Hawaii Vacation

There is a piece of paradise that awaits you and it doesn’t require a passport for entry. In fact, you don’t have to travel outside the U.S. to enjoy it, but once arrive; you will feel as if you are worlds away from the Mainland.

Hawaii is a unique destination for a number of reasons: year-around warm climate, its culture, its diversity, its landscape, the fact that it is the youngest state in the Union (admitted in 1959), its location (center of the Pacific), and of course, its beaches.

There are four major islands that beckon tourists yearly, and those islands happen to be as diverse as the residents who live there, and the visitors who visit. After your first taste of the “Aloha Experience”, you may ask yourself, why limit your time to only one island.

Oahu

Perhaps the best known island, Oahu is home to Honolulu, the state’s capital. Don’t let the thought of a metropolitan city fool you; Oahu is pure island. Where else but on Oahu can you surf (or learn to) on the famous Waikiki Beach, or watch the pros handle the waves at Ehukai Beach Park, on the North Shore, home to the famous Banazi Pipeland.

Explore: Hike Diamondhead Crater, perhaps one of the best known landmarks on the island. The trail, around less than a mile, offers breathtaking views. Go early before the heat of the day catches up with you.

Can’t Miss: The USS Arizona Memorial (www.arizonamemorial.org) at Pearl Harbor is a stark reminder about the day that would “forever live in infamy”. December 7, 1941, the day Japan forces attacked the USS Arizona, thus launching American into World War II.

Hawaiian Experience: Take a tour of Dole Plantation (808-621-8404; www.dole-plantation.com). If you are looking for a unique, made in Hawaii souvenir, visit an ABC Store (www.abcstores.com). It’s a combination of a drug store/souvenir store, and while there are two on the Mainland, in Vegas, you can’t visit the Hawaii Islands without walking through this store.

Enjoy a luau – from one of the most authentic at the Polynesian Cultural Center (800-367-7060; www.polynesia.com) to other popular ones at various hotels, such as Royal Hawaiian (808-922-4422; www.royal-hawaiian.com)

Oahu offers so much, and more information about the island and activities can be found at www.visit-oahu.com .

Kauai

If you are more of the outdoorsy type and enjoy rugged beauty, the island of Kauai, referred to as the “Garden Island”, is the destination for you. The oldest, and basically the least populated of the inhabited islands, it is a definite get-away-from-it-all kind of place. Explore Koloa Heritage Trail (www.koloaheritagetrail.info) on the South Shore; or experience a slice of old Hawaii in Hanapepe and Hanalei.

Scenic Views: Discover the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific” – Waimea Canyon, measuring about 10 miles long, 2 miles wide, and 3,600 feet deep. If you are an avid hiker, Koke’e State Park offers 45 different hiking trails, with a few that lead to Waimea Canyon and various lookouts.

Perhaps one of the most beautiful places in Kauai is Na Pali Coast. If you are an extreme hiker and enjoy obstacles, you might can complete the 11-mile (one way) Kalalau Trail; however many choose to only hike the two miles to Hanakapiai Beach. To see the entire coast, consider some sort of an ocean tour, such as boat tours (Kauai Sea Tours 800-733-7997 www.kauaiseatours.com; Na Pali Explorer 877-335-9909 www.napali-explorer.com).

Hit the Beaches: Kauai offers some of the best beaches of all the islands. With over 40 beaches, you won’t have a problem finding one. Some of them are suitable for everyone, some are too rough to even put your toe in, and some are great for water sports – surfing, snorkeling, and scuba diving. The most popular beach on the island is Poipu Beach, on the south side. It’s somewhat an adventure to get there, but Mahaulepu Beach is great place to go walking and exploring.

In the Movies: The Island’s picturesque beauty has captured the attention of many Hollywood producers. Over fifty movies and a few television shows have been filmed somewhere on the island. The list includes Jurassic Park, Honeymoon in Vegas, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Thorn Birds, and Fantasy Island. Hawaii Movie Tour (800-628-8432; www.hawaiimovietour.com) not only takes you to the locations, but provides details about the stars that were there.

Kauai is a short, twenty-five minute flight from Honolulu on Aloha, Hawaiian, or Island Air. Find out more about what awaits you on at www.kauaidiscovery.com, or www.kauai-hawaii.com .

Maui

There is not a travel top ten or twenty list out there that does not have some sort of reference to Maui. This island offers something for everyone – whether it’s staying and playing in the exclusive resort area of Wailea; or exploring the “old towns” of Lahaina and Kaanapali – you are sure to find your dream vacation in Maui.

Road Trip: The Road to Hana (www.hanamaui.com) is not for the faint of heart. This 68-mile heart stopping drive that includes numerous tight curves and one-lane bridges offers some of the most breathtaking views and scenery along Maui’s tropical forest. Remember, it is not all about the drive; it is about what you see along the way. You will have opportunities to stop and explore the area.

I am a Whale Watcher: From mid-December through mid-May, Maui is “home” to some special visitors, the humpback whales, journeying from Alaska to Maui, in search of warmer waters. There are ample opportunities to view these creatures up close. You can choose from a cruise type tour, such as Maui Princess Cruises (877-500-6284; www.mauiprincess.com), or Pacific Whale Foundation (808-249-8811; www.pacificwhale.org); or if you are the adventurous type and want to really get close, consider a hard-bottom raft, offered by both Captain Steve’s Rafting (www.captainsteves.com) and Barefoot Hawaii (www.tombarefoot.com) .

