For a long time, my friends had told me about how they cherish the memories of their vacations in Hawaii.
Consequently, I made a point of visiting the much talked about island recently where I had an exciting experience.
I tagged along my sister who also loves travelling and had equally longed to visit Hawaii.
This Island is made up of six other islands all of which have numerous attractions ranging from the calm seas to the beautiful beach scenery and cultural sites that you can visit as well as lots of things that you can do.
Based on the experience we had, I can definitely recommend vacations in Hawaii to you especially if you care considering going there for your honeymoon or as a family as you are guaranteed of memories that you will treasure.
Our vacation itinerary was packed with activities that made every moment worthwhile.
When you get to Hawaii, the warm and tranquil waters will refresh you while the floral air will definitely leave you energized.
The beauty of this island is invigorating.
In fact, each day has its own package of surprises as well as experiences for vacationers therefore, you too can be sure to have the best of experiences.
We spent most of our vacation in Oahu.
Some of the activities that we engaged in while on vacation in Hawaii include a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial that is on the historic pearl of Oahu.
The harbor is dedicated to the victims of the 1941 Japanese bombing.
The beauty of this memorial is in the fact that the harbor stretches across the sunken midsection of the battleship where 1,177 crew members perished.
We got to watch a 23 minute clip that summarizes the attack before going on a boat ride.
The memorial has three distinct areas are worth writing home about namely the shrine room, the central area and entry and assembly area.
Admission to the memorial is free therefore; you do not have a reason for not visiting.
A visit to the Waikiki Beach during the vacation also offered another great experience.
In fact, this was a perfect opportunity to relax on the golden sand as well as take part in a number of exciting activities.
The ocean waters at Waikiki beach are warm but you can definitely take a dip in the ocean, which I enjoyed a lot.
In addition, we also went for an exhilarating ride in one of the outrigger canoes whereby we paddled past breakers but were carried to the shores by the waves.
I was truly exciting and any water sport lover would definitely fall in love with this ride.
I also took this opportunity to learn how to surf at the water sports centre.
Apart from the water sports, Waikiki beach had a lot to offer including a hike to the volcanic crater, a visit to the Honolulu zoo that has indigenous animals and a tour of the Bishop’s museum where you will get to view an amazing collection of Polynesian artifacts.
Every minute spent here made our vacation even more exciting that we could not wait for what the next attraction had to offer.
You can also catch some great Hawaiian music on Sunday at Dukes while you get a taste of great salad that is healthy.
Watching the sunset on this beach is also spectacular and beautiful.
We also went on a picnic on Oahu’s North Shore that hosts excellent surfing competitions during winter when the waves are at heights of up to 30 feet.
Even then, we got an opportunity to watch intrepid surfers catching big waves at the Sunset beach that is on the North Shore.
Watch surfers do their thing is therapeutic even as the waves surge on the shallow coral reef forming a perfect treacherous pipeline.
The Polynesian cultural centre is another must visit attraction for any visitor especially if you want to break the monotony from the beach activities.
The centre houses a collection of pacific region cultures that include intricate dances, lively songs and colorful themes that you will definitely love.
While here we got to experience New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Fiji, Marquesas and of course Hawaii on the Island villages that have been created at the center.
There are lagoons at the centre hence you can travel from one village to the other by canoe or on foot.
This experience is totally awesome and you will have done yourself some injustice when you leave Hawaii before getting to the centre.
If you are travelling with children you can be sure that they too will have fun as there are numerous activities they can enjoy like playing shuffleboard, fishing, bowling, take hula lessons among the many other activities.
The native of these villages also demonstrate various skills among them generating fire from rubbing sticks together.
Access to this centre requires that you pay an admission fee that varies depending on the different packages that you will opt for because you may not exhaust everything in a single day.
We also had the opportunity of going on a hike on Waimea Canyon that is located in the island of Kauai that is considered an equivalent of Grand Canyon.
This place has cliffs that are eroded effectively revealing layers that have vivid colors that change when the sun is out.
Waimea Canyon also has thick vegetation as it experiences lots of rainfall.
If you are lucky enough like we were then you can see some vivid rainbows.
Hiking through the different nature trails presents a perfect way to appreciate nature.
In the evening, we enjoyed some great food, music and dance at the Tahiti Nui Restaurant/Bar that is one of a kind.
This family run restaurant has numerous offerings including pizza and fresh fish.
Another great place that I can recommend to anyone planning their vacations in Hawaii is Kapalua Beach that mostly has calm water and soft sand.
Here we got to see the rocky peninsulas as well as coral reefs.
Our love for water could not allow us to leave without snorkeling that was so much fun.
We also went to Mauna Loa to see the Hawaiian volcanoes and craters that have had recent activity.
An admission fee is charged as this is part of the Hawaii National Park.
The Hanakapiai Falls is another great place that you can visit in Hawaii and have a feel of tropical paradise.
Watching the 300 ribbon water cascading down the volcanic wall to the idyllic pool is breathtaking and at the same time relaxing.
The place is also ideal for swimming and we did not hesitate to take a shot at it.
In conclusion, Hawaii has many great places that you can enjoy while on vacation thus you need to plan in advance so that you do not miss the major attractions and activities.
