Why January Is Hawaii's Secret Season

Everyone wants Hawaii in July. The travelers in the know want it in January.

First: the whales. Roughly ten thousand humpbacks migrate to Hawaiian waters each winter, and January is peak season. You don't even need a boat — they breach offshore while you're eating breakfast.

Second: the crowds, or rather the lack of them. The holiday rush ends in the first week of January, and the islands exhale. Beaches, restaurants, and scenic drives all get noticeably calmer, while the weather stays in the low 80s.

Now, the surprise: January is also the rainier season, and first-timers are always startled when a passing shower sweeps through. Here's the secret — it passes. Ten minutes of dramatic rain, then a rainbow, then sunshine. Locals don't even pause their conversations for it.

If your winter needs an antidote, this is the one. And if you'd rather not go alone, ask me about my hosted Hawaii group — the cabins are filling fast.