Honolulu, Hawaii
Oahu is a relatively small island, measuring 26
miles long and some 44 miles across at its widest, totaling 608
square miles of land, with 112 miles of coastline. Everyone ventures
to Oahu seeking a different experience. Some talk about wanting to
find the "real" Hawaii, some are looking for heart-pounding
adventure, some yearn for the relaxing and healing powers of the
islands, and others are drawn by Hawaii's aloha spirit, where
kindness and friendliness prevail.
Hilo, Hawaii
The Big Island is the largest island in the Hawaiian chain (4,038 sq.
miles—about the size of Connecticut), the youngest (800,000 years), and the
least populated (with 30 people per sq. mile), and has an unmatched
diversity of terrain and climate: fiery volcanoes and sparkling waterfalls,
black-lava deserts and snowcapped mountain peaks, tropical rainforests and
alpine meadows, a glacial lake, and miles of golden, black, and green (!)
sand beaches. A 50-mile drive will take you from snowy winter to sultry
summer, passing through spring or fall along the way. The island looks like
the inside of a barbecue pit on one side, and a lush jungle on the other.
It’s a bizarre place, in a word, and takes some people aback because it
doesn’t fit the tropical stereotype.
Kahului, Hawaii
Maui, also called the Valley Isle, is just a small dot in the vast Pacific
Ocean, but it has the potential to offer visitors unforgettable experiences:
floating weightless through rainbows of tropical fish, standing atop a
10,000-foot volcano watching the sunrise color the sky, listening to the
raindrops in a bamboo forest, and sunning on idyllic beaches. The island is
also packed with interesting cultural sites and colorful history. Here, you
set foot on the spot where ancient Hawaiian royalty and priests once walked,
gathered, and worshipped. Later, at the turn of the century, it became a
bustling home to native Hawaiians, immigrants, and missionaries. Cruise
ships call on two ports, Kahului and Lahaina.