A sampling of Hawaii Magazine’s best in the islands — hotels, restaurants and more

Want insider tips on some of the best places to eat, stay, sightsee and surf in Hawaii? Look no farther than the April issue of Hawaii Magazine.

The magazine’s 2019 “Best of the Best” contains listings for more than 1,600 winners and runners-up. Readers chose their favorites in a range of categories, including Best Festival (Hawaii Island’s Merrie Monarch hula festival), Best Historic Landmark (World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument at Pearl Harbor) and Best Loco Moco (Rainbow Drive-In in Honolulu).

The long list is big on spots to stay, eat and drink — just what a visitor needs to know.

Here’s a sampling of some of the winners:

Best hotel, statewide: Grand Wailea

The Grand Wailea, a family-friendly resort on Maui, took top honors. The property is known for a stunning spa and a plethora of swimming pools. (There’s a beach too)

Best new hotel, statewide: Alohilani Resort

A 280,000-gallon aquarium greets guests at the Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach. The hotel is home to two restaurants created by the acclaimed Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto: Morimoto Asia Waikiki and Momosan Ramen and Sake.

Best luxury resort, Oahu: Turtle Bay

Turtle Bay Resort occupies an enviable spot along Oahu’s North Shore. For seekers of serenity, the hotel is roughly a 1½-hour drive north of Waikiki Beach.

Best value hotel or resort, Kauai: Waimea Plantation Cottages

Waimea Plantation Cottages boasts a 43-acre oceanfront location with a black sand beach. The 61 cottages were built between the late 1800s and the 1930s, and no two are the same.

Best bed-and-breakfast or inn, Hawaii Island: Palms Cliff House

Palms Cliff House is an upscale boutique hotel with only eight rooms. It is in the village of Honomu, about 12 miles north of Hilo on the island’s less-traveled eastern side.

Best hotel or resort for a romantic getaway, Hawaii Island: Four Seasons Hualalai

The Four Seasons Hualalai had multiple wins, including in the romance category. The resort is tucked away off the main road north of Kailua-Kona. The black lava landscape typical of the area contrasts with white sand beaches.

Best beach for a wedding, Hawaii Island: Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

With its sparkling, crescent-shaped beach, often considered one of the Big Island’s best, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel won this category. No worries if you can’t afford the hotel’s prices; the beaches are free and open to the public.

Best new restaurant in the state: Moku Roots

Readers voted Moku Roots in Lahaina on Maui their favorite new restaurant in the state. It’s a vegan restaurant, and the eco-friendly owners strive to use locally sourced food and to create zero waste.

Best cheap eats, Kauai: Da Crack

Da Crack in Koloa serves Mexican dishes for vegans and meat lovers. All of the seafood dishes feature locally caught fish. It also made the L.A. Times’ 20 meals for less than $20 list for Kauai.

Best restaurant $30-$60 per person, Oahu: Surfing Pig

The prices at the Surfing Pig are comparatively inexpensive: $16 for St. Louis-style back ribs, $26.50 for brick chicken and $28 for pan-seared ahi.

Best mai tai, statewide: Monkeypod Kitchen

Monkeypod Kitchen, which has three locations on Maui and Oahu, uses local juices and rum for its signature drink. The cocktail is topped with a unique honey-passion fruit foam.

Best bartender, Maui:. Dale Simonson

This honor goes to Dale Simonson, the chief bartender at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel’s Tiki Bar. Simonson has been serving refreshing tropical cocktails at the poolside bar for half a century.

Best hiking trail for beginners, Oahu: Diamond Head Summit Trail

Visitors to Honolulu can ascend to the summit of Diamond Head, the iconic and long-extinct volcano, on a 1.6-mile round-trip hike rated as Oahu’s best for beginners.

(Tor Johnson / Hawaii Tourism Authority)

Diamond Head Summit Trail, southeast of Waikiki’s hotels, climbs 560 feet along the crater of the extinct volcano.

Surfing, Kauai: Hanalei Bay

For surfing on Kauai, Hanalei Bay, along the island’s North Shore beside the village of Hanalei, is ranked No. 1 in both the beginner and expert categories.

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