The Hawaiian archipelago of 137 islands, islets and atolls. Each island is different, not only in appearance but in personality. Oahu is schizophrenic, busy, sophisticated and urbane, with a surprisingly rural twin personality. Maui is the dreamer. Here the arts flourish in galleries, art schools and the forward-looking Maui Arts and Cultural Center. The Big Island is raw, with room to spare, it bristles with creative energy. Kauai is ancient and wise and green. It has the state’s only navigable river, the broad Wailua.
Sightseeing in Hawaii
■ Oahu: Oahu is Hawaii’s most sophisticated and urbanized island, with the capital city, Honolulu, and its resort of Waikiki. Beyond the suburban fringes, it remains an island of small towns, lonesome beaches, farms and plantations. Honolulu sprawls in the lee of the Koolau Mountains, extending its concerte arms from the Diamond Head end of Waikiki all the way around to the industrial jumble beyond Pearl Harbor. This is the financial center of the mid-Pacific, a top holiday destination and springboard to the Neighbor Islands, and the home of America’s only royal palace.
■ Kauai: The island is swathed in a rich mantle of luxuriant greenery, from the flanks of its ancient mountains to its rippling lowland cane fields and vivid emerald chequerboards of taro patches. Kauai, the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the result of a single massive volcano, has an unmistakable maturity to its grandeur.
■ Maui: Maui’s tourist industry is well developed and the main resort areas of the island are confined to pickets along the sunnier, drier west coast and it is easy to escape into unspoiled, open countryside.
Activities in Hawaii
■ Surfing: Waikiki remains one of the best places in the world to learn how to surf. There are around a dozen longride breaks between Diamond Head and the Hilton Hawaiian Village. In addition to reliable year-round surfing conditions, locals and board rental operators are usually around to offer advice.
■ Walking: The historic heart of Lahaina is ideally suited to a leisurely sightseeing stroll because of its compact size. Preface the walk by having breakfast at the Pioneer Inn, which overlooks the small boat harbor. The entire stroll should take around an hour without stops for sightseeing.
■ Driving: A terrific trip, this 120km drive encompasses historic Hawaiian sites, a beautiful north coast valley and a memorable upcountry excursion. You might stop in Waimea-Kamuela and if you really want to get a feel for the Big Island’s paniolo country, you can reserve a couple of hours’ horseback-riding on an 11,000acre mountain ranch.
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