see.

Below we'll cover a few tips for selecting the perfect hotel, condo, resort, bed and breakfast, or house/cabin rental.

1.) As we’ve said already on this site in multiple places, booking online is your best bet for discovering good values and saving money. Booking a room along with a car or flight will especially save you money, as many online companies have pre-negotiated rates for “packaged” trips.

Regardless of how much you've traveled in the past and where you've been there is one good rule to follow when coming to Hawai'i, leave as much as you can at home. Seriously, bring only what you'll need during your stay and nothing more. For starters, schlepping around three or four suitcases is NOT what you want to be doing after getting off a long plane ride. Next, consider that dress clothes and anything else formal really has no use in Hawai'i (unless you are staying in a very exclusive resort). Hawai'i is one of the most casual islands in the chain, and there might be one or two restaurants on most islands (excluding Oahu) that requires a tie. Chances are a pair of shorts and a nice Aloha shirt are all you'll need for even some fine dining.