As a born-and-raised Hawai'i local turned travel writer, I get loads of questions about visiting the islands, and I鈥檓 always excited to share my insights. After all, the best way to experience Hawaii 鈥� and the many cultures that make it in the incredible place that it is 鈥� is by exploring beyond the tourist hubs. From the beaches to the hikes to the locally-owned businesses, here are the answers to your most frequently asked Hawaii questions, from a local.

Which is the best Hawaiian Island to visit?

This is, without a doubt, the most common question I鈥檓 asked about Hawai'i, and that may be because the answer isn鈥檛 a one-size-fits-all. The best island in Hawai'i to visit depends on your personal interests.

翱鈥榓丑耻 is where you鈥檒l get the most 鈥渃ity life鈥� of all the islands, and it鈥檚 also the one with the most well-known surf competitions. Maui is known for its romantic atmosphere, so it鈥檚 particularly popular with couples, though families can more than enjoy themselves at sights like the Road to Hana and Surfing Goat Dairy. If you鈥檙e a waterfall chaser or hiker at heart, 碍补耻补鈥榠 is the island for you. The Big Island of Hawai鈥榠 is as diverse as it is large 鈥� with beaches, rainforests, deserts, and snow-capped mountains 鈥� and it鈥檚 the only island with active volcanoes. Then, there are the two smallest (visitable) islands: Lana鈥榠 and Moloka鈥榠. Both are fantastic for off-the-radar trips, but the former has more tourism infrastructure.

How many Hawaiian islands can you visit in one trip?

I usually recommend a minimum of four to five days per island. So if you鈥檙e staying for a week, it鈥檚 best to stick to one island. If you鈥檙e visiting for ten days, you can definitely visit two islands, and if you鈥檙e hanging around for two weeks, you can hit up to three!

How do you travel between islands in Hawai'i?

While many may think that there are roads or ferries between islands, that鈥檚 not the case for the most part. Between Maui and the small islands of Lana驶i and Moloka驶i, there are thrice daily ferry trips. Other than that, you鈥檒l have to hop on a plane to get from one island to another.

How do you visit the volcanoes in Hawai'i?

To visit Hawai驶i鈥檚 most active volcano, you鈥檒l need to head to Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai鈥檌. From there, you鈥檒l drive to Hawai驶i Volcanoes National Park, home to Kilauea and Mauna Loa, the two liveliest active volcanoes in Hawai驶i. This is the only place you鈥檒l see any sort of geothermal activity on any Hawaiian Island.

While Kilauea erupted almost continuously from 1983 to 2018, its eruptions 鈥� and Mauna Loa鈥檚 eruptions 鈥� are now more sporadic. There could be a little bit of lava flowing on your trip, though there are certainly no guarantees. Similarly, the eruptions are nothing to be afraid of either. It鈥檚 rare for them to cause any sort of damage to people or structures. If you do happen to find yourself visiting the area near the volcano during a particularly destructive eruption, keep an eye on local news and listen to local authorities.

Regardless of if there is an active eruption happening, there鈥檚 still a lot to see and learn about geothermal activity while at Hawai驶i Volcanoes National Park. Admire the lava-induced glow at the Halema鈥榰ma鈥榰 Crater overlooks, walk through the Thurston Lava Tube, warm up by the steam vents, or hike across a volcanic crater on the Kilauea Iki Trail, just to start.

What food should you try in Hawai'i?

Given all of the cultures in the islands, along with the nutrient-rich soil, Hawai驶i鈥檚 food scene is one of the best features of the islands. Of course, there are the locally grown tropical treats, like apple bananas and guavas, liliko鈥榠 (passion fruit) and macadamia nuts. There are also traditional Hawaiian foods, like kalua pig (shredded pork), kulolo (taro-coconut pudding), laulau (steamed, leaf-wrapped protein), and haupia (coconut pudding). These can be harder to find, but Waiahole Poi Factory on O驶ahu and Kaaloa鈥檚 Super J鈥檚 on the Big Island are both great options.

Then, there鈥檚 what we refer to as local food, where the mash-up of cuisines really has its time to shine. Try malasadas (Portuguese-style donuts) from Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery on O驶ahu, saimin (a sort of pan-Asian noodle soup) from Hamura Saimin on Kaua驶i, poke (seasoned, cubed raw fish) from Tanioka鈥檚 on O驶ahu, shave ice from Ululani鈥檚 Hawaiian Shave Ice on Maui, and spam musubis (rice, spam, and seaweed-based snack) from any 7/11 you see (I know it sounds weird, but trust me on this).

What's my favorite hike in Hawai'i?

Like the beaches, there are so many wonderful hikes in Hawai驶i. These paths may take you to stunning ocean and mountain views, tucked away waterfalls, natural animal sanctuaries, or historic petroglyph sites. But my favorite hike of them all is the Kuli驶ou驶ou Ridge hike on O驶ahu. While challenging, this 4.7-mile hike takes you through a variety of lush plant life before opening up to reveal sweeping views of the southeast corner of the island and the never-ending Pacific Ocean.

What's my favorite beach in Hawai'i?

There really is no bad beach in Hawai驶i. There are some that are a little more crowded (or popular, depending on how you frame it), some that are better for surfing while others are better for snorkeling, some shaded by towering trees and others in full sunshine, but they鈥檙e all wonderful.

As a matter of fact, many of my favorite Hawai驶i beaches are the no-name ones that you simply stumble across while driving along the beautiful coastlines. If you鈥檙e looking for specific recommendations, Kailua Beach on O驶ahu, on the Big Island, and Hanalei Bay on Kaua驶i are all incredible.