American visa and air travel options. Hawaiian Islands: Geographical Education

We are from St. Petersburg, we definitely travel every six months. This time we decided visit Hawaii. Friends recommended it and the reviews were wonderful. But because I wanted to see much, and move from hotel to hotel, fly from island to island, and sit in airports for hours- We didn’t want it one bit, so we decided to take a cruise.

After infinite flight moved in a covered smog Los Angeles, still night in flight, and in the first rays of the sun rising from the ocean we see a miracle! In the middle of the emerald abyss - there is a volcano with its top torn off. Inside the crater is all green, and transparent turquoise waves splash around snow-white foam. Nearby lay a joyful and bright city surrounded by greenery and sandy beaches.

Hawaii is the last state of America, but the first thing we heard in a taxi on the way from the airport was “Hawaii is not America!” - can you imagine? Then they gave us a long lecture all the way; “We are, they say, fighting against corporate rules, against the fact that multinational corporations were squeezing out our small businesses, our farmers, small shops and infringing on our rights!!!”

These are the times! To hear this in States! Not only does it turn out that we consider ourselves deprived! I don’t know what suppresses them (!?) America, as we later learned all national parks are supported by the federal budget, and payments population, and medicine and pensions and other. And state payments Hawaii to the American budget (federal tax) is only 1.5%! I don’t know if this information is accurate and how one can be dissatisfied, but with our 60% of sent you know where-don't compare. But, Maybe there are some reasons. During our trip, we heard more than once the now familiar phrase “Welcome to Hawaii” and “Hawaii is not America”!

Day we rested, walked along Waikiki-reminiscent of Sydney, but a lot of Japanese. Very!!! Hawaii is considered the most expensive state in America, but it seemed cheaper to us St. Petersburg. The streets are clean and completely safe wherever you are. Even on a deserted beach at night.

There it is customary to give 15% tips or 10% if the bill is large. IN New York, a year ago, when we gave 15%, the waiters came up and blatantly asked; - “There’s something wrong with you liked? -and showed their displeasure by shaking off the tablecloth before nose, it was very unpleasant.

Stayed at the hotel Aston, almost right on the shore.190 dollarsnight and a million dollar view. But we didn't expect this pandemonium. Crowds, crowds, crowds of people, Asians everywhere - in the corridors, elevators, restaurants. And for breakfast and dinner and... always. Brrrrr.

Restaurants by prices quite affordable and with good kitchen. We fell in love with the Oceanarium Restaurant the first time. Imagine huge aquarium where exotic fish, stingrays and a Hawaiian mermaid swim. Without scuba gear, underwater like a fish. Waving your hand and tail.

Dinner at restaurant cost $90 for two, including tip, fried scallops in wine, perfect Kamchatka crabs, squid baked in batter, excellent steak, local fish, fried shrimp, cakes, strawberries in hot chocolate, and all this - in huge quantities. It was difficult to get up from the table.

In the evenings there are mini shows in Waikiki. Either Hawaiian women dance, swaying their hips, making men shrink awkwardly, or handsome Hawaiians with spears and swords perform a fire show, or fireworks - the city never sleeps and lives the busy life of a world resort.

What's left is terrible impression from Japanese restaurants. No, prepare-they are wonderful. But attitude?! We heard the opinion that the Japanese are Nazis and do not consider anyone other than the Japanese to be people (I used to think that this was an unfounded statement), but here collided with a clear disregard for white clients. That is, we were clearly shown that the Japanese were here in the first place. It was shocking. Americans at the next table, after forty minutes(!) of waiting, they began be indignant and we too, at the end we started arguing. We will never go to them again.

In the morning we took Taxi, it turned out that there are a LOT of taxis there expensive! They charge 120 per hour dollars! Taxi drivers are polite, but the meter was ticking scary! People are open and friendly, always smiling and sincerely trying to help. Very different from Americans in other cities. No one for you Nothing does not try to impose, everything is very kind and pleasant to the soul and heart.

We got there with our suitcases ship. Cruise we planned still in St. Petersburg, but our agencies asked for almost 3,200 thousand dollars for interior cabins. I have a husband English speaking, I went to the America Right website and found the same cabin for 2700! We chose an inside cabin (without portholes) because we thought that we would leave in the morning and return at night. And the difference in money is better spent on excursions and yourself and your loved ones.

On the liner you go to heaven. Gyms, swimming pools, saunas, French, Italian, American restaurants -for any The taste and cuisine are excellent everywhere. For Italian and French and for alcohol you have to pay an extra 25-30 dollars. The menu is incredible. And fish in any form, and steak, and... everything you dream about. It's true that discos are a disgrace to America!

