hawaii travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

Maui needs no introduction. Synonymous with surfing paradise, this idyllic Hawaiian island has far more to offer – from helicopter tours to horseback riding or diving with turtles and sharks, to biking down a 3,050 m volcano. The Haleakala Volcano, in a 11,595-ha park of the same name, earned its name from early Hawaiians who called the summit ‘house of the sun‘, believing it rose from behind the volcano’s peak. Photo by: Eric Rolph
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The only official way of visiting Honopu Beach is by swimming. Inaccessible by land and impossibly magical, this treasure of a beach has ensured the scenery of many films, among them King Kong, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and South Pacific. Two deep, golden beaches guarded by steep mountain rock and the charming milky-blue waters of the South Pacific are connected by extremely large stone arch in the rock face, before which a waterfall cascades like a curtain. Photo by: tascx
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Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and Australia. Tuvalu consists of nine small islands scattered over 500,000 sq mi of the western Pacific, just south of the equator. The islands include Niulakita, Nukulaelae, Funafuti, Nukufetau, Vaitupu, Nui, Niutao, Nanumaga (Nanumanga), and Nanumea. The capital and largest city is Fongafale, on Funafuti Funafuti.
Area: 9.9 sq mi (25.6 sq km). Population (2005 est.): 9,700. Tuvalu is a constitutional monarchy with one legislative house; its chief of state is the British monarch represented by the governor-general, and the head of government is the prime minister.
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Hainan is China’s Hawaii. It’s on the same latitude, with a highly developed agricultural economy, roads and infrastructure. It’s China’s smallest province, divided by a 1.5 km strait from Guangdong, and nestled between the Gulf of Tonkin and South China Sea. Like Hawaii it has the beaches, hills, forests, wildlife, and recreational roster. 
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Atlantis Submarine offers an underwater experience unique to Hawaii – carrying guests to depths well beyond 100 feet – to place where schools of brightly colored fish frolic, where green sea turtles flourish, and beautiful coral grows. An Atlantis Submarine tour is an ideal way to gain first-hand insight into the value and importance of reefs and to observe how mankind can contribute to the development of reefs and associated ecosystems. In the comfort and security of one of the world’s most technologically advanced passenger submarines, you will view remarkable reefs of this unique underwater tour through areas pulsating with marine life. Each of the three Atlantis Hawaii tour locations (Waikiki, Kona, and Maui) feature distinct characteristics enabling to explore their unique underwater habitats. It’s a world unseen by anyone except scuba divers and fish.
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The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii

Located within Mauna Lani Resort, the hotel offers really luxurious accommodations. Hotel Description: 540 rooms, 6 floors, 4 restaurants, 10 tennis courts, 5 bars, a fully equipped fitness center, swim pool, and spa center. The guest rooms at The Fairmont Orchid feature minibars, high-speed Internet access, cable TV, air-conditioning, safes, video games, hairdryers, irons and marble bathrooms with bath amenities. The resort is consistently lauded as one of the world’s top golf resorts by readers of “Conde Nast Traveler Magazine”.
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This is not very popular, but Reunion Island is part of the European Union, being one of France’s fully incorporated overseas departments. It is one of the French Republic’s 26 regions with the same status as those on the European mainland. Because Reunion is in a time zone to the east of Europe, the first ever purchase with the EU’s new currency was made here in 2002 – a 1 euro bag of lichees in Saint-Denis market. Photo by: Gido Gerland
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