Fun Facts about Hawaii

Is it time to plan a vacation? How about Hawaii? We have fun facts about Hawaii in this post. Hawaii was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence from colonial rule in 1957. It was also the home of the ancient Kingdom of Hawaii, which flourished between the 6th and 13th centuries. Hawaii is known for its rich culture, including music, dance, and art. Traditional Hawaiiian music often features complex rhythms and percussion instruments like the djembe and kpanlogo drums. The country is also famous for its kente cloth, a colorful and intricately woven fabric. Is Hawaii a destination for your vacation? As a traveler, here are some fun facts to consider about Hawaii.

The Hawaiian Islands are of volcanic origin. They were created by a so-called hot spot on the ocean floor about 70 million years ago. Humans settled somewhere in the time frame between the 1st and 12th century AD.  James Michener’s book is epic and a very long read but also very enjoyable.  The original settlers are believed to have come from French Polynesia.  Both Madeline and I read the book and it is a fascinating history.

If you are not a reader, the abbreviated version of Michener’s book is in the movie Hawaii with Julie Andrews and Max von Sydow. The film also stars Richard Harris, Gene Hackman and Carroll O'Connor. The Academy nominated it for 7 Oscars.

The first settlers probably came from the Marquesas Islands.  People from Tahiti followed them.  Settlers crossed 2,500 miles of ocean in double-hulled voyaging canoes and used the stars to guide them. They brought taro and breadfruit, as well as animals. Archaeologists believe that the Tahitians arrived around 1000 AD and the people from the Marquesas came perhaps 400 or more years before.

The Tahitians created the “taboo” system which was a law of forbidden items to keep order.   For example, people were not allowed to walk in the shadow of a chief.  Women were not allowed to eat together with men, or to eat bananas or pork.  When a chief spoke, nobody could say anything or dare to interrupt.

The Hawaiians relied on an oral tradition, and they passed knowledge to others via stories and song.  Even the way to navigate from French Polynesia to Hawaii was captured in songs which explained the wave patterns, the stars, the sun, etc.  The Hawaiian spoken language continued only 12 letters:  five vowels and seven consonants.

The Europeans in Hawaii in 1778 with the famed English explorer Captain James Cook.  He named the islands the Sandwich Islands after the English Earl of Sandwich.  Captain Cook was famous for much more than Hawaii.  

James Cook was an English explorer, cartographer and navigator.  When you go to many of the locations in modern day Oceania, you’ll probably see references to him everywhere.  He created one of the first accurate maps of the Pacific Ocean and created scientific methods to aid in his exploration.  

Cook mapped out most of the Pacific Ocean and the landmasses including Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia and Hawaii.  His voyage to Hawaii was his third and his last.  He left England and sailed along the African coast around the Cape of Good Hope, across the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, to New Zealand.  Cook then went north to Tahiti.  He continued his journey in a northwestern direction to Hawaii in 1778.  His ship by then needed repairs and fresh supplies.  In 1779, he was stabbed to death by natives who felt that he had overstayed his welcome.  

Although so many islands were discovered and mapped by Cook, his namesake continues to be the Cook Islands.  He visited the islands in 1773 and 1777 and the islands later became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900, they annexed the islands as British territory. In 1901, it included the islands within the boundaries of the Colony of New Zealand.

When Cook first came to Hawaii, the natives greeted him with a combination of bewilderment and happiness.  They believed he might be Lono, the god of fertility of the land.  The details of Cook’s death are cloudy.  The crew of Cook’s ship were suffering from various forms of disease and when one of the crew died, it became obvious to the Hawaiians that the group was not immortal, even with the protection of Lono.  Unable to get the provisions and repairs they needed in Hawaii, Cook’s crew took off but did not get far when his mast was broken in a storm. Such setbacks do not happen to gods.   He returned and anchored but found out that one of his longboats were likely stolen by the native Hawaiians.  Cook went ashore to confront the Hawaiian king but the crew fired their cannons at another group of Hawaiians who appeared to be ready for conflict.  Panic ensued, and the natives killed Cook since he clearly was not the God the thought he might be.

The Hawaiian Gods were not to be messed with. Three of the Gods are depicted in the picture above including Lono. There were four main Gods which were usually depicted in a Tiki wood carving. A Tiki is carving had important spiritual and symbolic force, originating from the Marquesas Islands. They were brought to Hawaii and the carvings had real significance.

The four Gods included Ku: the ancient Tiki God of War,  Lono: the ancient God of Fertility and Peace, Kane: the ancient Tiki God of Light and Life and Kanaloa: the ancient Tiki God the Sea.

