Aloha! Hawaii

with pix in weekend folder

Aloha! Hawaii

LET me take you on a journey to a land two thousand miles from anywhere and where the only thing you should do with your wristwatch is keep it locked in your suitcase...

Because time is the least important thing in this paradise of year-round sunshine tempered by delicate trade winds.

Hawaii is a name synonymous with everything romantic and exotic, and it should come as no surprise that this year, the island has been voted the most desirable summer destination in a survey by on-line travel agent experts.

More than a quarter of females voted Hawaii top of their personal holiday hotspots - turning a sun-tanned shoulder on the Costas.

Its golden sands and crystal clear water make Hawaii the ultimate holiday break. Despite the recent severe downturn in world travel trade, Hawaii seems to have captured the real romantics.

For me, what makes it really special, is that although there are 132 islands scattered across 1,600 miles of the North Pacific Ocean, only six are actually open to travellers.

However, you have to offset this exclusivity with a flight that is very, very long-haul. Travelling from London, for example, with a two-hour stop over on America's West coast, will see you blearily stepping out into Honolulu's blistering sunshine more than 22 hours later.

Hawaii enjoys good weather all year round, so visiting when it is really cold at home makes for an ideal winter holiday. Bearing in mind the arduous journey, plan on staying 10 or 14 nights. That way you have time to get over your jet lag and really chill out.

Most tour operators highlight just four holiday hot spots in America's 50th state - Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island.

But, I promise, whatever your choice, you can't fail to be impressed by the Hawaiians' overwhelming, friendly charm.

I was to see that at its best on Oahu, which, appropriately, means "gathering place," and is home to the island's capital, Honolulu, which, incidentally, also offers the best shopping.

Eighty per cent of the islands' population actually live here, and the island is the jumping off spot for those young at heart tourists.

At first, it is easy to believe that Honolulu is just another America city with its giant skyscrapers and wide freeways.

But, as I was to discover, the majestic palm trees, flowers and dazzling colours of the Hawaiians themselves make sure they keep their own culture and identity very much alive.

To get a real picture of the islands' history, a visit to The Bishop Museum, founded as a memorial to the direct descendent of the Hawaiian chiefs, is a must.

I was fascinated by the examples of hand-crafted canoes that had been used to colonise the islands. On a grimmer note, there are carved wood and stone gods and models of temples where humans were once sacrificed.

I marvelled at the museum's centre-piece - a 55-foot long skeleton of a sperm whale, which would have weighed more than 20 tons when it was alive.

But before you settle down to some serious sunbathing, I would recommend a visit to Pearl Harbour, a sobering reminder of America's biggest military disaster

when the Japanese bombed the fleet leaving more than 3,400 casualties.

After soaking up the local culture, the relaxation part of the holiday is the easy bit.

The locations of many hotels will convince you that your long journey has been more than worthwhile, particularly when you can literally step out of your bedroom, straight onto the beach and into a sea as warm as thick cream.

Today it is a National Memorial with boat trips to the sunken site of the USS Arizona.

FACT FILE

Specialist operator Hawaiian Dream has launched a new brochure with a seven-night break costing from just £798 a head for a self-catering apartment accommodation flying from London in November. Visit the website for more details: www.hawaiiandream.com.

America Direct has a seven-night stay at Waikiki on Oahu from £1,069 per person, rising to £1,303 per head for 14 nights twin-share room-only accommodation at the Aston Waikiki hotel. For further information click on to: www.americadirect.com.

Contact your local ABTA travel agent for more on holidays to Hawaii.