Hawaii continues to show the peak of desirability, taking four of the top ten awards for Readers Choice according to CNN and Conde Nast Traveler. These awards are for the best islands in the USA.
This year, Maui moved up to fourth place as the highest-rated island in Hawaii and the USA. Lanai came off the top ten list, and Kauai gained its spot. Big Island and Oahu are still in the top 10 but ranked lower than the year before.
There have been many articles written about the top 10 lists and how we use them. In a way, it’s because of how busy we all are, and so we let others tell us what to like. That saves us time from having to do our own research.
I think we all agree, however, that we have favorite islands, and we choose them by what matches our personalities and interests. That’s something a top-ten list clearly can’t do.
Lanai, for example, fell off the top ten list this year but is still the same island as the year before when it was ranked 8th best in the USA.
The good news is that four islands in Hawaii are still in the top 10. Even with the skyrocketing costs of a Hawaii vacation, the infighting about pros and cons of Hawaii tourism, and the still proposed $50 green fee, we all love Hawaii after more than a half-century since it became America’s most enchanting beach destination.
Top Islands: Readers’ Choice Awards 2023 CNN and Conde Nast Traveler
As we indicated, Hawaii took four of the top ten positions for top islands in the U.S. The list is as follows:
- Hilton Head Island, S.C.95.60
- Kiawah Island, S.C.95.11
- Amelia Island, Fla. 93.76
- Maui, Hawaii 92.19 (ranked 5th in 2022)
- Nantucket, Mass. 91.32
- Sanibel Island, Fla. 90.69
- Oahu, Hawaii 89.28 (ranked 6th in 2022)
- Mackinac Island, Mich. 89.08
- Kauai, Hawaii 89.06 (new to the list this year)
- Big Island, Hawaii 89.01 (ranked 7th in 2022)
If you were writing this list, how would you rank the islands in Hawaii? Would Lanai or Molokai make your cut?
Kona resorts
Hey, what about Galveston?!?