If somebody asks you to name a beach in the world, one thing would normally come into your mind - Hawaii beaches. But what makes Hawaii memorable, that a visiting tourist would normally dream of going back to the islands over and over again? Hawaii is a place of enchantment. Far off in the Pacific lies this paradise on earth. It is year-round tropically hot and sunny; has rich native culture, beautiful flora, amazing volcanic formations; has rich history; and most of all it has the world famous pristine blue waters and powdery white sands beaches. Although Hawaii is a chain of small islands, there are a lot of activities that can be done whether it is on land, air or water.
Here are the top 9 things you must do on your Hawaiian Islands Vacation:
9. Visit World War II Remains: Pearl Harbor and USS Arizona
Part of enjoying a place is learning its history, and to do this you must visit Pearl Harbor. Here, tourists can pay homage to the war heroes who died on December 7, 1941. Pearl Harbor was once a vital military base, and plays a significant part in the nation’s history. Now, it is one of Hawaii’s top tourist attractions. While here, be sure to visit the Arizona Memorial and see the remains below the glass floor. The best part about this place is that entrance is free.
8. Experience a Polynesian Luau
Your vacation can’t be considered complete without a luau experience. Luaus have it all as it exposes you to the Hawaiian cuisine and culture through a night of food and entertainment. You will have a taste of foods like kalua pig and lomi lomi salmon. The entertainment includes hula dancing and Polynesian fire dancers.
7. Go Volcano Watching
Hawaii is best known for its volcanoes, both active and dormant. The Big Island, however, is home to Volcanoes National Park, and the world’s most active volcano, Kilauea. If you’re lucky, you can see steam and flowing lava gushing from this volcano. Mauna Loa is also found In Hawaii, and is the world’s largest dormant volcano and reaches up to 13,677 feet in height.
6. See Waimea Canyon
If you are planning to visit Kauai, you should definitely see Koke’e State Park, home to Waimea Canyon. This is the largest canyon in the Pacific, which earned it the nickname, the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” It is 10 miles long and 3,600 feet deep, and was created by centuries of erosion caused by flooding from the dormant Mount Waialeale. The canyon walls show carving by volcanic lava, which show unique and beautiful patterns and formations.
5. Watch whales and dolphins
If you’re interested in seeing whales, be sure to visit Hawaii between the months of December and April. Certain parts of shore are audience to humpback whales that migrate here away from colder regions. These islands are also home to other species such as killer whales. The best place to see whales is the Big Island, but Kauai and Maui are great places as well. You can also see dolphins during May on the island of Oahu, as many of them gather near the coast.
4. Enjoy a Helicopter Ride
While Hawaii is beautiful from the ground, you’ll have a fuller enjoyment of it from the air. You can take a helicopter tour over the islands to take in the full scenery.
3. Try Snorkeling
The islands of Hawaii have unique sea life, but perhaps the most exciting and diverse of them all is Molokini near the island of Maui. One of the top 10 snorkeling spots in the world, Molokini has schools of vividly colored fish, some of which are indigenous to Hawaii. Those who don’t know how to snorkel can visit this place in a glass bottom boat to see this exciting marine spot.
2. Chill out on the beach
No matter where you are in Hawaii, you’ll always have a view of the ocean. Since you’re here, be sure to visit the many top-rated beaches that call Hawaii home. The most popular beach here is Waikiki Beach, located on Oahu’s southern shore, and home to a number of luxurious hotels. You can do anything on these beaches from tanning to surfing and swimming. No matter what you do, the weather will always be pleasant.
1. Surf! Ride the Waves
Surfing is perhaps Hawaii’s most well known and popular sport. The constantly great waves make Hawaii a very popular sport for surfers. The North Shore is the most popular spot, as waves here can reach a height of 30 feet during the first and last three months of the year. Learning to surf should be done on Maui, as the waves here are easy to handle and the water is always warm.
Hawaii vacations are great experiences and attract millions of visitors each year. Along with the multitude of activities found here, the warm spirit of the Hawaiian people make your vacation pleasant and relaxing. This is truly the closest place to paradise.
Hawaii is a great destination for honeymoons and romantic getaways. Luxury beach villas are the way to go, if you’re thinking about this island paradise. Beach villas are large, country-like homes with direct access to the beach. With privacy and great views, they are sure to bring sparks to your Hawaiian getaway.
