Travel Guides: All Countries / North America / USA / Hawaii
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| | | | Pearl of the film world
From the Daily Mail
Disney's movie Pearl Harbor may have been panned by the critics, but the free tour of the historic Hawaiian site, offered daily, is both authentic and moving. Already the most visited attraction in the 50th state, the tour's capacity has been overstretched by interest in the movie, so it's worth arriving early to avoid long waits.
It comes as a shock to discover that Arizona, the battleship which took the heaviest hit in the Japanese surprise attack on December 7, 1941, remains visible just beneath the water. It is a rusting tomb for most of the 1,100 sailors who died in the vessel in the outrage that drew America into World War II.
Even more poignant is the fact that every day elderly survivors of the attack turn up at the Pearl Harbor visitors' centre on the island of O'ahu to meet tourists and share their memories of that tragic day.
You need a half-day to do the tour - it's only 75 minutes long but you should allow twice that time to queue when the cruise ships call at O'ahu, Hawaii's most visited island (its international airport at Honolulu is the arrival point for most foreign tourists).
The trip starts with archive film footage, which shows how narrowly the U.S. Navy missed being wiped out by the attack. However, its aircraft carriers were not in port at the time, so total disaster was averted.
From the cinema, visitors board a U.S. Navy tender to confront the Arizona, an intense experience given the all-pervasive presence of the wreck (as it was never raised, only 105 of the 1,100 bodies were recovered).
Most gut-wrenching of all is the rollcall, engraved on the memorial, of the 2,403 Americans who lost their lives - many from the same families. But ultimately it's a memorial which commemorates triumph rather than defeat, since most of the damaged ships were repaired and returned to service.
Travel guide: Hawaii
Some Enchanted Island
From the Mail on Sunday
Everyone has their own idea of the perfect desert island. Mine was formed when - as an impressionable 10-year-old - I was taken to see the film South Pacific.
This three-hour marathon became my Harry Potter or Lord Of The Rings. I was captivated by the scenery, the story and - probably most of all -the music.
Rodgers and Hammerstein gave us many wonderful musicals but I think Richard Rodgers' score for South Pacific was his finest.
The story was daring for its time: American forces land on a remote South Pacific island in an attempt to wrest control of the seas from the Japanese.
Handsome Lieutenant Joseph Cable becomes infatuated with Liat, a local girl, and nurse Nellie Forbush falls in love with French plantation owner Emile de Becque.
Both relationships are torn apart by racial issues. Cable decides he can't marry Liat because of her colour and Nellie ends her romance with Emile because he has two mixed-race children by his late wife.
Their relationships over, and with nothing to lose, both men agree to go behind enemy lines. Cable gets killed but de Becque survives. Meanwhile, Nellie realises she has made a huge mistake.
Believing her Frenchman to be dead, she goes back to his home to look after his children. De Becque returns and - unseen by Nellie - watches her trying to recall a song they all used to sing together.
In an unforgettably romantic moment, he answers the phrase that Nellie has forgotten and - as Some Enchanted Evening swells to a rapturous climax - the couple clasp hands, the camera pans out over gorgeous turquoise seas and not another word is spoken.
South Pacific is truly a story of love conquering all and I had always dreamed of visiting the stunningly beautiful island where it had been filmed.
Travel guide: Hawaii
Wild about Waikiki
Take the shops of Knightsbridge and the white stretch limousines of New York, throw in some golden Polynesian sand plus large helpings of fast food and Elvis Presley rock-a-hula songs - and you've got the flavour of Waikiki, Hawaii's biggest, busiest and brashest holiday resort.
My ears are still ringing with the squeals let out by our children as they caught sight of the Waikiki beachscape for the first time, from our 20th-floor hotel balcony.
Within seconds our gruelling 8,000-mile air journey was forgotten, as they pulled on swimming costumes and leapt back into the lift, heading straight for the sparkling surf across the road.
