Hawaii is a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean with around 1.5 million inhabitants. Hawaii is also a state of the United States of America, but due to its distance of around 3,700 kilometers from the California mainland, it is geographically one of the South Sea islands in Polynesia. The official language on the islands is English and the US dollar is used as currency.

The Hawaiian archipelago consists of a total of 137 islands or atolls, although most of them are uninhabited. The eight largest islands in Hawaii include the Big Island - Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, Kaua'i, Moloka'i, Lana'i, Ni'ihau and Kaho'olawe.

All of Hawaii's islands are of volcanic origin and the climate is warm all year round. The Big Island is home to the largest volcanoes in the world, with the highest inactive volcano, Mauna Kea at 4,201 meters. However, the most massive and globally active is the Mauna Loa volcano. The Kilauea volcano has been continuously active since 1983 and its lava floods several surrounding areas, houses and streets.

The Hawaiian Islands are home to several waterfalls, rich plant life, but no mammals.

The largest cities in Hawaii include Honolulu, Pearl City, Hilo, Waipahu, Kailua-Kona, Kaneohe, Kahului, Millani Town, Ewa Gentry, Kihei, Kailua, Kapolei and Millani Mauka.

The islands' main industry is tourism, with nearly 12 million annual visitors. Hawaii generates additional income through the export of pineapples and sugar cane. Coffee, rice, tobacco, cotton, bananas, papaya, coconuts, flowers, cannabis and other tropical fruits are also grown in agriculture.

Hawaii's tourist attractions include the US military base Pearl Harbor, the world-famous seaside resort of Waikiki, the extinct volcano "Diamond Head", the surfers' paradise on the North Shore beaches, the Waimea Canyon, Haleakala National Park, the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, the Marine National Monument, the Pacific National Monument, Waimanolo Beach, Hanauma Bay, Dolphin Quest, the Battleship Missouri Memorial and several botanical gardens.

The capital of Hawaii is Honolulu on the island of Oahu, with a population of almost 400,000. Honolulu is one of the largest cities in the entire Pacific and the starting point for every Hawaii tourist.

The city's most important sights include the Aloha Tower, the Hawaii State Art Museum, the historic old town with the Royal Palace, the Bishop Museum, the Hawaii State Capitol - the seat of Hawaii's government, the Waikiki district with its famous beach, the statue of King Kamehameha I, City Hall, Washington Square, Aloha Stadium as well as the already mentioned famous military port of Pearl Harbor and the crater of “Diamond Head”.

In January 2019 I traveled to beautiful Hawaii for the first time. I lived for three days on the island of Oahu, right on Waikiki Beach in the capital Honolulu.

On my flight there, starting from Majuro on the Marshall Islands, I crossed the date line for the first time in my life. So I was able to experience January 13th practically twice, from midnight until departure at 8:30 p.m. in the Marshall Islands and again from landing at 2 a.m. until midnight in Hawaii. The American archipelago is exactly 22 hours behind the time of the Marshall Islands. I really experienced a lot on this very long day, so it will be remembered forever anyway.

Hawaii, especially Oahu, is an amazing place on our wonderful earth. For me, Waikiki Beach and its surroundings are the best meeting place in the world, no matter what time of day. Due to the large gathering of people, there is always an incredible and unique atmosphere there.

After a long walk along Waikiki Beach and a small part of Honolulu in the morning, I then took two different routes on the double-decker bus to explore the entire city and the surrounding area.

For the next day, I booked a full-day trip to the entire island of Oahu for $120. First on the agenda early in the morning was the historic Pearl Harbor. It is an impressive place and it was very interesting to learn all the facts about the history of the surprise Japanese attack. My tour then took me to the well-known and worth seeing Dole Plantation, the first pineapple plantation in the world. The islands of Hawaii, and especially Oahu, are world-famous for the most perfect growing areas of the sweetest pineapple fruits in the world. During my day trip I also visited the best and most popular surfing beaches as well as other attractions on the impressive island. After almost 12 hours and an eventful day, this great tour came to an end and was worth every dollar.

These three days in Hawaii are definitely among the most beautiful stays during my seven-year journey around the world.

One day I'll come back to this wonderful paradise on earth, but then with more time for the other islands.