We love Hawaii, it’s a very long way to Hawaii , so once you’re there it’s worth taking in more than one of the six magical islands that are open to visitors. First stop for many is the island of Oahu, spending most of their time in and around Honolulu and Waikiki, but to get a true taste of Hawaii you’ll need to head over to one of the other islands. Don’t dismiss Oahu as being just the high rise hotels of Waikiki Beach – it’s true, Waikiki is wall to wall hotels crammed in to a fairly average stretch of beach, but there’s something about the place that’s a little intoxicating, with great restaurants, relaxed bars and quality shopping, beautiful sunsets and a stunning setting - no trip to Hawaii would be complete until you’ve been to Waikiki! Elsewhere on the Island there’s plenty of interest. Honolulu itself has been voted the most liveable city in the US and it’s easy to see why – it’s fairly small and easy to get around, plus it has a near-perfect climate and it’s full of ...

Darren is a big fan of Hawaii:  It’s a very long way to Hawaii , so once you’re there it’s worth taking in more than one of the six magical islands that are open to visitors. First stop for many is the island of Oahu , spending most of their time in and around Honolulu and Waikiki , but to get a true taste of Hawaii you’ll need to head over to one of the other islands. Don’t dismiss Oahu as being just the high rise hotels of Waikiki Beach – it’s true, Waikiki is wall to wall hotels crammed in to a fairly average stretch of beach, but there’s something about the place that’s a little intoxicating, with great restaurants, relaxed bars and quality shopping, beautiful sunsets and a stunning setting - no trip to Hawaii would be complete until you’ve been to Waikiki! Elsewhere on the Island there’s plenty of interest. Honolulu itself has been voted the most liveable city in the US and it’s easy to see why – it’s fairly small and easy to get around, plus it has a...

Escape Worldwide are 10 years old this year - Happy Birthday to Us!  This month we're celebrating our 10th birthday at Escape Worldwide , and looking back at 10 years of globetrotting in the name of bringing you great holidays - at least that's our excuse! We're having a look at our personal top 10 favourite travel experiences of the last 10 years. Mark's fear of heights goes out the window!  "I'd been in a helicopter once prior to my visit to Hawaii , and that was over the Victoria Falls in Zambia - I have a terrible fear of heights but I'm OK with flying and thankfully the experience in Zambia showed me that I was OK in helicopters too (unless the pilot does any sudden maneuvers which leave my stomach half a mile behind!) On Hawaii's Big Island, however, the view was so incredible that I didn't really have a chance to think about anything else! The helicopter that Mark took over Big Island The Volcano National Park is an in...

At Number 1 . . . Aloha Beach Life The Hawaiian Islands combine stunning scenery, a relaxed atmosphere and some fantastic beers, and there’s nowhere better to sample the most famous local brew than at the Kona Brewing Company’s brewery and pub, in the relaxed town of Kailua-Kona , on Hawaii’s Big Island . The company’s range of beers are found throughout the islands (not yet available in the UK , unfortunately), and really do live up to their ‘liquid Aloha’ tag. Longboard Lager is perhaps the best known – a favourite with the characters of Hawaii Five-0 – but our choice is Fire Rock Pale Ale, named after the active volcanoes of Big Island , just a short distance from the brewery itself.   Kailua-Kona hosts the Ironman World Championship every year, the ultimate sporting test of endurance, when up to 2000 of the world’s toughest athletes undertake a 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a full marathon, all one after the other – and all in the heat of Hawaii . The s...