Measured from the front door of our hotel (the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani), the distance to the water must have been all of 60 yards, which by Waikiki standards is a long walk, as most of its hotels are built slap bang on the beach, with waves lapping just feet away from al fresco diners and drinkers.
Yes, Mother Nature may have played her part by providing palm trees and turquoise seas, but Man has done his fair share, too, in fitting out this mid-Pacific paradise with every conceivable comfort and modern convenience.
Into a strip barely a mile long are squeezed scores of high-rise hotels, each one harbouring a whole colony of up-market watering holes and retail outlets (Cartier, Gucci, you name it).
Vast, airy and built on an unmistakably American scale, these skyscraper-inns are tourist attractions in themselves.
Witness the vast, white temple that is the Sheraton Moana Surfrider, a mixture of Ancient Greece and Confederate Georgia. Or the double-towered Hyatt Regency, with its soaring, waterfall atrium, open to the skies.
The Royal Hawaiian is a fantasy pink Mexican palace, while at the heart of the Pacific Beach stands a 50ft-high glass aquarium, alive with sharks and stingrays.
Personal? Intimate? Forget it. These 30-40-storey mega-structures handle holidaymakers on an industrial scale. Each year, some 4.5 million tourists pour into Waikiki, of whom roughly two-thirds are American (it's a five-hour flight from California) and one-third are Japanese (from Tokyo, it's seven hours).
Travel guide: Hawaii
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| | | | Rest a while on Eternity Beach
Leaving Pearl Harbor, guides point out the modest childhood home of Bette Midler, army brat and the island's best-known export. Magnum PI, Hawaii Five-0 and the film From Here To Eternity have also brought O'ahu more than its fair share of fame.
The town of Waikiki may be a concrete jungle of hotels and shopping centres, but its beach is stunning, and intimate coves abound. The most beautiful of them is Eternity Beach, where Deborah Kerr rolled in the surf with Burt Lancaster.
Looming in the background, the extinct volcanic crater of Diamond Head lends drama to the island's southern shore, but the famous pounding surf and other natural attractions are on the less-travelled north shore.
The must-have souvenir is, of course, a brightly patterned Aloha shirt, popularised by stars such as Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley and Tony Curtis. And don't throw it away after the holiday - these shirts have become collector's items.
Travel facts: United Vacations offers seven-night holidays on O'ahu, including flights to Honolulu (with free connections from seven UK airports), airport transfers and room-only accommodation at the four-star Hilton Hawaiian Village on Waikiki Beach. For details, telephone 0870 606 2222.
Girl of my dreams
Last July, I walked down the aisle to Some Enchanted Evening with my young French-Algerian bride, Kheira, knowing that I would be leaving the next day to honeymoon with the girl of my dreams on the island of my dreams!
Careful detective work had revealed that the film had been shot on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, mostly on the remote North Shore at Hanalei Bay. As this was going to be the holiday of a lifetime, I booked us into the exclusive Sheraton Princeville Resort nearby.
Kauai is a long haul from London - 11 hours to Los Angeles, followed by six hours from LA to the island's capital Lihue.
Touching down at night, we picked up our hire car at the airport and started out on the long coastal road, unaware of the spectacular scenery unfolding around us. The nearer we got to the North Shore, the narrower the road became.
Finally we found a sign to Princeville and the seashore. By now the land had levelled out and - as we drove by golf courses, chalets and tennis courts - I began to dread that I had booked us into a kind of upmarket Frinton-on-Sea.
There was no need to worry. I don't think either of us will ever forget our arrival at Princeville.
Leaving our car at the door - if that is the word for pillared porticos swathed in marble - we were instantly adorned with Hawaiian leis by the hotel staff.
A massive reception area, illuminated by equally spectacular chandeliers, led to our room which was modest by comparison but did contain one 'fun' surprise - a liquid crystal window in the bathroom which, at the flick of a switch, went from 'clear' to 'frosted'. I have no idea why - as no one could see in anyway.
