8 Hawaii Resorts Where You Can Experience Authentic Island Life

The Royal Lahaina Resort offers many a fun experience that will have you living like a local on the stunning island of Maui.

Stiff from your flight in? Book a lomi lomi treatment. In the Hawaiian language, lomi means “to rub, press, knead or massage.” The style is similar to some other forms of massage, but has deep cultural roots in Hawaii, serving as a healing technique that comes from a long lineage of practices and focuses on the mind and spirit, as well as the body. Expect a treatment to involve tension relief, range-of-motion work, and the release of blocked energy. Try a lomi lomi for yourself at the Alana Spa.

For tennis fans, the Royal Lahaina Tennis Ranch is only a quick stroll from the lobby (and rents racquets, so no need to pack one). The complex includes 10 courts, plus one that’s surrounded by a 3,500-seat stadium, so you can channel your inner Serena. The tennis complex offers daily instructional clinics, performance-boosting tennis workouts, and lessons; a great time to play is at night, as five of the courts have lighting for after-dark matches.

To make more of a racket than a racquet, a ukulele lesson is just the thing. The Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa has a rotating bevvy of cultural activities, taught by artisans as one-hour lessons. Ti leaf lei making, ukulele lessons, haku lei (a crown of flowers) creations—the schedule and offerings change every month.

Here, you’ll be in the Kaanapali Beach Resort area, on the west side of Maui. That means you’ll be on a three-mile-long swath of sand that’s routinely named as one of Maui’s best beaches.

Hawaii Island has three kaiapuni schools—schools where instruction is given exclusively through the Hawaiian language. It’s a beautiful language—ancient, expressive and filled with nuance—that nearly died out, but now it’s spoken by thousands of people in the state. Get a sense of the basics at the free ‘Olelo Hawaii class at The Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay.

For a different kind of immersion, book a snorkel or scuba dive trip to commune with the manta rays in the ocean. At night, these gentle, harmless rays congregate in the waters just offshore at Keauhou, where they feast on plankton. Watching them swoop through the water feels like you’re in outer space, weightless alongside a graceful alien.

To taste traditional island foods—like haupia pudding, kalua pork and Waipio Valley poi—try the Royal Kona Resort‘s Voyagers of the Pacific luau. In addition to the food, there will be tales of Polynesian history and performers doing heart-stopping Samoan knife dancing. Insider’s tip: Book this far in advance, as it is hard to get tickets.

While staying at the Royal Kona Resort, also take advantage of the outdoor yoga classes, offered twice-daily, for Sunrise or Sunset Flow (all levels). And if you happen to be there on the third Thursday of the month, then yes, that is Hawaiian music legend and Grammy Award nominee Henry Kapono up on stage at the resort’s Don’s Mai Tai Bar.

They say, “leave behind nothing but footprints,” but voluntourism lets you leave behind positive progress. During a two-hour eco-adventure via the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, you will help on the 4,000-acre Kualoa Private Nature Reserve in the wetland taro farm. Eco-volunteers help protect the island’s precious natural resources and learn about kalo (taro), the plant that is so essential to the spiritual, dietary and political aspects of Native Hawaiian culture.

The honi—a greeting where two people touch their noses and breathe together—is another sacred part of Polynesian culture. During an Outrigger’s Hawaiian Vow Renewal ceremony, you’ll be guided through the tradition and can celebrate your union with Hawaiian chanting and meaningful mele (songs).

It’s hard to believe now, but Oahu hasn’t always had so many hotels and resorts to choose from. Time travel to 1901, when the Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort and Spa was the only hotel in Waikiki, with a veddy proper afternoon tea on the Veranda at the Beachhouse. Nibble on Mango Passion Mousse Cake while sipping tea and gazing out at the Pacific.

Waikiki has long been a surfing mecca, due to its nearly constant, exciting-but-not-overwhelming waves. Aloha Beach Services is based right in the Moana Surfrider and has been teaching lessons since 1959— the same year Hawaii became a state. In addition to surfing lessons, they can take you out for outrigger canoe rides.

Lush, sleepy Kauai might tuck in early at night, but it’s certainly going to eat well beforehand. To try local flavors, head for dinner at Red Salt restaurant at Koa Kea Hotel & Resort. The executive chef there, Noelani Planas, is a native of Kauai. Her cooking style lets local ingredients—like greens from Kailani Farms on the island’s North Shore and gnocchi made with Kona lobster meat—take center stage.

Local ingredients also show up on the menu at the Spa at Koa Kea Resort, with locally grown sugar, coffee, nuts and clays incorporated into wraps, facials and massage treatments. The resort is popular for babymoons, so if you or your partner are hapai (the local word for pregnant), enjoy a special pregnancy massage after a nice stroll on Poipu Beach—only steps from the resort.

For something truly secluded, The Kauai Inn has a sleepy, vintage vibe. Located on the east side of Kauai, it’s small (only 48 rooms), unique, and family-owned. The mountain views are fantastic, but if it’s the beach you’re craving, it’s only a few minutes to reach Kalapaki Beach—ideal for swimming and stand-up paddle boarding.