Insight Guides Hawaii (Travel Guide eBook) , livre ebook

How To Use This E-Book

Getting around the e-book
This Insight Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration for your visit to Hawaii, as well as comprehensive planning advice to make sure you have the best travel experience. The guide begins with our selection of Top Attractions, as well as our Editor’s Choice categories of activities and experiences. Detailed features on history, people and culture paint a vivid portrait of contemporary life in Hawaii. The extensive Places chapters give a complete guide to all the sights and areas worth visiting. The Travel Tips provide full information on getting around, activities from culture to shopping to sport, plus a wealth of practical information to help you plan your trip.
In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.
Maps
All key attractions and sights in Hawaii are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map] just tap this to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.
Images
You’ll find hundreds of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Hawaii. Simply double-tap on an image to see it full-screen.
About Insight Guides
Insight Guides have more than 40 years’ experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.
Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.
© 2022 Apa Digital AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

Table of Contents
Hawaii’s Top 10 Attractions
Editor’s Choice
Introduction: Aloha
Volcanic Isles
Decisive dates
Beginnings: Ancient Hawaii
Arrival of Captain Cook
The Hawaiian Monarchy
Modern Hawaii
Hawaii’s People
Insight: Ancient Ways and Places
Outdoor Activities
Music and Hula
Insight: Lei
An Eclectic Cuisine
Hawaii on Screen
Introduction: Places
Introduction: Oahu
Honolulu
Waikiki
Greater Honolulu
Southeast Oahu
Windward Oahu
North Shore
Central Oahu and the Wai’anae Coast
Introduction: Maui
Central Maui
West and South Maui
Haleakala and Upcountry
The Hana Coast
Introduction: Disappearing Flora and Fauna
Molokai
Lanai
Introduction: Hawaii: The big island
Kona and Kohala
Hilo and The Windward Side
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Ka’u
Insight: A State of Fire in the Pacific Ocean
Introduction: Kauai
North and West Kauai
South and East Kauai
Transportation
A-Z: A Handy Summary of Practical Information
Language
Further Reading
Hawaii’s Top 10 Attractions

Top Attraction 1

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. There aren’t many places on Earth where you can see new land being born. That – and the omnipresent evidence of lava flows from years past – is what makes this destination on Hawaii Island a must-see. For more information, click here .
Steven Greaves/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 2

Hana Highway. It’s about 45 miles from Paia to Hana along the world-famous Hana Highway on Maui, and every turn brings new sights to see. Be sure to stop and get out to experience some of the dozens of waterfalls along the way. For more information, click here .
Steven Greaves/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 3

Na Pali Coast. The lush coastline on the North Shore of Kauai is arguably one of the most picturesque spots in all of Hawaii. Take a boat trip from Hanalei to see the 4,000ft (1,220-meter) cliffs from the water, or hike the hamstring-straining 11-mile (18km) Kalalau Trail for a closer look. For more information, click here .
Steven Greaves/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 4

Surfing. Legends are born (and crushed) on the North Shore of Oahu, where winter brings some of the biggest waves in all of Hawaii. For more information, click here .
Dreamstime

Top Attraction 5

Waikiki Beach. Sun-drenched sand meets busy metropolis on Honolulu’s iconic Waikiki Beach, where high-rise hotels tower over some of the most pristine oceanfront property in Hawaii. For more information, click here .
Steven Greaves/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 6

Kalaupapa National Historic Park. Few visitors to Hawaii make the trek to Molokai, but this national park, famous for its history as a colony for those suffering from Hansen’s Disease, is worth the extra effort. For more information, click here .
Steven Greaves/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 7

Whale-watching. Ka‘anapali Beach is Maui’s most famous white-sand stretch, but also happens to be one of the best places on Earth to watch humpback whales from shore. For more information, click here .
iStock

Top Attraction 8

USS Arizona Memorial. As President Franklin Roosevelt predicted, December 7, 1941, the day the Japanese attacked the US military at Pearl Harbor, has “lived in infamy.” Today, visitors to the Oahu site can pay respects to soldiers who lost lives in the attack at the floating memorial over one of the sunken carriers. For more information, click here .
Steven Greaves/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 9