Any nagging doubts about our honeymoon destination vanished the next morning when I drew back the curtains to reveal the majestic peaks of Bali Hai (as Mount Makana was renamed following South Pacific) staring back at us across the sea.
My concert tours have taken me to many exotic destinations but Hanalei Bay is quite simply the most outrageously beautiful place I have ever seen.
Hawaiian-Wedding-Song image
At present, we British barely feature, mainly because of the air mileage involved, and there's no doubt that if you can incorporate a one- or two-night stopover in Los Angeles or San Francisco, you will touch down at Honolulu Airport in a much better frame of mind than if you haven't broken your journey.
However, even the most jet-lagged visitor can't help but notice on arrival the surprisingly un-frantic atmosphere that prevails.
Sure, the place looks like a big American city, but the cars don't so much race as trundle up and down the main drag (25mph speed limit). What's more, drivers afford pedestrians not just priority, but politeness.
Much of this is due to the cheery, laid-back nature of the native Hawaiians, who maintain a flowery-shirted easygoingness alongside their U.S. citizenship.
At the same time, though, they are starting to scrape away at the sugary, grass-skirt-and-Hawaiian-Wedding-Song commercial image, and unearth a much rawer, pre-American past which is all volcanoes and tribal wars, with a bit of human sacrifice thrown in.
We went on a terrific, half-day eco-tour with lecturer Dominic Aki, who took us to jungles, sea caves and war temples that your average Waikiki sunbather never gets to see.
We learnt about spiteful fire-goddesses, shape-shifting pool monsters and the ancient sport of he'e holua, which involved riding a wooden sledge down almost vertical hillsides.
By contrast, a rather more Disneyfied version of the past was on show at the Polynesian Cultural Centre, where students from the nearby university dressed in tribal costumes and manned immaculate replicas of villages from Tonga, Tahiti, Samoa and several other South Seas nations.
Like most Hawaiian attractions, it wasn't cheap (admission £25 including evening show), but what made the visit truly worthwhile was the 35-mile drive there.
We hired a car (£50 a day including insurance) and headed up over the Pali Mountain Highway (spectacular panoramic views), round gorgeously surf-lapped coastline, and through steamy forests full of macadamia nut farms.
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| | | | This is paradise
That morning I sat on the hotel's breakfast terrace, kissed by a warm breeze, inhaling the scent of tropical flowers. By the time Kheira joined me half an hour later, I was already punch-drunk from Kauai's magic.
'This is it!' I declared. 'This is paradise. I don't want to live anywhere else. We'll settle down here. I can work more on the West Coast and New Zealand is only 5,000 miles away and Australia's just a short hop from there.'
Once the reality of 20-hour journeys and 10-hour time changes every time I played in Europe dawned on us, we decided instead to make the most of every second that we had on this magical island.
By 11am we were at the helipad a couple of miles up the road. In my experience helicopter tours are usually a rip-off. This one wasn't.
Although Kauai is blessed with golden sands, swaying palm trees and lush green valleys, there is also what I call its Jurassic Park side (the Spielberg dino-pic was also filmed here) - peaks and craters that change from one mile to the next, red-dirt landscapes that look like the Arizona desert, a jungle-like wilderness from which it is easy to imagine prehistoric beasts emerging (they filmed the remake of King Kong here as well) and, most forbidding of all, the spectacular Na Pali coast with its towering 2,700ft cliffs.
Two-thirds of the island is almost impenetrable so the helicopter tour is a must. We were whisked away on an unforgettable flight of almost surreal beauty.
We saw waterfalls cascading down verdant mountainsides, forests full of trees and plants only seen on Kauai, and Mount Waialeale which, with an annual rainfall of more than 400 inches, is reputed to be the wettest place on earth. We left the helicopter an hour later reeling from the wonder of it all.
Kauai is quite compact - 25 miles by 33 miles. After my impossibly romantic notions, it would have been easy for it to prove a disappointment but - if anything - it was even more spectacular than I had imagined and Hollywood's fascination with the island is understandable. Elvis Presley also filmed Blue Hawaii here.