Last year we took cruise on Caribs and excursions that were offered at ship. Based on last year’s experience, we didn’t really like it, since I don’t know English very well, I was still large group American pensioners. While there they are on their own crutches and strollers to the bus home mowing By the time they crawl in, sit down, you’ll sweat. And there are screaming kids behind me. The end result was a crumpled, boring and difficult excursion for us to endure.

I am a businesswoman, and as a former lawyer, took over the organization of excursions and tours. From sad experience I knew how important it is to have good guide Both the mood and impression from the trip! To have a bore who knows little and crumples up the whole trip for us is excluded! I checked everything three times, read all the forums and reviews, and even found a Russian agency there (I won’t say which one. They intimidated me by deleting the resource) which hooked me both with the routes and the description. And as always, I was not mistaken!

I wanted look all without any crowding, crushing and waiting, then When It’s convenient for us, so we took an individual tour from our “Russo-Hawaiians” "Mysterious Hawaii" across all islands.

Cruise allows you see maximum with maximum amenities. During the day, you are in one city, you go on an excursion, see the best, and in the evening you return to your ship. No need search restaurant, taxi, then go to the hotel, then to the airport to fight with suitcases, waiting, check-in lines, flights, new taxis and hotels... None of this torment. Every we had two days new island, and every day - new city. You see more, you pay less, and there are no hardships or hassles. In addition, the routes along which we traveled with our guides clearly went past the routes huge tourist buses.

After Honolulu we moored to Maui. Maui is considered the most the best island for a “life” as close as possible to heavenly. The biggest one lives there quantity millionaires per capita of the American population. And after visiting it becomes clear why.

Taking car, we went to get permission to camping at the city hall. We were surprised that camping is prohibited on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and everyone must find alternative accommodation for these two days. Because We We arrived on Tuesday, we were guaranteed one night at the camp ground Kahana in North Oahu, about an hour from Honolulu. We arrived at our parka at about five in the evening, after shopping at Wal-mart, where we bought fins and rubber slippers (since we were warned that some beaches may be rocky) water and off I go for the first time. I was amazed by the huge selection of snorkeling accessories (snorkel is a snorkel for breathing, and snorkeling is swimming in an underwater mask with a snorkel) and diversity dried seafood. There we had a bite to eat at the local Fast Food, which offers Hawaiian menu- pork baked in the ground, burgers with salmon, ribs cut crosswise rather than lengthwise.

There is a wonderful Valley there Craters at the very top of the mountains, I can't go wanted, hard to bear mountain roads and the guide warned that the road winds, but... they husband I was persuaded.

How lovely! The road goes through impassable jungle, then our mixed forest, across lawns and hills (just like in New Zealand). You rise up and you drive through the thickness of the clouds, higher and higher, and you are already in the heavens, and the whole world and endless the ocean is below you!

The more people learn that I once spent the winter on these islands, located miles away in the middle Pacific Ocean, the more questions they have. In this article I will try to tell you about the main moments of my very first and therefore most unforgettable trip to a distant hillock.

While Thailand and wintering in Thailand are described in some detail on the Internet, Ukrainians and Russians still rarely get to Hawaii. It’s understandable: it’s far away, it’s expensive, it’s more difficult to get a visa... How did I manage to get to these Paradise islands, at the age of 16, and even spend almost a whole year in Hawaii for free? As I recently promised in the comments to one of the articles, I’ll talk about this today... 😉

Part 1. Participation in the FSA FLEX selection

The FSA FLEX program is the Freedom Support Act Future Leader's Exchange Program. Translated: "Freedom Act - Future Leaders Exchange Program." In simple terms, this is an exchange program for students who come from post-Soviet countries to the United States to exchange culture, experience, knowledge, and this event is sponsored by no less than the US State Department.

FSA FLEX has existed since 1992, and since then more than 20 thousand people have visited America under this program. Today, schoolchildren from ten countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine can become participants in FSA FLEX. It is noteworthy that in 2003, teenagers from Belarus and Uzbekistan also came to the United States under this program, and I personally know these people, but now these countries are not on the list of participating countries. Politics however...

How the FSA FLEX Program Works

The bottom line is that any interested student aged 15 to 17 years from the above countries has the opportunity to take part in the competition completely free of charge. The main thing is to know about it and come to the right place in right time and with the necessary documents on hands. The competition itself is held in several stages (in my opinion, four). It is logical that at each stage the vast majority of students are eliminated, and each stage is a whole bunch of surprises and nuances. Participants undergo a lot of different tests, for example, on the perception of live speech, listening, tests on grammar knowledge, etc. The very last stage consists of the task of writing three essays in English on completely unexpected topics. Each participant has only 45 minutes, and even native language It’s not always possible to get your bearings and formulate your thoughts so quickly. Works are submitted on click. A delay of one second means automatic exit from the program. Everything is very tough!

