Its beauty will stun you. Floral scents, borne by the gentle trade winds, will surround you. The culture will fascinate you, the legends intrigue you, and the world class resorts will pamper you. You will be treated as honored guests, as the "Spirit of Aloha" embraces you.

The Big Island

The Big Island is the home of Kona, where Kona coffee, which you might enjoy at Starbucks, comes from. It is also home of the world's most active volcano: the east rift zone below Halema'uma'u on Kilauea has been spewing lava intermittently since January 3, 1983.

Hawai'i is sometimes called the Orchid Isle or the Volcano Isle. True, nightlife is a little low-key here, and there is a rumor that good beaches are scarce. Though the beaches are few in number, the beaches of the Kona and Kohala coasts (especially the bright white strand at Hapuna Beach State Parks) are beautiful, and the black-sand beach at Punaluu is otherworldly.

What the Big Island does have in spades is big-game fishing (particularly at Kona, the self-proclaimed "Marlin Capital of the Pacific"), golf (on about 20 championship courses), vast ranchlands (including the 225,000-acre Parker Ranch, which dates to the early 19th century), incredible hiking (150 miles of trails in Volcanoes National Park alone), and great natural beauty (the 400-foot cascade of Akaka Falls, for example. At 4,038 square miles, it's a huge island, and since resort development is concentrated along the Kona-Kohala coast, there's a lot left to explore, from lava deserts to steaming rain forests.

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Honolulu and Oahu

Hawaii's most populated island -- 75% of the state's 1.1 million residents call Oahu home -- is also its most exciting, offering an eclectic blend of people, customs, and cuisines. On the south side of Oahu, in the shadow of Diamond Head volcanic peak, Waikiki is a 2.5-mile hot spot with scores of restaurants, seemingly endless shopping, and nearly 120 hotels and condominiums.

Nature lovers will appreciate the majestic highlands that cross the island. Eons of erosion by wind and weather have carved these ranges' sculptured, jagged peaks, deep valleys, sheer green cliffs, and dynamic vistas. At the base of these mountains more than 50 beach parks lie draped like a beautiful lei, each one known for a different ocean activity: snorkeling, bodysurfing, swimming, or windsurfing.

Even amid Honolulu's urban development, you are never more than a glimpse from an ocean or mountain view that can take your breath away.

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Kauai

Nicknamed the Garden Isle, Kaua'i is Eden epitomized. In the mountains of Koke'e, lush swamps ring with the songs of rare birds, and the heady aroma of ginger blossoms sweetens the cool rain forests of Ha'ena. Today visitors can explore this Pacific paradise by land, sea, and air -- hiking along the Kalalau Trail, kayaking up the Hanalei River, or hovering in a helicopter high above 5,148-ft Wai'ale'ale, the wettest spot on earth.

Kaua'i is a snorkeler's dream, with its countless guided and private tours, amazing underwater formations, and seaside attractions. The great resorts and restaurants are here as well, and the scenery perhaps is the best attraction of this island. Often called Hawaii's most romantic destination, with its waterfall tours and horseback riding on the beach, Kauai is a top spot for honeymooners.

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Lanai

For decades, Lana'i was known as the "Pineapple Island," because of its hundreds of acres of fields filled with the golden fruit. Today this 141-square-mile island has been renamed "Hawaii's Most Secluded Island," and the pineapple fields have given way to sophisticated hotels and guest activities. Lanai has only two hotels on its shores, which makes it perfect for you if you want a private, untainted island getaway.

Lanai's unique outdoor attractions are the primary reason for visiting the island. The Kanepu'u Preserve, a unique dryland forest hosting some 48 native species, including the endangered Hawaiian gardenia. The waters at Hulopo'e Beach are so clear that within a minute of snorkeling you can see fish the colors of turquoise and jade. After hiking or driving to the summit of Lana'ihale, a 3,370-ft-high windswept perch, you'll find a splendid view of nearly every inhabited Hawaiian island.

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Maui

More than two million visitors come here every year to relax their cares away in the luxury resort communities of Kaanapali, Kapalua, and Wailea. Nothing wrong with that. But if you want to do something, Maui is a playground of the first order.

Choose from more than 15 golf courses, or snorkel at lovely Ulua Beach near Wailea. Scuba dive at Molokini, a submerged crater off the coast, or hike the easy trails in Iao Valley State Park. Explore Lahaina's whaling history on a walking tour of the town that is also the center of Maui's nightlife. Drive Upcountry and ride horseback on the slopes of Haleakala volcano, where ranches, farms, and small cowboy towns like Makawao – home to Hawaii's largest rodeo – offer a rural counterpoint to sand and saltwater.

Maui's beaches are legendary, including a black-sand strand at Waianapanapa State Park, and a swath of red sand at a hidden beach near Hana. You could choose Kapalua, with its calm, wind-protected waters, or the three miles of golden sand at Kaanapali. Then there's the Wailea "combo" – great sand, plus whale-watching and sunsets supreme. And Makena's rock-free Big Beach has long been a favorite local bodysurfing break – though it's not for water novices. On Maui, the best beach is the one nearest to you.

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Molokai

Some call Molokai 'The Most Hawaiian Island'. It is full of breathtaking natural beauty, rain forests and deserted beaches. It is like an island lost in time. There are no buildings taller than a palm tree. There is not even a traffic light on the island.... also, no malls, no elevators and no neon. Life is slow and relaxed.