| Why Hawaii Holidays?
This warm, sunny collection of tropical islands, with spectacular
beaches, stunning [literally] waves and magnificent volcanic landscapes is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world.
Excellent for marine activities, especially surfing but also coral snorkeling or diving, the Hawaiian islands also offer fantastic drives, superb hiking, excellent river kayaking and horse
riding, first-class golf - and there are no deadly land animals to stumble across [apart from the occasional demented surfer].
Humpback whales seem to like the islands too, especially round Maui.
Culturally the islands are an East-meets-West scenario with great American cuisine as well as a lot of Asian influence, so Hawaii food can be superb if you look for it,
though America dominates and Big Macs still get everywhere.
Hawaii Weather:
Generally warm, gentle weather [averaging 20C - 28C {68F - 82F} along coastal regions] and warm waters [ 23C - 27C {74F-80F}] all year around, with plenty of sunshine.
April to September is the dry season while August and September are the hottest months [daytime temperatures over 30C {86F}].
October to March is the wet season but the rain usually comes only in short heavy bursts; December and January are the coolest months.
Best Hawaii vacation months:
This will depends on a tourist's activity plans but...
- For surfing winter is the best time with big surf and big surfing competitions.
- For a less crowded, less pricey, good weather
holiday try March-May, September-November, though the Japanese visitors love Hawaii in Golden Week [the end of April to the beginning of May].
- The worst months are arguably the second half of December [prices, crowds and some rain], July, August [crowds and heat].
Best island region? Due to the trade winds rain falls more frequently on the north and east sides of the islands which are consequently covered by tropical forests, while the southwestern coasts are sunnier, hotter and drier.
Downsides:
- Hawaii is 2,563 miles [4125 kms] from the USA mainland, so be ready for a long flight.
- Local beach boys can be brutal about what they consider to be
their spot on the beach or their line in the surf. Stay away
from them, they tend to be heavily muscled and tourist-unfriendly.
- You may have trouble escaping from other travellers, particularly
invading hordes of Japanese busy shooting each other, digitally, particularly on oversold Waikiki beach, Oahu.
Best of the Hawaiian Islands:
Best islands for all inclusive resorts: Big Island and Maui.
Best for hotels: Oahu and Maui.
Best for family condos: Maui and Kauai.
Best for luxury: Lanai [private island], Maui, Big Island.
Best for budget: Oahu and Maui.
Best beaches and sunshine: Maui, Oahu, Big Island.
Best island restaurants: Oahu, Maui, Kauai.
Best for kid's stuff: Oahu, Maui, Big Island.
Most diverse landscapes: Big Island, Maui, Kauai.
Best for hiking: Kauai, Maui, Big Island.
Best for tropical jungle flora and fauna: Kauai, Maui.
Best for nightlife: Oahu, Maui.
Best for romance: Kauai, Big Island, Maui.
Best for snorkeling and scuba: Maui, Big Island, Oahu.
Best for surfing: Oahu, Maui.
Best for whale watching: Maui, Big Island, Kauai.
Maui Travel | Maui Pictures
Kaanapali Beach, Maui island
Oahu Travel | Oahu Pictures
Hanauma Bay, Oahu.
Big Island Travel | Big Island Pictures
A Green Turtle on Punalu'u Beach, Big Island
Photo by Mila Zinkova
Kauai Travel [Kaua'i] | Kauai Pictures
One of many dramatic views from Kauai's Kalalau Trail.
Photo by GH5046
Molokai and Lanai Travel Guides
The Garden of the Gods, Lanai
Things to do in Hawaii:
The islands are very similar climatically and geographically; the main difference is the amount of development, number of tourists, volcanic activity and the quality of beaches and size of waves, though Kauai usually gets more rain than the other islands.
North Shore, Oahu.
Hawaii's best beaches
Beaches; it not all about surf! some of the best beaches in the world can be found here and Hawaii has huge choices from the world-famous surfing mecca of North Shore on Oahu, to the picture perfect Hanalei Beach in Kauai; you can even hike to a unique green sand beach on Big Island.
Surfing: the
best place in the world to surf for variety and consistency, monster
to tube, with year round rideable waves in warm to mild conditions.
Oahu Island's North Shore Waimea Bay has the biggest waves you can just about keep
up with. 20' - 30' plus, but wipe out and the reef could tear you
apart. Surf Hawaii during winter, October to April, and you've got big kahunas for sure.
Also in Oahu smooth breaking tubes are found at Banzai Pipeline
and regular excellent surf at Sunset Beach.
Windsurfing: no shortage of
wind and waves just about everywhere, but Maui's Hookipa is for
the pro's, while Oahu's Lanikai, Kauai's Hanalei Bay Beach, Big
Island's Anaehoomalu Beach and other beaches in Maui are usually
great for amateurs.