As far as I have heard, essays are checked by psychologists, in addition to other experts. In a word, the selection is really serious and according to many criteria - obvious and not so obvious. After writing the essay, the participants in the last round undergo an oral interview with a very important American, on whom a lot also depends... And then everyone can only wait for their work to be checked and a whole pile of documents, which takes several months. Absolutely everything is managed and managed by Americans, and the work is sent for verification to the USA, so the possibility of bribing anyone is completely excluded.

As you can see, everything is quite difficult, but the game is worth the candle. Finalists of the program receive an unprecedented opportunity to study in the United States of America for an entire academic year completely free of charge. And everything is at the expense of the State Department and the host families, from plane tickets to pens, notebooks, school meals and hair shampoo.

So, schoolchildren from countries former USSR come to the USA in August before the start of the school year. There are only 50 states in America, and before participating in the program, everyone signs a paper that if they become a finalist, they will agree to go to any of the fifty states, including Alaska or Hawaii. When we signed these documents, I remember exactly that it was very funny - everyone joked about who he thought would get to Alaska, and that he personally, of course, would go to Hawaii. But then no one seriously counted on this 100% - the program eliminates too many people, and the probability of getting to any particular place is too small.

To be honest, I really wanted to win and go to America, and in particular to Hawaii, where another girl from our class was already studying at that time. I looked at her photographs, listened to the stories that our classmates told about her journey - and I understood that it was difficult, but real! At that time, this was my most cherished dream, although I was well aware that at least going through several rounds of the program would be very, very difficult... Plus, I realized that the likelihood of me getting to Hawaii (even if successful) was so insignificant that even meeting a dinosaur on the street is even more likely... 😀 And yet, I hoped and worked hard, leaning on textbooks! I cannot help but say that I would not have been able to learn English if I had not had a simply amazing teacher and a Person with a capital P - Tamara Vasilievna. The second person who constantly encouraged me to learn the language was my mother. I am simply immensely grateful to these people, because knowledge in English changed my life forever!

When the results become known, the finalists of the program are called and informed that they have won. The organizers draw lots or choose a family based on compatibility... Nobody knows for sure how they do this, and it is also completely unrealistic to influence these results... As a result, each finalist learns about the state and city to which he is traveling, and a little later he They send a large envelope with instructions and information about the host family. American families participating in FSA FLEX are volunteers. It is in these families that schoolchildren from Ukraine and other countries of the former socialist camp are placed. Then everyone is assigned to study at their place of residence - in the most ordinary American schools.

An ordinary Hawaiian school, although almost new - Kapolei High School

The goal of the program, originally in 1992, was to remove the so-called Iron Curtain that separated the countries of the former Soviet Union from the capitalist world. Now, fortunately, the Iron Curtain has fallen long ago. But the FSA FLEX student exchange system continues to operate and is funded, so that every year there are more and more lucky students who receive a lot for their efforts in learning English. I think it’s incredibly great that the program works, although, of course, there are different opinions on this matter.

Criticism of the FSA FLEX program

1. Typically, I heard criticism from people who were not involved in the program. However, there are many exceptions. Indeed, it is quite difficult to organize such a program - everything must be thought out to the smallest detail. But human factor no one has canceled yet.

Sometimes our schoolchildren get into trouble. No matter how experienced psychologists check the work, and no matter how hard the FSA FLEX organizers try to prepare teenagers, sometimes the system fails. The terms of the program clearly state that if a program participant is expelled from school, he returns home early. You also cannot break US laws, smoke, drink, engage in debauchery... much more. When our children enter the country great opportunities, and even abruptly leave maternal and paternal care, sometimes they fall under someone’s negative influence or simply go crazy. Cases vary, but I can assure everyone that in 99% of them, as far as I heard, everyone completed the program successfully, regardless of the state, city and family in which they lived.

By the way, about families. It happens that our teenagers do not agree in character with their “adoptive parents,” their children or other family members. According to the terms of the program, in the event of irreconcilable conflicts, a replacement host family is allowed. I know a case where a girl from Moscow changed family twice. And every time they found her new family in Honolulu - exactly where she lived. In the end, there were moments in the third family that did not suit her, but she achieved a lot. Her first host family professed the Mormon religion. They forbade her to drink tea and coffee, determined what she was allowed to wear and what not, forced her to go to bed exactly at 9 pm, came up with a million more rules for her... By the way, the girl was from a very decent family, just the life of the party, and it wouldn’t get along I still had to work harder with her character. These “would-be parents” themselves did not have children of their own, but for some reason they decided that they could experiment on a girl from Russia.

