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CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Two paddlers at Lanikai Beach were having fun racing past Moku Nui islet on Jan. 1.
STAR-ADVERTISER / SEPT. 1999
The Mokulua Islands off of Lanikai.
Three Hawaii beaches are among the top 10 of TripAdvisor’s 2016 Travelers’ Choice Awards for Beaches in the U.S., while four more are rated among the top 25.
Lanikai Beach, in the news with a holiday weekend parking ban pilot project now completed, is rated second in the U.S. behind top-ranked Clearwater Beach in Florida. The beach at Wai`anapanapa State Park on Maui is No. 5 in the country followed by Kaanapali Beach, also on the Valley Isle.
The other Hawaii beaches populating the ranking were Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve on Oahu at No. 12, followed by 13th-ranked Poipu Beach Park on Kauai and No. 14, Maniniowali Beach at Kua Bay in Kailua-Kona and, at No. 24, Hanalei Beach on Kauai.
Florida topped Hawaii’s presence with 10 beaches on the list. Five beaches in California were ranked among the best in the U.S., while one beach each in Maine, Maryland and Massachusetts made the top 25.
The best beach in the world, according to TripAdvisor users, is Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean. Clearwater Beach in Florida, the top U.S. beach, ranks 20th among the top 25 in the world, which does not include any Hawaii beaches.
The site ranks a total of 343 beaches in various regions of the world, using data from user reviews submitted to TripAdvisor.com over a 12-month period.
“We know travelers around the globe love sun and sand vacations, so we’ve tapped the TripAdvisor community to help us identify the world’s best beaches,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer in a statement.
…nd you wonder why there is a traffic jam and parking problem in Lanikai.
I much rather prefer my jam on my breakfast toast.
Maybe we should be promoting Sand Island Beach and/or Waianae so “LOCALS” can enjoy our beaches.
It’s a good thing that the marketing department rates these beaches, and not the residents.
So how much did the Governor of Hawaii contribute that he doesn’t want us to know about?
Please get a new hobby.
yes. please. and take allie with you
what happened to waimanalo beach park?
quit advertising our beaches … sheeesh no wonder we can’t go to Lanikai. Holiday weekend parking ban is just the start … those residents want it permanent. very sad – bad PR and bad residents for trying to ban parking on public streets. You chose to live there do not stop us from going to Lanikai beach.