Hawaii (The Big Island) - A City Guide

There's no place on earth quite like this handful of sun-drenched,
mid-Pacific islands. The Hawaii of South Seas literature and Hollywood
films really does exist. Here one will find palm-fringed blue lagoons,
lush rainforests, hidden gardens, cascading waterfalls, wild rivers
running through rugged canyons, and soaring volcanoes. And those
beaches -- gold, red, black, and even green sands caressed by endless
surf � a perfect place for spending holidays.

History

After a series of battles that ended in 1795 and peaceful cession of
the island of Kauai in 1810, the Hawaiian Islands were united for the
first time under a single ruler who would become known as King
Kamehameha the Great. He established the House of Kamehameha, a dynasty
that ruled over the kingdom until 1872. One of the most important
events during those years was the suppression of the Hawaii Catholic
Church. The Newlands Resolution was passed on July 7, 1898, formally
annexing Hawaii as a United States territory. In 1900, it was granted
self-governance and retained Iolani Palace as the territorial capitol
building. In March 1959, both houses of Congress passed the Admission
Act and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into law. On June
27 of that year, a plebiscite was held asking residents of Hawaii to
vote on accepting the statehood bill. After statehood, Hawaii quickly
became a modern state with a construction boom and rapidly growing
economy.

Place of Interest

It will not be a small list if anyone tries to make a list of all
tourist attractions. The partial list should be look like this:

  • Akaka Falls,

  • Captain Dan McSweeney's Year-Round Whale-Watching Adventures

  • Captain Zodiac,

  • Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center,

  • Fair Wind Snorkeling and Diving Adventures,

  • Hapuna Golf Course,

  • Mauna Lani Frances I'i Brown Championship Courses,

  • Pololu Valley Lookout,

  • Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park,

  • World Botanical Garden.

  • Museums & Art Galleries

    Some of the major museums are

  • East Hawaii Cultural Center

  • Hulihee Palace Museum

  • Jaggar Museum

  • Kamuela Museum

  • Kona Historical Society

  • Lyman House Memorial Museum

  • Mokupapapa: Discovery Center For Hawaii's Remote Coral Reefs

  • Pacific Tsunami Museum

  • Parker Ranch Museum

  • are some of the museums in Big Island.

    Hawaii's Big Island has a number of art gallery and cultural
    centers. Among them:
  • Hawaiian Art Network

  • Dreams Of Paradise

  • Gallery Of Great Things

  • Holualoa Gallery

  • Spirit Art Studio

  • Volcano Garden Arts

  • are some to mention about.

    Shopping

    Hawaii Big Island hosts open market places with hundreds of merchants
    selling their hand crafted items under the open sky. These market
    places are one of the main tourist attractions here. Alii Gardens
    Marketplace, Long Ears Coffee Company, Kuaiwi Farm, Mountain Thunder
    Coffee Plantation, Akatsuka Orchid Gardens, Anthuriums Of Hawaii,
    Hawaii Greenhouse Inc., Panaewa Hawaiian Homelands Farmers Market,
    Volcano Farmers Market are some of the famous marketplaces.

    Besides these market places shopping malls and individual shops are
    there in Hawaii Big Island. Hilo Hattie - The Store of Hawaii, Hilo
    Shopping Center, Keauhou Shopping Center, King's Shops, Kona Coast
    Shopping Center, Lanihau Center are some shopping centers in Hawaii Big
    Island.

    Food & Drink

    So many restaurants, so little time for a traveler when it comes the
    time to wine and dine in Big Island. The Big Island's delicious dilemma
    is its daunting size and abundant offerings of its own cuisine. Shaka
    Restaurant, Anthony's Bistro & Bar, Charley's Bar & Grill,
    Grand Palace, Ting Hao, Bamboo Restaurant, Hualalai Grille By Alan
    Wong, Merriman's, Aloha Angel Caf�, Big Island Grill are some of
    the great places for wine and dine. Except these restaurants and bars,
    Hawaii Big Island has a lot to offer to satisfy everyone's taste bud.

