The island of Hawai'i, commonly called the Big Island, is nearly twice the size of all the other Hawaiian islands combined. Geographically it's the most diverse island of the archipelago, with deserts, rainforests, volcanoes and, surprisingly, snow-capped mountains. The mountains create a huge barrier that blocks the north-easterly trade winds and makes the leeward, western side of the island the driest region in the archipelago. This coast has the best beaches and water conditions. The windward, eastern coast is predominantly rugged, with pounding surf, plenty of rain, tropical rainforests, deep ravines and majestic waterfalls. Kona, Waikoloa and Hilo are the main centers for accommodation and restaurants.The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is hands down the most unique park in the US National Parks system. It covers a huge area and encompasses two active volcanoes, a still-steaming sunken crater and geologically awesome landscapes of cinder cones, pumice pillars and hardened rivers of lava. Its terrain ranges from tropical beaches to the subarctic summit of Mauna Loa, and includes lovely rainforests and fern groves. This is one of the best areas in Hawaii for camping and hiking.The lush, coastal Waipio Valley is the largest and most spectacular of the series of amphitheater valleys on the windward side of the Kohala Mountains. It is enclosed by near-vertical 2000-ft (600m) high cliffs and is accessible only by a narrow, excessively-steep 4WD track, making hiking in the best option. The valley is a fecund tangle of jungle, flowering plants, taro patches and waterfalls, and a magical place to experience the spirit of the 'old' Hawaii. The valley has one rustic hotel, some 50 residents, a number of wild horses and a few aggressively territorial farm dogs.

Sure, it's got wide beaches, waving palms and balmy weather, but Honolulu isn't just the tropical splendor you used to see on Hawaii 5-0. As the only US city located in the tropics, the only one with a royal palace and the only one that can claim an equal blend of Western, Asian and Polynesian influences, Honolulu offers visitors a cornucopia of cross-cultural attractions.You'll find yourself disappointed if you've come to Honolulu to 'get away from it all' - it's among the world's most visited locales - but with a little perseverance and a fair amount of planning, you'll find there's plenty of elbow room for all. The valleys above the city have lush forest reserves and often-empty hiking trails. And within an hour's drive of the capital, you can find tranquil coves for swimming and snorkeling, quiet gardens and towns so small and peaceful that you'll almost forget the throngs on the beaches.

If you're looking for lush scenery, Kauai is a great choice. Kauai's central volcanic peak, Mt Waialeale, is allegedly the wettest place on earth, and the island is so richly green that it's nicknamed 'The Garden Island'. Movie makers looking for lush scenery bordering on the fantastic came to Kauai to film parts of South Pacific, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jurassic Park. The island is just 33 miles (53km) east to west, 25 miles (40km) north to south and shaped like a slightly compressed ball. Most of the island's interior is mountainous forest reserve, which offers great hiking; the southern and western coasts are dry, sunny and fringed with beautiful beaches. Accommodation and eateries can be found in the small towns of Lihue, Kapaa, Princeville and Poipu.Places of interest include the 22-mile (35km) stretch of sharply fluted coastal cliffs along Na Pali Coast. This is the locale of Hawaii's most spectacular hiking trail, with sheer, green cliffs dropping into brilliant turquoise waters. Waimea Canyon - predictably dubbed the 'Grand Canyon of the Pacific' - is smaller and a mere 200 million years younger than its Arizona cousin, but otherwise not at all dissimilar. The canyon's colorful river-cut gorge is 2785 ft (835m) deep and it seems incredible that such an immense canyon could be tucked away in such a small island.

There's a beautiful, endless sandy beach at Polihale on the western coast, just a few miles from the brilliantly named US naval base, Barking Sands Pacific Missile Range. The area is almost a desert, so when it's raining everywhere else, beachgoers head this way. Lumahai Beach, in the north, is the gorgeous mile-long stretch of beach where Mitzi Gaynor promised to wash that man right out of her hair in the 1958 musical South Pacific. It's a broad beach sandwiched between lush jungle on one side and tempestuous ocean on the other. A trip up the Wailua River to the Fern Grotto in a tourist cattle barge is a must for anthropologists, absurdists and those who love to holiday to the sounds of Elvis' Hawaiian Wedding Song.