Be sure to make your reservations if you’re looking at a Hawaii luxury beach villa. You will have a number of different booking options, including travel websites, direct reservations and travel agents. If this is your first time, you may be wondering how you should go around choosing a rental. The best way to do this is to choose a method that best fits your needs.
Online travel websites are the most popular way to book reservations. While you can choose any kind of travel website, the best idea is to choose those that specialize in Hawaii vacations. These Hawaii travel websites often offer the best deals and even larger selections of accommodations, alongside beach villas. This is extremely convenient and doesn’t require any extra time.
You can also use the internet to book all your other vacation reservations directly. This, however, can be quite time consuming. If you’re booking a beach villa directly, you will need to find the contact information of the villa owners. While easy to do using the internet, finding the best deal may be even more of a task. Without the use of travel websites, you will need to do your own comparisons, as most travel websites often do this for you. Doing your own research can be time consuming, so be sure to devote time to it before making a decision.
Travel agents are another method of planning your vacation. Not only do they help you plan your vacation, but they also make reservations for you. To ensure your vacation is everything you planned, you will need to have constant communication with your agent so that he or she is completely aware of your wants and needs. Some individuals feel that they may be better suited to making their own reservations. Even with the decline in use of travel agents, using one can still be quite useful for you. You can find one by doing a simple internet search or using your phonebook.
How you book your rental is almost as important as having the rental you want. Be sure to find a rental that fits all your needs, whether it is a certain number of bedrooms, a preferred island, and preferred budget. Once you have figured out the answers to these questions, booking your vacation will be much easier.
Visiting Hawaii is something everyone should experience. With its small size and huge popularity, however, a vacation to this island paradise doesn’t come cheap. Even if you find your budget a little tight, you can enjoy a Hawaii vacation. Just be sure to use the following tips as guidelines for planning around your budget/
1. When to Go.
When you choose to travel to the islands is a great factor in the price of your vacation. Peak seasons are during the summer and winter seasons. To ensure cheaper airline fares, travel in the off-season, which is from mid-April to mid-June and from mid-September to mid-November. The best part about traveling during this time is the weather. It is during the off season that Hawaii is most pleasant. Avoid traveling here during the winter, since many people travel here to escape the colder climates. Choosing to travel during the fall or spring guarantees cheaper flights
2. Where to Go.
Where you choose to travel is another factor in your budget planning. Maui and Oahu tend to be pricier than the other islands. As a suggestion, the Big Island is cheaper than most of the islands, and offers all the Hawaiian activities that you expect to see while on vacation.
3. Find a Discount Flight.
Most of your vacation expenses will be comprised of your airfare. Once you’ve decided when you go, be sure to keep tabs on the various online ticket sellers so you can find the cheapest prices for your flight. After all, the earlier you book your tickets, the better.
4. Shop Hawaii Package Deals.
Package deals are a great way to go, since they include airfare, car rentals, and hotels at a much cheaper cost than if you were to book them separately. Be sure to look out for coupon codes that can take dollars off your vacation package. You can find these on Travelocity and other travel websites. Savings can be maximized if you use package deals while traveling during the off season. Businesses are more inclined to offer savings to boost the slow experienced in the off seasons.
5. Think outside the hotel.
You don’t always need to use a high price hotel while on the island. In fact, you can look towards vacation homes that are rented out during the year. If you can find an owner on CraigsList or other similar websites willing to set up a deal, it would be great. If you’re flexible on where you choose to stay, you can find homes that are as cheap as $50 a night.
6. Save on attractions by purchasing a discount pass or coupon book before you go.
A Go Maui card is an attractions pass that you can purchase ahead of time that gives you access to places that offer ocean adventures, cultural and historical sites and tours, as well as water fun. You could also purchase a Hawaii Entertainment Book, which can sometimes be found for as little as $10. This booklet offers coupons for all the islands, which include restaurant coupons and hotel and travel discounts.
7. Set up a google alert with the keywords “Hawaii Discount” and “Hawaii Coupons”
This is an extremely simple process. Visit google.com/alerts, and enter your search terms and email address. Google will then send email updates of the latest Google results based on your search terms at the frequency you want. This is a convenient way to stay up to date on travel offers and prevent you on missing on deals.
Planning and preparation go a long way especially if you want to make your Hawaiian vacation enjoyable. If you save money on airfare and accommodations, you have plenty to use on the Hawaii attractions that interest you.