The State of Hawaii located in the Pacific ocean consists of 8 main islands and the only US State in the Oceania. I have only visited 3 of the 8 Islands and love the stunning scenery, the tropical weather, the vegetations, the beaches and the beach resorts!! The culture of Hawaii is influenced by both the North American and Polynesian cultures.
Haleakala National Park located in Maui which has the dormant volcano, Haleakala is under the protection National Park Service. Haleakala (the house of sun), true it’s name has the most spectacular sunrise at the top of the summit. The summit includes the famous haleakala crater. There are multiple tours every morning and afternoon to witness the beautiful sunrise and the sunset.
When I first visited Maui, I had not read anything about the place and went there as an uninformed tourist and sometimes that’s a blessing because what you experience leaves you spellbound as you were not expecting it. Our hotel staff recommended the sunrise tour and we were told to be ready at 2.00 am. I was skeptical about that. Waking up and going on a tour at 2.00 am on a holiday was not something I wanted to do. The hotel staff kept raving so we decided to go and I am so glad we did it. It took about 3 hours to reach the summit. It was freezing!!! We had not expected Hawaii to be cold and so were not prepared. Fortunately, the tour people had jackets for all in case we needed. The classic sunrise started around 5.45 and what we saw for the next one hour was just amazing!! I was speechless. The sun rising slowly, bit by bit from under the clouds, on the clouds and finally above the clouds was simply superb. My fingertips were hurting and teeth chattering due to the cold and yet I didn’t want to move from there. I wanted the time to standstill so I could keep watching. It was worth every bit of it and I would wake up 2.00 am or stay up all night for this. On the way back, we enjoyed a nice breakfast at Kula lodge.
Kawaii is another island that I enjoyed as much. This is where the State’s largest canyon, Waimea Canyon is located. Kawaii is also home to a beautiful Hindu Monastery, The Himalayan Academy. The Monastery is built on 363 acres of tropical land, surrounded by lush trees, waterfall, ponds and houses several Hindu temples. It is serene and very peaceful.
While you are in Oahu, do not miss the Polynesian cultural center. Spend a day and it gives you a glimpse of the Polynesian culture and be part of it. Walk through the island villages, watch the dances, enjoy the food, watch the different shows or just walk around and feel the culture.
Most important, do not miss the yummy pineapples!!!! Go Hawaii!!!!
JK Travel Diaries 