Affordable Luxury Hawaii Travel: Hawaiian Islands

Your Hawaii vacation can be on any one, or more, of the main islands and there are literally hundreds of options available. Don't worry, we'll find out what you need, want and would like and recommend places that will best suit you and your travel party.

ABOUT the ISLANDS of HAWAII

Hawaii is the location of some of the finest beaches in the United States, each unique in its size, shape and colors and with clean, clear and warm waters. Some of the world’s best surfing and watersport opportunities are offered here.

The state of Hawaii includes approximately 130 islands in the Pacific Ocean, many of which are uninhabited. The islands lie about 1,600 miles (2,600km) off the coast of mainland USA.The largest island, Hawaii, is known imaginatively as the Big Island, but the state capital, Honolulu, and most of the population is located on the much smaller island of Oahu, which was the first tourist destination. The other main islands are Maui, Molokai and Kauai. Among them, the islands boast an amazingly diverse geography, providing endless recreation opportunities, from snowboarding on mountain summits, to hiking through rainforests and diving with our tropical marine life. The possibilities offered by a Hawaiian holiday are limited only by the boundaries of the imagination.

The rich Polynesian and Hawaiian cultures have absorbed interesting elements from both Asia and Europe, adding them to the creation of a fascinating mix. Visitors can see Polynesian relics and enjoy modern recreations, and can't help but soak up as some of the ‘Mana’ (spiritual power) given to the islands, by their legendary gods and goddesses.

Hawaii’s most well known nightlife is centered around traditional luaus, which visitors experience wearing leis and dancing hula.

KAUAI

The main attractions on Kauai, the oldest and northernmost of the inhabited Hawaiian islands, are its natural beauty, the unassuming lifestyle of the people, and the huge selection of activities available on this very small island. Kauai has an abundance of rainbows and lush vegetation that have earned it the name ‘the Garden Island’.

Kauai is popular with visitors, yet tourism development is concentrated only in a few prime locations: Princeville on the north coast, Poipu on the south, and Kapaa/Wailua on the east. The islands residents live a laid back and friendly lifestyle.

The wettest spot on earth is said to be Kauai’s Mount Waialeale, with an average rainfall of 485 inches per year. This has resulted in the Alakai Swamp, the highest swamp in the world, and the Waimea River, the longest river in the Hawaiian Islands.

Visitors who explore Kauai’s raw wilderness are well rewarded with some of the best scenery anywhere including: pristine beaches and marvellous natural wonders like Waimea Canyon, covering 14 miles (23km) on the west side, and the spectacular NaPali Coast, now considered inaccessible, but once home to the ancient Hawaiians.

There are also restored historic sites to explore, like the Alekoko Fishpond near Nawiliwili Harbour on the southeast coast, regarded as an engineering wonder of ancient times, and Heiau, like the one above Wailua River.

Kauai was the first of the Hawaiian Islands to be discovered by English explorer Captain James Cook in 1778, when he landed at Waimea, on Kauai’s southwest coast. There is evidence, however, that he was not the first European in Hawaii; some Spanish sailors may have paid a visit about a century earlier.

OAHU

Oahu, the gathering place, is only the third largest of the inhabited Hawaiian islands, yet it is home to nearly three-quarters of the state’s residents, most of them living in the modern capital city, Honolulu, and its adjacent beach resort suburb of Waikiki, on the south coast of the island.

Beyond the urban bustle of the south and off the highways, Oahu is quiet and enchanting, with 23 state parks and several ancient stone heiau (temples). The country, along the north shore and approaching it from the east, and through the central agricultural land is completely different from the hectic city.

The island’s most recognizable landmark is the 761ft tall Diamond Head to the east of Waikiki, formed 100,000 years ago when an eruption of volcanic ash hardened into solid rock.

The island lives up to its nickname as the Gathering Place not only in population and visitors, but also with its ethnic diversity, which becomes evident at a glance of the annual festival calendar. From the Chinese New Year in late January to King Kamehameha Day in June and the Aloha Festivals in September, there is barely a dull moment and there is always a reason to celebrate in Oahu.

