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Big Island Hawaii
Its official name is the Island of Hawaii, but you rarely hear this. Commonly it is called the Big Island, because it's nearly twice the size of all the other Hawaiian islands combined.
The Big Island of Hawaii has other unofficial names: some call it the "Orchid Isle" due to the 100,00 plus species of orchids grown there. Sometime it is named "Volcano Island", because at the heart of the Big Island there are two towering volcanic peaks, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.
Geographically the Big Island of Hawaii is the most diverse island of the archipelago with eleven of the 14 known climate zones in the world: from desert lavascapes to tropical rain forests, from beaches to snow-capped mountains.
White-sand beaches aren't common. Pink-sand beaches are downright unusual.
But only on the geological wonderland that is the Big Island of Hawaii can
you find the rarest of them all -- a beach made of deep green crystals. The
sand is formed almost entirely of olivine, a crystal found in the nearby
volcano.
The beach is tiny and offers wading more than swimming. And
considering you have to hike three miles to get there, the Green Sand beach
is romance you have to earn. But don't be discouraged. The memory of standing
with your new spouse, watching the blue waters of the Pacific pound glowing
green sand, will fill your dreams for a lifetime.
The highest point of Big Island Hawaii is Mauna Kea (that means "White mountain") at 13,796 ft above sea level and home to the world's largest astronomical observatory, with telescopes operated by astronomers from eleven countries of the world.
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In the center of the island, south of Mauna Kea, there is another
volcano, Mauna Loa. This volcano forms a part of Hawaii Volcanoes
National Park, the most unique attraction of the Big Island Hawaii.
Manu Loa
The west side of the Big Island of Hawaii is dry and hot, and its
east side is wet. As a Hawaiian legend says, it's the result of the
battle between the volcano goddess Pele and Kamapuaa, a demi-god who
could control the weather. During the battle she covered the land
with barren lava, he brought torrents of rain to extinguish her
fires.
Built on layers of lava, Kailua-Kona on the west side of the Big
Island is the busiest travel destination. Most Big Island hotels lie
here along a 70 mile coastline. The Victorian-style town features
new shopping malls, boutiques and restaurants.
The main airport of Big Island Hawaii is situated at Kailua-Kona.
Another one - at Hilo, the working town and port on the wet tropical
east coast. Both are about 55 minutes flight from Oahu with hourly
flights (6am to 7pm) and several connecting flights each day via
Maui.
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