Located in downtown Honolulu, Ala Moana, the world’s largest mall, is about a five-minute drive from Waikiki. A huge addition brought the total size to 2.1 million square feet. Its 260 stores include such luxurious brands as Gucci, Prada, Hermès, Bulgari, Burberry, Tiffany, Chanel, Escada, Jimmy Choo and Neiman Marcus. You’ll find a large Louis Vuitton store, as well as one of the few Chanel fine-jewelry shops anywhere. Not surprisingly, the restaurant fare is similar to what is found in most malls, with burgers and the like. An exception is the Tsukiji Fish Market, which offers an all-you-can-eat buffet and a market that sells fresh catches brought in daily. TIP: As the mall is enormous, you should look at a directory before heading out. Most of the luxury shops are on the second floor in the center of the mall, near Neiman Marcus.

A quintessential Hawaiian experience is to visit—some say brave—the farmers’ markets, which are held one day each week in various parts of the island (locals call them sunshine markets). When the flag goes down to signal the opening, all bets are off and the rush is on to be the first to grab that perfect pineapple or papaya. Sharp elbows and a lot of stamina are quite helpful. Don’t be late; prime picks are gone within half an hour.

These are the best markets and their day and start time of business:

• South Shore: Koloa Farmers’ Market in Koloa on Mondays at noon; Kapaa Town Park on Wednesdays at 3pm; Kauai Culinary Market in Kolao on Wednesdays at 4pm
• North Shore: Waipa Farmers’ Market (about a quarter mile past Hanalei) on Tuesdays at 2pm; Hanelei Saturday Market at 10am
• West Shore: Hanapepe Farmers’ Market in Hanapepe Park on Thursdays at 3pm

Look for art on Kauai in the little community of Hanapepe in the west. Once a haven for opium-smoking Chinese rice farmers in the 19th century, it would be a ghost town today if it not for the myriad galleries cropping up on the town’s one main street, Hanapepe Road. There’s some junk, to be sure, but also lovely antique prints of Hawaii in Kauai Fine Art, stunning photographs at the Arius Hopman Gallery, and hand-painted tiles and ceramics at the Banana Patch Studios, all within easy walking distance of one another. To ensure that the galleries are open when you visit, go for the Friday Art Night, when you’ll have a chance to meet the owners and artists.

There’s plenty of junk in this souvenir-oriented shop, but it also sells one-of-a-kind Niihau shell leis made by the women living on the “Forbidden Island” of Niihau, just offshore from Kauai. The island is inhabited by pure blood Hawaiians only; no one else is allowed even to visit. The local men make a living by raising cattle, and the women gather shells on the beach to fashion the necklaces. Most beautiful are the leis made with the smallest shells of white or gold. Some are very intricate and can take years to make. Needless to say, they are quite expensive. The Hawaiian Trading Post has some lower-end necklaces on display; to see the best inventory, ask to see the back stock.  

For two decades, the Hilo Farmers Market in downtown Hilo has gathered locals and visitors alike on Wednesdays and Saturdays to load up on fresh tropical fruits and admire the local crafts and clothing from over 200 vendors. You’ll find a much smaller version of the same market on the other days of the week.

The most high-end mall on the island is found at the Waikoloa Beach Resort, near all the big resorts along the Kohala Coast. This 75,000-square-foot shopping, dining and entertainment complex can be seen in a couple hours, but it’s a good diversion when you need time out of the sun. Some hot spots: Maui Divers fine jewelry store (808-886-0055), for precious corals, Hawaiian gold and other gemstones; and children’s store Giggles (808-886-0014) for toys, kites, books and any basics you might have forgotten at home.

The Kona Farmers Market features over 40 vendors selling produce, gifts and knickknacks Wednesday through Saturday.

This historic town on Maui's western coast used to be a major port of call for whaling vessels—at the peak of the era in the 1800s, some 500 whaling ships came into the harbor here each year. These days, Lahaina is the island's defacto whale-watch capital (such recommended outfitters as the Pacific Whale Foundation have their headquarters there), and the beaches with gentle surf makes it a great spot for beginner surfing classes. As is to be expected from a major tourist hub, the shopping is mostly dominated by Tshirt and souvenir shops (ABC Store is the Hawaiian go-to for Aloha-themed tchotchkes).

