The active lifestyle in Hawaii incorporates a lot of different things. For example, you can go on wild adventures to other islands or shop at premier shopping centers alongside the beach. The great thing about Hawaii is that we have this wide spectrum of things to do, even a nightlife! Of course, our nightlife is nothing like Las Vegas, but the Waikiki strip comes pretty darn close!
Top 4 little known things on what makes Hawaii great: #1 Waikiki
2004_0215AF by Marufish is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image may have been resized or cropped from original
If you’re staying at a hotel on O’ahu, it’s most likely in Waikiki. This area is home to tourism on O’ahu. Beachfront hotels line the beach and shopping centers are densely packed into the area. You’ll see some of the largest stores here. Our Victoria’s secret is 2 stories tall in addition to several other big-name brands like Gucci and Macy’s. The area is lively and densely populated with tourists at any time of the year. All of the shopping areas within Waikiki are outdoors. There’s something about shopping along the beach that’s really attractive to people. Nearby Waikiki is the world’s largest outdoor shopping center, Ala Moana Shopping Center. The Waikiki area also has outdoors restaurants that are right on the beach. They’ve got great views (but expensive prices). Outdoor shopping and outdoor restaurants are all part of Hawaii’s active lifestyle. People love being outside in the sun at all times! A fun fact about Waikiki is that Hawaiian royalty used to surf here back in the 1800s.
Top 4 little known things on what makes Hawaii great: #2 Incredible adventures – kayak Kauai
Kauai, Hawaii by Craig James is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. Image may have been resized or cropped from original.
Kauai is known for its Na Pali coastline. The hidden coastline can only be accessed by boat or a difficult 11 mile hike starting at Ke’e beach. Calm surf during the summer months allows for the adventurous ones to kayak the Na Pali coastline. The paddle itself is 17 miles along the northwest coastline. If you’re planning on doing this, make sure to train for it in the several months prior to embarking. There are tour guides for hire that provide all necessary equipment and knowledge. This isn’t the kind of thing you can do alone, especially if you’re not from Hawaii. For the sake of your safety, it’s worth it to hire someone that does this for a living. You’ll be happy you did. Kayaking the coastline will give you major bragging rights. It’s a hefty adventure. Kayaking in the open ocean is a different experience than one of kayaking in a lake. In an ocean, you’re fighting against winds, currents and surf. These are the things that give you those bragging rights. Kayaking the Na Pali coastline is one of the many things you can do because of Hawaii’s active lifestyle.
Top 4 little known things on what makes Hawaii great: #3 No snakes!
Snakes are not native to Hawaii. The only snakes we have here are because they have been imported to live in our zoos. This makes it easy while hiking because you don’t have to worry about seeing any snakes! Dog owners love this feature of the islands because while hiking you don’t have to worry about snakes getting at your dog. This feature also makes it better for hikers themselves.
Top 4 little known things on what makes Hawaii great: #4 No rabies!
Hawaii is currently the only state in the country that doesn’t have rabies. This is one of the reasons why there are strict laws when bringing animals and plants into the country, it’s to protect our current state. This means that dogs are safe here while hiking. Owners don’t have to worry about infected dogs spreading it to their own animals – or contracting the virus themselves. This is just another one of the many reasons why Hawaii has such an active lifestyle – it’s safe for its residents and animals.
