Ten of the best adventures Hawaii has to offer

Tourists are spoilt for choice when it comes to Hawaii, with each island filled with amazing tours, activities and experiences.

Most are set in the great outdoors, making the most of Hawaii’s warm weather, tropical landscape and marine-filled ocean.

Visitors to Hawaii soon realise upon arrival that the most difficult decision they’ll have to make is which adventures they’ll embark on.

Thankfully, the legends at Hawai‘i Tourism Oceania have put together 10 of the best to help you become an expert in selling to even your most daring of clients:

1. Flumin’ in Kohala Ditch

For those looking for a kayak trip to remember, the Island of Hawai‘i’s Kohala Ditch is a man-made system of underground tunnels, elevated flumes, and concrete channels that once supplied fresh water to local sugar plantations.

It’s been converted by Flumin’ Kohala into a one-of-a-kind aqua adventure. Visitors can float through almost five kilometres of hidden beauty, navigating through private lands filled with picture-perfect mountain landscapes, flowing streams and lush waterfalls.

2. Exploring the ancient lava tubes

With lava properties unique to Hawaii, the Kilueau and Kazamura Lava Tube systems are nothing short of spectacular.

Visitors can take their time exploring these deep caves carved almost 600 years ago, during Hawaii’s largest lava flow. The colour of the tube’s interior will have them reaching for their cameras.

The Kilauea Caverns of Fire is another natural wonder the offers an educational and stunning visual experience for visitors, with guided tours available through these phenomenal underground tunnels.

3. Parasailing in paradise

Introduced to Hawaii in 1977, parasailing has since become one of Oahu’s most thrilling watersports.

Those who aren’t afraid of heights can soar up to 300 metres above sea level as they’re towed behind a boat attached to a parasail wing (similar to a parachute), and can expect a refreshing dunk in the water at the end!

Fun for the whole family, visitors should try this activity at the Hawaii Water Sports Center, which offers glorious coastline views from Diamond Head to Koko Head.

4. Getting wild with dolphins

With Hawaiian spinner dolphins frolicking up and down Oahu’s west coast, visitors can take  swimming to the next level… with dolphins!

Passengers aboard a cruise with Wild Side Specialty Tours or Dolphins and You get a prime view of these playful marine mammals in their natural environment, and can enjoy snorkelling in this pristine area of the island in between the acrobatic moves of the dolphins.

5. Maui’s many ziplines

It’s known in some parts of the world as a flying fox, and ziplining one of Hawaii’s most popular recreation activities, providing a birds-eye view of Maui’s natural landscapes as brave participants shoot along cables from one post to another.

Maui is home to multiple ziplines, each with their own unique quirks. Maui Zipline Company at Tropical Plantation lets kids as young as five years old to zip, Skyline Eco-Adventures near Kaanapali offers spectacular ocean views, while the Jungle Zipline course in Haiku ventures deep into the island’s lush greenery.

6. Volcano cycling

For those who love a two-wheel adventure with a bit of an adrenaline rush, a bike down the winding roads of Haleakala, Maui’s dormant volcano and the highest peak on the island, is on the money.

Bike Maui and Bike It Maui offer some gnarly sunrise tours that kick off with a guided vehicle trek through Haleakala National Park up to the 3055-metre summit, where participants can soak in the view before heading back down the mountain at their own pace.

7. Highlight-filled hiking

With just 10 per cent of the island of Kauai developed and accessible by road, a great wat way for visitors to connect to this aina (land) is through guided hiking tours offered by the likes of Kauai Hiking Tours and Princeville Ranch Adventures.

Kauai is also home to some of the state’s best hiking trails, with a good portion of them found in Kokee and Waimea State Parks. For stunning views over the north-west coastline and its high cliffs, trek Na Pali. Trails also exist deep into Waimea Canyon, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and along its elaborate rim.

8. Sea cave splendour

If it’s rugged and breathtaking scenery that your clients are after, Kauai’s Napali Coast is the way to go, with steep cliffs rising up to one kilometre out of the Pacific Ocean.

There are various ways to enjoy it on the water, with boat tours offering sunset sailing, snorkelling, swimming and spectating adventures.

Kauai Sea Rider Adventures and Na Pali Craze offer excursions right into the incredible sea caves, and there’s every chance you’ll spot spinner dolphins, Hawaiian green sea turtles, Hawaiian monk seals, and even Humpback whales (between December and May).

9. Reef magic

At 45 kilometres long, Hawaii’s most extensive fringing coral reef sits on the south shore of Molokai, and is perfect for those clients who are keen on their snorkelling and scuba diving.

Molokai Fish & Dive lets visitors explore all the underwater magic that this hidden pocket of the Hawaiian Islands has to offer, which only few are lucky enough to ever see.

10. Rally the road less travelled

For those clients after some freedom to explore Lanai away from mainstream travellers, Lanai Adventure Center offers 4×4 jeep excursions on remote dirt roads which lead to some of the island’s best-hidden beaches, scenic lookouts and rock formations.

If they’d rather the luxury of an escorted tour, a Polaris Ranger Driving Adventure is just the ticket. Passengers are taken on a private drive through forests and valleys, where they’ll learn about Lanai’s ecosystem and history.