Depending on what you want out of your vacation, frenetic levels of activity, rocking night life, or peaceful sandy beaches, you’ll want to choose an island that fits your personal preferences.  While sharing the basics of beautiful sun, sand, and surf, each island has its own special ambience, so be sure to make the right match up and have a perfect vacation in paradise.

Here’s a brief rundown to help with your preliminary research.

Waikiki Beach shortly after sunrise, ©2009, Mary Jo Manzanares

Hawaii, the Big Island:  This is the largest of the islands, and also the youngest in development.  On the windward side of the island, you’ll find lush, tropical rain forests and quaint little inns, while on the leeward side of the island is lava rock beaches and big resorts.  There’s also an active volcano on the island, Kilauea.  The Big Island has lots of off-the-beaten-path kind of spots, and with a little luck you’ll be able to find one of the island’s hidden black sand beaches.  If you want activity, you’ll find resorts along the Kohala-Kona Coast offering golf, sport fishing, snorkeling, and tennis.  Specialty tours include Kona coffee plantation tours, swimming with manta rays, hiking across lava beds in Volcanoes National Park, or gazing at the stars at Imiloa Astronomy Center.

Oahu, the Gathering Place:  The most populated of the islands, you’ll find the best in shopping, dining, nightlife, and beautiful hotels and resorts.  The most popular area is Waikiki Beach, where you’ll find options, in all budget ranges, for hotels, dining, shopping, and things to do.  The trade off, however, is beaches that are more crowded, and a little faster, more hectic pace.  Drive or hike Diamond Head, get a little culture at the Polynesian Cultural Center or Iolani Palace, or spend a day at the beach or out on the water.  For a quieter Oahu experience, you could check out the North Shore.  With only one resort (Turtle Bay Resort), it’s a slower, more relaxed pace, and a wonderful antidote the frenzy that can overcome Waikiki.

Maui, the Valley Isle:  Offering something for everyone, Maui is full of quiet, peaceful activities as well as home to bustling and energetic nightlife.  The windward side is fairly remote, with plenty of out-of-the-way spots to spend some quiet time.  The leeward side has plenty of resorts, and development, but you’ll also find a few secluded areas as well.  You may want the solitude of watching sunrise from the top of Mount Haleakala or the adventure of driving the road to Hana, or exploring the shopping, dining and nightlife of the former whaling village (and now main tourist town) of Lahaina.  You’ll find plenty of beautiful water for diving, swimming and snorkeling, and can choose to stay at a major resort (Kapalua, Kaanapali, or Wailea) or find a condo of small hotel.  Maui, with all it’s variety, is a popular spot with honeymooners.

Bench sitting on Kauai, ©2009, Mary Jo Manzanares

Kauai, the Garden Isle:  Less commercial, less developed, and more tropical, Kauai is the oldest of the islands.  This is a wonderful island on which to relax, while still offering a few attractions and things to do.  Most activity centers around the lush tropical foliage of the island, with Fern Grotto (a natural lava-rock grotto with hanging ferns, accessible only by the Wailua River), Waimea Canyon (the Grand Canyon of the Pacific), Na Pali Coast (cliffs, sea caves, remote beaches and waterfalls), hiking, inner tubing, and zip-lining.  Princeville and Poipu are the resort areas, and a little more upscale, and Hanalei and Koloa are older, more historic Hawaiian towns.

Lanai, the Pineapple Isle:  The smallest of the island, Lanai will appeal to people who want to escape the crowds, and be alone.  With only a couple resorts, you won’t find a lot of tourists here.  But that doesn’t mean you won’t find upscale accommodations –- two of the resorts are operated by the Four Seasons.  There’s still a variety of terrain, though, and you can go from beach to forest in very little time.  Rent a jeep and go island exploring, check out Shipwreck Beach, Kaunolu (King Kamehameha’s summer fishing village), and Garden of the Gods (which some swear looks a bit like Mars).

Molokai, the Friendly Isle:  The most secluded and laid back of the island, Molokai harkens back to what Hawaii was like years and years ago, making it one of the most historic and cultural significant islands.  There is only one resort (the Aqua Hotel Molokai with 53 rooms), although you’ll find a few small inns and private residences that rent out rooms, so the island never gets very crowded. Molokai was the residence of Father Damien, a Catholic Priest who cared for the lepers who once sought refuge on the island.  Many of the residents of the island are descendants from the original lepers who lived here.  There are, however, NO active cases on leprosy on Molokai, so it is a safe place to visit.

Photo credit:  both from Mary Jo Manzanares

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Honolulu is rich in military sites and history, and although at time it can be painful to think about, these sites should be on every visitors list of things to see and do.  The islands and the country were shaped by the events of Pearl Harbor, and whether you choose to go on your own or as part of a tour, I think any trip to the islands should include a stop at one of these locations.

Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor:  This site is administered by the National Park System, and in my book is the must-see historical site on the island.  It’s about 45 minutes from Waikiki, and is an easy drive.  It’s also served by several public transportation, and is a stop on many tours.  Like most visitors to the site, I was profoundly touched and moved by the experience.  There is no charge for admission, and the tour includes a brief video followed by a ride to the memorial.  You can read about my experience at the Arizona Memorial in a previous post.

Punchbowl:  Officially the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, this reverent site is the final resting place for veterans of both World Wars as well as Korean and Vietnam.  Courts of the Missing are especially somber, as these marble slabs list the name of military personnel who were lost or buried at sea or who were missing in action.  There is no charge for admission, and the site is reachable by car or on one of many tours.  You can read about why I prefer to experience Punchbowl in solitude in a previous post.

Pacific Aviation Museum:  This museum chronicle the history of the attack on Pearl Harbor with original film and photos, and a tour of Hangars 37 and 49.  Aviation buffs will love the collection of US and Japanese aircraft.  Tickets for the museum require jumping through a bunch of hoops as this is an active military base.  You can read what I thought about the Pacific Aviation Museum in a previous post.

Battleship Missouri Monument:  The “Mighty Mo” has a history filled with lots of stories starting with World War II, and continuing through right up to Operation Desert Storm.  The site now offers multi-media tours, combining footage and narration from some of the men who served onboard this ship, in an attempt to portray a realistic feel for what life onboard was really like.  This is the only one of the sites that I’ve not yet visited, and it’s on my list for the next trip. 

Photo credit:  wikimedia

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The fourth largest of the Hawaiian Islands, it is often called the Garden Isle because it is lush and green.  It’s lush and green because it rains a lot here, and there are spots on the island that claim to have the most rainfall of anywhere on Earth.  Whether that’s a fact, or an urban legend, seems up for debate, but there’s no debating that this island is not what most people expect of Hawaii.

This was a view of the ocean on my walk this morning.  I was walking along a path to the city of Kapa’a, the second largest on the island.

In addition to the surf crashing against the volcanic rocks on the beach, my morning walk was peppered with the sounds of roosters crowing and chickens clucking.  The area is home to thousands of wild roosters and hens, and they roam freely around yards, walkways, and even along the edge of the beach.  I

It’s unusual to be walking alongside the ocean and hear roosters crowing.  It’s even more startling to have on cross your path on the beach!

Photo credit: personal collection

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Often referred to as the “Garden Isle,” Kauai is one of the wettest spot in the world, with an annual rainfall of 460 inches. 

I’m most familiar with the town of Lihue, on the southeast coast of Kauai.   Most visitors, however, may be more familiar with Waimea, once the capital of the island, and the first place in Hawaii visited by Captain James Cook. 

While there’s still beaches and sand, the lushness of Kauai lends itself to lots of other outdoor activities.

To learn more about Kauai, and all the other Hawaiian Islands, head over to The Hawaii Traveler, and read what Jody has to say about one of the top vacation spots in the United States.

Photo credit:  personal collection

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In fact, that type of vacation is one of the reasons people love Hawaii – sun, sand, surf, and stepping on the treadmill of ordinary life.

But at some point, you’re going to want to do something else.  I had a handful of ideas of those “other things” and one of the top of my list was whale watching.  Only problem — I was there on the very early end of the season, and the whales weren’t in town.

It didn’t take but a heartbeat to come up with another idea – if I couldn’t see whale, how about some dolphins?!  I remember watching these graceful and playful creatures as they’d swim alongside a cruise ship.  They’d play in the water, jumping about, almost like they were mocking us.

But I’m also sensitive to not disturbing marine habitat.  They were there first, after all, and I was just interested in viewing, not disrupting them.  Find a tour that appreciated the delicate and important balance between man and nature was important.

The Hoku Nai’a Wild Dolphin Watch Cruise offered by Star of Honolulu seemed to offer a good choice.

The day started off with an early morning pick up (a little after 7 am) at my Waikiki hotel.  "Pick up" meant transportation to west Oahu (our cruise departure location), and was in a comfortable air-conditioned motor coach.  There were a couple of guests from my hotel booked on the cruise, and we picked up a additional guests at stops at other Waikiki hotels.  If you have a car and want to drive, you can meet directly at the harbor, but it was easy and comfortable to just leave the driving and timing to someone else.

The morning ride occurred during morning commute traffic — yes, such a thing exists even in the islands!  The time passed easily as people napped. chatted, or watched an island video played on the motor coach player.   I appreciated that our hosts were available to point out a few sights along the way, answer questions, but did not barrage us with silly puns and inane patter.  Silence is golden at that time of morning.

