The new guide to the Island of Hawaii

From its fiery volcanoes and snow-capped peaks to its lush valleys and jet-black sands, the island of Hawaii is an unrivalled expression of the power of nature.

Selfie, Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Island, Hawaii — Make sure to hike the many astounding sites of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Best things to do on the Island of Hawaii

Volcanoes on the Island of Hawaii: home to Pele, the volcano goddess.

Visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to see Kilauea Volcano, the world’s most active volcano, and Aunaloa, a massive shield volcano. You can hike the Devastation Trail and the challenging Crater Rim Rail encircling the Kilauea Caldera or walk through the Nahuku Lava Tube. Also visit the sometimes snow-covered Maunakea, the island’s highest volcano and highest point in Hawaii, which is an excellent spot or stargazing, best done as part of an organised tour.

Keck Observatory, Mauna Kea, Hawaii, U.S — Visit the sometimes snow-covered Mauna Kea, the island’s highest volcano.

Water adventures on the Island of Hawaii

You’re spoiled for choice with beaches on the island of Hawaii. For white sands, head to the north-west for Hāpuna Beach, the largest white-sand beach on the island. Great snorkeling can be found at Kahaluu in Kona. The most famous black-sand beach is Punaluu in the south-east, which is also a great place to see honu (green sea turtles).

green sea turtle, hawaii — The black-sand beach, Punaluu, is a great place to see honu (green sea turtles).

For golden sands, visit palm-tree-lined Waialea, home to lots of tropical fish. Anaehoomalu Bay, along the Kohala Coast beach, is an excellent spot to snorkel and scuba dive, and rent kayaks and body boards. A historic Hawaiian fishpond also hugs the beach. Many beaches do not have lifeguards. Only swim when the waters are calm, generally during the warmer months.

See the manta rays at night in Keauhou Bay, south of Kona, with Anelakai Adventures, on a double-hulled outrigger canoe. As you help paddle the canoe, owner Iko shares cultural stories that keep the Hawaiian waterman spirit alive before you snorkel with the majestic manta rays on this eco-friendly sustainable adventure.

Manta rays, Anelakai Adventures, Hawaii USA — See the manta rays at night with Anelakai Adventures.

Rainforest adventures on the Island of Hawaii:

In North Hilo, go ziplining above streams and waterfalls, or visit Akaka Falls State Park where you can see two towering waterfalls on one short hike. Visit any of the tropical botanical gardens. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park , an International Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers a variety of hiking options, several through lush rainforests atop Kīlauea

Experience Hawaiian culture on the Island of Hawaii

There are several historic sites on the island of Hawaii that take you back to the days of ancient Hawaii with heiau (temples), house sites, petroglyphs, and fishponds. These are located at: Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park; Lapakahi State Historical Park; Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park; and Puukohola Heiau National Historic Site. King Kamehameha dedicated the last temple to the war god Kukailimoku as part of a prophecy that was fulfilled when he successfully united the Hawaiian islands.

Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, Hawaii Island, Hawaii — Puuhonua o Honaunau was a place of sacred place of refuge and the only hope for ancient Hawaiians who had broken the law ore ‘kapu;. Today explore the National Historic Park and find these fierce looking kii or gods guard the sacred temple.

The Island of Hawaii’s best to food tours and experiences

Coffee on the Island of Hawaii

One of the oldest cash crops on the island of Hawaii is Kona coffee, which was first brought here in the early 1800s from Brazilian cuttings. There are about 600 small family-run coffee farms dotted along a pretty 50-kilometre stretch of the Mamalahoa Highway with panoramic views over the coast below. Kona coffee can only be grown on the lush mountain slopes of the active Hualalai and Maunakea volcanoes, which provide near-perfect growing conditions: Rich volcanic soil on cool mist-shrouded hillsides, a year-round warm climate and plenty of rain. Take a tour at Buddha’s Cup, Greenwell Farms, and Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation and enjoy a roastmaster tour at Ueshima Coffee.

Kona Coffee berries, Hawaii, USA — One of the oldest cash crops on the island of Hawai‘i is Kona coffee.

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Chocolate

Learn how cacao pods grown on site are transformed into chocolate at the tiny Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory.

Honey

Discover the intense flavours of white ohia lehua blossom, red Christmas berry, and Macadamia nut blossom in single-flower raw and organic honeys at Big Island Bees.

Beekeeper, Big Island Bees, Hawaii USA — Try the raw and organic honeys at Big Island Bees.

Regenerate the Island of Hawaii: A Mālama activity

Plant a koa or iliahi (sandalwood) tree from Hawaiian legacy seedlings to help restore the endemic vegetation on the slopes of Maunakea, once the personal forest of King Kamehameha the Great, the first king of Hawaii. Hawaiian Legacy Tours offers the only tree planting eco-excursion of this kind in the world. Receive a certificate with its radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip technology so you can follow its growth on Google Earth via the ‘TreeTracker’ program.

Malama, Planting, Hawaii, USA — Plant a koa or iliahi (sandalwood) tree from Hawaiian legacy seedlings.

For all your Hawaii travel information visit Go Hawaii, or download the GoHawaii app.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

The new guide to the Island of Hawaii – Island of Inspiration