    Education

    Big Island hosts

  • More than 37 Public schools,

  • More than 15 Private schools,

  • University of Hawaii at Hilo

  • Hawaii Community College - part of the University of Hawaii
    System.

  • Students choosing private education attend Brigham Young
    University
    Hawai?i, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Hawaii Pacific University
    and University of the Nations.

  • Sports

    Hawaii Big Island has lots to offer for the tourists to attend and
    participate in different sports like Scuba diving, Horse back riding,
    fishing, Golf, Cycling and hiking.

    Hotels & Accommodation

    Some budget hotels in Hawai are mentioned bellow.

  • Aaah the Views Bed & Breakfast

  • Affordable Hawaii at Pomaikai (Lucky) Farm Bed & Breakfast

  • Cook's Discoveries Waimea Suite

  • Kona Tiki Hotel

  • Volcano Bed & Breakfast

  • The Bay House

  • Manago Hotel



  • Beside these budget hotels some mid range to hi-end hotels are there:

  • Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Kaupulehu

  • Kona Village Resort

  • The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii

  • Hilton Waikoloa Village

  • Horizon Guest House

  • Kanaloa at Kona

  • Tours
    and Sightseeing


    Organized
    tours
    are available in
    href="http://www.thereservationcenter.com/bigislandtours.htm">Hawaii
    Big Island
    . Beside the beaches these tours cover all the Hawaii Big
    Island places and activities. Tours' nature is guided or self guided.
    The tours are rich in contents. It may be
    href="http://www.thereservationcenter.com/Body.asp?mode=9&Page=SearchByModeCity&Type=LA&TY=LA&SearchName=Walking+/+Hiking&eType=Activities&City=Big+Island&sc=104">walking
    or hiking tours
    through Thurston Lava Tube at Hawaii
    Volcanoes National Park, or
    href="http://www.thereservationcenter.com/Body.asp?mode=39&Page=SearchByModeCity&Type=WA&TY=WA&SearchName=Snorkeling&eType=Activities&City=Big+Island&sc=104">snorkeling
    in Kahaluu Beach Park
    or it may be a
    href="http://www.thereservationcenter.com/body.asp?tour=KON-W0002&page=TourDetails&sc=104&City=Big+Island">submarine
    tour
    into the
    href="http://www.thereservationcenter.com/body.asp?tour=KON-W0002&page=TourDetails&sc=104&City=Big+Island">Underwater
    World
    .
    href="http://www.thereservationcenter.com/bigislandtours.htm">Different
    tours
    are there in offer. The Ellison S. Onizuka Space Center,
    Watching the Volcano is also in the content of the tour.

    Transport

    Flying is the most common way to get to Hawaii's Big Island. Air
    travelers are serviced by Kona International Airport (KOA) on the west
    side of the island, and Hilo International Airport (ITO) on the east.
    National and international carriers offer both direct and non-stop
    flights to KOA and ITO.

    An alternate method of getting to Hawaii's Big Island is aboard a
    cruise ship. Several ships make weekly stops in Hilo Harbor on the East
    side, and also generally visit Kailua Bay on the West side.

    Different car rental is available for transportation. These car rentals
    can be done by the on request to the hotels. The Big Island's public
    transportation system, called Hele-On, consists of a main route between
    Hilo and Kailua-Kona that operates once a day in each direction, plus
    several feeder routes to Volcano, Pahoa and Waikoloa that run two or
    three times a day.

    About the Author

    Name: Nivedita Balamurugan

    Occupation: Traveler

    Website: www.thereservationcenter.com

    Biography: Nivedita is with The Reservation Center - providers of
    discounted tours to make your vacations and sightseeing trips in
    various cities across the world as comfortable and enjoyable as
    possible.
    This article is free for republishing
    Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_24543_29.html

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