Some people come across a great family, but not everything is in order at school. For example, one girl was assigned to a school where only blacks studied, who constantly smoked weed, fought and were generally dysfunctional... Fun, right? Or someone might be accidentally placed in a black neighborhood. Let them say what they say about equality and lack of discrimination in America, but believe me, living as a white person in a black neighborhood and going to school every day where 99% of the students are black is not the best option spending a year of your life. Nothing bad may happen, but the team must be healthy and it is important for a teenager aged 15-17 to have his own social circle - people with whom he will be interested, comfortable and safe to communicate.

The list of possible problems goes on... Someone simply ends up with a bad school, or a bad coordinator of the host organization, unable to resolve pressing issues, or some other annoying nuisance...

And yet, mostly such cases are exceptions, although sometimes students remain dissatisfied with their families, schools, neighbors, and social circles, but continue to live in these conditions without telling anyone anything. Accordingly, their life in the USA turns into some kind of “departure”. Subsequently, you can hear a lot of criticism towards the program, family, and school from such people, but in fact, all problems within the program can be solved - in extreme cases, every student has almost a direct 24-hour number for the State Department. Level, huh!?

2. The second portion of criticism falls precisely on those who have never had anything to do with the FSA FLEX program. I’m talking about supporters of conspiracy theories... Especially for them, I would like to write that there is no catch in the program... But convincing people of something that they know better than anyone in the world is pointless. 🙂

Some believe that such programs are needed to zombify our people and almost to recruit special agents... Bug! What have I not heard in many years since participating in FLEX. And most importantly, sometimes they say such things as a joke, and sometimes in all seriousness...

Regarding brainwashing, I can say that every day each of us is given a dose of noodles. Don't you agree? What about this:

“Buy 190 toilet lids and receive a roll of toilet paper... Bounty - paradisaic delight... It is this chewing gum that best restores the acid-base balance... We will return the country to the people! Vote for... shhhh..."

What is this if not manipulation of your opinion and consciousness?

Sometimes this stream of unnecessary zombie information makes your head spin. Many people are trying to brainwash us, and everyone faces this from birth and on every corner...

I can say with complete confidence that no special brainwashing approach was applied to me personally during the FSA FLEX program. I saw the whole life of a simple town in which ordinary American schoolchildren studied, communicated with them, made friends, played football, went to the cinema... Perhaps with a slight amendment that all this happened in Hawaii... But every state of America has its own amendments. By and large, Hawaii is still part of the United States, and if not for the climate and the presence of the ocean nearby, then how would Hawaii be different from West Virginia or Ohio?

Although, of course, it’s difficult to judge, because I have not yet been fully to other US states except Hawaii. In any case, what follows will be about these paradise islands.

Here they are - Hawaii... =)

Part 2. How we were prepared for the trip to the USA

After the news that I was going to Hawaii for the whole academic year, many new people and events appeared in my life... The finalists of the program were brought together several times. FSA FLEX graduates (the so-called Alumni), American volunteers, American Councils employees and many other interesting people worked with us. Everyone got to know each other and talked to each other. Immediately before the trip, a Pre-departure orientation was organized for us. A whole event that consisted of the fact that we lived for several days at a recreation center, communicated in English, played American games, watched films, program graduates told us about their experiences... It was incredibly fun and great! Everyone asked each other: “Where are you going?” - “I'm in Missouri”, “I'm in Minnesota”... And I was a superstar because I was going to Hawaii. 🙂

Since then, the nickname “Aloha” has stuck to me - a Hawaiian greeting and official name state. 🙂 Aleha... aloha... that’s what the other finalists of the program started calling me. The coolest thing was that all these people were very friendly, sociable, positive with a minimum amount of unnecessary show-offs and some other negative aspects. They could only envy someone as a joke, because everyone understood that it was just the fate that had fallen that way, and everyone expected a lot of interesting things from their next year in America. Where exactly to go was in second place. The main thing is that everyone here was a happy winner, who six months ago could only dream of traveling to the USA.

I can say with one hundred percent certainty that each of us is lucky to a certain extent, because the lottery’s share in this program is considerable. This is not mathematics - either you solved the problem or not... We were assessed on an incomprehensible scale - anyone could be eliminated at any moment... Or kicked out of the classroom for the slightest mistake - the discipline, as I already said, was very strict! In general, to some extent, all the finalists of the program, including me, were lucky! Honestly speaking!

