Hawaii is about five hours flying time from the US west coast. The main gateway to Hawaiian Islands is, of course , Honolulu. It has the greatest number of direct flights to/form the US mainland. However, Haua'i, Maui and Hawaii have direct US mainland flight as well, although not as many. Most inter-island flights are about 30 minutes. Hilo to Honolulu is the longest route and takes 40-45 minutes.
For the romantics who yearn for a slower more leisurely mode of transport, there is a section on cruise ships that sail to Hawaii and inter-island.
Hawaii Visitor Seasons
With a continuous mild climate, Hawaii is a year-round destination. The islands have two separate peak visitor seasons during the year when demand for flights, hotels, restaurants, rental cars and tours is heaviest. The first is during the winter months, roughly from mid-November through the end of March. The other busy season is during the summer months, from June through the end of August. The rest of the year is generally slower and quieter. The months of April and May or September and October are great times to visit Hawaii because the crowds are gone and the weather is pleasant.
Climate & Weather
As the old cliche about the weather goes, if you stick around log enough it'll change. That's pretty much true of the islands as well. Hawaii is blessed with generally mild temperatures and moderate humidity the year around. The temperature variation from day to night and season to season is relatively small. Weather conditions and temperatures vary by elevation and area of the island.
Hawaii basically has two seasons. Summer is May to October, when the sun is close to directly overhead. The weather during this period is warmer and drier than the rest of the year and the northest tradewinds (which cool and temper the islands) blow more reqularly.
The winter months are November to March. During the time, the sun is farther to the south nad the weather, both day and night, is noticeably cooler. The northeast tradewind pattern is often interrupted and "kona" (south) winds, cloudy periods and rainstorms rumble through the islands.
Rainfall
Rainfall varies greatly between the islands and within each individual island. The eastern, windward sides of the islands generally receive the greatest amount of rainfall because the prevailing northest tradewinds (at least in the summer) bring the rainclouds over the eastern coasts. The clouds are then carried up and over the interior mountains and the rain is released. That's why the windward sides of the islands are so lush and green with rain forests and dense vegeration. The western of leeward sides of all the islands tend to be much drier, with considerably less vegetation and more desert like conditions.
Rainfall varies by elevation and location but along the windward coastal areas it can be 50-130 inches or more annually. Hana or Maui's east coast averages about 70 inches annually, while Hilo on Hawaii is east coast averages 130 inches per year. Higher elevation areas generally receive much higher annual rainfalls. By contrast, Lahaina on Maui's leeward coast averages just 14 inches annually while the Kohala Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii averages less than 10 inches per year and is recognized as the driest region in the islands, Rainfall is equally distributed throughout the year, with no real wet and dry season.
Temperatures
Average daytime temperatures in summer range from the upper 70s to low 80s in most of the islands. In winter, daytime temperatures range from the upper 60s to lower 70s. However, temperatures can vary more significantly at higher elevations throughout the islands. particularly in high mountain areas.
