Travel
Hawaiian Islands
Each year, more than 7-million visitors flock to the Hawaiian Islands. They travel to Hawaii for various reasons: To check out world-famous beaches up close and personal, or maybe they just want some peace and quiet somewhere off the beaten path. The beautiful Hawaiian islands offer these and much more for the traveler who wants to experience the friendly locals, strong traditions of indigenous Hawaiians and the natural beauty of the Islands.
The island of Hawaii, also known as “the Big Island” to avoid confusion with the state, is the largest island, and lends its name to the whole island chain. Larger than all the other islands combined and still expanding in land area thanks to the active volcanoes on its southeastern coast, it is home to the major resort area of Kona, two of the world’s largest mountains, and the world’s most active volcano.In an effort to reduce operating costs, airlines are cutting out flights and modifying schedules. According to Janice at Tripso, the airlines may or may not contact you to inform you of the flight cancellation. As I cautioned in this post, you should periodically check that your flights are still scheduled. At a minimum, check your flights the day before your trip. If your flights have been canceled, the sooner you know about it the sooner you can get an alternative plan in place.
Mark Twain declared Hawaii to be ‘the loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean’, and not even years of mass tourism have managed to prove him wrong. Its very name conjures dreamy images of drinking mai tais to slack-key guitar. But it’s not all hibiscus behind the ear and papaya on the chin: it’s also hikes along the smoldering crust of a living volcano, hip-hop in Waikiki and snorkelling with vivid fish.The main island is Oahu, with the bustling capital of Honolulu City on the south coast and the phenomenally popular Waikiki Beach adjacent to it. There are fantsastic golf courses as well as breathtaking scenery and of course, the famous battle site of Pearl Harbour. A great spot about a 40 min drive from downtown Honolulu is White Plains Beach (aka Kalaeloa), which was formerly a part of Barber’s Point Naval Station, but is now open to the public. The break here is nearly identical to Canoes with a lot fewer people. The beach also attracts everything but an eastern swell and has consistent surf year-round. The waves here are notoriously easy to catch for beginners and if you paddle far enough out you may even get lucky enough to catch a 100 yard ride into shore (ok, maybe not on your first day out, but it can be done). Pro surfer Jason Shibata credits White Plains as the place that taught him how to surf.
