Island hopping in Hawaii is an exciting way to see more than one of the islands while you are in Hawaii. Island hopping in Hawaii usually involves flying inter island from one Hawaiian Island to another.Several years ago there was a "super shuttle" that would allow you to Island hop by water.

Today the only water taxi is going from Maui to the island of Lanai. Island hopping in Hawaii extends the excitment of your Hawaii vacation or Hawaii Honeymoon by allowing you to experience the new climate and culture of the Hawaii Island you are hopping to.Speaking of the different climates and cultures that make each of the Hawaiian island unique we will go into more detail in the following paragraphs. Discount inter island travel in Hawaii is still available but lately is harder to find.

How many islands you visit on your island hopping in Hawaii Vacation usually depends on how long your vacation is and how much your trip budget is. Let's say you have 12 days for your vacation and a budget of $3500 for the two of you. In this case you might want to stay on Maui, Kauai and Oahu for 4 nights each. Usually for a budget of $3500 you can get round trip airfare from your hometown, a moderate hotel or condo and a compact car on each of the 3 islands.

If you have a 7 or 8 day vacation or honeymoon and a budget of $2500 then you can visit 2 islands. That would include  roundtrip airfare from your hometown, a moderate hotel or condo and a compact car. Of coarse if you want an Oceanview or oceanfront room at you hotel or condo this will increase the price of your island hopping in Hawaii vacation.

The above prices are usually available if you plan 6 to 7 months in advance. If you are planning a island hopping in Hawaii vacation or honeymoon only a month or two in advance then it could cost you more because airplanes are flying full nowadays and the closer to your departure date the higher the airplane seats cost and the hotel or condo's may be sold out. 
Hawaii Island Hopping Packages are very exciting.

The cost of Island hopping in Hawaii involves purchasing a plane ticket for each of the individuals that are going to be island hopping in Hawaii. Traditionally the price stays around $95.00 to $140.00  per direction per ticket depending on how far in advance you purchase the tickets. Usually the farther in advance the better. Another consideration to consider is some hotels or condo's offer free nights for staying a certain lenght of time at their hotel. Will you be missing out on the free night because you didn't stay long enough?

Many local Hawaiians island Hopp for work and fun. I flew on a plane from Oahu to the Big Island several months ago with a contractor that was giving bids on a commerical building in Waikiki that morning and he was flying home in the evening to  the Big Island where he lives. Island hopping in Hawaii is used all the time by locals wanting to visit one of the other islands for a "vacation". Believe it or not if a family wants to get away from the hussel and Bussell of Waikiki they might island hop to Kauai for a quite weekend in the rainforest.

An important factor to consider when planning your Island hopping in Hawaii trip is that you will be able to look forward to a new experience on each island that you visit but it will cost you several hours of your vacation to change islands.

You will need to pack up your suitcase, drive to the airport, go thru the TSA security screening and then on the new island you will need to get another car and drive to the new hotel or condo. Learning how to get from the parking lot to your  room in the hotel or condo adds a little bit of stress to your island hopping in Hawaii experience too. Of coarse these little added stresses can be offset by looking forward to all the new experiences on your new island.

Something to consider when Island hopping in Hawaii are each of the main four islands in Hawaii that most people visit (Maui, Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island) have distinct climates and cultures. You can experience a hugh difference in the amount of rain you might have during your island hopping in Hawaii trip depending on which side of the island you choose to stay on.

Maui

If you plan on staying on the island of Maui for your island hopping in Hawaii vacation the most popular spot is on Kaanapali Beach. The Kaanapali Beach area of Maui receives about 20 inches of rain a year, being the driest area to stay on Maui.
The second most popular area to stay on Maui is the Kihei or Wailea resort areas of Maui. It tends to be a bit windier  in this area but it's less populated and quieter.

The town of Hana is very popular for a day drive and can have up to 80 inches of rain a year. That is the reason it is so lush with green vegetation.

Oahu

Oahu  is considered "the big city" with a population of over 900,00. This is true and Waikiki Beach can be crowded at times, but If you know the layout of Oahu in a ten minute drive from Waikiki Beach you can be hiking in the rainforest on the way to a 100 foot waterfall without a soul around. Waikiki Beach has over a hundred resorts and hotels all the way from budget to luxury. Oahu usually has the least expensive hotels of all of the islands, the most availability and it costs less to fly to Oahu on your island hopping in Hawaii vacation.

Kauai
For your island hopping in Hawaii vacation Kauai is a must! Kauai has 3 main resort ares. The driest and most popular is Poipu Beach. It's annual rainfall is 30 inches. The best beaches are in Poipu too. You can find hotels and condos in the moderate to deluxe price range.

The Coconut Beach resort area of Kauai is also very popular and also receives about 30 inches of rain a year but swimming in the ocean on the Coconut Coast can be deadly. Rip currents are a common problem. On your island hopping in Hawaii vacation hotels and resorts on Coconut Beach range from budget to deluxe depending on amenities that they offer.

Another Resort area on Kauai is Hanalei Bay. Bali High describes the beautiful lush scenery. Hanalei has several world class golf courses too but can be wet at times, raining about 130 inches a year. Kauai is a great stop on your island hopping in Hawaii vacation.

The Big Island

If you want to see an active volcano on your island hopping in Hawaii vacation package then the Big Island is a must see. It has the worlds only walk up volcano.Volcano and lava flow varies daily but if you are lucky when you visit Volcano National Park you will be able to walk up to a lava flow. Caution should be taken if you walk on the old lava flows. Lava tubes flow under the park and create what are called benches. The benches can collapse and cause you to fall into 2000 degree flowing lava.

The most popular side of the island to stay on is the west side, either in Kona town or up north in Waikoloa Resort area. It only rains about 10 inched annually here. On the east side of the island near the volcano and Hilo town it rains about 120 inches a year and could spoil your vacation.