Flying in to Hawaii can be really beautiful, seeing those little green islands all alone in the pacific. You're not disappointed when you land either. Honolulu is Ok. It's got quite a good nightlife and plenty of beaches within walking distance. This makes it an ideal holiday destination and hence the place can be packed with tourists. On O'ahu itself there isn't quiet as much natural beauty as on the other islands. Diamond Head is an interesting crater of an exploded volcano, the North Shore is pretty and is the hang out area for the hundreds of surfers who swarm over Oahu in the main season. Judging by the waves I saw, I can understand why.

There are other things to see of course. Pearl Harbour is a must for anybody interested in WW2. Also, Hanauma Bay is an absolute must for its marine life. The coral there is almost dead, but out of all the places I went snorkelling, Hanauma Bay had the most interesting and amazingly coloured fish. Well worth the couple of dollars to get into the beach area. A cheap way of touring the island is to go by public transport round the island. This is easily done in a day (including stops) and gives very nice views of the islands and its surroundings.

Having spent about 5 days on O'ahu I decided to check out the other islands and headed for the proper Hawaii, also known as the "Big Island" since it is about twice as big as all the other islands put together.

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