Isabelles Travel Guide

  • Home
  • Beaches
  • Destinations
    • The Americas
    • Oceania
    • Europe
    • Asia
  • Travel
    • Travel Tips
    • Travel Guide
    • Travel Journal
    • Guest Bloggers
    • Hotels
    • Top 5
  • About
  • Contact
  • #BeachThursday

Hawaii is More Than Just a Pretty Beach

By Isabelle Leave a Comment

A waterfall off the Road to Hana

If you’ve never been to Hawaii, you may only be picturing the Hawaiian Islands as just another beach destination. I was once guilty of that same assumption. In fact, I was reluctant to visit Hawaii in the first place. However, after just one visit, I discovered that Hawaii was far more than just another beach vacation!

So, you might be wondering what changed my mind about Hawaii? What does Hawaii have to offer beyond beaches? Oh, there’s plenty! I’ll share some of my favorite reasons why Hawaii is really something special.

Incredible Landscape Diversity

Did you know that 11 of the world’s 13 climate zones are found in Hawaii? In fact, there are as many different climate zones on the Big Island of Hawaii as exist along the entire coast stretching from Alaska to Costa Rica!

In Hawaii, you’ll find rainforests and waterfalls in contrast with fields of dry grasslands and beaches in contrast with snow-capped mountains. You can also go from sea level and a pleasant 80 degrees to nearly 14,000’ above sea level and a chilly 30 degrees in less than a couple of hours. It’s truly amazing!

With this sort of varied landscape, Hawaii offers just about any adventure you seek. If you enjoy hiking like I do, Hawaii is a hiker’s paradise, filled with many miles rewarding hiking trails. You can bike down volcanoes, kayak rivers and oceans, and snorkel some of the cleanest water on earth.

Of course, Hawaii’s volcanic origin adds to its diverse terrain. From crescent-shaped beaches flanked by lava rocks, to tall mountains dotted with cinder cones, to an active volcano – where Hawaii’s volcanic distant and current history is evident.

Fresh lava flowing to the ocean

Remote

When you visit Hawaii, it’s easy to feel like you’ve arrived at a remote and exotic location. Hawaii is the most isolated population center on the earth. How remote is Hawaii? It’s 2,390 miles from California, 3,850 miles from Japan and 4,900 miles from China. In other words, Hawaii is really out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. With Hawaii being so far away from major land masses, you’ll find many plants, birds and fishes that are unique to Hawaii and found nowhere else in the world.

Hawaiian Culture

Trying local food, dancing and listening to music are some of the quickest ways to dive into a new culture. Hawaii offers a real treat in all three.

I also love Hawaii regional cuisine. It’s a blend of cuisines that borrow from all the ethnic influences you find in Hawaii–including Chinese, Japanese, and Portuguese to name a few. The flavors dance on your tongue as you enjoy some of the freshest fish and produce you can find.

Hawaii was first settled by Polynesians who brought their skills and culture with them. Over time, that Polynesian culture evolved into a culture that’s unique to Hawaii. For example, though there are many styles of Polynesian dance, the hula dance was created by Hawaiians.

Hawaiians created unique musical instruments and sounds like slack key and steel guitars, and of course, the ukulele. If you haven’t already, you will fall in love with these sounds when you visit Hawaii. You will discover that they are almost magical in that they can whisk your cares away. When you visit Hawaii, I hope you’ll embrace opportunities to learn more about Hawaiian culture. You should find the opportunities present themselves when visiting historic sites, spending an evening at a luau or grabbing a shave ice.

Hula Dancer

 

Aloha Spirit

The warmth and friendliness of the people of Hawaii is practically noticeable from the moment you step off the plane. The aloha spirit welcomes you to Hawaii with a sincere kindness. It makes you feel relaxed and at home right away.

So, these are some of the reasons I fell in love with Hawaii and why the islands of aloha keep calling me back. I do hope you’ll have the opportunity to discover your own reasons for loving Hawaii and agree that it’s more than just a pretty beach!

More on this Guest Blogger

Sheila Beal enjoys sharing her love of Hawaii at her award-winning Hawaii travel blog, GoVisitHawaii.com. Check it out for a daily slice of aloha. Or follow her on Twitter @SheilaBeal.

Related

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Isabelle

There’s nothing more I love than traveling the world, camera in hand, experiencing new adventures and discovering new destinations. I hope to be an inspiration and help others in their ventures to explore the world.

Read More…

Follow @isabellestravel

Popular Content

  • What to Do in Brindisi?
  • Six dirty secrets to Korea Train System
  • Lecce in Italy
  • Love for the Beach
  • How to make Mexican food? Cooking Class: How to make Mexican Food?

Isabelle`s Travel Guide has worked with

Copyright © 2023 Isabelles Travel Guide · Links · Site Policies · Cookie Policy · Media/PR

Copyright © 2023 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in