You step off the plane at Honolulu International Airport. The sweet scent of the lei on your neck fills the air around you. Your vacation extends into your foreseeable future. What do you want to do first, where do you want to go, and what do you want to see and get from your visit to paradise?
You step outside the airport and see “The Cab” and “The Bus” on vehicles passing. The transportation systems are aptly named.
To help you out, let’s cover the island chain and provide you information of what there is available. The Hawaiian Islands make up the southern-most state of the United States and is comprised of many islands. There are eight islands that could be considered the “Main” or primary islands of the chain. These islands are: Hawaii, Oahu, Kauai, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Niihau, and Maui. Each island is unique and has something differentiating it from the other islands of the state.
NIIHAU
Niihau is the western most located island of the chain. It is located west of Kauai and is privately owned and visitation should be by invitation only with the exception being in supervised tours offered in limited numbers. Niihau is the smallest inhabited island with permanent residents and is just less than 20 miles southwest of Kauai.
Owned by the Robinsons, they closed the business on the island down in the 1990s due to the business operating in the red for the entire 20th century.
Island nicknames include “Forbidden Island” and “Mystery Island.” This is in part due to the tendency to omit this island from maps sold to tourists.
This island is the only one of the Hawaiian Island chain where the Hawaiian language is spoken as the primary language.
KAUAI
Kauai is the northern-most island of the main Hawaiian islands in the chain and ranks fourth in size.
Kauai is home to “Barking Sands” or Pacific Missile Range Facility on its west coast. Military vessels come here to test fire “dummy” weapons that do not explode.
Hollywood has been to Kauai many times making more than 70 movies featuring the island.
OAHU
Everyone knows Oahu; it ranks third in size of the main islands of the chain with only the island of Hawaii and Maui larger. The capital of Honolulu is on the south side of the island.
This island has many tourist attractions to cover all aspects of interests.
Historians will love to tour Pearl Harbor home of the Hawaiian-based U.S. Naval fleet. Included in Pearl Harbor are the USS Utah and USS Arizona Memorials; the USS Bowfin offers a hands-on tour of a World War II submarine.