SunBusters Hawaiian Vacations : Island Guide

Island Guide

The Hawaiian Islands are a group of many islands, with six major islands that people visit regularly. Each island has it's own unique character and charm. Choosing the best island to visit will depend greatly on what you would like to get from your trip to paradise.

Below is a brief summary of the major islands, in order of their popularity. In general, first time visitors should focus more on the islands listed first.

The Hawaiian Islands
Oahu (The Gathering Place) Excellent for: Getting Married Busy Itinerary - Stuff to do Sightseeing, Landmarks Surfing Dining Shopping Nightlife	At the top of the list is Oahu, the most popular island in the Hawaiian chain. Home to 80 percent of the Hawaiian population (almost 1 million people), and such landmark Hawaiian places as the capital Honolulu, Waikiki, Sunset Beach, Pearl Harbor, Aloha Stadium, and Diamond Head crater. It is also the central hub to the rest of the islands. Ninety percent of the people visiting Hawaii, at least stop here.
Maui (The Valley Island) Excellent for: Getting Married Whale Watching Outdoor Activities Water Sports Golfing Dining Nightlife	And then there's Maui -- Ah, Maui! More than one person who has come here has sworn that is the most perfect place on earth. Although you can get away from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki, there's still plenty to do, from biking down Haleakala Crater, to snorkeling at Molokini, to just relaxing on the beach. Championship courses attract golfers, while the nightlife of Lahaina gives those partiers something to do after dark.
Kauai (The Garden Island) Excellent for: Getting Married Beaches Golfing Peace and Quiet Enjoying Paradise Setting	This is the Hawaii everybody sees on television. Popular with Hollywood moviemakers, it's the setting for such films as Jurassic Park, Six Days and Seven Nights, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Blue Hawaii to name a few. The lush tropical gardens and awesome emerald cliffs of Na Pali, make Kauai the perfect place to embrace Hawaii's natural beauty. Quiet and perfect beaches and Championship golf courses make this a popular choice for first-timers and regular visitors to the islands.
Hawaii - Big Island Excellent for: Getting Married Mega-Resort Living Water Sports Volcanoes	It's not called the Big Island for nothing! You can fit all the islands twice over in this land mass of beauty and volcanic lava. The Big Island is home to the world's largest active volcano, Kilauea. It's amazing to see this massive volcano erupting at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. It's not really the Fantasy Island setting that most people are expecting, mostly lava landscape on the Kona (West) side, lush tropical rain forests on the Hilo (East) side, and sometimes snow (yes, snow) at the peak of its largest volcano, Mauna Loa, however the experience is so unique and beautiful, you'll have to go there to know what it's like. Visitors to the Big Island will have no problem finding ultra-luxury resorts lined up along the Kona coast.
Lanai Excellent for: Day trip of Luxury Golf	Lanai is a small island off the coast of Maui. There's not much here except two ultra-deluxe resorts, and two Championship golf courses. Mega-movie stars and Bill Gates himself chose this island to say, "I Do." It's a great day trip from Maui or any other major island, but we wouldn't recommend staying more than a couple of days. The mega-resorts make this island an excellent vacation-within-a-vacation. For instance, if you got married in Maui, you could 'honeymoon' for a couple of days on Lanai.
Molokai Excellent for: People who have already been to all the other islands Peace and Quite Discovering Hawaiian History	Molokai, the smallest of the major islands, is also the least developed and visited islands of the Hawaiian chain. This might be a good thing if the main agenda on your itinerary is peace and quiet, but most people find this island 'too quiet'. The island's claim to fame is the Kalaupapa Leper Colony, an active leper colony that sits at the base of some of the world's largest cliffs. You can only reach this area by mule, prop plane, or helicopter. It should definitely be visited for its unspoiled beauty, and aloha spirit (most of the people hear are native Hawaiian), but only after you've spent sufficient time at the rest of the islands.