Part 3. Flight to Hawaii

I had to fly on an airplane for the first time in my life, and immediately over such a long distance. If you draw a straight line on the globe, you will find out that the distance between Kiev and Honolulu is more than 12 thousand kilometers. Taking into account the fact that there are, of course, no direct flights, I had to cover a much greater distance by air. However, I didn’t have a drop of fear - only euphoria, joy, anticipation!

I was given air tickets completely free of charge, although people still ask my mother how much it cost to send her son to study in Hawaii. 🙂 Some of our people are like that, they don’t believe in anything! After the default, MMM and other crises, I readily understand them! They certainly don’t believe in a freebie that suddenly falls on a neighbor! 😉

1. Kyiv - Frankfurt am Main

The shortest flight on my route took me to a huge airport in just a couple of hours, which is one of the largest air hubs in Europe. Frankfurt Airport is the third largest in Europe, one of the ten largest airports in the world, and more than 50 million people travel through its air gates every year.

We flew to Frankfurt in a huge crowd - most of our flight was purchased specifically for FSA FLEX students. It is noteworthy that we all had to fly without taking off our branded blue T-shirts, so half of our plane was wearing blue T-shirts - it looked very positive. 🙂

However, the next flight was also a joint flight for most of the finalists.

2. Frankfurt am Main - New York

Yes, yes... We all flew to New York, and it was reality. For many of us, this was the only opportunity to go abroad at the age of 16, and we were proud of it, we wanted it, we were already looking forward to meeting our family and our new adventures in America.

The atmosphere on the plane was incomparable, the flight lasted about 7-8 hours, I don’t remember exactly. Everyone shared their emotions... Many managed to become close friends in the last weeks and months before leaving... The girls even cried, remembering the upcoming separation from their girlfriends and friends! Now there were many of us, but in a few hours everyone had to be on their own. We never met many people again... Some remained in the USA. Despite the two-year ban on re-entry into the United States, which we agreed to under the terms of the program, some guys and girls found workarounds and were able to return, enroll in American colleges... I am often asked why I didn’t stay, but I had no such goal and I didn't think about it for a second. Those who wanted it found solutions. Those who didn’t really want it couldn’t be found. Personally, I and many others simply did not look for them. But that was all later. At that moment we were flying towards our dream, which was about to come true.

I remember the flight over New York forever. The first thing I saw, you won’t believe it, was the Statue of Liberty, which flashed below under the clouds. We flew right over it, but because of the thick clouds, absolutely not a single building in the city was visible. But then a statue flashed between the clouds - half the plane saw it, so there could be no doubt! It was a cool feeling... As if she appeared to us on purpose and hid in the clouds again. Parallel reality!

It was then that I experienced for the first time what turbulence was. Nothing terrible happened - our large transatlantic liner just chickened out a little.

In New York we spent the night in a hotel. We were accommodated two people each, and the hotel was very decent. I don’t remember anything else - neither the names, nor how we drove through New York. There were some fragments of memories, frames left... Everything was as if in a dream. I remember that in the morning a bus picked us up and took us back to the airport. We said goodbye to some of the guys immediately upon arrival in New York, since they had to travel further by ground transport. But many flew to distant states - Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington State - although almost all on different planes...

3. New York - Salt Lake City

On the next plane there were only two of us in blue T-shirts. Me and some guy with whom I had not really communicated at all before, but for several hours we became almost best friends. 🙂 We exchanged emails, then we probably corresponded for a month, and then Hawaiian life completely absorbed me, so that I even began to write to my really close friends less often)) I’m sure they forgave me!)

At the airport in the city of Salt Lake City, as the Americans abbreviately call Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, I was left alone for several hours. I had to wait for a connecting flight... And I just walked around the airport, looked at duty-free windows, rode the escalators... Then I found my terminal, sat down on a bench, noticed that Americans prefer to sit on carpet - for some reason they are not satisfied with comfortable seats... 🙂 I marveled at these miracles of miracles, and then found out that my flight was postponed...

