Holidays - Hawaii, an Introduction

Situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, roughly 2,400 miles off the coast of California, lies one of the worlds most remote yet popular tourist destinations - the state of Hawaii. Hawaii is well endowed with outstanding natural beauty, a rich culture and a welcoming nation so its popularity has been well earned.

Hawaii has been a state of America for less than 50 years and has some notable features that are not shared with any other state, such as not being geographically located in North America, being entirely surrounded by water and having a royal palace.

In total there are roughly 130 islands and atolls (lagoons encircled by coral), the majority of which are uninhabited - of the main eight islands, only six are open to tourists.

The largest of these known as Hawaii Island, or commonly "The Big Island" to avoid confusion is twice the size of all the other Hawaiian Islands combined. This island is also the most environmentally diverse, with 12 different climate zones; ranging from the tropical forests of the east to the arid regions of the south.

Much of the diversity is down to the islands volcanic activity, with the world's largest volcano, Mauna Loa and the most active Kilauea being situated here. The Big Island has it all from extreme sports, to fine resorts and a bustling nightlife.

The country's second largest island, Maui has been voted the best island in the world. Much like its larger counterpart it has a wealth of things to do etched into a diverse and beautiful environment, on the east side for instance, you can drive down one of the most scenic roads in the world to the tiny village of Hana.

Honolulu, the country's capital is situated on its third largest and most populous island, Oahu. Some consider this to be the most unattractive of the island's purely because of the tourists traps that have developed over the years, those that are able to look over this though will be deeply rewarded.

With just one hotel, the island of Molokai is Hawaii's most peaceful and retains much of its native way of life, making it the ultimate in seclusion. It is also home to Hawaii's longest white sand beach and the origin of the hula dance.

As mentioned, Hawaii is a popular tourist destination offering all manner of holidays. Although some packages can prove quite expensive it is possible to find cheap holidays. This is best achieved online, where you will be able to source holidays from hundreds of operators.