But there are a couple of good boutiques not to miss if you're spending some time in the town; most are located along Front Street: Maui Hands Center (#612) for island-made crafts; Tilly Timms (#703) for super-soft graphic tees with Hawaiian themes, including for children and babies; Lahaian Printsellers (#764) for antique maps and Hale Zen Home (180 Dickenson Street) for gifts, children's clothes and decorative items.

Make a point to visit the Lahaina Arts Society (648 Wharf St #103; 808-661-0111), the town's oldest gallery in the historic Old Courthouse. Representing 142 local artists in disciplines including pottery, printmaking and jewelry making, the Society is an active group that also holds regular classes in everything from dancing to lei making. If you want to see all that’s there, go from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm on Friday, when the town hosts Art Night. Gallery owners and artists come out to meet the public, and there’s live entertainment and drinks.

A family-owned business, Nohea represents hundreds of artists, the majority of them from the islands. Visitors will discover gorgeous koa wood, rocking chairs and gold lauhala weave rings, along with lower-priced items that make great gifts. Everything from modern and traditional art to textiles, glass and ceramics can be found here.

The groovy-cool town of Paia is always packed, its two-lane central artery mostly a traffic jam. The trick is to come on the early side and to have a plan: breakfast at Café des Amis (42 Baldwin Ave; 808-579-6323) or the leafy Paia Bay Coffee (115 Hana Hwy; 808-579-3111) followed by a couple of hours of shopping, then picking up sandwiches at Paia Gelato (115 Hana Hwy # D; 808-579-9201) or poke bowls at Kuau Store (slightly out of town; 701 Hana Hwy; 808-579-8844) before continuing on to spend the afternoon at Baldwin Beach or Sprecklesville Beach, or to watch the surfers at Hookipa.

Don't expect upscale boutiques: the many glass pipes and tie-die dresses on display attest to the fact that Paia is Maui's hippie central; but it's also not the made-in-China souvenir fare sold in so many other parts of the island. Shops are independently owned and pride themselves for carrying island-made mementos. Don't miss Wings Hawaii (69 Hana Hwy; 808-579-3110) for handcrafted jewelry and ceramics; Tamara Catz (83 Hana Hwy; 808-579-9184) for chic fashion; Alice in Hulaland (19 Baldwin Ave; 808-579-9922) for a wide array of fashion and accessories, as well as kitschy-fun souvenirs; San Lorenzo Bikinis (115 Hana Hwy Unit C; 808-873-7972) and Maui Girl (12 Baldwin Ave; 808-579-9266) for teeny-tiny beachwear and curated Indigo (149 Hana Hwy; 808-579-9199) for breezy dresses, bathing suits and jewelry and crafts that were gathered during the owners' travels throughout southeast Asia.

This district, a three-block collection of lei shops mixed with designer boutiques, underwent a massive multi-million dollar renovation a few years back, transforming it from a hodgepodge to an attractive shopping destination. The area from the corner of Kalakaua and Lewers is sometimes called the Rodeo Drive of Oahu, with two dozen high-end retail stores, including Bulgari, Cartier and Hermès.

Founded by rock musician Donovan and his partner Petra Frankrenreiter, this thoughtfully curated boutique in Hanalei sells an eclectic mix of the couple’s finds from their world travels. While the shop’s primary focus is clothing—it offers everything from big names like Mother to smaller, local brands—the store is peppered with other treasures including bean bags, throw pillows, dream catchers, Donovan’s artwork, surfboards, hanging chairs and more.

The most upscale Maui shopping is found at the 64,000-square-foot Shops at Wailea, in walking distance to the Grand Wailea and a short drive from the Four Seasons. The usual suspects are gathered at this al fresco mall: Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Bottega Veneta, but they are surrounded by surf shops like Roxy and Billabong, a Tommy Bahama shop and the Black Pearl Gallery. ABC Store is the go-to-place for all-things souvenirs, from ukuleles, Leis and macadamia nuts to tissue paper printed with hula dancers and postcards with vintage designs.