Snorkelling: summer is best to avoid
the surf conditions on many beaches. Hanauma Bay in Oahu and the
Kona coastline of Big Island, especially Kealakekua Bay, or Molokini Beach of Maui, and Kauai's Ke'e Beach are very good.
Deep Sea Fishing: many good
sites but Big Island's Kona resort area is world famous.
Scuba: all sorts of weird subsurface
formations, coral and sunken ships. Try especially Kauai's north
coast, around Oahu and Lanai.
Hiking: humid
forests, Na Pali and Waimea Canyon, Kauai; Waipio Valley, Hawaii Volcanoes
National Park and Kohala Mountains, Hawaii; Haleakala National Park,
Maui.
Whale
Watching: songful
Humpback whales, around Maui in particular.
Safety:
Surf Turf: serious
surfers play here, respect their safety and yours by avoiding their
patch of water and particularly their 'line'.
Drowning: people drown here
regularly due to underestimating the power of the waves. Better to surf another day or on a quieter beach than
get in too deep and take on waves you can't handle.
Learn to recognise the surface signs of rip currents; ask locals
about undertow and where coral reefs are waiting to cut you up.
Festivals:
Early April,
Merrie Monarch Festival, Hilo, Big Island, an annual week long hula
competition with a parade, concerts. 11th June, Kamehameha Day Celebration and Kamehameha Festival, Moku Ola [Coconut Island], Hilo, Big Island as well as North Kohala, the King's birthplace.
October,
Iron Man Triathlon, Cilia, Big Island
September, Aloha Week, parades, races,
music etc.
December, Triple Crown Surfing, North Shore, Oahu.
Cheap Flights to Hawaii?
We can't quote prices for Hawaii flight deals or packages but one thing is very clear about getting to this delightful but distant USA state...Fly from/via Los Angeles! Any other route is very expensive.
A few Hawaii facts:
The Hawaiian Islands are the tops of the world's highest mountain range, with Mauna Kea peaking at 33,000ft, though 20,000 of that is below the surface of the sea.
- The islands were first settled via WWW, wind, waves and wings [bird's brought seeds], but human Polynesians got there by travelling in traditional twin-hull canoes.
- In 1778 British Captain Cook stumbled upon the islands as he was searching for the Northwest Passage between Alaska and Asia. He called them the Sandwich Islands , because they were yummy.
- Cook's log describes local people 'riding the ocean's waves on wooden boards', the world's first written description of surfing.
- In 1810 the islands were united for the first time by King Kamehameha I [with a little help from his foreign friends and their advanced weaponry]
- From 1817 to 1853 the Russians under Tsar Alexander I controlled a good part of Kauai island with three forts.
- The French arrived in 1839, King Kamehameha III's era, demanding that Catholics had full religious rights. After 10 years of squabbling and broken agreements the French captured Honolulu and its fort in an orgy of destruction, leaving shortly afterwards as it was time for lunch.
- In February 1843 the British Royal Navy rolled up and demanded that Hawaii should be British Crown territory. King Kamehameha III stepped down under protest, but after various heated discussions the territory was returned to King Kamehameha in July 1843.
- In the 1850s during the California Gold Rush it was cheaper to ship laundry for cleaning to Hawaii than send it to San Francisco.
- In 1875 Hawai ceded Pearl Harbor and Ford Island to United States of America in exchange for the right to export sugarcane and rice to the USA duty-free under the Reciprocity Treaty.
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The increase in rice and sugarcane cultivation triggered a need for immigrant help which came first in the form of Chinese, followed by Japanese.
- Serious internal strife became commonplace from 1887, due mainly to the wild ways, inefficiency and careless spending of King David Kalakaua and later his sister Queen Lili'uokalani.
- In 1893 Queen Lili'uokalani planned to introduce a new constitution that was thought might endanger American lives and property, so a group of local foreign residents requested assistance from a company of US Marines and two companies of US sailors, and a Provisional Government of Hawaii was set up. This force majeure triggered the abdication of Queen Lili'uokalani.
-
There were rumblings of wrong-doings in faraway USA, the military commander of US forces in Hawaii resigned and various parties and presidents became for or against re-instating the Hawaiian monarchy.
- However, in 1898 the USA officially annexed the islands as the Territory of Hawaii, and American Imperialism was born.
- December 7, 1941 saw the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese air force and navy, prodding the United States to enter both the Pacific and European war zones.
- March 18, 1959 Hawaii became the 50th US state under President Eisenhower.
Hawaii
Pictures | Hawaii Islands Map | Pacific
Map | Hawaii Best Beaches Guide |
