Hawaiian people have a spiritual aspect that cannot be defined but can be felt among the visitors, when you hear Aloha it is not just a greeting but a guiding spirit that lives among the Hawaiian people, a coordination of the mind and heart within each person. It is a value system and approach that emphasize sharing, kindness, generosity and compassion. They also have a sense of Ohana-family which is extended to visitors as genuine, warmth and hospitality. Ho’okipa is greeting and welcoming strangers.
Visiting the islands of Hawai’i will engage all your senses: Sight, Sound, Taste, Texture and Sense through the incredible experiences. You can choose Kaua’i Island to relax and unwind at the beach or visit Allerton garden which was the Royal home of Queen Emma the wife of Kamehameha 4th and it has botanical gardens, a fountain and a waterfall. If you want to enjoy the rich culture of the Hawai’i people, the dining, shopping, nightlife, historical sites and art cafes then O’ahu Island is for you, visiting the Polynesian cultural center, Ioloni palace –the only royal palace in USA, Pearl Harbour or the birth place for surfing on Waikiki beach. You can also take to the charming upcountry towns of Maui Island and enjoy the hill side with Mount Haleakala- an enormous volcanic mountain with wide slopes dotted with rich agricultural fields. While here you can go hiking and cycling to the mountain or go snorkeling at Molokini or enjoy swimming on one of the beaches. At Moloka’i Island, you can visit the world’s highest sea cliff and climb it if you can or visit Kalupapa National park. You can take to the private and secluded island of Lana’i for serene luxury, upscale and tranquil resort experience. Stay at Hulopo’e bay which is one of america’s best beaches where you can see marine life and Dolphins or visit Polihu’e beach which is the breeding ground for green turtles. Finally you can stay at the island of Hawai’i for amazing geological and cultural attributes; you can visit Hino area which is the second largest city after Honolulu and go to Hawai’I tropical botanican garden, visit the Akaka and rainbow falls among many others.
The history of the Island.
Hawaii is an Island in the Pacific Ocean and a state of the United States of America. Legendary says that Pele goddess and Namaka goddess, though they were related, they were enemies and it is their passionate fights that created the islands while science says the islands were created millions of years ago through the tectonic plate movements and volcanic activity.
The first settlers to the island came from the south pacific arriving around the 3rd and 7th AD but those who had a great impact were Tahitians who arrived between 1200 and 1300 AD bringing their gods, chants, religious practices and oral traditions establishing a social structure and laws. Today visitors and tourist can see remains of heiau-religious stone structures made for worship and sacrifice. The fist British explorer captain James Cook arrived on the island in 1778 during his voyage to find the mythical North West passage between Europe and Asia. Kamehameha is the ruler who brought together all the Islands and by 1810 all the six islands were under one ruler creating a time of peace and tranquility, he established a dynasty ruled as a sovereign kingdom that ruled till 1893. Kamehameha day is celebrated 11th June each year since 1872. The arrival of James Cook ignited the interest of among Americans and Europeans and in 1820 the first missionaries arrived on the island, in 1845 Kamehameha the third established Honolulu as the capital and permitted foreigners to own big junks of land. They started farming raising cattle, planting coffee, sugarcane, pineapple among others. In 1850 the first chine laborers arrived on the Island to work in the plantations but quickly followed by other laborers namely Japanese, Filipinos, and Portuguese and together with the Americans and Europeans they form the multicultural culture of Hawaii today. Hawaii became the 50th state on America in 1959.
TOURISM.
While visiting Hawaii, you can choose to stay at any of the 6 islands depending what you want from your holiday or do a combination of the islands. Each Island has an airport and there are several inter island flight departures daily with an average of 30 minutes. There are ferry services to Maui and Lana’i and better still you can do cruising to tour all the islands.
See a description of the islands below.
O’ahu: Described as the gathering place, it is the third largest Island and a home to 70% of Hawaii’s populationwith more than 950,000 residents. It has plenty of dramatic volcanic topography including the Waikiki landmark of Le’ahi (Diamond Head). The capital city and the main airport is Honolulu and the main resorts are Waikiki, Kahala, Koolina and Turtle Bay. Waikiki became the first resort area for international visitors with the opening of Moana hotel in 1901(now Moana Surfrider, a Westin resort &spa) and the Royal Hawiian Hotel (The Pink Palace of the pacific) in 1927 and tourism on the islands then picked up after the World War two.
Kaua’i: Described as the Garden Isle is the fourth largest geologically and the oldest. It has fewer towns that are far between each other with a population of 58000 residents. The main Airport is Lihu’e(LIH) on the South East and the main resort areas are: Princeville, Po’ipu, Royal Coconut Coast and Kalapaki.
Maui: Described as the valley isle, has 120 miles of shoreline with 81accesible beaches and boasts of swimmable beaches. It has a population of 144000 residents with Kahului (OGG) as the main airport and the main resort areas being Wailea, Makena, Kihei, Ka’anapali, Kapalua and Lahaina.
Moloka’i: Described as the friendly Isle and 5th largest island with a population of 7,400 residence and it boasts of the world highest sea cliff, longest fringing reef and NO traffic lights. The main airport is Molokai (MKK) and the main resort being Maunaloa.
Lana’i:Described as Hawaii’s secluded island, it is the smallest and less populated with a population of 3,100 residence with Lana’I as the only city. 47 miles of the coastline is undeveloped except Hulopo’e bay which is considered one of America’s best beaches. The island is famous for hikers, horseback riders and four-wheel-drive enthusiasists. The main airport is Lana’i(LNY) and main resort area is Lana’i city
Island of Hawai’i: Described as the big Island, it is the biggest more than twice the size of the other islands combined and it is the youngest. It has amazing geological and cultural attributes including the Hawai’i volcanoes national park and Kilauea’a the most active volcano in the world adding new land to the island each year. Hilo, the second largest town of the islands after Honolulu and is also on this island. It has a population of 186,730 and the main airport is Kona International Airport (KOA) and Hilo International Airport (ITO) while the main resort areas are Kailua-kona, Kohala, Keauhou and Hilo.
