Hawaii is one of those places that genuinely lives up to the hype — and we’ve now done all four major islands with the kids. Golden beaches, active volcanoes, lush rainforests, and some of the best snorkeling in the world. We keep coming back.

Between two trips we’ve done Big Island, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai — and used points to save over $22,000 across both. Each island has a completely different personality. None of them disappointed.

Each Hawaiian island has its own signature experience — the one moment we still talk about months later. Here’s the standout from each.

We’ve done Hawaii twice as a family — each time covering two islands in one trip. Here’s the quick summary of both, including what we spent and what the trips were actually worth.

Each island has a completely different personality. Here’s our honest take on which one fits which kind of family — and which one we’d pick first.