An Outline of the Hawaiian Islands

There are eight main islands in this region which are: Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Niihau, and Kahoolawe. The first six are the most common tourist destinations. Niihau is a privately owned island and Kahoolawe is a former U.S. military bombing target but is expected to become open to the public in the future.

The Oahu Island is the most developed among all the islands.  Around 75% of the population is in Honolulu.  The heaviest populated tourist area in Honolulu is Waikki with over 10, 000 hotel rooms.  Oahu offers a wide variety of sightseeing from Pearl Harbor, the Polynesian Cultural Center and some of the finest restaurants in the area.  Keep in mind when shopping that this is a touristy destination so better deals may be found elsewhere.  If you don’t mind an area full of energy and crowds, then this is the place for you.

If you are looking for a vacation that is not crowded and overbuilt, not ‘touristy’ so to speak, the Valley Isle:  Maui is probably the place for you.  Almost everyone who comes here falls in love with this island: Maui offers unspoiled natural terrain with action-packed fun and laid-back island style.

Maui which is said to be the tropical paradise offers stunning beaches, picture perfect tropical cliffs and numerous waterfalls.  This island has many stories of ancient and modern Hawaiian culture. The park also cares for endangered species, some of which exist nowhere else.

In the Big Island:  Hawaii lays Salt-and-pepper beaches, ancient rain forests, barren lava fields as far as the eye can see.  This island may not be considered a tropical paradise but people with a passion for adventure, an eye for the unusual.  At the heart of the island is Kilauea volcano, the world's largest active volcano.

Of all the Hawaiian Islands, Kauai which also called the Garden Isle, demonstrates all the characteristics of the ideal Hawaii.  Kauai contains tropical romance and beauty which has played a starring role in movies such as Blue Hawaii and Jurassic Park.  Even though you may run into a few traffic jams, Kauai is much quieter and less developed than its sister islands.  You can count the number of full-fledged resorts on one hand which usually results in a much more peaceful and less costly trip.

Kind in mind that it takes a lot of moisture to keep Kauai so lush, fertile so the weather here is a little less reliable than on the other islands.  Kauai is the one island where a week of rain is no surprise and in turn, ruins all of your outdoor plans.

Most of Molokai remains untouched by modern development.  It is said to be the most Hawaiian island of them all with a large native Hawaiian population than any other in the chain being as true Hawaiian spirit as possible.

Last but not least, the tiny island of Lanai is where you go to really get away from it all.  Formerly dedicated to pineapple production, Lanai is not particularly beautiful, nor is there much to do here.  Just about everything that is here is completely handled through the two mega expensive resorts that have taken over this humble place: Lodge at Koele and the Manele Bay Hotel.

Austin Ames has many years' experience in article writing and he has written many more in the past.