Hawaii
Attractions
Hawaii - The Big Island
The island of Hawaii, commonly called the Big Island, is
nearly twice the size of all the other Hawaiian islands
combined. Geographically it's the most diverse island of the
archipelago, with deserts, rainforests, volcanoes and,
surprisingly, snow-capped mountains. The mountains create a huge
barrier that blocks the north-easterly trade winds and makes the
leeward, western side of the island the driest region in the
archipelago. This coast has the best beaches and water
conditions. The windward, eastern coast is predominantly rugged,
with pounding surf, plenty of rain, tropical rainforests, deep
ravines and majestic waterfalls. Kona, Waikoloa and Hilo are the
main centres for accommodation and restaurants.
The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is hands down the most
unique park in the US National Parks system. It covers a huge
area and encompasses two active volcanoes, a still-steaming
sunken crater and geologically awesome landscapes of cinder
cones, pumice pillars and hardened rivers of lava. Its terrain
ranges from tropical beaches to the subarctic summit of Mauna
Loa, and includes lovely rainforests and fern groves. This is
one of the best areas in Hawaii for camping and hiking.
The lush, coastal Waipio Valley is the largest and most
spectacular of the series of amphitheatrer valleys on the
windward side of the Kohala Mountains. It is enclosed by
near-vertical high cliffs and is accessible only by a narrow,
excessively-steep 4WD track, making hiking in the best option.
The valley is a fecund tangle of jungle, flowering plants, taro
patches and waterfalls, and a magical place to experience the
spirit of the 'old' Hawaii. The valley has one rustic hotel,
some 50 residents, a number of wild horses and a few
aggressively territorial farm dogs.
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Honolulu
Sure, it's got wide beaches, waving palms and balmy weather,
but Honolulu ('Sheltered Bay') isn't just a stage-set for
beachcombing. It boasts a 150-year history as the state capital
and a beguiling multi-ethnicity that emerges most toothsomely in
a feast of different cuisines.
Honolulu's downtown is hostile to cars, friendly to
pedestrians - so consider walking rather than driving your way
around its attractions, which include the grandeur of Hawaii's
royal past and a clutch of worthwhile musuems with a maritime
emphasis.
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Kauai
If you're looking for lush scenery, Kauai is a great choice.
Kauai's central volcanic peak, Mt Waialeale, is allegedly the
wettest place on earth, and the island is so richly green that
it's nicknamed 'The Garden Island'. Movie makers looking for
lush scenery bordering on the fantastic came to Kauai to film
parts of South Pacific, Raiders of the Lost Ark
and Jurassic Park. The small island is shaped like a
slightly compressed ball. Most of the island's interior is
mountainous forest reserve, which offers great hiking; the
southern and western coasts are dry, sunny and fringed with
beautiful beaches. Accommodation and eateries can be found in
the small towns of Lihue, Kapaa, Princeville and Poipu.
Places of interest include the stretch of sharply fluted
coastal cliffs along Na Pali Coast. This is the locale of
Hawaii's most spectacular hiking trail, with sheer, green cliffs
dropping into brilliant turquoise waters. Waimea Canyon -
predictably dubbed the 'Grand Canyon of the Pacific' - is
smaller and a mere 200 million years younger than its Arizona
cousin, but otherwise not at all dissimilar. The canyon's
colourful river-cut gorge is 835m (2785ft) deep and it seems
incredible that such an immense canyon could be tucked away in
such a small island.
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Lumahai Beach
There's a beautiful, endless sandy beach at Polihale on the
western coast, not far from the brilliantly named US naval base,
Barking Sands Pacific Missile Range. The area is almost a
desert, so when it's raining everywhere else, beachgoers head
this way. Lumahai Beach, in the north, is the gorgeous stretch
of beach where Mitzi Gaynor promised to wash that man right out
of her hair in the 1958 musical South Pacific. It's a
broad beach sandwiched between lush jungle on one side and
tempestuous ocean on the other. A trip up the Wailua River to
the Fern Grotto in a tourist cattle barge is a must for
anthropologists, absurdists and those who love to holiday to the
sounds of Elvis' Hawaiian Wedding Song.
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Maui
Maui's scenery is superb and its landscapes diverse. The
island's sunny western coast is lined with gorgeous white-sand
beaches, and the warm ocean waters are teeming with humpback
whales. You can explore jungles and waterfalls, windsurf with
the pros or enjoy a drink at Lahaina's historic taverns.