Maui is known as 'The Valley Island' because it comprises two large extinct volcanoes (Haleakala and Puu Kukui) divided by a central valley. It's the second-largest of the Hawaiian islands and the most developed of the Neighbor Islands. It's renowned for its abundant supply of fine beaches and some of the world's best windsurfing and surf spots. Fortunately, the high-rise resorts are confined to the beach areas of West Maui, so it's easy to escape to the uplands or east coast where you'll find rainforests, eucalyptus groves and cattle ranches. Most of the tourist infrastructure is in Lahaina, Kaanapali and Kihei. Head to Haiku, Kula or Hana to escape the tourist scene.Great beaches are a dime a dozen, but it's hard to resist the wonderfully named Slaughterhouse Beach - a hot summer bodysurfing spot on Honolua Bay in northwestern Maui. It has great snorkeling, and you may be fortunate to see turtles and reef fish. Hookipa Beach, near Paia, is one of the world's premier windsurfing spots. The strong currents, a dangerous shorebreak and razor-sharp coral mean it's for experts only, but you're bound to learn a few tricks just by watching.East Maui is dominated by the 10,000 ft (3000m) Haleakala (literally 'House of the Sun'), the largest dormant volcano in the world. There are incredible hiking trails across the moonscape crater floor and the crater rim is an awesome place to watch the sun rise. The windward side of Haleakala is beautifully lush, wet and rugged. It's skirted by the justly famous, coastal Hana Highway which passes tropical jungle, roadside waterfalls and sedate country towns. The highland area on the western slopes of Haleakala has some of Maui's finest countryside, with cloud forests, rolling hills, green pastures, landscaped gardens and wineries. There are fine hikes in the Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area in the Kula Forest Reserve.

Oahu, nicknamed 'The Gathering Place', is the most populous, most developed and most well known of the Hawaiian Islands. The names and images most commonly conjured up by the mention of Hawaii are all here: Honolulu, Waikiki, Pearl Harbor and Sunset Beach. The state capital, Honolulu, is the major exit/entry point for travelers. Honolulu and Waikiki form a relentless urban area of freeways and high rises that resembles a hybrid of Miami Beach and downtown Tokyo. The vast majority of the island's tourist infrastructure is located in this area.Outside the urban perimeter are all the beaches you could wish for, aqua-blue bays, fluted mountains and valleys carpeted with pineapple fields. The island's surf beaches (try Banzai Pipeline, Sunset Beach, Makaha) are legendary, but there is also great bodysurfing (Makapuu Beach, Waimea Bay), windsurfing (Kailua Bay), snorkeling (Hanauma Bay) and diving (Three Tables and nearby Shark's Cove).

Hanauma Bay in southeastern Oahu, is a wide, sheltered bay of sapphire-and-turquoise waters set in a rugged volcanic ring. It has fantastic coral and marine life and wonderful snorkeling, but it's under environmental pressure from the sheer number of visitors coming to feed and view the fish. The Nuuanu Pali Lookout, in the southern Koolau Range, has brilliant views of the windward coast from its 1200-ft (360m) elevation. This is where Kamehameha the Great routed Oahu's warriors during his invasion of the island in 1795. Hawaii's most visited attraction is the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, north-west of Honolulu, where 1.5 million visitors come each year to learn about the surprise Japanese attack on December 7, 1941, and to pay their respects to the 2335 dead US servicemen.

Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park encompasses ancient temples, royal grounds, burial sites and a place of refuge (or puuhonua). It's worth spending some time exploring to check out the carved-wood representations of ancient gods; the stone board for playing konane, an ancient form of checkers played with black lava and white coral; and the wonderful snorkeling found off the natural lava steps just north of the place of refuge. The beautiful stretch of white sand at Hapuna Beach is the island's most popular beach. It has good snorkeling, swimming, diving and bodysurfing. Avoid the winter surf which can pound the shoreline and get unsuspecting swimmers in trouble.

Many visitors are dismayed by Waikiki, a high-density beachside extension of Honolulu which is crowded with package tourists, shoppers, restaurants and nightclubs. It's not exactly picture-book Hawaii, but it has a rhythm and pace that will attract nightowls and singles who like to recover from their hangovers on a decent city beach. The Moorish, pink-turreted Royal Hawaiian Hotel is a survivor from the days when Rudolph Valentino was a romantic idol and people came to Hawaii by luxury liner. South-east of the city is Diamond Head, a tuff cone and crater formed by a violent steam explosion. Its 760-ft (228m) high summit forms the backdrop to Waikiki, and is one of the best-known landmarks in the Pacific. It has a good hiking trail and there are fantastic panoramic views from the top.