The organizers gave us all a magic phone number - we had to call it free of charge from any payphone in case something happened or the flight was delayed. I called from the nearest phone - the woman on the other end of the line listened to me and told me not to worry, that everything was fine. And I wasn’t worried. 🙂

Saw the first people wearing Hawaiian leis. Then I didn’t yet know that these were “leis” - but it turned out that this is the name of the famous wreaths of Hawaiian flowers... I saw the first very, very fat people! Although no, I saw them back in NY. 🙂

The wait for the plane lasted a long time for me - there was absolutely no one I knew around. And yet, the people who waited with me were confirmation to me that everything was going according to plan. No one was nervous, everyone was waiting, sitting on the carpet. 🙂 Through the huge window of the airport building, I had the opportunity to look at the sandy-brown city. From the outside it seemed that Salt Lake City was located in the crater of a volcano, which was surrounded by desert... I began to imagine what this city was like if you looked deeper into it. In the end, I decided that the nature of Utah was rather poor, and the city of SLC was boring and dusty. I don’t know if it’s really true, but the high-rise buildings looked depressing against the backdrop of lifeless mountains and sand. “It’s also hot here in the summer, and probably very cold in the winter,” I thought and grinned. Once again I was glad that fate was throwing me not to some gloomy and dull place, but to a fabulous tropical island with the sweet name of Oahu...

Soon our plane finally decided to perform the feat... And we began to rapidly approach the Hawaiian Islands.

4. Salt Lake City - Honolulu

How can you get to Hawaii if you are 16 years old and your parents have worked at a factory all their lives, earning fairly modest money even by the standards of your not-so-rich city? How to get to Hawaii if you were born in a non-existent state, and live in one of the poorest countries in Europe, twelve thousand kilometers from Hawaii? How to get there if you have previously only heard about this place in jokes about new Russians? Finally, how to get to Hawaii, if the most cool travels Have you ever had a trip to Gelendzhik on a Zaporozhets? 🙂

On a bright sunny day in early August 2003, I first set foot on the island of Oahu, which became my second home for one school year, and for my soul, perhaps, for the rest of my life.

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Hawaiian Islands, otherwise called Sandwich - formed as a result volcanic activity an archipelago of more than 160 islands, including 24 quite large ones, located in the Pacific Ocean 5000 km from North America. They are part of the United States as the 50th state. Therefore, for a vacation in Hawaii you will need.

Panoramic view on the coast of Honolulu

There are not many Russians visiting these places for tourism purposes, due to the remoteness of the islands from Russia and the rather complicated process of obtaining a visa.

Before you receive required visa, you need to think about which vacation spot to choose. Each of the islands has its own attractions and offers different options for spending time. To make your choice easier, you can study the reviews of tourists who have already visited here on the forums or find out the reviews of your friends.

The largest island in the archipelago is Hawaii, called Big Island, since its area makes up more than 60% of the land area of the entire archipelago, a famous reserve of seven volcanoes, including active ones, and many “wild” beaches that attract surfers.

Map of Hawaii showing all the islands

Another interesting place for tourists is the Laymana Museum of Hawaiian Antiquities, located in Hilo.

The island of Maui is slightly smaller in area. He was chosen for family vacation and adherents of a quiet, calm, measured life. Its peculiarity is hotels with original design and unusual design and the availability large number golf courses. Russians and tourists from other countries are attracted to Maui by the beauty of its picturesque mountain shelves.

The most densely populated island in the archipelago is the island of Oahu, whose inhabitants account for three-quarters of the population of the entire state. The capital, Honolulu, is also located on it.

Tourists are attracted worldwide famous beach Waikiki and a number of historical attractions (Iolani Palace, King Kamehameha statue and Polynesian Culture Center).

The island of Kauai (translated as “garden island”) is attractive for its waterfalls (more than twenty) and canyons, creating unique picturesque landscapes.
There is a monument to Captain Cook here because it was on Kauai that his expedition originally landed.

The island of Lanai will be preferred by those who like solitude. A bunch of wild beaches, rivers flowing from the very tops of the mountains, waterfalls and small lakes create unusual, beautiful corners.

Local Attractions

In addition to wonderful beaches and picturesque landscapes, a vacation in Hawaii may be of interest to the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, which has been operating since 1916. It is located on the largest island and includes seven mountain formations, both dormant and active. Here you can learn about the history of the formation of the archipelago.

Big Island is also famous for its extensive coffee plantations, green sand beach (of which there are only two in the world), the highest mountain peak(if you include the underwater part) Mauna Kea and one of the most active volcanoes Kilauea.

Active volcano Kilauea in Hawaii

On the neighboring island, Oahu, there is another representative of the “fire-breathing” mountains - the frozen Koolau volcano, which last erupted almost 200 thousand years ago. This natural monument is called “Diamond Head”. In the central part there are pineapple plantations.

Here is the Battleship Arizona Memorial, built on the remains of a sunken ship in Pearl Harbor, and a submarine museum. The Battleship Missouri Memorial, where the Japanese surrender pact was signed, ending World War II, is also popular.

