Hawaii Pictures
No wonder Hawaii is a haven for Hollywood film-makers looking for lush scenery - Kauai and Molokai; Oahu were locations used to shoot parts of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jurassic Park. Hawaii is located slap bang in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Its islands and atolls make up the most remote tourist destination in the world and it lies 2,400 miles off the coast of California. All but one of the eight main islands are inhabited: Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, the island of Hawaii more commonly called the Big Island and Ni'ihau.
Oahu
The Hawaiian capital is Honolulu and its located to the south shore of Oahu. Honolulu has a strong Asian and Polynesian influence, and its bustling Chinatown on Maunakea Street is a good place to get a lei which is the traditional Hawaiian flower garland. There's no doubt that the Waikiki resort - which stretches south-east from the edge of Honolulu to Diamond Head - is overbuilt and busy, but it's lively and a good base from which to explore Oahu.
Up here you'll find Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach which are the self-styled "surfing capital of the world" and plays host most years to huge surfing competitions such as the Billabong Pipeline Masters with the world best surfing talent riding the huge waves that hit this shore line.
One of the island's most poignant location is Pearl Harbor. On 7 December 1941, in one of the most unexpected attacks in history, 350 Japanese warplanes bombed Pearl Harbor. You can visit the harbour and stand on the deck of the USS Arizona Memorial.
Hawaii (The Big Island)
The other Hawaiian isles are quite different from Oahu, and from one another. The Big Island, which measures 95 by 75 miles, is nearly twice the size of all the others combined. It is packed with macadamia-nut orchards and coffee plantations and also boasts deserts, rainforest's and snow-capped volcanoes.
The mountains on this island create a barrier that blocks the trade winds and makes the western side of Hawaii island the driest region in the archipelago. In contrast, the predominantly rugged eastern coast experiences rain on an average of three days out of four - together with pounding surf, tropical rainforest's, deep ravines and majestic waterfalls.
Kauai
Kauai is known as "The Garden Island". Its central volcanic peak, Mount Waialeale, is one of the wettest places on earth. Most of the interior comprises mountainous forest reserves with great hiking; the southern and western coasts are dry, sunny and fringed with beautiful beaches. One of Kuaia's top visitor attractions is Waimea Canyon, dubbed the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" by Mark Twain.
The canyon's colourful gorge is 12 miles long and over 3,000ft deep. You can view it from the road, hike down into it, or swoop through it by helicopter. The best views are in the morning. You should also see the sharply fluted coastal cliffs along the Na Pali Coast, the location of perhaps the most spectacular hiking trail in the US.
Maui
You'll find it on Maui, second largest of the Hawaiian islands, which features a pair of extinct volcanoes divided by a central valley. Maui is the state's "wellness" centre, where native spiritual healing and modern methods are practised.
Like the Big Island, Maui offers superb scenery and diverse landscapes. It also has some fine beaches: try Kapalua, a golden crescent that is protected from strong winds and currents by two lava-rock promontories. Kaanapali is the principal resort on the island's sunny western coast.
Like the Big Island, Maui offers superb scenery and diverse landscapes. It also has some fine beaches: try Kapalua, a golden crescent that is protected from strong winds and currents by two lava-rock promontories. Kaanapali is the principal resort on the island's sunny western coast.
The Hawaii photographs featured on this page are all taken by Vincent Tylor and you can visit his website at http://www.hawaiianphotos.net
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