With spring and summer just around the corner, now is the moment to plan a getaway for your ‘ohana (family) in the islands of aloha. Discover exciting and new outdoor adventures while ziplining, kayaking, and snorkeling. Take a helicopter ride to a remote rainforest and explore a magical valley where royal chiefs once reigned.

Hawai‘i Island

Discover the lush Hāmākua Coast on the Waipi‘o Valley Explorer with Kapohokine Adventures (kapohokine.com). You’ll drive between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea volcanoes enroute to Rainbow Falls in Hilo, shop famous Hilo Farmers’ Market, wander through Hawai‘i Tropical Botanical Gardens, and experience the majesty of ‘Akaka Falls. Finally, the tour ends at mysterious Waipi‘o Valley—Valley of the Kings—home to waterfalls cascading more than a thousand feet to the valley floor. For an awe-inspiring underwater interlude, book the Night Manta Experience with Sea Quest Rafting & Snorkeling Adventures (seaquesthawaii.com). Prepare to be amazed as gentle yet enormous manta rays swoop and soar in an underwater ballet while feeding on plankton in the warm Pacific waters while illuminated by searchlights.

Maui

Enjoy extraordinary views with the Hāna Rainforest Experience aboard Maverick Helicopters (maverickhelicopter.com). You’ll marvel at Maui’s North Coast, Pā‘ia, Ho‘okipa, the famous JAWS surf destination, and the Road to Hāna. The helicopter even lands in a former taro plantation, enabling you to explore the grounds and experience incredible views as your pilot shares knowledge of this rarely visited locale. Back on land, explore the sea at Maui Ocean Center, The Hawai‘i Aquarium (mauioceancenter.com), home to sharks, turtles, stingrays, tropical fish, and live Pacific corals. Over 60 indoor-outdoor exhibits showcase Hawai‘i’s extraordinary marine life such as the 750,000-gallon Open Ocean Exhibit with a 54-foot walk-through tunnel, Turtle Lagoon, and Hammerhead Harbor. 

O‘ahu

Head to the new Coral Crater Adventure Park (coralcrater.com) for safe, fun-for-the-whole-family outdoor activities. Enjoy the thrills on the ziplines, aerial adventure tower, climbing walls, king swing, freefall, side-by-side ATVs, electric mountain bikes, plus bike and beach adventures. On the Windward Coast, take Holokai Kayak and Snorkel’s (holokaiadventures.com) new Guided He‘eia Fishpond Exploration and learn how early Hawaiians practiced sustainable fish farming. Participate in restoration efforts by removing invasive species with a bamboo fishing pole, explore the fishpond and guard house, and paddle back to He‘eia State Park for a delicious Hawaiian barbecue lunch.

Kaua‘i

Na ‘Aina Kai Botanical Gardens & Sculpture Park (naainakai.org) is a 320-acre wonderland of whimsical settings. Take the Family Tour and visit the Formal Gardens, the full size hedge maze, and the Children’s Garden where kids can explore Jack’s pond, a gecko maze, the treehouse, and a tropical jungle with bridges, tunnels and slides, a kid-sized train, and more. Or, time your visit to Keiki Day, one Saturday a month. Book the Jungle Valley Adventure with Princeville Ranch Adventures (princevilleranch.com) and you’ll kayak, hike, zipline over twin waterfalls, and finally swim, jump, float on inner tubes, and picnic by a waterfall.