Hawaiian Islands

Your first big activity as a group is earning your SCUBA certification! No experience on the Big Island is complete without exploring the underwater world. The next four days will be spent earning your SCUBA certification through PADI, a world-wide diving organization. This course will teach you everything you need to know in order to discover the arena of sea turtles, manta rays, and schools of colorful fish. By the end of these SCUBA days, you will have a true understanding of this special island of Hawaii.

Following our underwater exploration of the island, it’ll be time to hit the waves! Kauai is the birthplace of surfing, so learning to ride the waves there is a special experience. The breaks are ideal for novice surfers, but can challenge even the most seasoned veteran. You will be catching waves and “hanging-ten” before you know it!

After a day of surfing, you will head to the southern portion of the island to the astounding Kilauea Volcano within Volcanoes National Park. There, from a safe distance, of course, you’ll see a volcano erupt in person—a once in a lifetime experience. Afterwards, you’ll have the extremely rare opportunity to tread on ground that’s actually younger than you are.

From Volcanoes National Park, you will hike to the famous Green Sand Beach, or Papakolea Beach. Papakolea Beach is one of only four green sand beaches in the world! The beach gets its distinctive coloring from olivine sand eroded from old volcanic activity. It will be a day of secluded body surfing, beachside lunches, and numerous group games!

For the next two days, you will take to the ocean and learn how to sail aboard a catamaran boat. Alongside an experienced crew, you will learn the ropes of sailing, navigation, and more. You will get the chance to navigate the boat yourself along the Kona Coast, and there will be plenty of time to swim and snorkel. At night, you’ll even get to sleep on the catamaran: few experiences compare with sleeping under the stars on a boat off the Hawaiian Islands.

You will say goodbye to the Big Island the next morning and take a short flight to Kauai. You’ll spend the afternoon on the beach, playing games, building castles, collecting sea shells, and enjoying your new environment! Kauai is “the Garden Isle” thanks to the tropical rainforest covering much of its surface. You’ll get the chance to explore the most famous sites along the Na Pali Coast soon, but first you’ll spend a day brushing up on your surfing skills with a day of surfing on the north shore at Hanalei Bay. The area has over two miles of beach, surrounded by beautiful mountain views. It will be unreal.

Next, you will make your way to the mountains of Kauai and spend a few days in Koke’e State Park. Koke’e State Park is known for its lush, native vegetation, views of the ocean, and native birds. You will stay in bunk houses at night and spend your days working alongside native Hawaiians to preserve the sacred land. You will take breaks between projects to learn about ancient Hawaiian customs and stories, and you’ll have the chance to hike and explore Waimea Canyon, which is known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. You will end this section by hiking part of the gorgeous Na Pali Coast Trail.

Over the next two days, you’ll give your feet a break and explore the rivers and calm inlets of Kauai in sea kayaks. This is one of the most exceptional ways to explore these coastal wilderness areas. From the platform of your sturdy kayak, you will see countless birds, schools of fish, and cascading waterfalls. You will explore different sides of the island over these two days, which will allow a greater understanding of Kauai’s diverse ecosystem. Your two big destinations for these days will be the Blue Lagoon and Sacred Falls and you’ll get one last chance at perfecting your surfing skills at Hanalei Bay. The third days the charm to catch that perfect wave!

For your final full day of the trip, you will explore the Na Pali coast, one of Kauai’s most beautiful treasures, by boat. You will spend the day on the water in a zodiac raft touring the rugged coastline, and at any point you will be able to snorkel the crystal clear blue waters. After the boat trip your group will take a guided tour of an ancient fishing village.

Your final evening of the trip will be spent reminiscing about this unforgettable experience together. The final morning will come too soon, and you will wake to the familiar sound of waves crashing against the beach before flying one last time together back to Honolulu. You’ll bid farewell to your new friends there at the Honolulu airport, and with heart and head full of memories, you’ll say goodbye to Hawaii!