Brand USA - The Great Outdoors - Visions of the Pacific from Los Angeles to Hawaii

Los Angeles, home to Hollywood, Disneyland, and Universal Studios, is the epitome of carefree living for visitors: year-round sunshine, palm trees swaying in the wind, movie stars with luxurious residences in the hills of Beverly Hills, stunning museums, avant-garde architecture, and surf beaches.

Honolulu is the lively capital of Hawaii, set on the island of Oahu among skyscrapers, tropical beaches and ancient Polynesian traditions. The famous Waikiki beach, dominated by the Diamond Head crater, is the tourist heart, while Pearl Harbor holds its historic memory. The only royal palace in the United States, ʻIolani, tells the Hawaiian monarchical past. Honolulu is the ideal destination for those seeking iconic beaches, Polynesian culture and the tropical energy of the Pacific.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park holds two of the world's most active volcanoes, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, on the Big Island of Hawaii, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Steaming craters, solidified lava flows, lava tubes and rainforests follow one another along scenic roads and trails. The night glow of the incandescent lava is a unique spectacle. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the ideal destination for those seeking volcanic landscapes, the primordial forces of the earth and the most spectacular nature of Hawaii.

Kailua Kona faces the ocean along the western shore of Hawaii's Big Island, a town where Hawaiian history blends with coffee plantations and the crystal-clear waters of the Pacific. Along Ali'i Drive, the lively seafront strip, shops and restaurants sit beside historic sites such as Hulihe'e Palace, the former summer residence of Hawaiian royalty, and Moku'aikaua Church. Just to the north, Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park preserves ancient fishponds and temples (heiau) of Hawaiian culture. The volcanic slopes of Hualalai are home to the celebrated Kona coffee fields, among the finest in the world, with many estates open to visitors. The clear waters of the Kona Coast offer outstanding snorkelling and diving, including the famous night dive with manta rays, while Kealakekua Bay and the Captain Cook Monument draw kayakers and ocean lovers. Kailua Kona is the ideal base for discovering the authentic soul of Hawaii, among volcanoes, coffee and the sea.

Maui is the second largest Hawaiian island and perhaps the most famous: beautiful beaches for surfers and families, a volcano, Haleakala, whose summit at 3,000 meters can be easily reached by car, with breathtaking views along a road that passes through fragrant eucalyptus forests and in the last part seems suspended in the air. Tropical forests, waterfalls, stretches of spectacular wild coast that can only be traveled by off-road vehicles. Hotels are concentrated on the southwest side of the island: in the busiest area of Kaanapali / Lahaina and in the quieter area of Wailea / Makena. The island is the most equipped for sports activities: windsurfing, sailing, diving, whale watching, cycling down from the top of the volcano. Maui has many beaches and it is worth visiting the most beautiful ones: the most famous are Kaanapali, Wailea, Makena. But also discover the hidden ones, like the secluded and rocky Honolua Bay with crystal clear waters and a great abundance of tropical fish and sea turtles. To admire the windsurfers' maneuvers, go to Ho'okipa, on the windward side of the island.