the hawaiian islands
° Hawaii ° Kauai ° Maui ° Oahu ° Environmental Stuff
The state of Hawaii is comprised of hundreds of islands spread throughout the Pacific with the most-known and most visited being Hawaii (The Big Island . . . and still growing through lava flow from Mauna Kea), Kauai, Maui, Oahi and the smaller Molokai (once a leper colony), Lanai and Ni'ihau.
There's much to do, or you can opt for sitting poolside and watching the light change. I have been to the various islands more than six times and my daughter's first plane ride was from San Francisco to Maui for her seventh birthday. It is a fantastic place for children because of the swimming, walking, beach activities, great food, safety of the Islands in general . . . although you do have to watch out for undertows in the ocean AND in some of the bays.
Kauai
Kauai is the island I most remember after visits because of its perfumed air. Fragrances from jasmine, pikaki, plumeria and flowers I don't recognize waft on tropical breezes. From the soaring cliffs of the Napali Coast to the vast chasms of Waimea Canyon, Kauai enchants the senses like no other island.
Plunging ravines. Cascading waterfalls. Unforgettable cliffs, canyons, beaches, and bays. You can do nothing on beaches, snorkel, kayak (as you can do on all the islands, but with a guide or as an expert — those waters are dynamic), hike up Waimea Canyon for stunning views of the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific”
* Take a helicopter ride along the 3000-foot cliffs of the Napali coast
* Kayak down the Wailua River. Kauai has the only navigable rivers in Hawaii.
Maui
Watch a humpback whale breach the sea. Tee off at a championship golf course. Voted “Best Pacific Island,” by readers of Conde Naste Traveler, Maui does not disappoint.
From the summit of Haleakala Crater to the shore of Big Beach in Makena, Maui has a breadth of exhilarating outdoor sights, activities, and entertainment for every visitor.
Favorite outings were watching the sunrise atop the 10,000-foot Haleakala Crater and driving the Hana highway. Our favorite town is Lahaina, which was an old whaling village.
Oahu is probably the most modern city with its high-rises, but it still features the natural beauty of all of the Hawaiian Islands. You can hike through lush mountainsides, feast at a luau under a skyfull of stars, dine at five-star restaurants, sunbathe all day on the North Shore (don't forget your sunscreen), then dance all night in Waikiki. This is also the best place to take a surfing lesson — Waikiki Beach — or watch world-class surfers charge the big waves on the North Shore.
Waikiki is also the resting place of the USS Arizona with a Memorial at Pearl Harbor.
Reading departure signs in some big airport