The Hanauma Bay Marine Reserve is an ideal place for diving enthusiasts (fees have been available since 1998); the Marine Life Park is interesting, where you can get up close and personal with sea lions and turtles, dolphins and stingrays.
On the island you can visit both Buddhist temple, so Christian Church Kawaihao, a tour of Iolani Palace will reveal the entire history of the island. The state capital, Honolulu, also offers a traditional zoo, museums and a number of monuments, especially military ones, due to the presence of many American army bases on the islands.

So now I can tell you how these islands are similar, how they are different, and what you need to know when planning your vacation. How long to fly to Hawaii and the Maldives, how much such a trip will cost and who is suitable for a holiday on the bounty or volcanic islands tropical islands. I will also help you understand how best to choose an island and a hotel in all the variety of offers. Well, let's take a virtual trip to such remote and exotic places as the Maldives and Hawaii.

Let me start with the fact that both the Maldives and Hawaii can be called dream places, places you should definitely visit at least once in your life. One way or another, we are all familiar with these tropical ones. The pictures from the Maldives that many have seen in magazines or advertisements do not lie. This is exactly the classic image of heaven on earth: turquoise sea water, white pleasant sand, a palm tree leaning over the beach, in a word - bounty!

The beaches in the Maldives are the best in the world!

And the mysterious Hawaii you may have seen more than once in the TV series “Lost” ( Lost). After all, they were the location where many episodes and scenes were filmed. This lush tropical vegetation, mountains, volcanoes and, of course, a great variety of beaches suitable for swimming and sunbathing, as well as for surfing and other water sports, simply could not leave you indifferent.

If you have already decided exactly what you want to go to Hawaii, and you need to choose an island and a beach, then I advise you to read my article on how to combine with big amount practical information.

It is important to know:

Beach holidays will not disappoint you, whether you choose Hawaii (for example, a 5* hotel The Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki Beach) or a luxury resort Four Seasons in the Maldives. It's beautiful at both resorts. And what you like to do in your free time from sunbathing will have a decisive influence on your choice.

So let's start comparing the Maldives and Hawaii!

1. What kind of countries are these and the features of holidays in them?

Many tourists do not realize until they start choosing a vacation spot that Maldives- is independent Island state, consisting of huge amount islands: inhabited local residents s, entirely converted into resort hotels, as well as uninhabited islands. In total, the state includes about 1,200 islands grouped into atolls. Read more.
Hawaii is a large archipelago consisting of seven large islands and some others smaller in size. All of them belong to the USA and are a separate state. Americans prefer to vacation in Hawaii in a rich way, so they plan their vacation trip there at least a year in advance. Tourists from all over the world also come to Hawaii to enjoy its unique natural beauty and charm. It is considered very prestigious to be there, and therefore the best Hawaiian hotels in high season are no cheaper than.

2. Do I need a visa?

To visit the Maldives, citizens of almost all countries in the world do not need a visa at all. Upon arrival, a stamp is given allowing you to vacation in the country for no more than 30 days. It is quite possible to extend your vacation for some more time. Read how to do this in, which examines in detail all visa situations when visiting the Maldives.
To visit Hawaii, you need a valid US visa. You can stay in America on a tourist visa for up to 6 months, but this is fraught with subsequent questions at the border upon your next entry and when receiving new visas. In any case, no matter how long your vacation is, the usual American visa, which is best done in advance several months before traveling to America.

3. Location and where it is on the map

The Maldives is located almost at the equator in Indian Ocean close to India and Sri Lanka. Read more.
Hawaii is located in the North Pacific Ocean near west coast USA.

3. How long to fly and how to get there

There are direct Aeroflot flights from Moscow to the Maldives. lasts 9 hours. You can also fly with transfers, which will also be approximately 12-15 hours, taking into account the time for transfers in Arab countries, Sri Lanka or Europe. Main airport The Maldives is located on separate island Hulule is 2 kilometers from the capital Male.
There are no direct flights from Russia to Hawaii. From the European part of the country it is easier to fly through big cities USA - New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles and others. And from the east of Russia you can fly to Hawaii via Korea. Most of the planes fly to the island of Oahu and the city of Honolulu. However, there are direct flights from the USA to other islands - Maui, the Big Island. Read more about the flight, which lasts 12 hours. From Los Angeles or any other US city in the west, it takes about 6 hours to fly to Honolulu.

Male is the capital of the Republic of Maldives

4. When to go

falls during the winter months: from December to April. It's Christmas time and New Year holidays, Valentine's Day and gender holidays on February 23 and March 8. At other times, the southwest humid monsoon reigns here. Read the detailed article:
And the best time to go to Hawaii is in the summer - from June to September. Keep in mind that in America this is the time of mass vacations, so look for cheap air tickets in advance on the website Aviasales.