There is a single, winding coastal road which is forced to stop short on either side by the massive pinnacles of the Na Pali coast.
The more beautiful North Shore is rainier than elsewhere - hence the emerald green - and every day at Princeville there would be a sudden violent downpour for about 10 minutes.
It is a small price to pay for such fabulous surroundings but I have to admit to feeling guilty for staying at the Sheraton as the resort has grown out of all proportion.
Joys of boogie-boarding
The other most memorable day-out was our trip to Pearl Harbour, where the Japanese airforce destroyed the U.S. fleet one Sunday in 1941.
Here we had the bonus of watching the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln glide out of port, its crew standing motionless on the deck, in tribute to the men who died 61 years ago - many of whom still lie entombed in the sunken U.S.S. Arizona.
Moving for us adults maybe, but what got the children going was a trip round the U.S. battleship Missouri (the Mighty Mo), where they amassed a large collection of temporary tattoos (gunner, signals operator, etc) all over their arms.
For them, the whole week passed in a blur of sun, sea and sand - with side orders of pizza, burgers and French fries (plastic cutlery de rigueur).
Surfing was beyond their capabilities (ages 7-12), but an afternoon course at the Cowabunga Kids Club, in the Outrigger Reef Hotel, initiated them into the joys of boogie-boarding, where you lie on half a surfboard rather than stand on a whole one.
Within a couple of days, they were giving each other high-fives, wearing their baseball caps back to front and watching re-runs of Friends and The Simpsons on the hotel bedroom TV.
To put it bluntly, if you like your tropical islands mysterious and untamed, then Hawaii is not for you. But if you're drawn to the idea of a clean, hygienic, palm-fronded Pacific playground where you can drink the tap water, then you'll be hard-pushed to find a better holiday destination.
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| | | | An idyllic stretch
To get around Kauai's very sensible planning provision that nothing should be built taller than a coconut tree, the nine-storey hotel has been cunningly inserted into the side of a cliff.
The hotel itself just about slots in but it has spawned an 11,000-acre development including a golf course, 10 condominium complexes and timeshare units.
The locals nickname it 'The Prison' due to its forbidding appearance from the other side of the bay.
On the other hand, the food, service and accommodation are so good that if the Sheraton is their idea of a 'jail', then I am tempted to commit a very serious crime on Kauai.
The area around the hotel remains remarkably unspoilt. Travelling west over a wooden bridge towards magical Bali Hai, you soon encounter the sleepy village of Hanalei, which has several funky little shops and an excellent restaurant called The Postcards Cafe.
Past Hanalei you come to an ancient Hawaiian district called Haena. This is where stars such as Bette Midler, Jeff Bridges and Graham Nash have bought beachfront homes. You can see why. It's an idyllic stretch of hidden lagoons, golden sands and discreet bays.
It is also the end of the road as Na Pali looms just around the corner. Hardy souls with a head for heights can continue on foot along a perilous 11-mile coastal path to the deserted Kalalau Valley.
The faint-hearted (us included) turn back past Princeville, to seek the rest of the island beyond.
Kauai is a delight. If you are after a sporting holiday, the choices are endless. Apart from incredible hiking and camping (there are plenty of great camp sites) you can go snorkelling, scuba diving, surfing, water-skiing or hang-gliding and the island is a golfer's paradise.
Swimming is very much de rigueur (we went for a romantic dip under the stars at Hanalei Pier) and the waters are clean, warm and - with very few exceptions - safe.
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| | | | The island's magic
There is good shopping, too. One of the best places to find arts and crafts is Kapaa, the largest town on the so-called Coconut Coast.
It has several shops selling the work of local painters and sculptors, a store devoted to the most exotic seashells and - just to remind you that you really are in America's 50th state - a cafe with a vast collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia.
