Many visitors to Hawaii hit just one or two islands, but Insight Vacations has a 12-day tour that explores the Big Island of Hawaii as well as Maui, Oahu and Kauai. An in-depth tour of Pearl Harbor is on the itinerary, of course, as well as private hula dancing and ukulele lessons and a lei-making class with a master of the craft. Among other highlights will be stops at boutique farms on Maui, a visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a tour of a coffee and cacao farm and a look at Kauai’s Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. There also will be time to browse downtown Honolulu, do some shopping in Lahaina and visit the Hulihee Palace. The tour is priced from $5,425 per person double occupancy and includes 11 nights’ lodging, some meals, a tour director and motor coach transportation, inter-island flights and more. Airfare from the mainland is extra. Info: 888-680-1241, tinyurl.com/km97jzd
Big Island by bike
For a more ambitious way to explore just the Big Island, Bicycle Adventures offers a Hawaii Classic Bike Tour or a Hawaii Casual Bike Tour. The Classic tour runs seven days, with average daily mileage of about 45 miles. The Casual tour is one day shorter and also stays in more budget-conscious accommodations. Both tours can be tailored to the skill and fitness level of the participants. Mixed in with the biking are such other activities as hiking, snorkeling and soaking in thermal pools. The Classic tour is priced from $3,395 per person double occupancy, and the Casual tour is from $2,695. Info: 800-443-6060, tinyurl.com/lrd4pvj (Classic), tinyurl.com/mw3l24o (Casual)
Travels for humanity
Holidays for Humanity calls the trips it offers Escapes for Your Soul. Some focus on the individual, such as those looking at the culture of a country or concentrating on eco-tourism. What caught our eye are the volunteer opportunities, some in the U.S. but most abroad. For example, there’s Saving Lions in Mighty Zimbabwe, a two-week trip that involves hands-on work with lion conservation near Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls. In addition to work on the project, participants experience local culture through visits to local schools. There’s also the opportunity to take optional trips to wildlife areas in Zimbabwe and Botswana. The $2,017 rate includes lodging and meals. Other volunteer opportunities range from working with orphaned children in Guatemala to helping at a rehabilitation center for endangered mustangs in Florida. Info: 888-988-7897, tinyurl.com/mop273p
