Pearl Harbour and other places – Oahu Island

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:05:14 +0000

The Islands of Oahu, along with the Islands of Kauai, Maui, Big Island and Molokai, are the five main Islands of Hawaii. The Island of Oahu, spread over an area of 597 square miles, lie between the Islands of Kauai and Maui.

Best time to visit Oahu, Hawaii

You can plan your trip to the tropical Oahu at anytime of the year. The average annual temperature here is anywhere between 23 degree Celsius to 31 degree Celsius.

How to Get to Oahu

The International Airport at Honolulu at Oahu is fairly accessible and is served by major airlines from across the world like the American Airlines, China Airlines, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Air Pacific, Continental, Delta Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Japan Airlines, Korean Airlines and Philippines Airlines among others.

Within the Island, you have the city transit system called “The Bus”, trolleys and other means of transport. From other Islands, Oahu is connected by both – planes and ferries.

Oahu Island Attractions

Oahu has some iconic attractions such as the Pearl Harbour. The place is registered in the history of the world as on December 7, 1941 as the US naval base here was bombed by Japanese, forcing United States to join the world war. Of the war memorials here, some are the navy base and the Pacific Aviation Museum. The Aloha Stadium and the Koolina lagoons are other attractions worth visiting around.

The 112 miles of shorelines of the Island of Oahu has some of the best beaches of the world. One of them is the Lanikai Beach. The beaches of Waikiki such as the Waimea Bay, the Banzai Pipeline and the Sunset Beach too are worth a visit.

Water sports are popular with tourists here. Thanks to the clear waters and offshore reefs – the waters here are great for snorkeling and diving. Hanauma Bay, for instance, is a good snorkeling destination. You can also go for kayaking, outrigger canoeing, sailing and surfing. The Waikiki Beach is particularly good for surfing. Green Sea Turtles, various species of birds and the humpback whales that migrate here in winters add to the natural beauty of this Hawaiian Island.

You can also paddle up to the twin Island of Mokulua from the Lanikai Beach.

Oahu has some pretty landscapes that you will enjoy hiking. On its southeast is the Diamond Head – a volcanic crater, 760 feet high. The summit gives a good view of the Island’s west and is also a good spot for whale watching in the winter months. Another good hike here is the rainforests of Waimea Valley.

For some diversions, there are quite a few historic and cultural centers you can take a tour of. In Honolulu, the Hawaiian Capital, are historical landmarks like the Iolnai Palace built in 1882, the Honolulu Academy of Arts at the Ala Moana Beach Park, the Bishop Museum and the 1,186 foot high Nuuanu Pali lookout point, Lyon Arboretum dating back to 1918.

The Byodo-in Temple in the Valley of the Temples Memorial Park is another attraction here.

A good time to visit Oahu would be in July, when the place holds the Ukulele Festival at the Kapiolani Park Bandstand – a free two hour concert. Touring the Ukulele Factory can be included in your historical tours here.

Oahu is a destination that lives up to its location – of being a Hawaiian Island, with all its mountain ranges, beaches, historical sites, forests and some very interesting hikes.

The Rich Coast, and inlands, of Costa Rica

admin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:05:26 +0000

The Central American Country of Costa Rica borders the Caribbean Sea to its east and the North Pacific Ocean to its south and west. From the North and the south-southeast, it is flanked by the countries of Nicaragua and Panama.

Best time to visit

The tropical Costa Rica is worth visiting anytime of the year, though the dry season from the months of December to April are more favourable among the tourists.

How to reach

The airports here such as the Capital San Jose’s Juan Santamaria International Airport and the Liberia’s Daniel Obuder International Airport are served by numerous airlines such as the Air Canada, Continental and Delta to name a few . From Europe, Iberia and Martin Air serve San Jose. Flights from most of the cities of the United States reach here in about 3-7 hours.

You can choose to travel to Costa Rica by car as well, after being well-guided about the route.

Attractions in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is makes for a pretty interesting destination for travelers. There are several Islands here such as the Cocos Island, the Calero Island – largest of the Islands here, the Cano Island surrounded by reefs and the Isla Tortuga known for its white-sandy beaches – a good snorkeling destination. You can have a nice time cruising in the Gulf of Nicoya and passing-by these Islands on a 13-mile sail.

Costa Rica certainly lives up to its name that means ‘rich coast’. Most of the beaches in the northwest corner – a part of the Santa Rosa National Park are good. October is worth visiting this part when the olive ridley sea turtles nest in here. The Guanacaste coast is full of deserted beaches such as the Playa Carrillo, Playa Samara, Playa Buena Vista and Playa Barrigona.

Another attractive beach is Playa Montezuma in the southern tip of Nicoya Peninsula stretching to miles, with waterfalls and the Cabo Blanco and the Curu wildlife preserves nearby. Malpais, Manuel Antonio and in the eastern coast of Costa Rica- the Punta Uva and the Manzanillo beaches are good too.

Surfing is popular among the tourists here, especially around the breaks of Guanacaste. The Central and Southern Pacific coasts are good from April to November.

The rivers of Pacuare, Reventazon, Blancas and Savegre offer some of the best white-water rafting sites of Costa Rica. For Boardsailing, its largest lake – Lake Arenal is good.

Costa Rica is good for hiking. Some of the routes worth trekking through are the Lankester Gardens – home to distinct flora species, the Rincon de la Vieja National Park – the volcanic park with sites like Blue Lake and Cangrejo Falls, the La Selva Biological Station located in the north-northeast of Costa Rica’s mountain ranges that slope towards the Caribbean, the Arenal National Park and around, the Monteverde Biological Cloud Forest Reserve, the Corcovado National Park – rainforest home to scarlet macaws and the Cahuita National Park with most of the ways parallel to the beach.

Other activities you can enjoy here includes Bungee Jumping from a small bridge over Rio Colorado, camping, canopy and canyon tours, horse-back riding and rock- climbing to name a few.

If you are planning for an adventurous holiday, think of Costa Rica. About 25 per cent of this Country’s area comes under protected national parks and protected areas. There are about 800 species of birds here.

With hiking trails, forests, a variety of wild life, beaches and mountains, Costa Rica certainly deserves consideration as an adventure destination.

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