Move Over, Maui! Why You Should Visit This Hawaiian Island Instead

Despite the fact this is Hawaii's largest island, it's surprisingly easy to drive around the entire perimeter. My husband and I were only here for five days, but we managed to explore both coasts and even cover a lot of ground in between.

Because we were staying at the northern tip of the island, we decided to dedicate a couple of days to driving. We spent one day discovering Kailua Kona — also referred to as Kailua or Kona — on the west, and then another one uncovering the magic of Hilo on the east.

From Hawi, the drive to Kona should only take about one hour (although it took us much longer since we made countless detours). Once we arrived, we were greeted with sunshine, sandy beaches, and turquoise waters. This was the Hawaii I had always imagined.