Bishop Museum. This museum, on the outskirts of downtown Honolulu, contains the most comprehensive and mind-boggling collection of art and artifacts from pre-contact Hawaii. For more information, click here .
Steven Greaves/Apa Publications

Top Attraction 10

Pu‘uhonua ‘O Honaunau National Historical Park. This religious site on the South Kona side of Hawaii Island once was a place for criminals to take refuge, receive absolution, and reform. Today, it is a living museum, where visitors can learn about ancient Hawaiian laws and rituals. For more information, click here .
Steven Greaves/Apa Publications
Editor’s Choice

Sliding Sands Trail, Haleakala National Park.
Steven Greaves/Apa Publications

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS

Na Pali Coast, Kauai . Familiar from many a Hollywood movie, the pleated, towering cliffs of Kauai’s North Shore are mythic in scale. For more information, click here .
Diamond Head, Oahu . This dormant volcanic tuff named for the crystals in its soil sits just beyond the soft sands of Waikiki Beach; an invitation to exploration. For more information, click here .
Haleakala, Maui . The crumbling, multi-colored sands in the summit caldera of Maui’s highest volcano serve as a haven for rare species. For more information, click here .
Kilauea, Hawaii Island . Watch new land burst into life, literally at your feet, as the world’s most active volcano makes the Big Island even bigger, day by day. For more information, click here .

Na Pali coastline.
Steven Greaves/Apa Publications

BEST SURFING SITES

Honolua Bay, Maui . Beautifully located bay at the top of verdant West Maui, blessed with dependably towering waves. For more information, click here .
Honoli ‘ i Bay, Hawaii Island . A lovely spot on the windward side of the Big Island, where Hilo’s best surfers battle with fierce surf. For more information, click here .
Hanalei Bay, Kauai . This huge curving bay, in view of the Na Pali cliffs, is the spiritual home to Kauai’s surfing community. For more information, click here .
Sunset Beach, Oahu . The regular site for several major world championships, Oahu’s North Shore attracts the world’s premier surfers every winter. Novices beware. For more information, click here .
Waimea Bay, Oahu . Probably the world’s most famous surfing venue, with the biggest rideable waves you will ever see anywhere in the world. Extremely dangerous in winter. For more information, click here .

Surfing in the waters off Maui.
Steven Greaves/Apa Publications

Hiking in the Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park.
Steven Greaves/Apa Publications

BEST WALKS

Kalalau Trail, Kauai . This legendary hike along Kauai’s Na Pali cliffs offers Hawaii’s most breathtaking scenery. For more information, click here .
Sliding Sands Trail, Maui . An unforgettable hike through the extraordinary moonscape at the summit of Maui’s mighty Haleakala volcano. For more information, click here .
Alaka ‘ i Swamp Trail, Kauai . The only way to explore the eerie rainforest swamplands with stupendous ocean views along the way. For more information, click here .
Koko Head Trail, Oahu . Not for novices, the hike to the top of Koko Head includes more than 1,000 steps. For more information, click here .

Kailua Beach, Oahu.
Steven Greaves/Apa Publications

BEST BEACHES

Kailua Beach, Oahu . Tempting turquoise waters lap Oahu’s Windward Shore. Ideal for kayaking. For more information, click here .
Papohaku Beach, Moloka . The perfect spot for swimming and beachcombing. For more information, click here .
Ka ‘ anapali Beach, Maui . Hawaii’s best family beach is great for relaxing with the kids. For more information, click here .
Waikiki Beach, Oahu . Warm waters and gentle waves make this Hawaii’s most famous beach. For more information, click here .

BEST MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES

Bishop Museum , Honolulu, Oahu . For anyone interested in Hawaii and its Polynesian heritage, the Bishop Museum is the best place to start. For more information, click here .
‘ Imiloa Astronomy Center,