Cruising in to the White House

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Visit Hawaii, the place where United States president-elect Barack Obama grew up.

The new US president-elect Barack Obama is the flavour of the world at the moment. Everyone is talking about him, and rightly so. So we thought to go with the Obamania and look up the place from where the next US president comes — Hawaii.

Now Hawaii comprises of more than 100 islands but there are four main ones which are the most popular among the tourists — Kauai, Maui, Oahu, the Big Island. What makes it a hotspot among people coming from all over the world is that it has a mix of everything one wants in a holiday. The islands have some amazing beaches, picturesque locations, a myriad of waterfalls, rainforests and a fair share of wildlife.

An inter-island cruise offers a great way to explore the best of each of the islands, and every one of them offer a totally unique experience. For instance, at Oahu, one can take a tour of Pearl Harbour and also visit the Sea Life Park to take a look at some fascinating marine creatures. There are a number of rainforests and hiking trails on this island which are extremely close to the beach. The cliche something for everyone is extremely apt for the Hawaiian islands.

If one is looking at coastal beauty then Kauai is the place to go. Kauai also offers one of the best sea-diving sites in Hawaii. It also boasts of some great cliffs, waterfalls and gorges.

At the Big Island, you can indulge in activities such as snorkelling, whale-watching, scuba diving. At Big Island, check out the Volcanoes National Park, which has the world’s two most active volcanoes. The Kona Coast at Big Island has some lovely coffee farms.

The Maui islands, dotted with tropical rainforests, has some of the best helicopter tours that Hawaii has to offer. A sky flight is also on offer, an ideal way to the see the pristine waters. This area also has more miles of accessible beach than any of the other Hawaiian islands. One can find red, white as well as black sand beaches on this island. It surely seems like one is spoilt for choice when planning a trip to Hawaii.