We were all awake and ready to board by the time we reached Wai’anae Boat Harbor in west Oahu. 

The Hoku Nai’a is a new two-deck catamaran (in photo above), and was custom built to allow for viewing marine life without disturbing them.  On the day of my cruise, there were only about 25-30 passengers (it was off-season), but the boat will hold 149 passengers.  I’d expect it to be much busier during peak season.

As we all wandered around checking out the boat, and locating a spot to sit for departure, we were briefed in some safety information, told a little bit about where we would be going and what to expect, and served some beverages.  Once our crew had everything in order, we were on our way.

But did we see dolphins?  Keep reading. . . .

Riding out to the spot where dolphins had been sighted allowed us a great chance to relax, enjoy the weather, and look for all sorts of other wildlife.  We were given a handout showing a variety of marine life that we might encounter.  We saw a variety of seabirds and fish, but the schools of flying fish were a favorite of all of the guests.

The boat skipper had a general idea of where we were going, and as he was in radio contact with scouts who could point him to the right area with a little more precision.  The crew continued to interact with all the guests, answering questions, pointing out things, and generally making us feel like welcome guests rather than annoying tourists.

When we approached the sighting area, the boat slowed and everyone gathered at the railing to watch.  It wasn’t long before we saw Spinner dolphins swimming, jumping, and playing.  We could see them in the distance, watching as they swam closer, seemingly as curious about us as we were about them.  The crew was great about continuing to point out where we could see them, but it didn’t take must looking at all — they were all over the place.

We did not encroach upon the dolphins’ area, stopping far short.  The crew was very clear that we would only go so close, and that was a matter of protecting them.  Some companies give a sly wink and a nod to environmental rules about man meeting marine life, but this cruise makes clear its commitment to an eco-friendly encounter.

Although we had quite awhile to watch the dolphins, if you love these guys, it could never be long enough.

On the sail back to the harbor, we had lunch (included in the price of the cruise).  The crew fired up the barbecue, grilling burgers for guests.  You picked up your burger and then continued to a table with all the fixings you could want.  I opted for the Hawaiian approach, choosing a Taro bun, and adding grilled pineapple, along with the more standard choices.  Add some chips (there were a variety) and a brownie for dessert, and it was a perfect shipboard lunch.  A refreshing punch was always available, and additional beverages are available for purchased.  (NOTE:  vegetarian option available with 24-hour notice.)

We had no young children on the cruise, but when there are, a keiki program is offered for the young ones.  I took a brief look at some of the activities, and it was almost enough to make me wish I was six years old again.  The Hawaiian culture honors family and children, and that carries over into many of these activities.

Honolulu Star offers a "Dolphin Check."  If you don’t have a dolphin sighting, you receive a free return sailing. (lunch and transportation optional).

The Wild Dolphin Watch cruise operates year round, with a daily sailing at 9:30 am, returning at 11:30 am.  Cruise price is $65 for adults and $39 for children, and includes lunch and non-alcoholic beverages.  Hotel pick up can be added for $20 roundtrip from Waikiki hotels.  Hotel pick up starts at 7 am, returning around 1 pm.

Your hotel will be happy to book the cruise, however, I’d recommend making reservations online before your arrival.

I enthusiastically recommend this activity.  The company is reputable and responsible, managing the difficult balance of providing a quality experience for guests and protecting sea life.  Even a somewhat jaded guest, prepared to dislike anything that seemed remotely like a "tour" was overheard to say, "I’d do this again!"  I’m with him!  I’d do it again, too!

Photo credit: personal collection

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When it’s raining in my corner of the world, sometimes it makes me feel happier (and warmer) when I think about a tropical location — like sunset time on the beach in Hawaii.

Photo credit: Personal collection

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A couple of my favorite highlights are the Science on a Sphere exhibit and the Science Adventure Center.

• Science on a Sphere is a 68 inch, 200 pound fiberglass sphere suspended from the ceiling.  It serves as a sort of 3-D movie, displaying full color, satellite and animated images.  You can watch a hurricane forming, a dust storm, violent solar storms, or any number of phenomenon occurring on our planet or in space.
• The Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center is focused on helping visitors understand the environment of the islands.  You’ll find exhibits and research on such diverse topics as volcanology, oceanography, ecology and biodiversity.  The Hawaiian Origins Tunnel was fun, but nothing tops the walk-through volcano!  And for another view of the volcano, climb up to the tree house and get a birds-eye view of it erupting.

The Bishop Museum is also home to Hawaii’s Sports Hall of Fame, honoring athletic excellence of islanders.

The museum is located at 1525 Bernice Street in Honolulu, and is open daily (except for Christmas) 9 am – 5 pm.  Admission if $15.95 for adults, $12.95 for seniors (65 and older) and youth (ages 4-12), children under 4 are free.  Special rates for local residents and military personnel, and their guests.  On-site parking is available.

