Hawaii Travel

It may come as a surprise to most people that Hawaii is the fifth state of the United States of America. The island is located at the center of North Pacific Ocean. The capital of the state is Honolulu. The island was once economically vibrant but has of late become dependent on the tourism side of things and does not concentrate on the whaling, sugar and pineapple industries like in the past.

The island is one of many islands in the Pacific Ocean. There are about six major islands in the area that Hawaii is situated. Namely they are Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai, and lanai and there is the Nihau Island that is privately owned and the entire population on that island is native Hawaii. Oahu is the place to go if you want to experience both the life of a city and island life packaged into one. Hikers will love the rainforests that are located a few minutes away from the world’s most famous beach, Waikiki beach.

Unlike other tourist destination were visiting in winter would not be advised in Hawaii it is the exact opposite. In winter the ocean conjures up huge waves that make the island a surfing heaven to get the best view of the natural wonders that the island has to offer one should take a trip to the other neighboring islands that have rainforests, waterfalls and some of the volcanoes in the islands are still active. The fact that the volcanoes in the island are active is the reason why the island is expanding in size.

Captain cook is the first person to discover the island and at that time the islands were sovereign states but not for long as the chief of Hawaii Island at that time, backed by military power of the west managed to take charge of all islands with the exception of Kauai. The weather on the island is dependant on were you stay and it is true that the difference in weather is there between short distances. There are no conventional seasons to talk about in Hawaii in terms of the usually seasons that in other united states. Besides the fact that there are no seasons there is a cycle that the climate goes through. From October to march that is the wet season in Hawaii, April to September is the dry season and the temperature will be mostly warm and not so much rainfall. When in Hawaii it is best to wear as less as possible and so it is advisable to pack lite clothes when going to the island. The island is situated close to the equator and that means there is strong sun radiation and thus people should use sunscreen to protect them selves.

There are two ways to get to the island, United States citizen who visit the island can use a boat or they can fly to the island but for foreigners like those who live in Europe and Asia you have to fly to the island and the trip is long. Just to give you a general feeling of the distance, from New York City to Hawaii it is about ten and a half hours away so you can imagine if you live in Europe. Going by boat is being done less and less now our days but there are a few operators who still offer that service. Taking a cruise around the islands one is sure to get a treat for from the scenic views. There are four ways to get around the island and that is either by boat, car, bus and surprisingly plane.

English is the most popular medium of communication. Some of the local mix English and Hawaiian language. There are tourist operators on the island that have personnel that can communicate in other languages like Chinese and Japanese. The currency used on the island is the US dollar and they are many international banks that operate on the island. Hawaii may be an American state it does not mean that the prices are the same as main land America as it is expensive to transport goods to the island and that has an effect on the prices that are charged. Tax on the island is about 5% and that is including both state tax and the county tax and this tax is for businesses. There are no exceptional sites that one can go and see in Hawaii in terms of man made structures or places of significance but rather the natural beauty of the island is the main attraction. Most of the activities that one can get involved in Hawaii are molded around the beauty of the island. The is a tour of the island and there is a local who will take you around the island showing you the different cultural, natural features and geographical sites that are dotted around the island.

There is horse back riding, kayaking and helicopter rides that one can go for a ride and check out the aerial view of the island. The night life on the island is quite wild as they are many clubs, bars and concert venues. Going to Hawaii is about relaxing and unwinding and is not like the holidays that one will take to Europe where you learn about other people’s culture through their museums and galleries. In Hawaii you learn of the history of the island and the culture from the natives themselves. You can go for numerous classes in Hawaii; there are lessons in hula and surfing that are offered, the island has a few places the detail the culture and history of the island and those are Bishop Museum and the lolani Palace. To learn about the Polynesian culture that not only looks at the island but others s well like New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and Tahiti there is the center of Polynesian culture. Even though the unemployment rate on the island is low it is still difficult for people that are not holders of a work permit to find work. The only professionals that are allowed to work without a permit are policemen.