Hawaii Travel Guide

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Top Things to See

War memorials
Tour the National Cemetery of the Pacific or Punchbowl in Honolulu, a memorial and cemetery for US military veterans. Visit Pearl Harbor (www.pearlharbormemorial.com) and the USS Arizona Memorial (www.nps.gov/usar), the scene of Japan's surprise attack that brought the USA into WWII. Free boat tours take visitors to the memorial spanning the wreck of the Battleship Arizona where 1,177 men died.

Art fans
View the fine collection of Asian art at the Honolulu Academy of Arts (www.honoluluacademy.org).

Circle the island
Take the full-day Circle Island Tour around Oahu. Attractions en route include Waimea Falls Park, Pearl Harbor, the Polynesian Cultural Center (www.polynesia.com), Sea Life Park (www.sealifeparkhawaii.com) (swim with the dolphins), the Waialua Coffee Visitors' Center (on a former plantation) and Sunset Beach.

Festival fun
Join in the festivities of a Hawaiian luau. A whole roast pig is ceremoniously removed from a hot stone cooking pit and served with traditional Hawaiian fare, followed by a Polynesian pageant of authentic hula dancing.

Natural wonders
Explore the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (www.nps.gov/havo), one of the world's natural wonders. At 4,103m (13,677ft), Mauna Loa is the largest single mountain mass in the world, while at 1,200m (4,000ft), the still-active Kilauea's steaming vents and frequent eruptions provide an unusual (and safe) spectator sport. The volcano is continuously erupting, and lava can be seen hissing into the ocean. See Mount Haleakala (www.nps.gov/hale) in Maui, a massive volcanic crater whose name translates as 'The House of the Sun'. For the ultimate thrill, bike the steep 61km (38 miles) downhill from the volcano's crater.

Go underground
Discover a weird and wonderful collection of rock forms in Maui's Ka'eleku Caverns (www.mauicave.com), located beneath the Hana Rainforest, and take a self-guided tour.

Island life
Delight in the spectacular natural attractions of Lanai Island (www.lanaicity.com). They include the dramatic Shipwreck Beach or Kaiolohia with its petroglyph rock carvings and the mystical Garden of the Gods at Kanepu'u.

Visit waterfalls
Explore Molokai (www.molokai-hawaii.com), with its quaint and colorful shops in the harbor town of Kaunakakai, horseback ride the spectacular coastline, take a mule-drawn tour of a coffee plantation, or hike the trail to Moaula Falls.

Top Things to Do

Learn to surf
Relax on Waikiki Beach, Oahu, probably the most famous sunning and surfing beach in the world. Learn to surf or parasail, ride the waves on a surf outrigger or catamaran, or simply laze in the sun and people-watch in this tropical paradise.

Marine adventures
Snorkel and feed the tropical fish in Hanauma Bay (www.hanaumabay-hawaii.com), 10 miles east of Waikiki. Or swim with green sea turtles off the coast of Maui.

Watery fun
Visit Hawaiian Waterways Adventure Park (www.hawaiianwaters.com) on the leeward coast of Oahu to enjoy fun for all the family. The 10-hectare (25-acre) water park has waterslides, a wave pool, river rafting pool, play area, food court, video game arcade plus a swimming pool, hot tub and bar for adults.

Shop til you drop
Shop or dine at the Aloha Tower Marketplace (www.alohatower.com), an attractive and modern waterfront development in Honolulu. It is one of the major attractions in the area, with shopping plazas, restaurants and pavement entertainers.

Visit the zoo
Visit the Honolulu Zoo (www.honoluluzoo.org), home to over 1,230 mammals, birds and reptiles. Meet Violet, the female orangutan. Nearby is Kapiolani Park, where the Honolulu Marathon is concluded annually. The park was created by King Kalakaua in the 1870s and is a beautiful 202-hectare (500-acre) park listed on the state's Historic Register.

Go whale watching
Take a whale-watching cruise to Lanai from November to April. Once known as the ‘Pineapple Isle', Lanai is the perfect place for whale watching, as humpback whales make the waters around the island their winter breeding and calving grounds.

Enjoy a trek
Hike the rugged and beautiful Na Pali Coast on Kauai, and explore secluded coves and idyllic sandy beaches.

Take to the skies
An island helicopter flight (www.airkauai.com) is the perfect way to view pristine forests, plunging waterfalls and verdant valleys.

Cast a line
Go deep-sea fishing off the Kona coast of Hawaii's Big Island.

Charter a boat
Sail the tropical waters surrounding Hawaii on a skippered or bareboat charter, or crew on one of the America's Cup yachts berthed in Lahaina Harbour, Maui (www.sailingonmaui.com).