Hawaii provides a pristine paradise that attracts travelers from across the globe to its many-colored picturesque beaches. Because of a welcoming, warm population and a blend of Polynesian, Asian and white European cultures, this island paradise has long been a popular travel destination for both straight and gay vacations. The LGBT community in Hawaii is relatively low-key and not entirely outwardly visible, but a gay travel participant will find a welcoming level of acceptance that has come about, in part, from many generations of varied cultures living together with no specific dominant religious or cultural influence as an overriding factor.
Oahu is home to the state capitol, Honolulu, the popular tourist destination, Waikiki, and 70% of Hawaiis population. If you plan to visit Oahu on your gay holidays, you will not want to miss La Cucaracha, an LGBT-friendly Mexican caf with authentic Mexican cuisine, margaritas and great music, or the LGBT novelty, book and clothing store, 80% Straight Inc., located in the Waikiki Grand. There are also a few bars and clubs for those interested in the scene, including Hulas Bar & Lei Stand, Fusion Waikiki, In-Between and Angles Waikiki. If heading to the beach is more your style, Queens Surf and the area below the lighthouse at Diamond Head are the two spots where the community can be found any day of the year.
A gay vacation to Maui might not include an exciting scene, other than one smaller area of Little Beach in Makena, but Maui has much to offer to any traveler, including old-world villages, sunrises atop Mount Haleakala and wiling away an afternoon wandering amid waterfalls, making this island a wonderful location for gay travel retreats. If you prefer exploring the most tropical, scenic island in Hawaii, Kauai is a must-see stop and is home to two LGBT-friendly lodgings that offer clothing optional areas, as well as amazing canyons, cliffs and waterfalls.
The Big Island is another friendly option with plenty of LGBT-friendly lodging options, as well as several businesses and restaurants and one bar. Gay vacations on the Big Island include everything from visiting an active volcano or strolling on black sand beaches to exploring a rain forest and gazing in wonderment at the snow on Mauna Kea.
Hawaii is the most remote chain of islands anywhere in the world and is a tropical paradise that everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime. In a single trip to Hawaii you can snorkel or scuba dive around coral reefs, tour a pineapple farm, visit a volcano, learn the hula, participate in a luau and ride on horseback along black sand beaches. To take full advantage of all that Hawaii offers, consider visiting Hawaii with gay vacation tours, or arranging your trip through a travel agency accustomed to organizing Hawaii gay travel.