Hawaiian Kings ruled over the islands both before and after Captain Cook’s visits. King Kamehameha the Great ruled from 1758 until 1819.  He originally was the ruler only of the Big Island.  He decided that he needed to rule all of the islands and in 1795 his warriors took their canoes to Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Oahu and later Kauai and defeated the local rulers of these islands. 

In 1820, the missionaries arrived in Hawaii. The missionaries came from the United States which was only a country since 1776.  After King Kamehameha the Great’s death, his son King Kamehameha III ruled the Islands from 1825 until his death in 1854. The missionaries influenced him, and he allowed them to establish schools and preach Christianity. 

Missionaries realized the potential of the islands – particularly for sugar cane.  The sugar industry was introduced in Hawaii in the 1830s.   Workers were brought to the islands to work in the sugar plantations.   Hawaii's feudal land system was abolished in 1848, which made private ownership legal which allowed capital investment to grow.  Land was sold to foreigners, government officials and royalty.  The businessmen from the United States sought annexation of Hawaii because they realized the commercial benefits.  In 1875, a treaty of reciprocity was negotiated and renewed in 1884, but not ratified. It was ratified in 1887 when an amendment was added that gave the U.S.A. the exclusive right to establish a naval base at Pearl Harbor.

During the period between 1854 and 1887, there was a succession of Kings that ruled, usually briefly.  King Kamehameha IV ruled between 1855 and 1863.  The next ruler was King Kamehameha V who ruled between 1863 and 1872.  Then, King Lunalilo ruled briefly between 1873 and 1874 followed by King Kalakaua from 1874 to 1891.

Queen Lili'uokalani began her reign in 1891 and immediately took the oath to maintain the constitution of 1887.  She was not fond of any legislative form of government and, instead, wanted an absolute monarchy.  By this time, the commercial interests of Hawaii included representatives from Germany, England, the United States and others.  When the queen announced her intention for absolute monarchy, a small rebellion occurred, and volunteer troops arrived at the place of the queen and subsequently occupied the grounds At a public meeting a Committee of Safety was appointed, which issued a proclamation declaring the monarchy to be abolished and establishing a provisional government.  A treaty of annexation was negotiated with the United States during the next month, just before the close of President Benjamin Harrison's administration, but was withdrawn by President Cleveland.  After Cleveland’s tenure, President McKinley was inaugurated and negotiations with the U.S. resumed, and a joint resolution of Congress annexed Hawaii. The U.S. flag was raised over the executive building in August 1898, and in 1900, Hawaii became an official territory of the United States.  

Hawaii was not even a state when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Oahu, which led the U.S. to enter World War II. In World War II, Hawaii served as an important base for operations in the Pacific.  It wasn’t until 1959 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Hawaii Admission Act.  Before this, Hawaii had a referendum on statehood with over 93% voting in favor.

We had travelled to many exotic locales including Fiji, Bali, India, Thailand, Vietnam and French Polynesia before we visited Hawaii.  When we arrived in Maui, we felt as if we needed to pull out our passports, but we were still in the United States.  We were very impressed with the beauty of Maui and later Kauai.  Everywhere you would go you would see beautiful flowers, blue water, beautiful mountains, etc.  Why did we wait this long to go to Hawaii?

For our first trip to Hawaii, we stayed on Maui and enjoyed the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Maui.  On our second trip, we stayed at a condo for a month at the Valley Isle Resort #404 and lived like a local.  We then went to Kauai for two weeks and were pampered at the Grand Hyatt Kauai.  You can read more details about each exploration, but we want to continue to come back to Hawaii – we haven’t seen it all by a long shot.

Why might you want to come to Hawaii?  There is so much to see and each island is different with its own personality.  You might have read recently about the volcano erupting once again at Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.  The eruption started on May 3, 2018 and continued through August of 2018 when only one remaining fissure has any activity and it is quite small.

Also, in August 2018, the islands got hit with a massive rainfall of over 40 inches in places.  The islanders are used to the weather or volcanoes creating turmoil.  They simply accept it and move forward in their lives.   Each island tells a different story when you visit and there are many reasons to visit all of the islands.

Oahu is probably the most famous of the islands with Honolulu being the first large tourist destination for the islands.  It’s also the place to see Pearl Harbor.  There are plenty of shopping and restaurants in Honolulu and it is a bit quieter on the eastern shores.  On Oahu, you are arguably in the center of the center of culture and history for much of Polynesia. Near Honolulu you can visit Iolani Palace. It is the only royal palace in the entire country and was the home to Hawaiian kings and queens. The Bishop Museum has one of the largest collection of artifacts and displays of ancient Hawaiian culture. There is also a Polynesian Culture Center which will update you on other Polynesian nations including Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, and Aoeteroa.

