Hawaii

9.2 million visitors came to Hawaii in 2024, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. The average family spends around $8,500 on a weeklong trip — but that figure is a choice, not a requirement. Hawaii’s cost of living is the highest in the United States, and its tourism prices reflect that. A Waikiki hotel room averages $272 a night before resort fees, and a plate lunch at a food truck runs $15–25. But the islands also offer something unusual: world-class beaches, hiking trails, and cultural experiences that cost nothing at all. This guide breaks down where the money really

The infinity pool at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea doesn’t just overlook the Pacific — it seems to merge with it, the water meeting the horizon in a line so clean it could have been drawn with a ruler. That single view, framed by the West Maui Mountains, is the kind of effortless moment that defines high-end Hawaii. But luxury here isn’t one experience. It’s watching your kids meet Moana at Aulani’s character breakfast, then circling back to the adults-only infinity pool at Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina later that afternoon — two versions of a dream

The Wailua River on Kauai’s east side carried the first ceremonial Polynesian pahu drum to shore centuries ago, a detail that still anchors the narrative of several modern luaus set along its banks. Today, roughly two dozen luaus operate across the Hawaiian Islands, ranging from family-run garden gatherings to 1,000-seat theatrical productions. This article breaks down the key differences between them — which ones prioritise dance traditions, which focus on food, and where the line between performance and cultural education blurs. Smith’s Family Garden Luau, run by the fourth generation of the founding Smith family, is considered the most