Out of the 13 climatic zones on the earth, almost 19 are in Hawaii. It’s like travelling from Kozhikode to Thiruvananthapuram and passing through many types of climate including desert, rain forest and snow. This is how a tourist experience when travelling in the Big Island. A one or two-hour drive through the desert and then suddenly you are in a snow field or rain forest. Volcanoes are a frequent sight wherever you go. This is why the climatic has so much variations. One can even drive to the dormant volcano here known as Mauna Kea which is 14000 feet above sea-level. Children below the age of 16 are prohibited from moving up after a height of 7000 feet due to the insufficient amount of oxygen here. From this height, the volcano is covered with snow. Mauna Kea is the highest peak in Hawaii and many countries have set their telescopes at the summit. The sight from the top of this volcano is spectacular. We can see many stars and the milky way in the clear sky.
Akaka falls is situated in the Northeast part of Hawaii. This place receives rainfall throughout the year. This is the place where a rare fish known as ‘goby’ can be seen climbing up the waterfall from the sea. The weather is similar to the one we experience in Kerala during monsoon season. It is a rainforest region with plenty of pine trees, apple trees, coconut palms and many other species of flora and fauna. Akaka is one of the most popular waterfalls in Hawaii. The region gets 300-inch rain ever year.
A one-and-a-half-hour drive from here will take you to the Hawaii desert. This region gets very less rain; only 10inch every year. Hapuna Beach Park is a small beach in Hawaii. Though this place cannot be compared to the gulf region, this piece of land has all the characteristics of a desert. Some of these areas have tall yellow grass growing everywhere. There are also ranches where horses are trained and taken care of.