Kapaa also boasts what is probably Kauai's best restaurant, the Pacific Cafe. Here chef Jean-Marie Josselin prepares delicious dishes such as wok-charred mahi mahi or spicy pork tenderloin with banana barbecue sauce.
Integration seems so complete on Kauai that everyone appears to live happily together but, having come all this way, Kheira was determined to seek out a genuine Hawaiian settlement.
Everyone denied the existence of such a place but Kheira persisted until finally an old lady in Kapaa told us about Kamukilo - which was, apparently, a native enclave along the Wailua River.
We set off with some excitement, travelling through miles of wooded valley until the tarred road abruptly turned into a track. Now we were in Jurassic Park territory. Huge trees blocked the sunlight and thick forest foliage brushed the side of the car.
Suddenly we came to a clearing where a river seemed to block our path. I got out of the car and saw that there was a way across.
But my bride had become convinced that King Kong was about to burst through the jungle and scoop her up on his way to the Empire State Building so we beat a hasty retreat.
She may have been right. I certainly had never experienced such primeval surroundings.
There is so much to see and do on Kauai that eight days was not enough and we can't wait to go back. Oscar Hammerstein captured the island's magic in his lyric to Bali Hai: If you try, you'll find me, Where the sky meets the sea. Here am I, your special island, Come to me, come to me.
But I would like to leave the last word on Kauai to a local girl working at the hotel. She had travelled extensively but vowed always to return to Kauai. When I asked her why, she replied: 'I guess those mountains just keep on a-huggin' me.'
TRAVEL DETAILS:
United Vacations features the Sheraton Princeville Resort on Kauai. Visit www.unitedvacations.co.uk or call (0870) 606 2222
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| | Destination Guide : Hawaii |
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| | | Archipelago of contrasts |  | Why go on holiday to Hawaii?
Hawaii is an archipelago of contrasts, from urban sprawl to remote villages, sun-drenched beaches to Alpine-style mountain tops, barren lava landscapes to lush tropical rainforest.
Though the larger islands of Oahu and Maui have seen huge commercial development in the past 50 years, Hawaiian culture and traditions have held steadfast against the influence of the mainland United States. It's still possible to find tropical paradise.
The smaller islands are perfect for the explorer, with unspoiled stretches of idyllic countryside and miles of white sand beaches, volcanoes and coral reefs.
How much does it cost?
In the main, a return flight from London to Honolulu usually costs between £450 and £550, but London bucket shops offer prices from as low as £380. Packages are the most cost-effective way to stay in a big resort hotel, with prices starting at around £850.
For the independent traveller, B&Bs are much more luxurious in the US than at home, and the average price for a room per night is about £50; there are also numerous public campsites dotted all over the islands.
When should I go?
Hawaii has great weather, with temperatures differing only about 7F from winter (December to March) to summer. Expect the average thermometer reading to be somewhere between the high 60Fs and mid 80Fs (20 - 30C); hotter in summer and a bit wetter in winter.
Winter tends to be the busiest time of year due to visitors escaping cold weather back home. Hotel prices tend to drop in April and don't climb again until December, and this is when the weather is often at its finest.
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| | | Hang ten |  | What should I do when I'm there?
From shopping in bustling city centres to trekking the slopes of remote volcanoes, Hawaii has a huge variety of activities on offer.
Even the laziest beach lounger will be tempted by the range of watersports available: not simply surfing, for which the islands are famous, but sailboarding, deep-sea fishing, snorkelling in crystal-clear waters and diving to delicate coral reefs.
Which are the busier islands?
Oahu is the most developed. The thriving urban centres of Honolulu and neighbouring Waikiki are surrounded by excellent beaches and a lush, mountainous interior. Waikiki's pace is furious, with package tourists, nightclubs and shops.
Elsewhere on Oahu are spectacular Hanaumu Bay, the Nuuanu Pali Lookout with its great views, and historic Pearl Harbour. The North Shore is perhaps the most famous surf spot in the world.
