What's the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Hawaii? Probably the beaches, but there are also many famous cities in Hawaii. These cities are known for things like uniqueness, arts and entertainment and often, yes their beaches.
Here is a list of the "Top 10" cities in Hawaii (according to what's being talked about the most on the Internet as well as travel statistics.)
1. Honolulu and its Waikiki District, on Oahu - Hawaii's state capitol and county seat of Oahu, Honolulu is home to some of Hawaii's - and the world's - most famous places, including Waikiki Beach, views of Diamond Head (world's most famous landmark), Iolani Palace, the only palace on U.S. soil and Pearl Harbor.
Waikiki is also the best place in Hawaii for nightlife, shopping and being around a lot of people.
2. Lahaina, Maui - Lahaina is Maui's most popular city. This is the best place to go on Maui for nightlife, luau, art galleries and shops.It's best known though for whale sightseeing, from land or from one of the many boat tours out of Lahaina Harbor. (Kaanapali is just north of here, and another famous place.)
3. Kihei, Maui - Often called a little California (which depending on your preferences could be a good or a not so good thing), sunny Kihei has the most condos per square mile on the island, and you'll find the best rates here, overall. It is also home to some of the prettiest white sand beaches on the island.
4. Hilo, Big Island - The county seat of Hawaii Island (the Big Island) this is the rainiest city in the United States, is very laid back and local in nature. It's also got two great little museums – Lyman House and the Pacific Tsunami Museum and Liliokalani on Banyan Drive - is a pretty park with Japanese gardens and a view of Hilo Bay.
5. Hana, Maui - A very small town at the end of a very famous road, if you go here, stop at the historical Hana general store and get your "I drove the Hana Highway" t-shirt.
6. Lihue, Kauai - When you fly to Kauai, you will land at Lihue International Airport. Lihue is the biggest town on the Garden Island, rests on the Coconut Coast and has lots of great shops and restaurants.
7. Kaneohe, Oahu - Located on the green and lush windward side and home to a Navy military base, Kaneohe has a beautiful bay with views of China Hat (a tiny offshore island and famous Oahu landmark). Kaneohe has lush gardens as well as a Buddhist temple with koi ponds that is a favorite of visitors seeking beauty and serenity.
8. Kailua, Oahu - Kailua Bay offers one of the best family beaches on the island. Windsurfers love Kailua too. So does President Barack Obama and his family. (Lanikai is right next to Kailua and is also quite nice.)
9. Kailua-Kona - Technically, just Kailua, but we add the "Kona" to differentiate the Big Island's Kailua from Oahu's - and most people actually just call it Kona. This is the most visited city on the Big Island. It's not very big but it's where tourists and locals go to on the Kona side for shopping, boat tours (deep sea fishing is really big here) and restaurants.
10. Volcano Village - Located upland around 2,000 feet near the National Volcano Park, this is a really tiny town, vintage 50's, with a couple of mom and pop general stores, an art gallery, a fantastic tai restaurant, a hamburger joint and bar called the Lava Rock Cafe, a few other businesses and antheriums galore. It's a nice place to stop on the way to or from the Park.
What city do you like best in Hawaii and why? Share your comments and experiences.
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