A holiday in Hawaii is the perfect blend of tropical island getaway and Big City America lifestyle and vibe. Your first gift on your Hawaii holiday will be a lei strung round your neck by a cheerful smiling Hawaiian. A symbol of welcome and the lush tropical flora, this simple gift demonstrates all that is Hawaiian; friendly, warm and welcoming.
Hawaii is among the most popular holiday destinations in the world and welcomes over 6 million visitors a year. The reasons are obvious; endless sandy beaches, exclusive resort enclaves, huge surf, lava moonscapes and lush mountain scenery. From a vibrant city pace to a laidback rural way of life Hawaii truly has a holiday offering for everyone.
Most visitors arrive in Honolulu, on Oahu, to experience the iconic Waikiki, Pearl Harbour and Sunset Beach. Unlike the other islands, Oahu is highly developed and carries all the infrastructure of a modern urban setting. Holidaymakers tend to gravitate to Waikiki and it’s a bustling, lively and densely populated centre. The beach is a magnet for the active and passive, is often crowded and hemmed in by hotels and glitzy malls. For the real unspoiled Hawaii, try moving inland, or go to one of the Neighbour Islands.
For a hit of geographic diversity the Big Island has it all. Hawaii’s tallest mountain, often snow capped, steep coastal cliffs, thunderous waterfalls and bleak lava fields are just some of the scenic attractions.
Maui has evolved into the discerning holidaymaker’s destination of choice, with busy tourist resorts of West Maui counterpointed by the serene uplands and east coast. An idyllic destination for so many reasons, Maui threatens to overtake Oahu in popularity with travellers.
Lesser visited Molokai is Hawaii’s food bowl, with fruit plantations side-by-side with cattle ranches on rich, lush and very fertile soils.
Once a private island devoted to pineapple plantations, today Lanai is home to ultra-luxury resorts and private holiday homes and Kauai, the Garden Island, is so picturesque it’s featured in many international bestseller movies.
Hawaii fun facts
Hawaii is the only US state that grows coffee beans
The Hawaiian alphabet comprises only twelve letters, vowels A,E,I,O,U and consonants H,K,L,M,P,W
Haleakala Crater on Maui is the world’s largest dormant volcano
Welcome to Isle of Pines
Saturday 23rd April 2011
Travel Counsellor: Charlene Reid
Isle of Pines was dramatically formed by a series of volcanic upheavals and is truly beautiful. We both headed up on board to watch us get closer as the ship anchored. The day started off as a bit grey and gloomy and not as tropical as one would hope but we were still keen to get off and step onto the beautiful white sand beaches Isle of Pines had to offer.
We arrived around 10am via tender boat and were greeted by a French Polynesian song and dance by the locals. The first thing we spotted was the stand where you could get your passport stamped for $2 AUD or $200 French Pacific Franc. It was a must do for us.
Carrying on to explore what the island had to offer, we browsed past most of the stalls and headed over to the best spot for snorkeling, we found a rare vacancy in the bank to leave our stuff and headed straight for the water. The water took us by surprise with being a little chiller than first thought and was extremely salty, which worked to my benefit as it helped me... view full story
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