As the natives (and longtime residents) like to say, there are only two seasons on the Big Island Hawaii: “summer,” between May and October, and “winter,” from October to April. The weather varies dramatically, though,–in terms of precipitation–from west to east. Hilo, on the east, or
“wet” side of Big Island, is the wettest city in the United States.

Big Island Hawaii’s “Kona” coast, (the dry west side), is the most popular destination. It offers accommodations and activities catering to the pure pursuit of FUN! Snorkeling, diving, kayaking and deep-sea fishing being the most popular.

The island is also famous for its volcanoes. Kilauea is the most active volcano in the world. At times you can Watch lava flowing across the landscape at Volcanoes National Park. On the days when the volcano is not erupting, you can explore its unique “lavascape”, with its vents spewing steam, its giant chasms and lava craters. Standing at just over 5,000 feet, Kilauea is not Big
Island’s tallest volcano, but it is certainly the most active.

For an aerial view of the Big Island, be sure to check out Blue Hawaiian or Tropical Helicopters in Hilo. Dedicated pilots will whisk you away and provide loads of nformation during the flight, including a literal “over-the-top” view of Kilauea Volcano!

And, for those wanting a water experience, trek over to Kona Boy Kayaks, past the 113 mile marker on Highway 11, and get the thrill of Big Island Hawaii–in a big way! There you can rent a kayak or go on a guided trip. Paddle atop the waves, skirting awesome cliffs and waterfalls, or snorkel and swim in a calm, protected cove — your choice. Perhaps you’ll see a few spinner dolphins as you paddle across Captain Cook monument.

Speaking of dolphins, the Hilton Waikola Village on the Big Island, has a program called Dolphin Quest. There, in the lagoon, kids and teenagers, and a few adults, can have the opportunity to swim with the several Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins. This program is nearly always full.
Reservations must be made at least 60 days in advance.

You can go even further by discovering the undersea world’s creatures and their habitat by visiting Atlantis Submarines, also in Kona. And there is also world class sports fishing off the Kona coast.

This area is known as the marlin capital of the world. Big game fish, including giant blue marlin and other Pacific billfish, tuna and swordfish are abundant in the waters off the coast. Hundreds of charter fishing boats operate out of the Kailua-Kona area where you can charter a boat with friends or join one of the daily shared charters.

The highest point on the isand is Mauna Kea, at 13,796 feet above sea level. Both the neighboring Maunu Loa and Mauau Kea and have some of the clearest air in the world. As a result, more than two dozen of the world’s finest telescopes are located there. Tours of the University of Hawaii Telescope are available every weekend.

There are many beaches on the Big Island. Pauoa Beach, at the Fairmont Orchid Hotel in the Mauna Lani Resort, is infused by natural freshwater springs that move beneath the ocean’s surface. It’s located on Hawaii’s Kohala Coast, on the northwest side of the island.

One of Hawaii’s best beaches, Hapuna Beach, is a landscaped 62-acre beach park. Swimming and other water sports are best enjoyed in summer months during calm seas. Winter surf can be rough. The beach is located on the Kohala Coast on the northwest side. The Hapuna Golf Course, part of the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, extneds from the shoreline to 700 feet above sea level, offering
both challenge and beauty.

Honaunau Beach, part of the historic Pu’uhonua o Honaunao National Park, offers a full range of family activities. The sanctuary name means a “place of refuge.”

A snorkeler’s delight, Kahaluu Beach Park, is located on the Big Island’s west coast. Visitors can explore a colorful variety of more than 100 types of tropical fish and marine life including sea turtles. A large coral reef both protects the lagoon and is home to these animals. A fresh water spring feeds up to 10 million gallons per day into the lagoon.

Kaunaoa Beach, also known as Mauna Kea, is bordered by a coconut grove and protected by two black-lava points. This beach sit directly in front of the Mauna Kea Hotel. The rugged surf makes Kaunaoa a bodysurfer’s and boogie boarder’s delight.

Close by, the Mauna Kea Golf Course is carved out of the volcano’s black lava, and is considered one of the top courses in the United States. The dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean and its shoreline cliffs seem to add to the challenge of the course.

The South Point on the Big Island is believed to be where the first Polynesians arrived from the Marquesas Islands or Tahiti around 500 A.D. And the island that they found has been luring visitors back for centuries. Will you be one of them?

Hawaii Vacation–Part 3–Big Island is a post from: Hawaii Videos

Accommodations are widely available on Maui, including many resorts, bed & breakfasts, cottages, inns, and condos, many of which offer spectacular view of the shores. Several world-class golf courses are also found on Maui.

For such a small island, Maui is packed with “leisurely adventures”–and at comfortable temperatures, hovering from 75 at the lowest and the low 90s at the highest. Plus, its waters are warm year-round (varying from 70 to 80 degrees).

With its outstanding beaches and multiple resorts, Maui has many activities. Helicopter tours, golfing, water sports, even submarine rides can be found on Maui.

Its landscape is incredibly diverse. It is often known as the Valley Island because of the large valley that extends between two volcanoes. On the wet, eastern side of the mountains there are acres of rainforest. On the dry,leeward side of the island,resorts and golf courses abound. And in the central valley, located between Haleakala volcano and the West mountains, sugar cane grows
abundantly.

Offshore, one can see marine life found nowhere else on earth. The island reef is home to hundreds of species which makes this a paradise for divers and snorkelers. In winter, humpback whales crowd the waters off the southern coast. Maui provides some of the world’s best whale-watching activities. Thousands of Humpback whale migrate to the warm waters off the coast of this Hawaii Island between November and April each year.

Many people drive to the top of Mt Haleakala for a view of the spectacular sunrise. You can rent a car or take one of the many tours to the top. It will be cold at the 10,000 foot summit, so bundle up and bring a thermos of hot coffee or tea.

The road to Hana is considered one of the most breath-taking drives in all of the Islands. It is a slow, winding road through a lush paradise.

The island’s beaches are not only plentiful, they are varied. From the white sands of Oneloa in West Maui and Palaueau Beach in the South, to the Red Sand Beach (Kaihalulu) of Hana and the volcanic black sands of Pa’iloa Beach in Wai’anapanapa Park, Maui’s beaches offer diversity.

On the North Shore, Ho’okipa Beach Park is perhaps one of the best places in the world to wind surf, body board or kite surf.

Kapalua Beach, located on the west side of the Keanae Peninsula in South Maui, is a golden–sand beach, with a terrific view of Molokai. It is protected from big
waves by both coral reefs and lava formations on both sides.

An excellent family beach, Wailea Beach is on the island’s sunny south shore.Protected by lava outcroppings it is safe for families with children. Wailea is wide and about 1,000 feet long in a crescent shape.

Palauea Beach is perfect for young children and families because it’s sheltered from the winds and the water is shallow. It’s also located south of Polo Beach in one of the least developed spots on the island.

One of Maui’s best snorkeling locations, Ulua Beach offers an excellent reef about 100 yards offshore. Ulua is between Wailea Beach to the north and Makena Beach to the south.

Oneloa Beach–Referred to by locals as “Big Beach,” Oneloa Beach in Makena State Park is more than 3,000 feet long and 100 feet wide, made up of sugar-white sands that meet a crystalline ocean. This South Maui beach is the island’s longest beach.

The islet of Molokini, just off the west shore of Maui, is one of Hawaii’s most popular spots for divers and snorkelers. Accessible only by boat, this crescent-shaped crater is a natural sanctuary and marine-life preserve. It provides an an exquisite opportunity to view tropical
fish, lobsters, crab and living coral, including black coral.

Finally, if you want to explore other islands, day trips can take you to Lanai or Molokai by ferry. Ferries leave daily from the dock in Lahaina, Maui.

Whatever you do during your time on Maui, this vacation will likely inspire you to return again. In the meantime, you can cherish the memories.

Hawaii Vacation–Part 2–Maui is a post from: Hawaii Videos

Oahu is Hawaii’s third-largest island and its most developed. Honolulu is the “hub” of all the islands combined, providing many activities and accommodations, along with a feeling of escape and pure relaxation in year-round balmy weather.

Nearly three-quarters of Hawaii’s approximate 1.2 million reside on Oahu and about 400,000 live in Honolulu.

Oahu is a good place to start your Hawaiian vacation. More flights arrive in Honolulu from the U.S. mainland and elsewhere than at any other airport on the Hawaiian Islands.

It is also the cheapest Hawaiian island to visit. The only one of the islands that has inexpensive island-wide bus service, it is possible to experience the island without having to rent a car.

Oahu boasts mountains rising from the coast to 2,000 feet with fragrant flowers, sparkling waterfalls, and a jungle-like tropical forest. Daily average temperatures are in the low 70s during the coolest months, February and March, and around 85 degrees in the hottest months, August and September.

Most hotels on Oahu are found around Waikiki, a good base for your adventures on the island. In addition to the usual shopping malls, bookstores, restaurants, bars, art museums, entertainment and cultural activities of a typical American city, Honolulu has unique Hawaiian offerings.

Hanauma Bay, east of Waikiki, is the best snorkeling area in all of the islands, while Kailua Bay is the island’s top windsurfing spot. There are many types of activity. From surfing or snorkeling lessons to helicopter tours and dinner cruises, you can find it here.

You can discover the underwater world on a submarine tour. “Atlantis Submarines” will take you directly to the island’s plentiful sea life, from exotic fishes to coral and turtles, all circling around you as you descend to the floor of the ocean.

Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial remain one of the most visited sights on the islands. Be sure to include it in your Oahu itinerary. The visitor center for the memorial is located six miles west of Honolulu.

For the hardier, more adventurous traveler, the hiking possibilities are wide open. You can either set out on your own (some very intricate but well-traveled hiking trails are reachable by bus) or book a tour with one of the island’s hiking companies.

You can literally go from viewing ancient Hawaiian temples to 21st-Century high-rises, then move from the “Town” to the “Country,” just 45 minutes away.

No Oahu trip would be complete without a visit to the North Shore, the world’s surfing capital. This part of Oahu remains rural and undeveloped in places. The hotel and golf course at Turtle Bay comprise the only resort in the area.

Haleiwa, the main town of the North Shore, is 24 miles north of Honolulu. It has been a mecca for surfers from all over the world since the 1960s, however it is not an area for inexperienced surfers. This is an easy day trip from Waikiki.

Whatever adventures you encounter on Oahu, whether it is learning to surf at Wakiki, climbing the stack at Diamaond Head, or enjoying the warm sand of a beach, your vacation will end too soon for you to discover all this island has to offer. Perhaps next time….

Hawaii Vacation–Part 1–Oahu is a post from: Hawaii Videos

This tiny island has an incredible variety of landscapes. Sculpted over six million years by the forces of nature, its spectacular scenery ranges from the Na Pali cliffs on the North Shore to the dramatic Waimea Canyon. Kaui’s slower pace seems best-suited to a quiet family vacation or a rugged outdoors adventure.

The oldest and northern most of the four major Hawaiian Islands, Kauai covers only 553 square miles, is a distinctive, “round-shaped” island with a population of 51,000 residents.

Much like the other Hawaiian islands, the warmest and coolest months differ only by 8 degrees or so. The ocean temperature is remarkably consistent, hovering between 72 to 76 degrees all year long.

Kauai is known as “The Garden Island” because of its high population of plant life. The rainforest climate is the wettest of the Hawaiian Islands, and Mt. Wai’ale’ale is the wettest
spot on EARTH!

The island’s people are among the friendliest in the country according to an annual poll of vacationers. Two of Kauai’s resorts–the Hyatt and the Princeville Resort–are consistently rated in the top twenty tropical resorts in one popular travel magazine.

The Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa (Formerly Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort & Spa) is located on the sunny side of the island. With 602 rooms, 4 tennis courts, golf course, 5 restaurants, cocktail lounges, child care, multiple pools and health spas, this is a luxury resort.

