The Rough Guide to Hawaii 3 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) - Softcover

Ward, Greg

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1858287383 ISBN 13: 9781858287386

Publisher: Rough Guides, 2002

Synopsis

INTRODUCTION

The islands of Hawaii poke from the Pacific more than two thousand miles off the west coast of America. In total, there are well over a hundred of them, the weather-beaten summits of a chain of submarine volcanoes that stretches almost to Japan. Most, however, are no more than tiny atolls. Only the seven largest, lying south of the Tropic of Cancer at the southeast end of the archipelago, are inhabited, and only six welcome visitors. Those are Oahu (the site of the state capital Honolulu and its resort annex of Waikiki), Hawaii itself (more commonly known as the Big Island in a vain attempt to avoid confusion), Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kauai.

All the islands share a similar topography, having been formed in the same way and exposed to the same winds and rains. Each is much wetter on its north and east – windward – coasts, which are characterized by stupendous sea cliffs, verdant stream-cut valleys and dense tropical vegetation. The south and west – leeward or "Kona" – coasts are much drier, often virtually barren, and make ideal locations for big resorts.

With its majestic volcanoes and palm-fringed beaches, Hawaii holds some of the most superb scenery on earth. Firmly established among the world’s greatest vacation playgrounds, it combines top-quality hotels and restaurants with almost unlimited opportunities not only for sheer self-indulgence, but also for activities such as surfing, diving, golf and hiking. Visiting Hawaii does not, however, have to be expensive; budget facilities on all the islands are listed throughout this book, together with advice on making the most of your money.

Despite the crowds, the islands have not been ruined by tourism. Resort development is concentrated into surprisingly small regions – Waikiki is the classic example, holding half the state’s hotel rooms in just two square miles – and it’s always possible to venture off into pristine wilderness, or to camp on the seashore or mountainside.

About this title

About the Author

Greg Ward is an established travel writer and expert on the islands of Hawaii. He has worked for Rough Guides since 1985. He is the author of The Rough Guide to Barcelona (with Steve Tallantyre), The Rough Guide to Brittany and Normandy, and The Rough Guide to Southwest USA. Visit him online at gregward.info.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

WHERE TO GO

The key decision in any Hawaiian itinerary is whether to go to Oahu, and specifically Waikiki, which holds virtually all its accommodation. If you enjoy cities, and prefer nightlife and crowds to deserted beaches – or simply if you don’t want to drive – then it’s worth staying for three or four days in Waikiki. Otherwise, unless you’re a surfer heading for the legendary North Shore, you may end up regretting any time you choose to spend on Oahu.

Each of the other islands – referred to as the Neighbor Islands – has its own strengths and weaknesses. Maui, Kauai and the Big Island all offer accommodation for every budget, and all cost the same to reach from Oahu, as well as being accessible by direct flights from the US West Coast. The best for beaches is probably Maui, followed by Kauai and then the Big Island; for scenery, and also hiking, Kauai beats the Big Island, with Maui well behind. The Big Island boasts the awesome spectacle of the world’s most active volcano – Kilauea, which has been erupting ever since 1983 – although slumbering Haleakala on Maui is also impressive.

Among more specialized interests, Maui offers the best conditions for windsurfing and whale watching; Maui and the Big Island are equally well-equipped for diving, snorkeling and golf; and the Big Island has great deep-sea fishing, as well as being the best suited for a touring vacation. The appeal of the lesser islands rests largely on their sense of seclusion; Molokai is a down-home, inexpensive and very traditional Hawaiian island, while Lanai has become a haven for the mega-rich.

Visitors in search of the ancient Hawaii may be disappointed by the few vestiges that remain. The Hawaiians themselves destroyed many of their heiaus (temples) following the collapse of the traditional religion, and traces of the pre-contact way of life tend to survive only in out-of-the-way places (notably on the Big Island). Otherwise, what is presented as "historic" usually post-dates the missionary impact. The former plantation villages often have an appealing air of the nineteenth-century West about them, with their false-front stores and wooden boardwalks, but of the larger towns only Honolulu, Lahaina on Maui, and Kailua on the Big Island offer much sense of history.

If you have one week or less, it makes sense to concentrate on just one island. Five days on either Kauai or the Big Island, combined with two days in Waikiki, makes a good introduction to the state, while if you fly direct to Maui you can explore that island in depth and still have time to cross over to Molokai or Lanai. With two weeks, you could spend four or five days each on three of the major islands – though it would be easy to fill a week or more on the Big Island – and it’s worth considering a couple of days on Molokai as well. Any more than two weeks, and you can consider seeing all the major islands.

WHEN TO GO

Although Hawaii’s high season for tourism is mid-December to March, when typical room rates for mid-range hotels rise by perhaps $25 per night, its climate remains pretty constant year-round.

Specific information for each island appears in the chapter introductions throughout this book. In general, despite the power of the tropical sun, Hawaii is not prone to extremes. Temperatures in all the major coastal resorts vary between a daily maximum of around 80°F (27°C) from January to March up to perhaps 87°F (30°C) from July to October. Rainfall is heaviest from December to March, but while the mountaintops are among the wettest places on earth, you’d have to be very unlucky to get enough rain in any of the resort areas to spoil your vacation.

The one seasonal variation that does affect tourists is in the state of the ocean. Along protected stretches of the shoreline, you can expect to be able to swim all year round in beautiful seas where the water temperature stays between 75°F and 82°F (24–28°C). From October to April, however, high surf can render unsheltered beaches dangerous in the extreme, and some beaches even lose their sand altogether. Conditions on specific beaches are indicated throughout this book; see also the section on Ocean Safety on p.36.

For most of the year, the trade winds blow in from the northeast, though they’re occasionally replaced by humid "Kona winds" from the south. Despite the much-publicized onslaught of Hurricane Iniki on Kauai in September 1992, hurricanes are very rare. However tsunamis (often erroneously called tidal waves) do hit from time to time, generally as a result of earthquakes or landslides caused by volcanic eruptions.

Edition details

• Publisher: Rough Guides
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 1858287383
• ISBN 13: 9781858287386
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 624