One week in Hawaii

What are your interests? Beach time, snorkel/scuba, whale watching, volcanos, hiking, night life, music, etc.

Some people will suggest visiting two islands with a week, but we prefer spending a whole week in one place, and its always Maui. We prefer staying at one resort on the beach, and driving out to do anything else we need to do, or doing nothing.

Main drawbacks of Hawaii in August are:
1. August is a popular month especially for school age families.
2. August is a warm (i.e. summer) month. (But warm in Hawaii may be moderate in the summer heat belt of the mainland).

We did a 9 day tour conter clockwise tour of the Big Isaland this past April:
2 nights Kailua-Kona (dry side of the island)
2 nights Volcano National Park
2 nights Hilo (wet side of the island)
2 nights Waimea/Kamuela (cooler upland between the wet and dry sides of the island)

For one stop travel, Maui based in the Kihei (centrally located on the dry south side). Everything is only a couple to three/four hours dirive away from Kihei and Kiehi has a lot of condo rentals.

I am interested in beaches seeing whales and volcanos and nature hiking.

Whale season is Dec to May.

The Big Island therefore becomes your default option for volcanoes.

I have always stayed in one place. Anywhere/everywhere on the island is an easy day trip. I see moving from one location to another a huge waste of time.

With only one week, stick to just one island.

As for weather, much better than Chi. in Aug.

Aloha!

A good Tourist Info website resource: https://www.hawaii-guide.com/

Whales are a winter season activity. Maui's whale watching season is November to April: https://www.pacificwhale.org/cruises/wailuku/
Maui in August is snorkeling time. https://www.pacificwhale.org/cruises/maui-snorkel/

Volcano watching is the Big Island (Hawaii): https://www.hawaii-guide.com/big-island/hawaii-volcanoes-national-park-where-is-the-lava-located

Hinking on all the main islands;
Big Isalnd: Volcano National Park and more: https://www.hawaii-guide.com/big-island/hiking-trails
Maui: Haleakala National Park and more: https://www.hawaii-guide.com/maui/hiking-trails

Even Oahu: Diamond Head, : https://www.hawaii-guide.com/oahu/hiking-trails

Joe is spot on with the Big Island suggestion and stick to one island for just a week trip. I lived on Oahu and the Big Island and in my opinion, the Big Island has more to offer and is more diverse. Kona, is on the western (Makai) drier side with white sand beaches, Hilo (Mauka) is the wetter side and therefore more lush. Volcanoes NP is closer to Hilo and is a must do for hiking and learning all that you can regarding a Hawaii volcano. Don’t miss the Thurston Lava Tube hike. Hilo and the surrounding Puna area is where you will have black sand beaches. There is even green (olivine) sand in some areas of the Big Island. If it is still running, and I don’t see why it wouldn’t be, visit the Hilo farmers market on Saturday morning fruit, flower shopping and for a coconut 🥥. The farmer will punch a hole in it for you to drink the coconut water and when you’ve quenched your thirst, he will split the coconut for you to spoon out the meat. A nice experience. Mind you, the coconut meat won’t be exactly what I would say sweet as it is a “new” coconut and not dry. I have so many fond Hawaiian memories and you will receive loads of opinions from the great forum folks here. For my book, visit the Big Island.

We have been to Oahu and Maui and wish we had done the Big Island.

Oahu and Maui were good, enjoyed the history at the Arizona Memorial and the scenic north of the island.
Maui was not a great as we thought, we did a tour that took us around the island (the down spot was going through a neighborhood of several houses where the yards looked like junk yards. We wish we had done the volcano on Maui.

Whales in Hawiian waters:
https://www.ultimatewhalewatch.com/best-worst-time-of-year-whale-watch-maui/

The Worst Months for Whale Watching in Maui

Summer Months (May-October)

The worst months for whale watching in Maui are the summer months,
because the humpback whales have returned to Alaska where they spend
their summers feeding on krill, plankton and small bait fish.
Observing their activity during feeding months (May – October) is very
different than their surface behavior seen in Maui during winter
months! What triggers their 3000 mile migration? The cooling of the
Alaskan waters and the filling of their bellies. Once humpback whales
begin their migration to Hawaii, they will not feed again until their
return to Alaska. Instead their bodies process their stored fat as
their daily nutrition during the winters months of their migration in
Maui.

During Maui’s summer months we dolphin watch and snorkel instead! We often see other unique marine species this time of year like false
killer whales, whale sharks and melon headed whales!

If you decide on the Big Island in August, manta rays do not migrate. Kona night time manta ray snorkeling tours are popular .
https://notanomadblog.com/big-island-manta-ray-night-snorkel/

The Manta Ray night snorkel or dive in Kona is one of the most famous
places to see Manta Rays on the entire planet. First, only on the Big
Island of Hawaii do all the Manta Ray dives and snorkel trips happen
at night. Second, you’re able to see the Mantas year-round because the
species in Kona’s coastal waters do not migrate.