Sunrises, Craters, Oh My: Haleakala is Maui’s largest attraction – size and activity wise. This dormant volcano stands slightly over 10,000 feet, and IS the spot to watch at least one Maui sunrise. But be prepared because the tours from hotels and outfitters, such as Ekahi Tours (www.ekhai.com) leave very early, as in 2:30-ish in the morning, but breakfast is included. Later that morning, you can still explore Haleakala by hiking one of its trails; however, visit the national park’s site, www.haleakala.national-park.com, to become familiar with the different trails and what you need to know before you hike. Don’t want to hike? You can take a horseback ride (PonyExpress Tours 808-667-2200 www.ponyexpresstours.com; Haleakala on Horseback 808- 871-0990 www.haleakalaonhorseback.com) into the crater, or bike down the volcano (Maui Mountain Cruisers 800-232-6284 www.mauimountaincruisers.com; Aloha Bike Tour 800-749-1564 www.mauibike.com).

Past and Present: Learn about the island’s sugar cane train aboard the Sugar Cane Train (800-499-2307; http://sugarcanetrain.com), during a six-minute journey from Lahania to Kannapali. Hop aboard the Tropical Tram at for a behind-the-scene tour of Maui Tropical Plantation’s (800-451-6805; www.mauitropicalplantation.com) sixty acres of a little of everything that the Hawaiian Islands are known for: macadamia nuts, sugar cane, coffee, and more.

Take a Day Trip: Lana’i and Moloka’i just might be Hawaii’s best kept secrets. These smaller islands are a ferry boat trip away from Maui. Lana’i (www.lanai-hawaii.com) was once home to the world’s largest pineapple plantation established on the island around 1922 by Dole. Production of pineapple have changed over the decades, and while Lana’i is fondly remembered as the “Pineapple Isle”, today you can enjoy secluded beaches, trails, gardens, and an old village. Moloka’i (www.visitmolokai.com; www.molokai-hawaii.com) may be the only authentic Hawaiian Island in the chain, that is, the island population is heavily made up “true” Hawaiians. You come here to escape. Of course there are beaches, ample water sports, and other outdoor activities – but don’t expect the island to be filled with tourists. Another unique gem in Moloka’i history is Kalaupapa National Historical Park (www.nps.gov/kala), which was once used to remove indigenous people from the island, and later it was used as isolation for leoparsy victims. Today, the park is not open to the public; however it is open to tour guides, Damien Tours and Molokai Mule Ride (800-567-7550; www.muleride.com).

Lana’i is a 45-minute ferry boat ride on Expeditions Lahania-Lana’i Ferry (800-695-2624; www.go-lanai.com). Moloka’i is a 90-minute ferry boat ride on either the Maui or Molokai Princess (866-307-6524; www.molokaiferry.com).

As for Maui, more can be learned at www.visitmaui.com .

Big Island

Big Island is, well, big, and thanks to one active volcano, the island is still growing. It is hard to believe that this large island is the youngest one of all in the Hawaiian Island chain. It’s also extremely diverse, from volcanoes to snow capped mountains to waterfalls to colorful beaches (look for green and black sand beaches) – there is not another island quite like this one. Be sure to visit Waimea, Hawaii’s own cattle country, and the historic town of Hilo.

See Stars: Standing about 14,000 feet above sea level, Mauna Kea (an extinct volcano) is one of the world’s tallest mountains. Primarily it is its elevation, in addition to its location away from the city lights that allows it to be the best place in world for a little star gazing. Tours into this nightly adventure are offered by such outfits as Mauna Kea Summit Adventures (888-322-2366; www.maunakea.com) and Arnott’s Lodge and Hiking Adventure (808-969-7097; www.arnottslodge.com).

Wait, is that Snow: Yes, it does snow in Hawaii. During the winter months, it can snow on both Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa (still active, it’s the second tallest volcano on the island). You can actually go snow skiing on Mauna Kea, the best time being February - March. Talk about paradise! Where else in the U.S. can you visit, and get to surf and snow ski in the same day?

When in Kona: Coffee is to Hawaii as wine is to California; and just like the Napa Valley, where a good percentage of grapes are grown, an abundant of coffee beans can be found in Kona (hence the name – Kona coffee). Many of these plantation are open for tours, and for java lovers, the best part is that you get to sample the coffee. Check out such places as Holualoa Kona Coffee Company - Kona Le`a Plantation (800-334-0348; www.konalea.com), UCC-Hawaii (888-822-5662; www.ucc-hawaii.com), Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation (888-414-5662; www.mountainthunder.com), Bay View Farm (800-662-5880; www.bayviewfarmcoffees.com) for information on their tours.

Looking at Lava: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is not only home to Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, but also to the Big Island’s currently active volcano, Kilaula. You can both hike and drive to explore the area around this natural wonder. You can look down on Kilaula for a one-of-a-kind view from an air tour, such as Island Hoppers (800- 538-7590; www.fly-hawaii.com/above).

SIDEBAR

What You Need to Know Before You Go:

Getting There: There is good news and bad news. Good news is that most major air carriers fly to the larger islands of Hawaii, such as Big Island, Oahu, and Maui. Some offer direct flights; others you might have to connect in Los Angeles or San Francisco.

Island Hopping: If you have time to explore other islands, Hawaiian Airlines (www.hawaiianair.com), Aloha Airlines (www.alohaairlines.com), and Island Air (www.islandair.com) have a number of flights to the other islands.

Telling Time: Hawaii Standard Time is six hours behind Eastern Time Zone.

When to Visit: To avoid crowds, off season tends to be April – May, and mid-September – November. If you like crowds, high season runs mid-December to March, and the summer months.

For more information: Visit Hawaii’s tourism website, www.gohawaii.com .

If you are looking for Tee Times, check out our sister site for Discount Golf in Hawaii

One of the most overlooked things to do it the Hawaii Duck Tour

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