U.S., Nov. 16 -- The Hawaiian Islands and their Caribbean counterparts are separated by thousands of miles and also by some vast cultural differences. While Hawaii is part of the United States, most of the Caribbean islands are considered international destinations. Visitors need an updated passport to travel to there.

For most American travelers, the Caribbean, however, means short travel times and similar time zones, while flying to Hawaii is usually significantly longer and the 6-hour time difference between New York and Honolulu takes a jet lag adjustment.

In the Caribbean, there's a completely different cultural feel. First, one must take into account the enormous influence the islands' first people had and still have. Africans who...