If you mention Hawaii to anyone, the first things that spring to mind are hula girls, gaudy shirts and shorts, pineapples and maybe volcanoes. But although they may be true in part, these tired clichés just scratch the surface of what this amazing group of islands has to offer. In fact simply arriving there is an experience – at more than four hours flying time over the Pacific from the west coast of the U.S., you get a real sense of its isolation as the lights of Honolulu gradually come into view.
Hawaii was the last U.S. state to join the union but its differences go far beyond that. Apart from being the most isolated island chain on the planet, Hawaii has its own language and culture which it fights hard to maintain against the tide of U.S. influence.
From the high rise hotels overlooking Honolulu’s world-famous Waikiki beach on the “main” island of Oahu (Hawaii is the home of surfing) to the lush green Waimea canyon and Mt. Waialeale (the wettest place on earth), on Kauai this is as diverse a group of islands as you are likely to find.
Sure, Honolulu is the place that most holiday-makers visit at some point but indeed outside of Honolulu, the whole island of Oahu is worth a look. As of course are all the other islands.
The island of Maui is the honeymooner’s paradise offering spectacular beaches, watersports and the breathtaking sunrise vistas from the top of the extinct Haleakala volcano.
Kauai – the oldest and most northerly of the islands – is Hawaii’s garden isle. The jaw-dropping Napali coastline with its stunning cliffs straddles the western part of the island with the Waimea canyon taking up much of the interior. As with all Hawaiian islands of course, the beaches, surf and whale-watching come as standard…
But the real show-stopper is the “Big Island” of Hawaii with its Volcanoes National Park. Mt. Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes on the planet offering spectacular pyrotechnic displays with lava constantly spewing out into the sea.
Whichever island you choose for your holiday of a lifetime, Hawaii will not disappoint. This truly is paradise on earth.
