Hawaiian Islands, the Brilliant Gems of the Pacific Ocean

Hawaii comprised of 8 main islands and 124 small islets. Combined, they span a distance of 1500 miles and form a beautiful volcanic crescent in the North Pacific Ocean.

If you combine all the Hawaiian Islands together, you will get a landmass almost as big as the state of Connecticut. But, these are not just some boring islands in the middle of nowhere. They are actually the peaks of underwater volcanoes that have grown so big and tall until the ocean cannot conceal them anymore.

Luckily, out of these many volcanoes, only two that are located on the Big Island are active. They are called Mauna Loa and Kilauea. The major drawback of the existence of these many volcanoes is that the terrains of Hawaii become so rugged and mountainous.

Currently the government is focusing the developments mainly along the sunny coastal fringe of each island. These areas were picked because they have wonderful weather with clear skies and gentle winds year-round. Temperatures usually range between 70s to 80s. All of these nice characteristics can be attributed to Hawaii's location near the equator.

Now that we know a little bit about Hawaii, why don't we start looking at the main Hawaiian Islands? The 8 main islands are Oahu, Maui, Kauai, the Big Island, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau and Kahoolawe. People do not call these as main islands for no reason; actually 99% of Hawaiian landmass are made of these 8 islands. Of these 8 islands, only Niihau is privately owned, but tourists can still visit the island via Kauai. Kahoolawe currently has no population and is still being recovered and developed after being used as a U.S. military bombing target all these years.

This leaves only six islands as tourist destinations. Actually, out of the six, only four can be called major tourist destinations as the other two are not as developed. The four are Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island.

Oahu: The Gathering Place

Compared to the other 3 major Hawaiian Islands, Oahu is the most developed and most populated island in Hawaii. Honolulu, the only big city in Hawaii is located here. Major tourist destinations in Oahu are Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head crater, USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, the Bishop Museum and the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Maui: The Valley Isle

When people come to visit the Hawaiian Islands, they generally agree that Maui is the most beautiful among the major islands. Conde Nast Traveler, a famous travel magazine, has actually voted Maui as the "Best Island in the World" for 13 out of the past 14 years. Maui's famous tourist attractions are the Heavenly Road to Hana and Haleakala National Park.

The Big Island

With the kind of tourist destinations that the Big Island offers, it may not be suitable for casual tourists. But if you like adventure, the primal rain forests and lava fields will really excite you. The major attractions here are the Kona-Kohala coast, Hapuna Beach, Hilo and the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Kauai: The Garden Isle

If you have been dreaming of going to tropical romantic paradise, then Kauai is the perfect one for you. Even the people at Hollywood agree with this. You can see Kauai featured in many famous movies such as Jurassic Park and Blue Hawaii. The most famous destinations in Kauai are the Poipu Beach, the Na Pali Coast and the Waimea Canyon.