I’d recommend allowing around two hours for a visit.

Photo credit:  flickr

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On my recent trip to Honolulu, I had the opportunity to enjoy both aspects of island life, and today’s post touches on a more serious side of island life.

Overlooking the city of Honolulu, is the extinct volcano Punchbowl Crater, home to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, frequently referred to as Punchbowl Cemetery, or simply the Punchbowl.

In addition to its tremendous views of the city, Waikiki, Diamond Head, and Pearl Harbor, the Punchbowl is the final resting place for veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.  During holidays, the individual graves are decorated with small flags, making a sobering view. 

Marble slabs called the Courts of the Missing list the names of military personnel who are missing in action or who were lost or buried at sea (in photo above). At the base of the staircase leading up to the Courts of the Missing reads the following inscription:

In these gardens are recorded

the names of Americans

who gave their lives

in the service of their country

and whose earthly resting place

is known only to God

The Punchbowl was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

The Punchbowl is located at 2177 Puowaina Drive, Honolulu (map it), and is open daily.  Visiting hours are 8 am – 5:30 pm, September 30th – March 1st, and until 6:30 pm, March 2nd – September 29th.  On Memorial Day, visiting hours are 7 am – 7 pm.  There is no charge to visit.

There is no charge to visit.

The Punchbowl is accessible by car, and a number of tour companies make it a scheduled stop on their itineraries.  I much prefer the solitude of a personal visit, rather than visiting with a gaggle of others, who are sometimes unappreciative of the reverence that should be demonstrated while visiting.  There is an e-tour available for those unable to visit in person.

Photo credit

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In 1941, moored off the shores of Ford Island (located in the middle of Pearl Harbor) were some of the largest ships in the US Pacific Fleet.  The first attack by the Japanese began at 7:55 am, with the second attack ending two hours later.  The loss was immense:  2,403 people (military and civilians), 18 ships, 188 aircraft destroyed and another 159 damaged.  World War II had now begun for the U.S. on a “date that will live in infamy.”

The museum takes you back to 1941, starting with a visit to Hangar 37.  There, you’ll watch a film of the attack, interspersed with original film and photos from 1941.  Visitors will get a sense of the dawning of a tranquil and peaceful day on this beautiful island, and watch as events unfold, bringing the drama to life on a very human level.  Following the film, you enter an exhibit area with a variety of vintage aircraft on display.  Feast your eyes on a Mitsubishi Zero, a Navy Wildcat fighter, and an Aeronca 65 TC.  Aviations buffs will be enthralled.

After the tour of Hangar 37, visitors get further immersion into the day’s experience by visiting a recreation of the aftermath of the Japanese attack.  Red Cross vehicles are staged on a debris-covered field, smoking planes are visible, and the senses go on alert as you can only imagine the horror of having lived through the real experience.

Leaving the battlefield and coming back to reality, the tour moves you to Hangar 79.  Here you will see marks from the bombing that still exist:  bullet holes in doors of the hangar and shrapnel marks in the concrete walls of the hangar, as you listen to first hand accounts of the attack told by actual survivors.

Getting tickets to visit the museum requires a few steps, but it is well worth the effort.  You can get tickets through an approved travel desk at area hotels, or through the USS Bowfin ticket office.  The Bowfin is located next to the USS Arizona Memorial, and is open daily 8 am-4 pm.  To get to the museum, you board the Ford Island Trolley in front of the Bowfin.  Allow at least two hours for the tour and viewing.

Location:  Pearl Harbor, Hangar 37, Ford Island, 319 Lexington Blvd. (Honolulu)

Hours:  9 am-5 pm daily.  Closed Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Years Day.

Admission:  $14 adults, $7 children, $7 aviator’s guided tour

NOTE:  The museum is on an active military base and security procedures are in effect.  No bags are allowed on the trolley.

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The national monument encompasses nearly 140,000 square miles of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and provides for protection and preservation of the marine area.  It is the largest single area dedicated to conservation, and the largest protected marine area in the world.  To get a sense of just how big we are talking about, it is larger than 46 of our 50 states. 

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands include ten islands and atolls, and stretch over nearly 1,400 miles.  The undersea forests and mountain ranges of this area comprise a coral reef habitat that exceeds 4,500 square miles, and is the largest, most untouched coral reef system in the U.S. 

Living in this undersea bliss, are over 7,000 marine species, a quarter of which are found nowhere else on earth.  The area is the primary home for the surviving Hawaiian Monk Seals (critically endangered with about 1,400 still living), and is the breeding ground for the threatened Hawaiian Islands Green Sea Turtle.

This is an amazing world, which most of us will only be able to see and learn about through photos.

Photo credit:  flickr

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