Hawaii is located at the North Pacific Ocean which is consists of eight small islands. Each of the island has their own uniqueness and it is easy accessible with airports around the area. The largest island is Hawaii Island and it is about 4,000 square miles, also known to be the biggest island in the States. The rest of the islands are namely Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau and Kahoolawe. The perfect time for visiting Hawaii starts from December till April. However, there are better deals for budget travelers from May till October. Honolulu International Airport which is located at Oahu Island, is the main airport that connecting the states with the rest of the world.
There are five isolated volcanoes in Hawaii Island, which are Mauna Loa, Hualālai, Kilauea volcano, Mauna Kea and the Kohala. The largest volcano is Maura Loa while Mauna Kea is measured at 13,796 ft and it is the world’s highest volcano. These volcanoes are the youngest still active volcanoes around. It is continuously erupting since 1983. Mauka Kea’s landscape is including of lava rocks and alpine tundra, the formation of humongous ice cap since 11,000 years ago which creates uniqueness of the spot. Some of the visitors face altitude sickness due to the heights, they are advised to slow down during the journey to allow the body to adjust. Visitors can view the highest peak of Hawaii from the park space area which is 15 minutes walking journey.
The National Park, Hawaii Volcanoes is located at the big island, Hawaii Island. This national park has the best attraction by showing the uniqueness of the landscape by the volcano and also a close up view of the active volcano. Visitors can look at the hot lava moving down from the mountain while experience on the dry lava which covers the roads. Visitor center is the best starting point before entering the park. It is great to receive information of the parks and the latest on-going events. There are some popular spots such as Jaggar Museum at the Halema’uma’u crater, Kilauea ‘iki’ crater and Thurston lava tube. Besides those, there are more interesting activities such as hiking trails through the old lava tubes and rainforest, which is more than 100 miles long for adventurous travelers. Also, there are two campgrounds for people who enjoys overnight camping. On the other hand, there is another option to visit the park by automobile, which is driving around the Kilauea Crater. On this route, visitors are going through beautiful points of the craters; which is a fantastic experience for the entire trip.
Hawaii is located at the North Pacific Ocean which is consists of eight small islands. Each of the island has their own uniqueness and it is easy accessible with airports around the area. The largest island is Hawaii Island and it is about 4,000 square miles, also known to be the biggest island in the States. The rest of the islands are namely Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau and Kahoolawe. The perfect time for visiting Hawaii starts from December till April. However, there are better deals for budget travelers from May till October. Honolulu International Airport which is located at Oahu Island, is the main airport that connecting the states with the rest of the world.
Kealakekua bay is located at the Big Island which is a wonderful place for viewing the scenery. With stunning sheer sea cliffs and beautiful crystal-clear bay. Other then it’s natural beauty, this location is famous with the historical story about Captain James Cook who was the first person that made connections between Hawaiians and Westerners back in the year 1779. With the perfect geographical location, Kealakekua Bay is a great place for water sports such as: scuba diving, kayaking and snorkeling activities. The crystal-clear water is filled with tropical fishes, corals and if you are lucky, you might be able to see some spinner dolphins too! Next we visit the State Historical Park with just a 3 minutes’ drive distance from Kealakekua Bay, however; there is a little bit of a hike to visit the northern bay for viewing of the Captain Cook Monument.
Haiku Stairs at the Oahu Island, is also named as the Heaven Stairway, with the meaning “road to heaven.” With the steep steps climbing at Oahu Island, and it almost feel like a linkage to the sky with endless steps. There are total of 3,922 steps along the Koolau Mountain which could be very challenging for any visitors. The stairs were set up during World War II with the simple wooden stairs but it has been replaced with metal steps in 1950s. Standing at the peak of the mountain to enjoy the fabulous view on sunrise or sunset. This is the best moment that anyone should never be missed!
There is some unique Hawaiian food with the combination of Eastern and Western cooking in the areas.
The popular one is made by taro or yam named as Poi, a traditional starch filler type of food. Steaming or baking the paste and mix it with water to make it look like pudding. It is starchy and with a little bit sour due to the fermentation process. Normally the local likes to eaten together adding some lomi salmon with it.
Lomi salmon is originally from some other Pacific Island but now has become part of Hawaiian traditional dish. It is normally paired with tomatoes and onions. Consume together with Poi. The preparation process can be so simple, sprinkle some salt onto the raw salmon and dice it together with onions, tomatoes and little bit of chili peppers which is similar to salsa garnish.
Laulau is another signature Hawaiian dish which is made from taro leaves. It is wrapped together with pork slices and cook with the hot rock oven for several hours until it is soften. The meat will be very juicy, the flavor would be smoky, and the leaves would obtain the texture like spinach.
As many Japanese live in Hawaii and brought their food culture to combine with the locals, which is the Hawaiian version sashimi. It is essentially raw fish served in small cube size. Poke can be eaten together with shoyu, which is soy sauce or season with salt or sweet onions. Also, it can be served hot on top of a rice bowl.