Maui, Hawaii's second-largest island, is famed for some of the world's best windsurfing spots. Though high-rise resorts dot stretches of the coast, it's easy to escape to the many quiet beaches and hiking trails.
The 10,000-foot Halekala volcano has terrific lunar-landscape trails for walkers and the Hana Highway is ranked as the most spectacular coastal drive in Hawaii.
Hawaii, "The Big Island", is twice the size of all the other islands put together.
Kona, Waikoloa and Hilo are the centres for restaurants and places to stay.
Main attractions include the spectacular Waipio Valley, the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park and Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, which is full of ancient temples, royal grounds and ancient burial sites.
Where can I get away from it all?
Kauai, "The Garden Island", is so called because of its idyllic greenery. Places of interest include 22 miles of coastal cliffs along Na Pali Coast with its spectacular hiking trail and Waimea Canyon - the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific".
Molokai is perhaps the most traditional, with few resorts and small settlements. It offers quiet hikes, spectacular valleys and rainforest, and the world's highest sea cliffs in the wilderness area on the North Shore.
Lanai, once a pineapple plantation, is small and exclusive, with only one town.
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| | | Islands of fruit and flowers | | Where's good for nightlife?
Waikiki is the centre of all things urban on Hawaii - packed with cinemas, clubs and theatre companies. Check the Honolulu Weekly newspaper for listings.
Many of the beachfront hotels put on Hawaiian and Polynesian-themed shows that passers-by can enjoy for free; expect hula dancers in leis (flower garlands) and songs played on a ukelele.
Though the smaller islands may be quieter, local music is played everywhere; if you can't find a party, just look for the surfers.
What's the food like?
Every imaginable kind of cuisine is available in Hawaii. An interesting development is "Pacific Rim" or "Hawaiian Regional" cooking, which mixes and matches the cuisines of Hawaii's different ethnic groups.
The result is delicious - kiawe-grilled fresh shrimp with taro chips, wok-charred ahi with island greens, or Peking duck in ginger-lilikoi sauce, for example.
Traditional Hawaiian food includes kalua pig (a whole pig roasted in a pit-like earthen oven), laulau (fish, pork and taro wrapped in a ti leaf bundle and steamed) and pipikaula (beef jerky).
Hawaii is paradise for fruit fans, and freshly-squeezed juices and smoothies can be had everywhere.
What should I buy?
Waikiki is the centre for high street shops and tourist tat, including treasures such as the infamous Hawaiian shirt and plastic hula dancers.
For something made with a little more care, look for baskets and placemats woven from leaves of the hala tree, or bowls and gourds shaped to bring out the natural beauty of local hardwoods like koa.
Flower leis don't usually survive the trip home, so leis made from shells are an alternative, though expensive, option. Macadamia nuts make popular gifts - especially when covered in chocolate.
What is there for children to do?
Children will be kept busy with the huge range of watersports and outdoor activities.
The Hawaii Maritime Center in Honolulu has a great collection of old sailing ships and Polynesian canoes, and nearby Chinatown enthralls with firebreathing dragons, mystic moon cakes and noodle factories to explore.
More than half of the North Pacific's humpback whale population winters in Hawaiian waters, and you can take a whale-watching cruise to wonder at these giant mammals up close.
Tourist office
For an information pack, send a £2 self-addressed envelope to Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, PO Box 208, Sunbury on Thames, Middlesex, TW16 5RJ. Tel. 020 8941 4009.
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| | Fact File : Hawaii |
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| | | Hawaii | | Did you know?
There are only 12 letters in the Hawaiian language: the vowels a, e, i, o, u and the consonants h, k, l, m, n, p and w.
Language
English and Hawaiian are the official languages, but locals often speak a blend of both, liberally peppered with pidgin (slang).
Visas
All British passport holders, including children, travelling to the USA under the visa waiver programme will need their own machine-readable passports (MRP). Anyone without an MRP, including children who are currently on a parent's passport, will need a visa to travel to the USA.