MOLOKAI

The tiny Hawaiian island of Molokai has been called the ‘island that the world has left behind’. Largely untouched by tourism and development to date, there are no highrise buildings, no traffic lights, and no fast food outlets.

Molokai also enjoys the diversity which characterizes each of the islands. It is so small that you can drive from tip to tip in a couple of hours. Yet, this largely untouched paradise has Hawaii’s longest white sand beach, as well as black sand stretches; the only barrier reef north of Australia; a lowland desert, some rain forests and ancient Hawaiian heiau (temple).

The island was once a place of refuge for those who violated the Hawaiian kapu (taboo) system, and many visitors are drawn by the mana (spiritual power) that still seems to infuse this naturally beautiful spot. The peninsula Of Kalaupapa itself used to be a leper colony in the mid-19th century, and some sufferers of the ailment continue to live there out of choice. Hawaii's first saint,Saint Damien, cared for the sick, and built them a church, schools and factory before dying of the disease himself at only 49. There is a popular tour of the Kalaupapa area by Mule. East of the Kalaupapa peninsula, to the north of the island, is the world’s highest seacliff, Kahiwa Falls.

Molokai’s main claim to fame, however, is as the place where the famous Hawaiian hula dance was born. Each May, a hula festival is held in Papohaku Beach Park, in honour of the dance and its birth on Molokai.

MAUI

Maui, named for a Polynesian god, is a magical place from the top of its dormant Haleakala volcano crater, to its lush rain forests, its pristine beaches, its abundance of beautiful tropical fish, and as the homme of some of the best resorts and spas in the world. Maui is said to be as close to paradise as it is possible to get. One popular resort calls itself "the place where Heaven and Aloha meet". There is no denying its special charm.

Originally six volcanoes created a single landmass that separated to become the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe. Maui's two most distinctive features are the Haleakala crater (the name means ‘house of the sun’), which is the largest dormant volcano in the world, and the underwater valleys that connect Maui with its sister islands in the surrounding ocean, providing shelter for an abundance of marine life.

The island’s main business center is the town of Kahului/Wailuku. The major resort areas are set apart. The first resort is in the west, concentrated in Ka’anapali and the historic whaling town of Lahaina. In south Maui another newer resort district has been built in the exclusive town of Wailea. Along the main road in Kihei many condominiums are available for rent. The north shore is quieter without large hotels, only bed and breakfast establishments providing a quiet, relaxing break. The island offers several points of cultural and natural interest worth exploring, over and above its beautiful beaches and underwater wonderland. It is home to many artists, and so is an art collector's haven.

BIG ISLAND of HAWAII

The youngest and largest of the Hawaiian Islands, the island of Hawaii (known as Big Island to avoid confusion) has twelve distinct climatic zones, ranging from tropical rain forests in the east to the frozen tundra atop Mauna Kea and the arid desert of Ka’u in the south. This diversity makes Hawaii’s Big Island unrivalled as a pleasure ground for active vacationers. The island’s resorts and attractions offer every type of outdoor activity imaginable. There are two active volcanoes, with Kilauea Caldera being the longest continuously erupting volcano in the world, still actively erupting since 1983, while Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984. Of the three other volcanoes on the island two, Mauna Kea and Kohala, are extinct, while Hualalai is considered to be dormant. All this volcanic action has created beach sand colors ranging from white to red, black and even green.

This diversity is also apparent in the three distinct visitor areas: Kona on the west, a thriving artistic community with numerous water activities and world class sport fishing, Waikoloa on the north west with is white sandy beaches and luxurious resorts, and Hilo on the east side just safely north of the active volcano and the Volcano National Park.

Together with the diverse ecosystems of Big Island, is the rich culture. On the coast you can dance the hula at an authentic luau feast, while upcountry you will find a blend of Portuguese and Mexican culture, combined with Hawaiian tradition among the ‘Paniolos’ (cowboys) on the giant cattle ranches.

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(site last updated June 9, 2010)