The Big Island is the largest island in the Hawaiian chain (4,028 sq. miles—about the size of Connecticut), the youngest (800,000 years), and the least populated (with 30 people per square mile), and has an unmatched diversity of terrain and climate: fiery volcanoes and sparkling waterfalls, black-lava deserts and snowcapped mountain peaks, tropical rainforests and alpine meadows, a glacial lake, and miles of golden, black, and green (!) sand beaches.

Things to do on the Big Island:
  Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
  Pacific Tsunami Museum
  Waipi'o Valley Horseback Ride
  Big Island Helicopter Spectacular

Maui, also called the Valley Isle, is just a small dot in the vast Pacific Ocean, but it has the potential to offer visitors unforgettable experiences: floating weightless through rainbows of tropical fish, standing atop a 10,000-foot volcano watching the sunrise color the sky, listening to the raindrops in a bamboo forest, and sunning on idyllic beaches. The island is also packed with interesting cultural sites and colorful history.

Things to do on Maui:
  Atlantis Submarine Adventure
  Maui Ocean Center
  Surfing Lessons
  Kaanapali Beach

By far the most social of the islands, Oahu has some of the best shopping and most fashionable promenade strips, as well as beautiful beaches with all the classic ingredients: tall palms, white sand, gentle surf, and plenty of sunshine. Waikiki Beach offers the best of both worlds. Its trendy eateries, high-end hotels, and ritzy shops collide with a stunning beachfront.

Things to do on Oahu:
  Pearl Harbor and USS Missouri
  Ala Moana Beach Park
  Punchbowl Crater
  Grand Circle Island Tour

Kauai ranks right up there with Bora Bora, Huahine, and Rarotonga on any list of the world's most spectacular islands. All the elements are here: moody rainforests, majestic cliffs, jagged peaks, emerald valleys, palm trees swaying in the breeze, daily rainbows, and some of the most spectacular golden beaches you'll find anywhere. Soft tropical air, sunrise bird song, essences of ginger and plumeria, golden sunsets, sparkling waterfalls—you don't just go to Kauai, you absorb it with every sense.

Things to do on Kauai:
  Huleia River Kayak & Hiking
  National Tropical Botanical Garden
  Waimea Canyon & Wailua River
  Kalapaki Beach