Tourism in Hawaii

Also see the destination guide on Wikitravel:Hawaii.

• List of Hawaii State Landmarks

Kaua'i

Kauai is a paradise for nature lovers. Hiking, kayaking, camping, a helicopter tour (~$180) and/or a boat tour (~$115) are the only ways one can see the true beauty of the island. If you don't hike hazardous trails or do not have the budget to take a helicopter or boat tour, you won't be able to see much on Kauai, because the roads only reach about 5% of the island.

There is one main highway, which does not circle the entire island. The highway goes along the coast from the north at Ke'e Beach, goes around the east side where the town of Lihue and the airport are located, continues along the south shore and then west, ending at the remains of a town called Mana and Polihale State Park.

The northwest part of the island contains the Na Pali Coast State Park, a range of breathtaking, rugged cliffs that are inaccessible by car. A view of this spectacular vista, either by hiking, helicopter or boat, should not be missed when visiting Kauai. Image of the Na Pali coast

In the northwest interior of the island are the Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific and the high altitude Alaka'i Swamp. In the center of the island is the top of the inactive Wai'ale'ale volcano. The summit is shrouded by clouds 300 days a year and gets an average of 1.5 inches of rain everyday, making it is the wettest place on earth.

Almost the entire island is lush green wilderness, perfect for hikers and campers. Some of the hiking trails along the cliffs are very steep and are not for beginners. There are streams and rivers at the bottom of the Waimea Canyon and throughout the island. Kayaking on these rivers is a popular activity. Ocean kayaking is also popular.

One way to see the scenery is by taking a helicopter tour. Tours leave from Lihue airport and fly over the shorelines, the valleys where the ancient Hawaiians used to live, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and the swamp at 2000 feet elevation. The waterfall where the visitors to Jurassic Park landed is located on Kauai.

Some helicopters fly into the shaft of an old volcano. Half of the crater had fallen off due to erosion. The remaining half forms a semi-cylindrical opening. When a helicopter is in the opening, the passengers are surrounded by a vertical wall 270° around. The cliff walls are covered with plants and numerous threads of tiny waterfalls. The Hawaiians called it the Wall of Tears. The ceiling of the shaft is always covered by clouds. On the rare occasion when the mountain clouds clear up, the helicopter can fly up the shaft vertically and it feels like you're looking up from the bottom of a well. Even most seasoned pilots have seen the sky from the shaft only a few times.

Another fun thing to do is to take a raft expedition. The trip leaves the north shore on a motorized raft (temporarily discontinued by US Government authorities due to environmental concerns), which holds 14 passengers and a crew of 2. The raft travels along the west shore to see spectacular views of the cliffs. When the lava flowed from the volcano to the sea, it cooled to form the rocks and continued to flow in underground tunnels. When the flowing lava stopped, the tunnels became sea caves along the shore. Rafts can enter into the sea caves - some of the cave entrances are covered by waterfalls. Some raft trips land on a beach for a lunch break, followed by time for snorkeling in the coral reef. The colorful coral fish swim to the divers begging for food.

Large power and sail catamarans also tour the island coasts, with the primary port being Port Allen on the southwest coast. Catamaran tours offer from as little as simple sight seening of the Na Pali or the southern coasts, to dinners at sunset, to snorkeling off coral reefs.

Another way to see the island is by car. One can basically drive the entire stretch of the highways on the island in a few hours. At one end is the viewpoint at Waimea Valley and Kokee to see part of the sea cliffs and lush green valleys and the desert-like Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

About 1 mile from the north end of the highway is a dry lava cave that the visitor can walk inside. The end of the highway offers the trailheads for Na Pali hiking. Along the ways are numerous resorts and white sand beaches.

There is a place called Spouting Horn on the south shore near Poipu, where the ceiling of an undersea lava tunnel is cracked; the sea waves push water into the tunnel and water spout shoots 30 feet into the air.

There is a famous coral reef on the north shore, one can stop by any rental store to rent snorkeling gear for $1.99 per day (in 1996's US dollar value). Drive to a place called Tunnel Beach, it is the largest reef on Kauai. Park the car on the roadside and just walk into the water. There is no road sign to Tunnel Beach, one has to look it up in the map and guess the way there. The map actually shows many coral reefs around the entire shore line, but Tunnel Beach is the best around May when the ocean waves are pounding on the south shore, the north shore is perfect for snorkeling.

Tourists can also attend a Luau. They cook a pig in the imu (the ground oven) and serve shredded pork with poi (mashed taro root) and other traditional dishes in the buffet-style dinner. Afterwards, they have a show of different Polynesian dances for the tourists.

Lodgings On Kauai are primarily available at timeshare resorts, but a significant number of hotel rooms are also available. Taking an afternoon and visiting a timeshare sales agent for a no-obligation ownership presentation can net you significantly discounted, or free, activities, such as helicopter rides, boat tours, and luaus. But a significant number of conventional hotel resorts are available.

The island of Kauai was featured in Disney's 2002 animated feature film Lilo & Stitch. The island of Kauai has also served as the backdrop to many other feature television shows and movies, such as Six Days Seven Nights, Fantasy Island, Jurassic Park, Blue Hawaii (Elvis -- Coco Palms Resort).

From [1] (http://cp_lai.tripod.com/hawaii.htm), by permission. See top of source webpage.

Lana'i

There are three hotels on Lana'i:

• Hotel Lanai - the oldest hotel in Lana'i. Contains only about 15 rooms.

• The Lodge at Koele - Known as a highland resort hotel. The hotel is erected on the hilltop, at the center of Lanai. Lodge at Koele is like a villa of Europe, with a pastoral mood. Temperature here is less than the Hawaii's usual, so it is very good for summer resort. Elected as one of the best hotels in the world.

• The Manele Bay Hotel - Twin hotel of The Lodge at Koele. Known as a beach resort hotel. This hotel is erected in the south of Lanai, besides the Proboe Beach.The hotel takes in Mediterranean Style and the room is very elegant. Visitors can hear the sound of ripple and smell the sea. Same as The Lodge at Koele, The Manele Bay Hotel is also elected as one of best hotels in the world.

Golf Courses

The Experience at Koele - A golf course made with The Lodge at Koele. Placed besides the hotel. The course is designed by golf legend Greg Norman. It makes the most of Lanai's abundant nature. Therefore there are lots of up and downs, and is difficult. However even the beginners could enjoy for there, they can see many natures while playing; such as lakes, waterfalls, and streams.

The Challenge at Manele - A golf course made with The Manele Bay Hotel. Placed besides the hotel. The course is designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus. For the course places beside the beach, player could see the clear blue and wonderful sea of Lanai from all course. However course is very challenging.