Jeanette Foster - Frommer’s EasyGuide to Hawaii 2018

Frommer's Star Ratings System

Every hotel, restaurant and attraction listed in this guide has been ranked for quality and value. Here's what the stars mean:

	Recommended
	Highly Recommended
	A must! Don't miss!

AN IMPORTANT NOTE

The world is a dynamic place. Hotels change ownership, restaurants hike their prices, museums alter their opening hours, and busses and trains change their routings. And all of this can occur in the several months after our authors have visited, inspected, and written about, these hotels, restaurants, museums and transportation services. Though we have made valiant efforts to keep all our information fresh and up-to-date, some few changes can inevitably occur in the periods before a revised edition of this guidebook is published. So please bear with us if a tiny number of the details in this book have changed. Please also note that we have no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracy or errors or omissions, or for inconvenience, loss, damage, or expenses suffered by anyone as a result of assertions in this guide.

CONTENTS

The Best of Hawaii

T heres no place on Earth quite like this handful of sun-drenched, mid-Pacific islands. The Hawaii of South Seas literature and Hollywood films really does exist. Here youll find palm-fringed blue lagoons, lush rainforests, hidden gardens, cascading waterfalls, wild rivers running through rugged canyons, and soaring volcanoes. And oh, those beachesgold, red, black, and even green sands caressed by endless surf. The possibilities for adventureand relaxationare endless. Each of the six main islands is separate, distinct, and infinitely complex. Theres far too much to see and do on any 2-week vacation, which is why so many people return to the Aloha State year after year.

Unfortunately, even paradise has its share of stifling crowds and tourist schlock. If youre not careful, your trip to Hawaii could turn into a nightmare of tourist traps selling shells from the Philippines, hokey faux culture like cellophane-skirted hula dancers, overpriced exotic drinks, and a 4-hour timeshare lecture before you get on that free snorkeling trip. Thats where this guide comes in. As a Hawaii resident, I can tell the extraordinary from the merely ordinary. This book steers you away from the crowded, the overrated, and the overpricedand toward the best Hawaii has to offer. No matter what your budget, this guide helps ensure that every dollar is well spent.

Hawaiis best Island Experiences

Taking the Plunge: Don mask, fin, and snorkel to explore Hawaiis magical underwater world, where exotic corals and kaleidoscopic clouds of tropical fish await youa sea turtle may even come over to check you out. Cant swim? Then take one of the many submarine tours offered by Atlantis Submarines (www.go-atlantis.com; 800/548-6262 ) on Oahu, the Big Island, and Maui. Check out the Watersports section in each island chapter for more information on all these underwater adventures.

The Hawaiian Islands

Meeting Local Folks: If you go to Hawaii and see only people like the ones back home, you might as well not have come. Extend yourselfleave your hotel, go out and meet the locals (any beach, except Waikiki, is a great place to start), and learn about Hawaii and its people. Just smile and say Owzit?which means How is it? (Its good is the usual response)and youre on your way to making a new friend.

Feeling History Come Alive at Pearl Harbor (Oahu): The United States could no longer turn its back on World War II after December 7, 1941, when Japanese warplanes bombed Pearl Harbor. Standing on the deck of the USS Arizona Memorial (.

Watching for Whales: If you happen to be in Hawaii during humpback-whale season (roughly DecApr), dont miss the opportunity to see these gentle giants. A host of boatsfrom small inflatables to high-tech, high-speed sailing catamaransprovide a range of whale-watching cruises on every island. One of my favorites is along the Big Islands Kona Coast, where Captain Dan McSweeneys Whale Watch Learning Adventures (.

Creeping up to the Ooze (Big Island): Kilauea volcano has been adding land to the Big Island continuously since 1983. The volcano goddess Pele continues to blow smoke and plumage into the air from the main crater of Halemaumau. If conditions are right, you can walk up to the red-hot lava and see it ooze along, or you can stand at the shoreline and watch with awe as 2,000F (1,092C) molten fire pours into the ocean. Or, you can also take to the air in a helicopter and see the volcano goddesss work from above. See .

Going Big-Game Fishing off the Kona Coast (Big Island): Dont pass up the opportunity to try your luck in the sport-fishing capital of the world, where 1,000-pound marlin are taken from the sea just about every month of the year. Not looking to set a world record? Konas charter-boat captains specialize in conservation and will be glad to tag any fish you angle and then let it go so someone else can have the fun of fighting a big-game fish tomorrow. See .

Greeting the Rising Sun from atop Haleakala (Maui): Bundle up in warm clothing, fill a thermos full of hot java, and drive up to the summit to watch the sky turn from inky black to muted charcoal as a small sliver of orange light forms on the horizon. Theres something magical about standing at 10,000 feet, breathing in the rarefied air, and watching the first rays of sun streak across the sky. See .

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Hawaiis best Beaches

Lanikai Beach (Oahu): Too gorgeous to be real, this stretch along the Windward Coast is one of Hawaiis postcard-perfect beachesa mile of golden sand as soft as powdered sugar bordering translucent turquoise waters. The waters are calm year-round and excellent for swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking. Two tiny offshore islands complete the picture. See .

Hapuna Beach (Big Island): This half-mile-long crescent regularly wins kudos in the worlds top travel magazines as the most beautiful beach in Hawaiisome consider it one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. One look and youll see why: Perfect cream-colored sand slopes down to crystal-clear water thats great for swimming, snorkeling, and bodysurfing in summer; come winter, waves thunder in like stampeding horses. The facilities for picnicking and camping are top-notch, and theres plenty of parking. See .