By: M. Matchev

Paradise on earth is what vacationers have called Hawaii. A congregation of islands in the Pacific, 3200 miles from San Francisco, Hawaii is a land of spectacular beaches and a haven for water sports. There are seven islands that can be visited - Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau and Hawaii or “The Big Island”.

The Hawaii islands are said to have formed as a result of a Pacific tectonic plate moving over a volcanic hotspot situated on the ocean floor. Kauai is said to be formed first, and is considered the oldest. The difference is evident in the topography with Kauai being weather-worn with foliage-covered cliffs in stark difference to the harsh, bare mountains of the Big Island.

Hawaii, the big island is considered the youngest and is still being built. The Big Island presently sits over the volcanic hotspot and feeding the Kilauea Volcano with new land is being formed every day.

Hawaiian Facts

State Nickname = The Aloha State
State Flag = part British, part American in design
State Language = English
Time Zone = Hawaiian standard - 3 hours ahead of California Daylight Saving Time.
State Flower = Hibiscus
State Fish = Humuhumunukunukuapua’a
State Bird = Nene
State Motto = “Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono” (”The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness”)

Hawaii Weather

Hawaii has only two seasons a year - summer and winter. May to October is known to be summer and November to April comprises the Hawaiian winter. Hurricanes are known to sweep the islands in summer. Winter comprises the whale season when the Humpback whales are enroute migrating from Alaska to Hawaiian.

Normal temperature all year round is around 80d F. Winter evenings tend to be a bit cooler at 60d F. The beauty of Hawaiian weather is that it never gets to hot or too cold apart form certain areas like the Volcano Village or Haleakala. Snow is evident in winters in certain areas like Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the Big Island.

Most tourist areas in Hawaii are on the leeward and south sides of the islands. Although winter rains are known, tourist areas never get any rain. The biggest wet vacation area is the Princeville on Kauai. Rainy nights are quite frequent here and days also see a little rain. Each of the Hawaiian island have something to offer:

Oahu (Gathering place): Famed for Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki beach, North Shore, and Polynesian Cultural Center. High on population (about 1 million) with good development and cultural maturity, Oahu offers sights, attractions, and cultural shows. Oahu was the first island developed to be a tourism island in Hawaii. Oahu has about 5 million visitors and offers a wide choice of attractions like water sports, nature, exhibits and restaurants.

Kauai (Garden Isle): Kauai boasts of Lihue, Waimea canyon, Na Pali coast and the Hanalei Bay. Kauai is very beautiful with green valleys and rugged, unspoiled Na Pali coastline. About 70,000 people live on Kauai and about 1 million visit each year. Kauai’s beaches and water-sports are supported with good conveniences and friendliness.

Maui (Valley Isle): Maui attracts tourists because of its Kahalui, Lahaina, Haleakala (a volcanic crater), the road to Hana and Hana itself. Maui is well known for whale watching and beaches. Inhabited by about 100,000 people and visitors topping 2 million, Maui is second only to Oahu in tourist attraction. It is very popular with college students - partying is not ruled out - other attractions are its great beaches and spectacular views. Beauty and conveniences of the cities blend beautifully at Maui.

Hawaii (Big Island): Famed for Kona, Hilo, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea Volcano (active), Mauna Kea (winter snow) and South Point, the island of Hawaii is also known for its black sand beaches. With over 140,000 inhabitants and over a million visitors annually, Hawaii has 11 different climates and three (black, green and white) different colored sandy beaches.

Molokai (Friendly Isle): With Halawa beach park, Kauanakakai and Molokai ranch, Molokai is best known for Kalaupapa and Father Damien’s contribution to it. With about 7000 inhabitants and 80,000 annual visitors, Molokai is small, quiet and peaceful island. With empty, long and sandy beaches, Molokai is a good choice to get away from the world.

Lanai (Private Isle): Shipwreck beach, Manele Bay and Garden of the Gods comprise Lanai’s tourist attractions. With 3000 inhabitants and 100,000 visitors Lanai has only two Luxury Hotels to stay in. One of them is on the ocean-front and the other on a mountain top. Bill Gates of Microsoft had rented the whole island for his wedding in 1994.

Niihau (Forbidden Isle): Privately owned with a population of 300. Entry is by invitation only.

Hawaii is always alive with the spirit of Aloha and deeply engrossed in the Polynesian culture. Recommended in “an island a week” for a full and complete relaxing holiday.

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How To Save Money On Your Next Trip To Hawaii

Are you interested in taking a trip to Hawaii? If you are, you may want to start making your travel arrangements. Before you do so, you may want to familiarize yourself with some of the many ways that you can save money on your next trip to Hawaii. Even if you are not on a budget, there are still a number of benefits to making affordable vacation arrangements.

One of the first things that you will want to do, when planning a Hawaii vacation, is examine vacation packages. Vacation packages are a nice way to make travel arrangements, as they are nice, easy, and convenient. Vacation packages enable you to make multiple travel arrangements, like your airline reservations and overnight accommodations reservations, all at the same time. You may even receive a discount for booking your next Hawaii trip in the form of a vacation package.

As nice as vacation packages are, they are not right for everyone. If you would prefer to stay at a Hawaii vacation home, as opposed to a traditional hotel or vacation resort, you may be unable to find a vacation package that includes the overnight accommodations of your choice. If this is the case, you may still want to make all of your travel arrangement through the same online travel website, as you still receive some of the previously mentioned convenience.

Speaking of making your travel arrangements, you will want to start with your airline reservations. This is advised as you may find varied rates. The rates that you receive for a trip to Hawaii will depend on a number of factors including time, season, or if you are traveling during a holiday. You may first want to examine Hawaii airlines and their rates with a two or three day window. While there are no guarantees, you may find it cheaper to fly to Hawaii on a Tuesday, as opposed to a Friday or a Saturday.

Next, you will want to make your overnight accommodation reservations. This is relatively easy if you are looking to book at stay at a traditional hotel or vacation resort. If you would prefer to stay at a Hawaii vacation home or another Hawaiian vacation rental, you will want to visit online travel websites that specialize in offering these types of rental properties. For the best success, you will want to examine those that deal specifically with trips to Hawaii.

What is nice about using the internet and online travel websites to make your Hawaii vacation rental reservations is that many allow you to search for rental properties based on location and price. This is great if you are on a budget. Even if you are not a budget, you may first want to decide how much money you would like to spend on a Hawaii vacation home or another Hawaiian vacation rental and then go from there. When taking this approach, be sure to remember that the less you spend on a vacation rental, the more money you can have for entrainment purposes.

Another one of the many ways that you can save money on your next trip to Hawaii is by preparing some of your own meals. Of course, you will want to dine out on occasion, but you may want to refrain from doing so everyday and for each meal, as this can get costly. If you choose to rent a Hawaii vacation rental, such as a Hawaii vacation home, you should be provided with a fully furnished kitchen. This enables you to easily prepare some of your own meals, as well as save yourself a considerable amount of money.

When it comes to finding things to do on your next Hawaii trip, you may want to examine nearby activities and attractions. Choosing things to do that are located a reasonable distance away from your Hawaii vacation rental or your Hawaii vacation resort is likely to save you money. Whether you use public transportation or choose to rent a car, eliminating unnecessary travel can not only save you money, but it can also save you time. This can help you make the most out of your next Hawaii trip.

Are you looking to save money while making your Hawaii travel plans? If you are, visit HawaiianBeachRentals.com to start examining affordable Hawaii vacation rentals.

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