Ni‘ihau

How to Plan the Perfect Multi-island Trip to Hawaii

"I understand that Ni'ihau is off-limits to stepping ashore without an invitation—it's the 'Forbidden Island'—but I can experience its surrounding waters via licensed snorkel tours." - Sunny Fitzgerald Sunny Fitzgerald Sunny Fitzgerald is a Hawaii-based writer who covers travel, sustainability, culture, health and wellness, and more. Her articles and essays have appeared in National Geographic, Travel + Leisure, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, BBC, and elsewhere. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines

"An arid, somewhat barren island sits 18 miles to the west of Kauai. Pronounced NEE-ee-how, this privately owned outpost is still home to about 250 locals who primarily speak Hawaiian. Residents eschew technology and cleave to old traditions, from hunting with ropes and knives to fishing with spears and nets. Niihau Helicopters offers half-day excursions ($440 per person) to this mysterious "Forbidden Island:" Guests land on secluded beaches that are studded with shells and balls of glass that wash up on the shore, and often find themselves basking on the sugar-white sand alongside endangered Hawaiian monk seals. The Holo Holo catamaran also makes the crossing after sightseeing along the Nāpali Coast, for roughly half the price."