Hawaii

 

Diamond Head - Oahu

The Hawaiian islands are some of the most photographic places on earth. High mountains, waterfalls, live volcanoes, lush vegetation, and black sand beaches... Hawaii is incredibly beautiful. And it has the most pleasant weather of any resort island in the world, it is never too hot and never cold.

Hawaii waterfalls
Most noticeable is the incredible variety of flowers that are seen almost everywhere on the islands of Hawaii. In addition, Hawaii has the most luxurious resorts, hotels, and restaurants on the planet. See The Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau official Web-site for more information. Also see Hawaii Golf Courses for a complete guide to golf courses in Hawaii.

There are six Hawaiian islands. The island of Maui has been the voted the number one resort island in the world for the fifth year in a row in a reader survey done by Conde' Nast Traveler Magazine (see November 1998 issue). The island of Oahu is the gateway for commerce to the Pacific rim and has some wonderful resorts to enjoy for business travelers. The famous beach Waikiki is located on Oahu, and so is the renowned surfing on the north shore. The largest island is called Hawaii (also The Big Island) and is the location of some spectacular sights including snow capped mountains (yes it snows at higher elevations in Hawaii) and live volcanoes.

Hawaii does not have the extraordinary warm water diving and snorkeling found in the Caribbean and Bahamas. The best way for most to see the underwater world in Hawaii is on Atlantis Submarines. But hard core divers will find the best diving on Maui.

In addition, Hawaii does not have the extraordinary boating and sailing observed in the Caribbean and Bahamas due to huge waves, isolated location, and lack of protected harbors. American Hawaii Cruises is the only ocean-going passenger vessel cruising Hawaii year round.

Travel to Hawaii can be expensive or not so expensive because Hawaii is such a large and diverse resort destination. Many of the resorts listed in this guide are pricey, however, camping is allowed all through the Hawaiian Islands and we have listed some unique low cost alternatives. If you are on a budget, check out Camping and Hiking on the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau Website. And for great adventure at low cost, see Arnott's Lodge, a backpackers paradise offering the only official guide approved by the National Park to provide hiking tours to the lava flow located near Hilo (see The Big Island of Hawaii).

Click on the island of your choice (above) for more detail. Aloha!

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