Waikiki, Island of Oahu
Waikiki may be the most-visited spot in all of Hawaii, but that does not mean it is devoid of nature and beauty. Most tourists never make it to The Gold Coast on the eastern end of Waikiki, which houses The Waikiki Aquarium. The aquarium exhibits more than 3,000 marine animals. After a visit to the aquarium, walk a fews steps west and go surfing at San Souci Beach, where the kamaaina, Hawaii's locals, hang out to wait for a glimpse of The Green Flash that occurs right when the sunset drops below the ocean line.
The Waikiki Aquarium
2777 Kalakaua Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815-4027
(808) 923-9741
waquarium.org/
Kailua-Kona, The Big Island
If you want to get away from it all, then Kailua-Kona on The Big Island of Hawaii is the place to be. Fewer than 100,000 people live on this volcanic island where the ever active Kilauea Volcano still erupts on a regular basis. Take a helicopter tour over the volcano and watch the fury of Pele, the Hawaiian fire goddess. If you're walking around at Kilauea, do not take a piece of lava from the volcano. It's considered "kapu," forbidden, and will bring you bad luck until the lava is returned to Pele.
Kilauea Volcano
hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/
Paia, The Island of Maui
Maui is mostly know for Lahaina, an ancient whaling village that has become the next Waikiki. However, the best kept secret of Maui is the town of Paia. Known as one of the top windsurfing destinations around the world, Ho'okipa Beach is not to be missed, even if you can't windsurf. Several major windsurfing competitions are held each year that rival the Bansai Pipeline competitions on Oahu's North Shore. Thirty-foot waves carry windsurfers flying through the sky and bring gasps to onshore audience amazed by their death defying abilities. The biggest waves always arrive around winter.
Paia
paiamaui.com/
Article Written By Susanna Lo
Susanna Lo is an established writer, director and producer who won awards in The Berlin and Montreal film festivals. She is a member of PEN and WGA. Her parents worked for the airline and hotel industries and she's been traveling since infancy. Lo has lived in Europe, Asia, South America and North America and speaks five languages. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication.
