Hawaii is also called the Big Island. The mountainous island is a merger of 5 volcanoes, 3 of them still active.Earthquakes, landslides and active lava flows are on the daily menu here.

High on Mauna Kea's summit, several international astronomical instruments take advantage of the almost ideal local observation conditions. 

In 1778 Captain Cook was the first European to discover Hawaii but when he returned  in 1779 he was killed at Kealakekua Bay after trying to kidnap the local chief. A simple monument commemorates this dramatic event.

Kamehameha was born in the Kona area around 1760 and went on to forcefully unite the Hawaiian Islands in the early 1800ths.

 

Sugar cane was long Hawaii's dominating industry but nowadays it is tourism, although Kona coffee and macadamia nuts are still important agricultural products.

The tourist industry is concentrated at the dry West Coast around Kona,  while the rural East Coast features lush rainforests and mighty waterfalls.

 

Hilo is Hawaii's main city. The area is prone to Tsunamis.

The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a must do for every visitor, here you can see the red hot stuff.

 

Each year the Iron Man World Championship is held in the Kona area, only the best athletes are allowed to compete in this grueling triathlon.

 

We visited Hawaii several times, lastly in July 2001.