• Poipu Beach on the island of Kauaikauai,Hawaii Poipu Beach image by W.Scott from Fotolia.com
  
  The Hawaiian islands captivate visitors with tropical trade winds, gentle hula dancers and stretches of white beaches. Many visitors are surprised to learn that each island in the archipelago has a distinct character, topography and range of activities. It doesn't matter if you are a first-time or returning visitor, you'll find a place in Hawaii to call paradise.
  
  

One Island

• Hawaii is a string of islands, so if you want to visit another island, you must fly from one to the other. While island hopping flights are short, they do require all the aggravations of plane travel---waiting in lines, overbooked flights and hard airport chairs. This travel takes up your valuable vacation time too. Instead of trying to see all the islands in a short period, concentrate on one island. Choose a central location and plan to drive to the sights. Or choose two locations on an island. For example on the Big Island, you could spend one week on the windward side in Hilo visiting rainforests and volcanos, and another week in Kona on the dry leeward side enjoying the sun, sand and surf.
  
  

Island Activities

• All the Hawaiian islands have a tropical climate, and as islands they have all beaches. But before you travel to the middle of the Pacific Ocean, make sure that the island you choose has the activities that you want to do. For example Kauai is the oldest island and is a haven for hikers, with mountains, canyons and waterfalls to explore. But all that fresh water emptying into ocean means that there are fewer coral reef formations around Kauai. This means that the snorkeling and diving locations are not as spectacular as those on the Kona side of the Big Island.
  
  

Must Do Activities

• There are a few activities that you must do while in Hawaii. One is a traditional luau. The big hotels on the islands often schedule these big feasts daily in high tourist seasons. The other is to visit a volcano, active or inactive, depending on what island you're on. Also you need to get on island time. It may take a day, but you will quickly realize that time moves more slowly in Hawaii, which makes it easier to relax and enjoy yourself.