Maui is known as 'The Valley Island' because of its two large
extinct volcanoes divided by a central valley. It's the
second-largest of the Hawaiian islands and the most developed of
the Neighbor Islands. It's renowned for its fine beaches and
some of the world's best windsurfing and surf spots.
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Oahu
Oahu is home to Honolulu, the biggest city in Hawaii;
Waikiki, the Pacific's leisure-and-pleasure capital; some of the
world's biggest surf; evocative WWII memorials at Pearl Harbor,
and a relaxed multicultural mix that gives a memorable flavour
to its streetscapes and restaurants.
Away from the main urban areas, there's little to distract
you on the island's makai (ocean side) except for long
tracts of white sand, exhilarating surf, the sweet smell of the
ubiquitous hibiscus and the endless greetings from islanders
shaking their shakas.
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Other Oahu Attractions
Hanauma Bay, in southeastern Oahu, is a wide, sheltered bay
of sapphire-and-turquoise waters set in a rugged volcanic ring.
It has fantastic coral and marine life and wonderful snorkelling,
but it's under environmental pressure from the sheer number of
visitors coming to feed and view the fish. The Nuuanu Pali
Lookout, in the southern Koolau Range, has brilliant views of
the windward coast. This is where Kamehameha the Great routed
Oahu's warriors during his invasion of the island in 1795.
Hawaii's most visited attraction is the USS Arizona Memorial at
Pearl Harbor, north-west of Honolulu, where 1.5 million visitors
come each year to learn about the surprise Japanese attack on
December 7, 1941, and to pay their respects to the 2335 dead US
servicemen.
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Waikiki
The largest tourist destination in Hawaii, Waikiki is a long
stretch of picture-perfect white-sand beach just southeast of
downtown Honolulu. Its shores are lined with swanky high-rise
hotels set against the scenic backdrop of Diamond Head. On any
given day, the tiny area is thronged with package tourists from
Japan and North America: 65,000 of them on average, in addition
to some 25,000 residents. It boasts more than 30,000 hotel
rooms; close to 1000 restaurants, bars and clubs; and more
shops, shams and shysters than anyone cares to count.
If you've come to Hawaii for the luaus, hula lessons and lazy
days on the beach, you'll hit the motherlode in Waikiki. But
independent travellers needn't be discouraged - if you're one of
those with less packagable predilections, you'll be happy to
find activities such as outrigger canoe clubs and Japanese tea
ceremonies to distract you from the masses. And there's always
the natural beauty of the area, with its spectacular orange
sunsets, bath-warm waters and night skies overrun with stars.
The stretch of white sand that runs from the Hilton Hawaiian
Village to Kapiolani Beach Park is commonly called Waikiki
Beach. Although it teems midday with beach boys and betties,
sunrise strolls here are downright meditative. By midmorning,
the surfers, sailors and swimmers begin to amass, and by noon
it's a challenge to get to the water without stepping on
somebody. Fronting the Hilton, Kahanamoku Beach is one of the
calmer swimming areas, ironically named after one of Hawaii's
wildest native sons, Duke Kahanamoku, a local swimmer and surfer
who won the 1912 Olympic 100m freestyle. At the southern end of
Waikiki Beach, boogie boarders cluster at Kapahulu Groin,
delighting onlookers with their daredevil wave riding.
Away from the waves, Kapiolani Park contains the Waikiki
Aquarium, an onshore enclave of marine life at Kapiolani Beach
Park inhabited by flash-back cuttlefish, sling-jawed wrasse,
bearded armourheads and reef sharks; the Honolulu Zoo, which has
a large section devoted to native birds like the Hawaiian goose
(nene) and the forest-dwelling apapane; a bandstand, and hula
show grounds. It's at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki and was a
gift to the Hawaiian people from their last king, David Kalakaua.
Waikiki's Hawaiian-style entertainment ranges from Polynesian
extravaganzas, with beating drums and hula dancers, to mellow
duos jamming on ukuleles or slack-key guitars. Duke's Canoe
Club is the most popular venue for contemporary Hawaiian
music, while any of the big resorts can provide you with the
other stuff. The area around the hotels is the best place to
look for nightclubs and bars. Honolulu's gay scene is focused on
the venues along Kuhio Ave between Kalaimoku and Kaiolu Sts.
