Trendiest Hawaii Attractions – Summer 2017

TripAdvisor has released its list of trendiest U.S. attractions for the summer.  And two Hawaii attractions made the list, making them the trendiest Hawaii attractions – summer 2017.

Hawaii is one of the top summer destinations in the U.S., if not the world.  And with so many things to do in the islands, it would make sense that we have trending attractions.  Afterall, Hawaii has some of the most Instagramable attractions in the world.  So it’s no surprise that two Hawaii attractions made TripAdvisor’s summer 2017 Top Trendiest U.S. Attractions list.

Trendiest Hawaii Attractions – Summer 2017

While two Hawaii attractions appearing on the list isn’t a surprise, the island that they’re on is: Oahu.  It’s even more of a surprise when you consider that both attractions are outdoor ones.  But, coming in at number 5 out of 25 overall is Kualoa Ranch.

Kualoa Ranch appearing on the list should actually be a surprise.  Located near the picturesque Kualoa Beach Park pictured above, Kualoa is a working ranch with a bunch of activities.  There you can go horseback riding, ATV riding, ziplining, and you can even go on a culinary tour of the ranch.  But what likely brings most visitors to the ranch are its movie tours.  Kualoa Ranch is famous for being featured in movies like Jurassic Park and 50 first dates, as well as TV shows like Hawaii Five-O.

The other Hawaii attraction on the list?  Coming in at number 20 is Oahu’s Hanauma Bay.  This sheltered bay is a nature preserve and is home to a reef that’s teeming with fish.  And because of Hanauma Bay’s calm waters, easy access and abundance of fish, it has always been a popular snorkeling spot.  Are there better spots around Hawaii?  You bet, but they’re not as easy to get to.  But if you do decide to visit Hanauma Bay, come early as parking fills up fast.  There’s also a nominal entry fee, but it’s worth it.  Just be sure to consult a tide calendar, as you’ll want to avoid rising tides.  The water flowing into the bay from a rising tide usually creates murky conditions, so you’ll want to time your visit around a receding tide.

Methodology

So, TripAdvisor’s Trendiest Attractions list isn’t created quite the way I thought it was.  The list is based on percent increase in search sessions from the previous year, not actual visits.  And the study only includes attractions that had 20,000 or more searches.  So many of these searches could simply be from people that are curious about the attraction, and may never visit.

Trendiest Hawaii Attractions – Summer 2017, final thoughts

The list is interesting, though I wouldn’t read into the results too much.  In my opinion, while the two Hawaii sites listed are popular, I don’t believe they are the trendiest or even most popular ones.

I’d imagine that designation would go to some place like Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, as the park has been in a never ending state of change.  It was also Hawaii’s overall top attraction in 2016.  And while expensive, the Akaka Falls Zipline on the Big Island has got to be one of the most fun and jaw dropping things I’ve ever done in Hawaii.

Nevertheless, I would agree that Kualoa Ranch is a pretty interesting place to visit.  I haven’t been there in years and definitely want to get back sometime.  And as for Hanauma Bay, I’ve been there a few years ago and wasn’t particularly impressed.  If you’re able to visit, Molokini Crater on Maui and Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island are much better snorkeling options.  But again, accessing these sites isn’t exactly easy and will be quite pricey.