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Travel & Experiences

Top 10 underrated destinations of Hawaii

In the tsunami zone and thus sparsely populated, the remote Waipio Valley is dotted with waterfalls and taro patches and framed by towering cliffs. There's a spectacular lookout above a black sand beach. Info: Among the best tour options are 2 1/2-hour guided horseback rides ($88.54) offered Mondays through Saturdays by Waipio Naalapa Stables, (808) 775-0419, http://www.naalapastables.com, or Waipio on Horseback, (808) 775-7291, http://www.waipioonhorseback.com. Reservations required. Age and weight restrictions.

In the tsunami zone and thus sparsely populated, the remote Waipio Valley is dotted with waterfalls and taro patches and framed by towering cliffs. There’s a spectacular lookout above a black sand beach. Info: Among the best tour options are 2 1/2-hour guided horseback rides ($88.54) offered Mondays through Saturdays by Waipio Naalapa Stables, (808) 775-0419, http://www.naalapastables.com, or Waipio on Horseback, (808) 775-7291, http://www.waipioonhorseback.com. Reservations required. Age and weight restrictions.  (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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No visitor to Hawaii should miss the compelling Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Kauai’s Waimea Canyon and the Big Island’s Volcanoes National Park. But some of the best things to see and do are less well known. Here are 10 of my picks for underrated attractions.

-- Beverly Beyette, Special to the Los Angeles Times

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Food, History and Culture Walking Tour, Honolulu

The two-hour guided tour of Honolulu’s Chinatown includes a visit to a teeming marketplace, a noodle factory and a Chinese bakery. Info: Departs at 9:30 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays from the Hawaii Heritage Center, 1168 Smith St.; (808) 521-2749, http://www.hawaiimuseums.org/mc/isoahu-heritage.htm. Reservations not required. $5  (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)

Lanai day trip

The passenger ferry trip from Lahaina, Maui, to the island of Lanai takes just an hour, and in winter, humpback whale sightings are common. On Lanai, options include snorkeling at Hulopoe Bay, lunch at one of the beautiful Four Seasons resorts and a stroll through little Lanai City. A hop-on, hop-off shuttle ($10 a day) meets all ferries and takes visitors to the hotels and town. Info: Expeditions, (800) 695-2624, http://www.go-lanai-com. The passenger ferry makes five daily trips (and returns) to Lanai; $30 each way.

Pictured: The Lodge at Koele in Lanai  (Beverly Beyette / Los Angeles Times)

Molokai

The island of Molokai. May marked the second consecutive month of record spending and visitor totals to Hawaii.  ( Ron Dahlquist / Hawaii Tourism Authority)

Fish auction, Pier 38, Honolulu

Wear a warm jacket and closed-toe shoes and be there when the brass bell rings at 5:30 a.m., Mondays through Saturdays, and restaurant owners and wholesalers begin bidding, fish by fish, on the day’s catch of mahi-mahi and big eye tuna. Free. Afterward, enjoy a hearty breakfast at Nico’s Pier 38. Info: United Fishing Agency, (808) 536-2148.

Pictured: A meal from Nico’s Pier 38  (Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times)

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