5. Features of culture

The Maldives is a Muslim country in which all tourists are allowed to relax as they are used to only in resorts. Staying outside of them is a must. For example, vacationers on inexpensive island villages (for example, on) are extremely upset by the prohibition law in the Maldives. However, this does not concern tourists in resorts, because there they can wear a bikini.
The Hawaiian Islands, although part of the United States, are proud of their indigenous Polynesian culture. Hula dancing, the gentle giant singer with a ukulele Israel and his unforgettable voice, the ancient belief in the volcano goddess Pele - all this has not been forgotten and is intertwined with modernity. Watching the evening shows and dancing is extremely interesting. and if you like active recreation, then do not forget that to travel around the island it is better to immediately rent a car at the airport, having previously booked on the website Rentalcars.

Developed infrastructure of Hawaii

6. Prices

What is more expensive – Hawaii or the Maldives? The answer depends on the choice of island. The Maldives has excellent islands with very low prices, where the average cost of one day's holiday for two is about 200-300 dollars(For example, Kurumba And Baros). distant islands like a hotel Four Seasons They cost much more, but the comfort and service there are simply outrageous. The total cost of a holiday in the Maldives consists of the price of air tickets, hotel accommodation, meals in restaurants, excursions, additional services like massage and spa, as well as transfer to the hotel. Prices for a boat, seaplane or domestic flight vary greatly. To simplify, I would say that a week budget holiday in the Maldives with flights it will cost approximately $1500-2000 , and for a week and a half at the resort "" you will have to pay no less $3500 . Luxurious worth $5000-10000 .
Things are different in Hawaii. A rather expensive flight to Honolulu or to other islands and serious prices for decent hotels will definitely say that a luxury vacation in Hawaii will be a little more expensive, because prices for a double room start from $250-300 per day, if you book in advance (see good 5-star hotels for example Halekulani or The Royal Hawaiian on the island of Oahu). Seems like an average hotel Hilton Garden Inn can be found for 150 dollars, but don't expect luxurious service there. Therefore, if we talk about an inexpensive way to relax in Hawaii, you will have to sacrifice the quality of services and comfort of living.

7. What money to take with you and how much

The official currency of the Maldives is rufiyaa. However, in the Maldives, as in Cambodia, there are two currencies in use: the local rufiyaa, as well as U.S. dollars. Tourists can easily pay for all services in dollars, both in cash and by bank card. In the capital, you can pay in dollars everywhere, and get local currency for change at the normal rate. Almost no one pays in cash, and the total bill is usually issued at the end of the vacation, which is easier to pay with your credit card. Therefore, on a trip to the Maldives, in addition to the money in your card account, take a minimum of cash to pay for souvenirs and all sorts of small expenses; a few hundred US dollars will be enough. Read more about money and prices in the Maldives.
When traveling to Hawaii, you must bring cash. U.S. dollars for small expenses and a bank card (preferably dollar). You can pay with cash in cafes and restaurants, but in taxis they only accept payment using a card. Hotels don't like to accept large amounts of cash either, so... credit card You will definitely need it, including for renting a car. Read about features and prices, as well as how to pay tips.

8. What to do while on vacation

There is another very important difference between the beach tourism giants Maldives and Hawaii.

People go to the Maldives mainly for two reasons: to relax on the beach, along the shore or to go diving. Small sizes The hotel islands and relaxed atmosphere immerse you in a sweet slumber, and you just want to relax in the Maldives. And sometimes have fun, try yourself in different aquatic species sports, boat ride, go to desert island to the picnic, . It's still relaxation. And only experienced divers really push themselves in the Maldives. But it deserves it! Read more.
And in Hawaii you can not only fully explore the island you are flying to, but if you wish, you can also fly to neighboring islands! Although tourists usually do not have enough time for this. I really wanted to go to Maui, but I didn’t have time to see even all the most interesting things that it offers. Here you can do tracking on dormant volcano, see waterfalls, you can rent a car and drive around the island in search of great beaches, ride the wave on the surf. And also visit military museums (Pearl Harbor). Night life It’s also very busy – clubs and concerts. In general, Hawaii is more suitable for lovers active rest, which can be successfully combined with a visit to the beaches.

9. Shopping

There is no special shopping in the Maldives, all you can do is relax.
Shopping in Hawaii is simply excellent! I bought clothes from world brands here, excellent souvenirs for gifts and local sweets.

10. Attractions

We can say that the best attractions in the Maldives are the paradise islands themselves! – this is exactly what everyone comes here for. There is no such atmosphere anywhere else in the world.
But Hawaii is full of attractions - both natural, cultural and man-made.

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