The Hawaiian Islands sit by them selves in the middle of a vast ocean and are a marvelous ecosystem with each island being quite different from the next, but all a paradise in their own right. If you are into outdoor adventures there is no better place to go with many things to do from hiking on jungle and mountain paths, discover scuba diving and snorkeling, surfing and wind surfing, to exotics like hang gliding or going for a ride in a real submarine!

The main island of Oahu where the capitol of Honolulu and Waikiki are located has over 80% of the population of the whole Hawaiian island chain which provides a bit of a shock when you fly into the airport, don’t expect to see grass huts in Honolulu which is the 14th largest city in the US, and covers a major part of the island; yet 1 hour walking from the skyscrapers will put you into dense rainforests, with major stands of big bamboo and very cool waterfalls. Up on the north shore of Oahu you have some great scuba diving or surfing depending on the waves.

Hawaii or the Big Island as it is known is still growing, with volcanoes spewing for decades now. The Big Islands most noticeable features are 2 of the biggest mountains in the world with Mauna Kea & Mauna Loa close to 35,000 feet tall if measured from below at there bases, which start over 20,000 feet below the sea. This is also the home to the largest ranch and the largest subdivision in the world.

Kauai the garden isle receives in one location on average 700 inch’s of rain a year. A favorite with filmmakers as it just might be Shangri-La as it is said to be where God goes for vacation. Probably the most visually stunning island you are awed in every direction from the time that you flight starts to bank sharply into the airport.

Maui has a little bit of all of the above and if you were going to have to pick one to visit this very well might be it. A little bit of a city in Lahaina. Haleakala for a mountain the road to Hana with all of its waterfalls and dense jungle and Molokini crater one of the best scuba diving locations in the world.