Waikiki, O’ahu

Waikiki boasts the best shopping and nightlife you’ll find on any of the Hawaiian Islands. And while it is a great starting place for any Hawaiian holiday, you may like to consider limiting the time you spend in Waikiki.

The iconic beach, once a surfing retreat for Hawaiian royalty in ancient times, is now a shrine to all things touristy (Aussies will quickly note Waikiki’s startling resemblance of the Gold Coast in Queensland: streets crammed to the hilt with shops, bars, and restaurants, all overflowing with tourists).

Ensure that your itinerary includes a visit to other parts of Oahu (at the very least!) and one or two of the other islands to experience the awe-inspiring magic that the rest of Hawaii has to offer. With an active volcano, stunning waterfalls, vibrant coral reefs, dolphin swims, rainforests, and much more to see and do, you won’t be sorry.

Kahului, Maui

Odds are that you’ll land in Kahului when you come to Maui, but unless boring shopping centres and urban sprawl are the very things you came to see, steer clear of this place. Kahului is best for grocery shopping and little else.

Official ‘Tourist Information’ booths and ‘Adventure Operators’

If you see a sign that says “Official Tourism Information” or “Official Volcano Updates”, it’s most likely just a private operator trying to suck you in and sell you something.

Likewise, you’ll find a glut of ‘adventure operators’ on Maui who offer tours at heavily discounted prices if you agree to sign up for a timeshare property presentation. In this case, the rule of thumb is as follows: if the price for that $25 boat trip, the $80 helicopter flight, or $15 hiking excursion looks too good to be true, it probably is. Even if you do want to sit through a 3-hour hard sell ‘presentation’ in order to secure a bargain tour, you’ll need to prove that you’re a US or Canadian resident first.

Private Property

‘Stink eye’ is a term you’ll sometimes hear in Hawaii. It refers to the expression locals wear on their faces as they encounter you in places they’d rather keep to themselves.

You might cop a bit of stink eye in certain small towns or valleys, such as Waipi’o Valley (Big Island) and Halawa Valley (Moloka’i), but as long as you’re on public land you’ll be ok to hang around and check out whatever you like.

Once you’re on private property however, you could be risking your safety. Here stink eye can soon turn to aggression from locals and land owners. This is easily avoided by obeying all of the ‘PRIVATE PROPERTY: DO NOT ENTER” signs you will see throughout the islands. Sounds simple, but many stories of tourists who failed to comply — and paid for it in one way or another — suggest that it’s worth a gentle reminder.

If you still want to venture deep into a private property to see that spectacular twin waterfall/blowhole/lava tube up close, request permission from the landowner and/or arrange to be taken in by a local guide.

Lanai

Lanai is stunningly beautiful, but unless you’re rich in time and money you may like to consider giving it a miss. The island is home to two luxury resorts, two golf courses, and little else. Prices for everything on Lanai from food to accommodation are renowned for being vastly more expensive than those on neighbouring isles.

Sure it’s stunningly beautiful and worth a visit, but so is the rest of Hawaii; there’s little on Lanai that you can’t do on any of the other isles.

If you’re desperate to see Lanai but want to avoid burning a crater-sized hole in your pocket, check out the one-day tours available via the Maui-Lanai Ferry website.

Got any more places to avoid? Have your say using the comments form below.

Next: Near the beaten track