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When finalising destinations for our round the world trip, there was no discussion or debate necessary for Hawai'i. Both my husband and I knew we wanted to stay in this tropical and much revered paradise; we had heard only positive comments about it over the years. These rave reviews and promises of white beaches with clear seas, the exceptionally high levels of hospitality and nature at its best led us to choose Hawaii as our 'honeymoon' destination within the world tour. Even though we wed nearly four years ago, we have never been on holidays alone! Therefore, the nine day stay on O'ahu was much anticipated by the two of us.

THE GEOGRAPHY
Located in the central Pacific, Hawai'i is 2300 miles from mainland USA and, except for Easter Island, it is farther away from land than any other landmass on Earth. A US state since 1959, Hawaii consists of over 130 islands, with 8 main inhabited islands, the most well-known being Maui, Big Island and O'ahu. Hawai'i is part of Polynesia and Honolulu is the capital city; in fact, it is the only city in Hawai'i.

HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
The decision to stay on O'ahu as opposed to the other islands was simple- after a 6 hour flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu we did not fancy a further flight to a different island, no matter how brief! We arrived in HIA in the early evening, tired, disheveled and in need of a good meal (the American Airlines flight did not provide passengers with a meal, disappointingly).
The airport itself is quite small- one terminal with 34 gates and an arrivals section- but it still feels like a long walk to the baggage claim when you are as tired as we were. The airport had kiosks and shops en route to baggage claim though, which was useful if you wanted to buy a drink, however, what I found extremely welcoming (and rejuvenating!) was the group of musicians that were playing in the terminal; two men playing traditional Hawaiian music on ukuleles were accompanied by two dancers performing the traditional hula dance. It certainly gave us a feel for the culture immediately and put a smile on our tired faces. Many hotels and tour operators were welcoming visitors with handmade fresh leis which was lovely to witness. We had arranged our own flight and accommodation so, from that moment, I was determined to receive a lei at some point during our trip!
It was easy to get a taxi or shuttle bus to Waikiki from the airport. The buses cost approximately $8-10 USD per person and a taxi cost approximately $30 USD

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