Waikiki has a rhythm and pace that will attract nightowls and
singles who like to recover from their hangovers on a decent
city beach. The Moorish, pink-turreted Royal Hawaiian Hotel is a
survivor from the days when Rudolph Valentino was a romantic
idol and people came to Hawaii by luxury liner. South-east of
the city is Diamond Head, a tuff cone and crater formed by a
violent steam explosion. Its high summit forms the backdrop to
Waikiki, and is one of the best-known landmarks in the Pacific.
It has a good hiking trail and there are fantastic panoramic
views from the top.
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Hawaii
Off the Beaten Track
Hulopoe
The sleepy, pineapple-plantation island of Lanai east of
Maui, used to be visited only by hikers and independent
travellers keen to escape the tourist scene on other
islands, but it's rapidly being transformed into an
exclusive resort. Despite the growing number of golf
courses, it's still worth catching the boat from Maui (one
hour) to snorkel at the beautiful, crescent-shaped,
white-sand beach at Hulopoe.
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Kalaupapa Peninsula
The century-old leprosy settlement on Kalaupapa Peninsula
is on the island of Molokai northwest of Maui. Backed by
majestic cliffs and surrounded by water on three sides,
Kalaupapa is both strikingly beautiful and strikingly
lonely. This is where the admired Belgian priest, Father
Damien, worked before succumbing to leprosy himself. The
trip to the peninsula is accessible only by mule, on foot or
by small plane. The peninsula is now a historical park and
all visitors are required to join a guided tour - in itself
an enlightening experience.
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Kiholo Bay
Kiholo Bay, north of Kona on the Big Island, is a
pristine oasis surrounded by lava. A trail runs from the
highway to the bay, passing through arid lava fields. Just
to the north is a lovely, protected inlet fronted by black
sand and palm trees where you may get to swim alongside a
family of giant sea turtles.
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Niihau
This island has been closed to outsiders for so long that
it has earned the nickname 'The Forbidden Island'. No other
place in Hawaii has more successfully turned its back on
change than Niihau, which has no paved roads, no island-wide
electricity and no telephones. The island is a native
Hawaiian reserve, with 230 residents, and it's the only
island where Hawaiian is the primary language. The entire
island, right down to the church, belongs to the
non-Hawaiian Robinson family who run a huge ranch and are
highly protective of the Niihau's isolation. The island is
west of Kauai and accessible only on pricey helicopter
tours.
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Secret Beach
Secret Beach is a gorgeous, 'undiscovered,' golden beach,
backed by cliffs and jungle-like woods. It's popular with
Kauai's 'alternative' community and nude sunbathers. The
beach is near Kalihiwai, on Kauai's northern coast, but it's
hard to find and requires navigating a dirt road and
following a walking trail through jungle growth and ironwood
trees. If you want to get away from it all, it's worth the
effort in summer when swimming and snorkelling conditions
are safe.
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Hawaii
Activities
Hawaii is a fantastic place to enjoy watersports and
recreational activities. Surfing is the king of
sports, and Hawaii is deservedly renowned for its great
waves. Beginners can learn the basics at Waikiki, then
watch the professionals on Oahu's North Shore. Maui has
become a windsurfing mecca, with the top
international windsurfers heading for Hookipa Beach.
Diving is good year-round and there are plenty of
underwater caves, canyons, lava tubes, vertical walls
and sunken ships to explore. Lanai, the sunken volcanic
crater of Molokini, and Oahu and Kauai's northern coasts
are all great diving areas. The Big Island's Kona Coast
offers some of the world's best deep-sea fishing
for Pacific blue marlin, yellowfin tuna and spearfish.
And for those who want to keep their feet on solid
ground, hiking opportunities include trails in
the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Haleakala National
Park and Hawaii's premier hike along Kauai's Na Pali
Coast.
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Hawaii
History
The first Polynesians, believed to be from the
Marquesas, settled on this island chain some time
between 500 and 600 AD. They lived a rather peaceful
life until, in 1000 AD, the Tahitians arrived and
introduced their customs, religion and a strict
social order. The first known Westerner to visit the
islands was British explorer Captain James Cook, who
arrived in 1778. Cook named the Hawaiian archipelago
the Sandwich Islands, in honor of the Earl of
Sandwich. At first, Cook was heralded as the
legendary Lono, god of fertility and peace, but a
freakish turn of events led to his fatal stabbing at
Kealakekau Bay on the Big Island.
