Hawaii

Summary
The home of surfing, top cop shows (think Hawaii Five-0 and Magnum PI) and grass skirts has become something of a favourite holiday haunt for A-list Stateside celebrities looking for gorgeous beaches and soothing sea breezes.
It's an archipelago of contrasts, where you'll discover big cities and remote villages, sun-soaked beaches and dramatic mountains, and barren, volcanic landscapes bordered by lush, tropical rainforest. T
he larger islands have seen huge commercial development in recent decades, but examples of Hawaiian culture and tradition are also present everywhere. And the smaller islands are perfect for those who like to explore, with unspoilt stretches of idyllic countryside and miles of white-sand beaches, volcanoes and coral reefs. All in all, Hawaii's perfect for a long-haul summer break.

Beaches in Hawaii
You're spoilt for choice when it comes to fantastic beaches. On Oahu, the beautiful Hanauma Bay sits within the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, and has world-class snorkelling and scuba diving. Only 2,000 visitors per day are allowed at the beach so get there early in the high season. Lanikai Beach is about a mile long, and great for windsurfing and kayaking. Many visitors head to Sunset Beach on Oahu's North Shore, a Mecca for big-wave surfers. If you're new to the sport, then you're better off just watching the pros here, as the waves are monstrous.
On Maui, Kaanapali Beach is a good all-rounder where you'll find swimmers, snorkellers, body surfers, surfers, kayakers and scuba divers all enjoying the waters together. It's one of the best places for water sports in Hawaii. Wailea Beach is another good all-rounder which is great for families, as it's wide with lots of good shady spots. On Big Island, the Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area has one of the longest and widest sandy beaches. It's also the most popular beach on the island and has excellent public facilities and lifeguards on duty every day.

Sightseeing in Hawaii
Oahu is the most developed island with big cities (such as Honolulu and neighbouring Waikiki), excellent beaches and a lush, mountainous interior. It's the home of historic Pearl Harbor and the North Shore, famous the world over in surfing circles. Just watching the expert surfers tackle the gigantic waves will take your breath away.
Maui, Hawaii's second-largest island, has lots of quiet beaches and picturesque hiking trails. The 10,000-foot Haleakala volcano has terrific lunar-landscape trails for walkers and the Hana Highway is ranked as the most spectacular coastal drive in Hawaii. The main attractions on Hawaii, "The Big Island", include the spectacular Waipio Valley, the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park and Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, which is full of ancient temples, royal grounds and ancient burial sites.

Family attractions in Hawaii
If your kids love the beach, then they'll certainly love Hawaii, with its huge range of water sports. Otherwise, the Hawaii Maritime Center in Honolulu has a great collection of old sailing ships and Polynesian canoes, and in the nearby Chinatown they will find fire-breathing dragons, mystic moon cakes and noodle factories to explore.
More than half of the North Pacific's humpback whale population spend their winters in Hawaiian waters, so if you want a family experience which will certainly never be forgotten, book a whale-watching cruise and try to catch a glimpse of these beautiful mammals.

Day trips in Hawaii
It's great to do a bit of island hopping and Kauai, "The Garden Isle", should be on your island hit-list. As the name would suggest, the lush green countryside is stunning and places of interest include the 22 miles of coastal cliffs on the Na Pali Coast, along which you'll find a spectacular hiking trail and the Waimea Canyon - the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific".
Molokai is the most traditional Hawaiian island, where there's little sign of development and mass tourism. It's a place where you can enjoy quiet hikes in the rainforest, and it's also home to the world's highest sea cliffs in the wilderness area on the North Shore. Finally, if you really want to get away from it all, Lanai, once a pineapple plantation, is very small and extremely exclusive, with only one town.

Shopping in Hawaii
Waikiki's the main centre for shopping, where you'll find everything from tacky tourist tat to locally produced arts and crafts. Hawaiian shirts and plastic hula dancers are always popular buys, but Hawaii's famous flower leis (garlands) don't usually survive the trip home, so leis made from shells are another option – they are expensive, though.
If you want to purchase locally made goods, look for baskets and place mats woven from the leaves of the hala tree, or bowls and gourds shaped to bring out the natural beauty of local hardwoods such as koa. Macadamia nuts make popular gifts - especially when covered in chocolate.

Eating out in Hawaii
If you want to try some traditional Hawaiian food, dishes include kalua pig (a whole pig roasted in a pit-like earthen oven), laulau (fish, pork and taro wrapped in a leaf bundle and steamed) and pipikaula (beef jerky). The islands are a paradise for fruit lovers, and you'll never be far from a juice or smoothie bar. "Hawaiian Regional" cooking mixes and matches the cuisines of Hawaii's different ethnic groups with delicious results. Try kiawe-grilled fresh shrimp with taro chips, wok-charred ahi with island greens, or Peking duck in ginger-lilikoi sauce, for example.
If this all sounds way too adventurous, though, never fear, as the mainland USA influence on the island's cuisine is ever present. Enjoy your favourite fast-food outlets, pizza restaurants and coffee chains.

Nightlife in Hawaii
Again, Waikiki is the hub of things when it comes to nightlife. It's packed with cinemas, bars, clubs and theatre companies and it's a good idea to get hold of a copy of the Honolulu Weekly newspaper for entertainment listings.
Many of the big resort hotels have Hawaiian-themed nights, where you can expect hula dancers in leis and songs played on a ukulele. In fact, local music is played everywhere and you'll always find a party or two (or three or four) in the popular surfer hangouts.