From the moment you get off the plane and put on a fragrant flower lei, Hawaii vacations embrace you with Polynesian culture, the soft sounds of the slack-key guitar, and the sweet scent of sugarcane and ginger flowers. You'll also find plenty of sensational spas offering lomi lomi massage, shops selling Pacific pearls, local art boutiques, and spectacular beachfront resorts designed solely for relaxation.
Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959, and what a unique state it is! Surrounded entirely by the Pacific Ocean, the island chain is volcanic in origin, invented surfing, and was once a royal kingdom. Made up of hundreds of islands, the six main ones visited by tourists are Oahu, Maui, Kauai, the Big Island, Lanai, and Molokai, each distinctive in its own way.
A Hawaii vacation package can be filled with everything from pineapple fields and outrigger canoes to hula dance and luau feasts. Depending which island you go to, you can snorkel beside the incredible accordion cliffs of Kauai's Na Pali coast, dive into waterfalls in Maui's rainforest, ride a helicopter over recent lava flows on the Big Island, and swim with sea turtles off the shores of Oahu's Waikiki.
Events in Hawaii
Maui Classical Music Festival
May 2010 (annual)
Maui
Greats such as Beethoven, Bach, Mendelsson and Lizt are celebrated annually at Maui Classical Music Festival. The eight-day festival...