Getting there
Several airlines fly from London to Honolulu International airport on Oahu, usually via New York or Los Angeles. To get to the other islands, you need to fly to Honolulu and catch a connecting inter-island flight.
Flying time from London
Sixteen hours 30 minutes.
Getting around
Inter-island flights are frequent and competitively priced. Hawaiian Airlines offers a good-value airpass allowing unlimited air travel for a specified number of consecutive days. Rental cars are available on all the islands, and rates vary depending on season and current promotions; it pays to shop around. Oahu has an excellent bus service but on other islands the service is limited, with no buses on Molokai. The best way to get into the countryside is by bike, but the adventurous might want to try a helicopter tour over an active volcano or, at a slower pace, the mule train on Molokai.
Currency
US dollar.
Costs
Litre of petrol 20p; bottle of beer £1.50; moderate restaurant meal £10; roll of film £3; four-mile taxi ride £6. All prices will vary.
Weather
Hawaii has great weather, with temperatures differing only by about 4 degrees C from winter (December to March) to summer. Expect temperatures to be between 20C and 30C (68-86F), but be aware that rainfall depends on location. The south-eastern coasts are generally sunny and dry, while the north-eastern regions tend to be damp and humid. On the Big Island, the summit of Mauna Kea can be covered in snow while visitors sunbathe on the beaches below.
Time difference
Ten hours behind GMT.
International dialling code from the UK
00 1 808
Voltage
As on the American mainland, 110-120V AC, 60 Hz. The sockets are suited to flat two-pin or three-pin plugs; transformers and adaptors are necessary for European appliances.
Opening hours
Office hours are generally from 8:30am-4:30pm, but shops are usually open into the evenings and corner grocery stores may stay open 24 hours. Some local surf shops and cafes may operate on "Hawaii time", a euphemism for taking things as they come; when the surf's up, the shutters may well be down.
Health - Before you go
Hawaii is the only state in America with an extensive health insurance programme, but it's limited to local residents. Therefore it's vital to take out adequate travel insurance, as health care in the United States can be incredibly expensive. Make sure your policy covers "hazardous activities" such as surfing, scuba diving and trekking if you plan to participate in any of these pursuits.
Health - When you are there
The emergency number is 911. All the islands offer medical services; the Honolulu hospitals have the best staff and facilities.
Warnings
Hawaii is a very healthy place to live, but tourists need to be aware of the unfamiliar dangers of tropical life. Sunburn and heat exhaustion are the most common, but wanderers off the beaten track should watch out for poisonous plants, scorpions and black widow spiders. Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease found in freshwater streams and ponds, though few people become infected. In the ocean, stay away from undertows, shore breaks and riptides; if there is no lifeguard about, ask a surfer. Keep off the coral and beware of jellyfish and other sea creatures - some pack a nasty bite or sting. Violent crime is low but it's unwise to leave anything of value in rental cars.
Emergency
The emergency number is 911. The nearest British consular representation is in Los Angeles: British Consulate General, 11766 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 400, Los Angeles, California 90025-6538. Telephone: (00 1) 310 477 3322.
Customs
Islanders greet each other with the shaka sign, as common as shaking hands or waving. Fold the three middle fingers down to the palm, stick out the thumb and little finger, then extend your hand and shake.
Pets
Hawaii is included in the PETS travel scheme under long-haul island regulations. However, this is a long and complicated procedure requiring vaccinations, medical check-ups and route planning; it is not as simple as walking on and off a plane with your pet. Therefore the scheme is more suited to those returning from a long stay abroad, rather than the two-week holidaymaker. It takes several months to set up the relevant documentation; see your vet for further details.
Tipping
Normally 15%-20% on everything. Don't complain; factor it into the price, just like VAT. And don't forget the bar staff.
Tourist office
For an information pack, send a £2 self-addressed envelope to Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, PO Box 208, Sunbury on Thames, Middlesex, TW16 5RJ. Tel. 020 8941 4009.
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| | Available rental properties in Hawaii |
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