Crystal blue waters against a white sand beach. Palm trees swaying in a soft ocean breeze. Volcanic mountains rising in the hazy distance. Serenity, Luxury, Paradise.

Only six of the 132 peaks that rise above the Pacific Ocean can be explored by tourists: Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui and Hawaii, which also is called The Big Island. Each island, in a sense, is a small continent:

• Kauai "The Garden Isle"
• Oahu "The Gathering Place"
• Molokai "The Friendly Isle"
• Lanai "The Pineapple Isle"
• Maui "The Valley Isle"
• Hawaii or The Big Island "The Orchid Isle"

The most obvious contrasts are between the northeast and southwest coasts. Crossing a mountain barrier can bring you from rain forest into desert over the distance of a few miles. Weather patterns are also extremely localized. It rarely rains in one place for long, and it's almost always sunny somewhere.

Hawaii is truly a cultural melting pot. Over one quarter of the people were born of racially mixed parents. Hawaii's famous spirit of ALOHA and a genuine friendliness is spread over all islands.

Bypass the tourist centers and you can lose yourself in the midst of untouched natural beauty. Hawaii mostly invites you to explore the nature and beauty of the islands (only in a few places do you find nightlife). In general, people get up early and go to bed after the sun sets in the Pacific ocean.

Vacation Rentals on The Hawaiian Islands