A witness to Cook's slaying was a fierce warrior,
known as King Kamehameha or Kamehameha the Great,
who was to unify the Hawaiian islands and establish
the Hawaiian monarchy. Kamehameha engaged in
lucrative trade with American sea captains
interested in Hawaii's sandalwood forests. As more
ships found their way to this new port of call, a
foreign presence began to establish itself on
Hawaiian shores. In the 1820s, Yankee whaling ships
began calling on Hawaiian ports in search of wine,
women and song, and for the next 50 years Hawaii was
the centre of the Pacific whaling industry, bringing
big money to the islands. The social excesses of the
whalers were curtailed by the presence of Christian
missionaries who befriended the Hawaiian royalty and
introduced more 'refined' Western social mores.
In the mid-1800s, descendants of the missionaries
established Hawaii's sugar industry. The declining
native population meant plantation owners soon began
to look overseas for a labour supply. Labourers were
recruited from China, then Japan, Portugal, Puerto
Rico, Korea and finally from the Philippines. As
Hawaii's sugar industry grew, the USA became more
integral in the affairs of the Hawaiian islands. As
a means of eliminating tariffs, the plantation
owners announced a provisional government which
eventually led to the overthrow of the monarchy and
the establishing of Hawaii as a territory of the USA
in 1900.
Hawaii's importance to the USA grew as the US
Navy established a huge military base at Pearl
Harbor. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on
December 7, 1941, was the pivotal event that
persuaded the USA to enter WWII. After the war,
opinion polls showed that more than 90% of Hawaiian
residents favoured US statehood. On August 21, 1959,
Hawaii became the 50th state of the USA.
The following years saw the development of Hawaii
as a major tourist destination with numerous
resorts, golf courses and shopping centres being
built. To combat the increasing development, a
number of state parks, wilderness sanctuaries and
marine reserves have been established. In the 1970s,
a Hawaiian cultural renaissance reasserted local
cultural values in the face of tourist-brochure
parodies.
In the past few years, sovereignty has become a
key political issue. While some Hawaiian groups
favour the restoration of the monarchy, other native
groups are calling for a Hawaiian nation within the
USA and the return of crown lands taken during
annexation. In November 1993, US President Bill
Clinton signed a resolution apologising for the
overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom 100 years earlier.
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Hawaii
Environment
The US state of Hawaii lies 2367km (1470mi)
north of the equator and 4025km (2500mi)
southwest of the nearest continental land mass,
North America. The six main islands are part of
a 128-island archipelago stretching 2452km
(1523mi) from Kure Atoll in the northwest to the
Big Island in the southwest. The main islands
include Oahu, and the Neighbor Islands of Maui,
Kauai, the Big Island (Hawaii), Molokai and
Lanai.
The islands are the tips of massive
mountains, created by a crack in the earth's
mantle which has been spewing molten rock for 25
million years. The Big Island, Hawaii's
southernmost, is still in the birthing process.
Its most active volcano, Kilauea, has pumped out
more than two billion cubic yards of lava in the
past 12 years.
The native flora and fauna species of these
isolated islands evolved with limited
competition and few predators, so has fared
particularly badly against more aggressive
species introduced by early Polynesian settlers
and Westerners. The islands are home to
thousands of species, but of the 2400 native
plant species remaining, almost half are
endangered. It's a happier story in the sea.
Hawaiian monk seals, dolphins and whales are
year-round residents, though it's the huge,
migrating humpback whales that everyone wants to
see. Hawaii has only two national parks - Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park and Haleakala National
Park.
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Hawaii
Getting There & Away
Honolulu International Airport (HNL), on
the island of Oahu, is a major Pacific hub
and an intermediate stop on many flights
between the US mainland and Asia, Australia,
New Zealand and the South Pacific. There's a
6.00 departure tax
on all international flights. If you insist
on arriving by sea, the QE II stops in
Hawaii in January on its annual world
cruise.
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Getting Around
Inter-island flights are plentiful
between Honolulu (Oahu) and airports at
Lihue (Kauai), Kahului (Maui), Kona and Hilo
(Big Island). The main carriers are Aloha
Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines; commuter
services are run by Island Air and Air
Molokai. There are inter-island ferries
between Lahaina (Maui) and Manele (Lanai),
and Lahaina and Kaunakakai (Molokai).
Oahu has a comprehensive bus system,
making the island easy to explore by public
transport. It will be necessary to hire a
car to fully explore the other main islands.
Folks in Hawaii drive on the right-hand side
of the road and consider horn honking
extremely rude unless required for safety.
Cycling is a legitimate way of getting
around but be prepared for hefty climbs and
narrow, traffic-clogged roads.
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