How about travelling somewhere new for your holiday? Try Hawaii!
The 21 hour journey from London to Hawaii is well worth the
effort; you’ll be rewarded with beautiful scenery, wonderful weather and
friendly locals. The largest island is Hawaii Island, home to eleven of the
world’s thirteen climatic zones, ensuring a wide variety of landscapes.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority has created a list of
attractions perfect for your first trip.
A visit would not be complete without visiting the Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park. The Park is home to Kilauea volcano, which has been
erupting since 1983 and is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. It
produces enough lava per day to resurface a 32km road and has added 198
hectares of new land to Hawaii Island since 1994! The chance to witness the
primal process of destruction and creation is an opportunity not to be
missed. The Kilauea visitor centre
offers talks, the latest eruption updates, maps and the scheduling of guided
walks with a ranger.
Travel further east from the Kohala Coast to Waimea, which
is full of rolling, green pastures and is home to many ranches, cowboys and
cattle. The Kahua ranch offers visitors the chance to experience this unspoilt
landscape on horseback or ATV. Waimea is also home to one of the best
restaurants on the island, Merriman’s, whose head chef was one of the founding
members of Hawaiian cuisine. Hawaiian cuisine is famed worldwide for its fresh,
local ingredients and is definitely worth a try.
For those seeking something more relaxing, why not
experience the crystal blue waters which surround Hawaii Island? The waters on
the Kona side have fantastic visibility and are calm. Honaunau Bay is the
perfect place to snorkel and features ‘two steps’ formed from worn out volcanic
rock, creating a perfect entry point into pure bliss. The Kona coast is the
best place in Hawaii to spot manta rays that have huge wingspans of up to 6
metres and do not have a sting. The best way to see these incredible creatures
is a boat tour at night; watching these graceful animals feed is truly an
experience of a lifetime.
Hawaii Island also provides fantastic vantage points for
viewing the stars. The tallest sea mountain in the world, Maunakea, is home to
13 telescopes representing 11 countries from around the world. Due to minimal
light pollution and clear air, the stars are clearly visible with naked eye and
light up the night sky. Maunakea also offers some spectacular sunsets and
sunrises above the clouds. Guided stargazing tours are available and are the
easiest way to experience the natural beauty of the world above.
If you visit Hawaii Island at Easter, you can visit the
Merrie Monarch Festival- the world’s largest Hula competition. The motto of the
Festival is “Hula is the language of the heart, therefore the heartbeat
of the Hawaiian people”. The Hula dance is unique to Hawaii and is often
accompanied by a chant or song. Some Hawaiian hotels offer guests the
opportunity to learn this cultural dance; If you’re feeling brave you can show
off you hula skills to other guests!
To read the full article, visit http://www.gohawaii.com/uk/big-island/guidebook/first-trip/
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