Maui is called the “Valley Isle” and is definitely lush.  Plenty of resorts and hotels are on Maui.  You can take the road to Hana and slowly wind your way through the countryside and experience the microclimates around every turn.  Lahaina is where we spent more time and has a pleasant harbor and plenty of bars and restaurants.  Most tourists want to see the dormant Haleakala volcano.  You can work with a tour group and ride down the road from the crater or simply see it yourself.  The island has plenty of golf courses with 14 of them ready for business.

Kauai is known as the “Garden Isle,” and is less populated and with many less tourists.  It is the oldest of the islands here and is a spot where filmmakers come regularly for the spectacular scenery.  Many people come to Maui and Kauai for golf, but the mountain views are spectacular.  Kauai is famous for its beaches and mountain ranges. The island is much less developed than Maui or Oahu, which makes it good if you want to see less tourists and more nature.  There are plenty of time shares, condominiums, and bed and breakfasts on Kauai. Many people come to Kauai to see the Waimea Canyon which is considered the Grand Canyon of Hawaii.  There are no roads that entirely circle the islands because of the geographical location of the Waimea Canyon and the Napali coast.   We rented a car which we’d highly recommend.  You can certainly use the Kauai bus, which has a will take you about the island.  

We also know Kauai as the rainiest spot on earth. Mount Waialeale, meaning rippling water, receives an average annual rainfall of over 450 inches. It’s almost in the center of the island and is 5,148 feet tall – almost a mile. The waterflow provides nourishment and the island needs to be called the garden isle. This water initially was used by the sugar cane industry since it was so plentiful. Today, it nourishes a coffee plantation and the gardens that are preserved including those of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens.

When the Marriott built a 12-story building, the local Kauai residents were not happy because it blocked so many views. They enacted a new law that no new building can be taller than a mature coconut tree!

Hawaii island is the Big Island and of course it has the big volcano you’ve heard of so much.  It is the youngest of and is currently still growing – largely because of volcanic activity.  Over 150 acres of new land was created by the latest eruption in 2018.  The volcanic activity created a feeling of unease with many travelers who might have visited ordinarily.  Nobody wants to get in the way of an erupting volcano.  Look what happened when Vesuvius erupted back in the day!

There is a very small part of the island that is affected, and the local police and government will make sure you are not in harm’s way.  Thinking of it from a different point of view, most of the local people work in the tourist industry so if you are not coming, they are making less money.  If you want to visit other islands, they are not affected by the eruption at all.  The emissions from the Kilauea volcano are a non-factor for Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kauai. Normal Hawaii weather is everywhere.  The trade winds are calm, and the skies are beautiful.

Lanai is the smallest inhabited island in Hawaii, Lanai offers big enticements to those of us that visit. We could see it regularly when we stayed in Maui. It is only nine miles from Maui yet a world away, Lanai can feel like two places. There are a few luxurious resorts on the island including The Four Seasons. The resort is very intimate since the island population is nothing compared to the other islands. There are terrific golf courses and rugged back roads that can be traversed in a rental 4-wheel-drive vehicle which allow tourists to explore off-the-beaten-path treasures.

Hawaii’s fifth largest island, Molokai is only 38 miles long and 10 miles across at its widest point. It is home to the highest sea cliffs in the world and the longest continuous fringing reef. Molokai may not be the major tourist destination but there is much to discover. A guide can take you along the cliffs leading to Kalaupapa National Historical Park. You can also enjoy Papohaku Beach, one of Hawaii’s largest white-sand beaches.

Molokai is perhaps best known for one of the most troubling times in Hawaii's past -- the leper colony of Kalaupapa. In 1866, King Kamehameha V exiled all those in the Kingdom of Hawaii who contracted Hansen's disease (leprosy) to an isolated peninsula on the north shore of Molokai. 

Now, the site is a National Historical Park, and the remaining six patients still live there full time. It allows only 100 adult visitors to visit the park per day. So, make reservations through Father Damien Tours and set foot on truly hallowed ground.

In the early 1800s, Hawaii was being ravaged by diseases brought in by foreign merchant ships. Venereal disease killed 10,000 over two decades. Typhoid killed 5,000 alone. Smallpox left 15,000 dead. Leprosy was a “visual disease” that people could see. Nobody knew if it killed natives like smallpox or typhoid. The king decided that a policy of mandatory quarantine was the only way to stem this disease.

Thousands of leprosy patients were banished to the 8,725-acre area. This forceful seclusion prevailed until 1969, when it was finally removed from the law books.  Today, Molokai and leprosy are not usually in the same sentence. It’s a beautiful island to visit. History is important in context. Just look at the picture above and make your tour reservation to go.

We think everyone should visit the Hawaiian Islands. They are so different. You can and should come to Hawaii for many reasons including the weather, the beaches, the scenery, the food, the nightlife, the culture, and the history – of course!  Hawaii should definitely be on your itinerary.