The Pinceville Resort Kauai is located on Kauai’s north shore. This is a premier resort, and is always on the top of the Kauai accomodation list. Puu Poa Beach is a few steps from the main lawn, and the Princeville Golf Club, considered one of the best courses in Hawaii, sits nearby on 390 acres with ocean views from every hole.

However, it is the rugged beauty and the opportunity for adventure that attracts many people to the island. If you dream of hiking or kayaking in a beautiful tropical environment, Kauai is a great choice.

The southern and western shores have long, white beaches. And there are the majestic, sweeping valleys, such as the Kalalau Valley on the Na Pali Coast.

The most notable and well-known scenery includes the Waimea Canyon and the breathtaking cliffs of the Na Pali Coast. Waimea Canyon–aptly named the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific”–and Koke’e State Park, in Lihue, are open year-round. The canyon stretches 10 miles from Captain James Cook’s famous landing site–in 1778–to Koke’e State Park.

This canyon has been the site for a number of movies including Jurasic Park and Raiders of the Lost Ark. In fact, more than two dozen Hollywood movies have been filmed on Kauai!

Hiking trails in the park offer unbelievable views of the canyon and lush “forest” environment. The canyon itself is also accessible for hiking, fishing and camping.

Kauai’s Na Pali Coast cliffs, are pure, rugged beauty, featuring deep, narrow valleys ending sharply at the sea. Waterfalls, swift-flowing streams, and extensive stone-walled terraces remain on the valley bottoms where ancient, native Hawaiians once lived.

The 11-mile Kalalau Trail provides the only land access to this part of the coast. The trail crosses above towering sea cliffs and through lush valleys, then drops to sea level at the beaches of Hanakapi’ai and Kalalau.

But much of the island can be see only by air. To see Kauai by helicopter is like nothing else in the world, with its remote waterfalls, hidden canyons and uninhabited valleys.

The majestic Napali coast provides the opportunity for some world-class snorkeling. No other place in Hawaii offers such unique formations as those on Niihau, shaped by ocean currents and waves for those 6 million years! On your list of Hawaii vacations, Kauai is a place to enjoy
whether for a family vacation or adventure on land or sea.

Here are a few of the best of Kauai’s beaches: Hanalei Bay Beach is a perfect semi-circle of white sand on shimmering tropical waters with a backdrop of 4,000-foot waterfalls. It is often described as not only the most beautiful Kauai beach, but also the most beautiful in Hawaii. The beach is about 125 feet wide and framed by the Waipa River to the west and the Hanalei River to the east, on Kauai’s north shore. The bottom slopes gradually down, making it a wonderful beach for youngsters, and there are large coral reefs at both ends of the bay.

Haena Beach, with its grainy yellow sand and limpid waters set off by emerald cliffs, has appeared as the stereotypical tropical strand in many Hollywood films. Summer months offer excellent swimming and snorkeling. However,winter produces big waves that are fun for surfers but dangerous for everyone else.

Tunnels Beach is the superb snorkeling spot on the North Shore. The two-mile-long Kauai beach runs from Hanalei Colony Resort to Ha’ena Beach Park. The center portion has a huge half-moon shaped reef just offshore where snorkelers can encounter eels, turtles, and other colorful sea creatures. Excellent in summer, Tunnels Beach has large waves in winter that can make it dangerous to swim.

Shipwreck Beach on the South Shore is a body surfer’s heaven. This Kauai beach on Keoneloa Bay is one of the largest expanses of beach in the Poipu area. During much of the year, Shipwreck Beach is better suited for strong swimmers and surfers. This is due to the powerful and potentially dangerous waves, which break close to shore.

Whether you favor a quiet and relaxing time at a resort, or an oudoor adventure in a tropical paradise, the island of Kauai is a good choice.

I hope you have enjoyed this series and that you will soon be able to enjoy your own Hawaii vacation. Considering all that these islands have to offer, the hardest part may be choosing where to start. Just remember, you won’t see everything in one trip, so do your planning with this in mind and you will likely be a happier traveller.

Hawaii Vacation–Part 4–Kauai is a post from: Hawaii Videos