Many people think of Hawaii solely as a tropical beach paradise. Without question, Hawaii has many of the world's top rated beaches. In addition, however, Hawaii has an amazingly diverse ecology which includes remote canyons, coral reefs, desert-like terrain, lush valleys, snow-capped mountains, rain-forests, active and dormant volcanoes and countless waterfalls.
The types of attractions and activities that you can experience in Hawaii vary from island to island. You'll soon learn that, while all of the Hawaiian islands were born from Pele, the goddess of Hawaii's volcanoes, each island is quite different from the others, and each has its own unique charm.
We suggest that you begin by reading our overview articles:
Activities in Hawaii - Choosing the Best Hawaii Activities
Our overview of the types of activities available for you and your family in Hawaii. We look at air activities, beaches, cycling, golfing, hiking, land activities, and water activities. We offer some suggestions for day trips and other adventures that you won't want to miss.
Big Island Family Activities
The Big Island of Hawaii is the perfect place for a vacation that the entire family will remember and treasure forever. Away from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki and downtown Honolulu and far different from the crowds of tourists that flock to Maui, Hawaii's Big Island has something to offer everyone in the family.
Kauaʻi Attractions and Activities
Kauaʻi is Hawaii's Garden Isle, known for it's lush foliage, beautiful flowers and long white sand beaches. Kauaʻi is the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. It's the perfect island for a honeymoon or romantic getaway, but also a great place for a family vacation.
Maui Attractions
If you're planning a trip to Maui, this in-depth article will help you find the best places to see and things to do on the Valley Isle including Lahaina, Haleakala and Upcountry, the Iao Valley, and the Road to Hana.
Oahu Attractions
A guide to the places to see on Oahu, the Gathering Place, home to the majority of the people of Hawaii and steeped in Hawaii's history. We explore Waikiki, Downtown Honolulu, the Windward Shore, the North Shore and Central Oahu including Pearl Harbor.
You may also find the following articles helpful in planning your trip:
Hawaiian Natural Wonders
Born of the fire from Pele, the Hawaiian Islands continue to change every day. Volcanic in origin they are shaped by the forces of wind, rain and the ocean. Thousands of years from now, the island of Kauai will once again slip into the ocean as the islands to its northwest have done before. New islands will rise from the ocean as the Big Island slips away from the hot spot that may reach to the earth's core.
Most Popular State Parks in Hawaii
The ten most popular state parks in Hawaii as compiled by the Hawaii Tourism Authority are based on actual in-person counts from July 7, 2007 - October 31, 2007. It is estimated that over ten million people visited one or more Hawaii State Parks in 2007, with 6.7 million of those being out-of-state visitors.
Hawaii Beach Guide
If you visit Hawaii, you'll certainly want to visit one of more of the state's hundreds of excellent beaches.
You can then check our pages of information on specific activities indexed by individual island:
