HawaiiWhy Go?Truth: this string of emerald islands in the cobalt-blue Pacif-ic, more than 2000 miles from any continent, takes work to get to. And besides, aren’t these beaches totally crushed by sun-baked tourists and cooing honeymooners? Cue the gal-loping Hawaii Five-0 theme music, Elvis crooning and lei-draped beauties dancing hula beneath wind-rustled palms.

Hawaii, as tourist bureaus and Hollywood constantly re-mind us, is ‘paradise.’ Push past the hype and you may find they’re not far wrong. Hawaii is diving coral-reef cities in the morning and listening to slack key guitar at sunset. It’s biting into juicy lilikoʻi (passion fruit) with hibiscus flowers in your hair. These Polynesian islands are an expression of nature’s diversity at its most divine, from fiery volcanoes to lacy rainforest waterfalls to crystal-clear aquamarine bays.

Locals know Hawaii isn’t always paradise, but on any given day it can sure feel like it.Best Beaches

¨¨ Kailua Beach (p1108)

¨¨ Malaekahana State Recreation Area (p1108)

¨¨ Anaehoʻomalu Beach Park (p1111)

¨¨ Kapalua Beach (p1114)

¨¨ Pali Ke Kua (Hideaways) Beach (p1119)

Best Small Towns¨¨ Haleʻiwa (p1109)

¨¨ Hilo (p1112)

¨¨ Paʻia (p1117)

¨¨ Hanalei (p1119)

¨¨ Hanapepe (p1120)

When to Go

Dec–Apr Slightly cooler, wetter weather; peak season for tour-ism, surfing and whale-watching.

May–Sep Mostly sunny, cloudless days; summer vacation keeps beaches and resorts busy.

Oct–Nov Hotter, extremely humid weather; fewer visitors mean cheaper accom-modations.

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Oʻahu .......................1104Honolulu & Waikiki ...1104Pearl Harbor ............. 1107Hawaiʻi, the Big Island ..................1109Mauna Kea ................. 1111Hilo ............................1112Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.............1113Maui ..........................1114Kauaʻi ........................ 1118

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0Hawaii Highlights1 Exploring multicultural Honolulu (p1104), with its eye-popping museums and ethnic eats.

2 Snorkeling with tropical fish and sea turtles in Hanauma Bay (p1108).

3 Watching pros surf the monster winter waves on Oʻahu’s epic North Shore (p1109).

4 Witnessing the eruption of a living volcano inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (p1113).

5 Stargazing atop Hawaii’s highest mountain, Mauna Kea (p1111), on the Big Island.

6 Catching dawn over Maui’s ‘house of the rising sun’ at Haleakalā National Park (p1118).

7 Driving Maui’s twisting seaside Hana Highway (p1117) past black-sand beaches and jungle cascades.

8 trekking the sculpted sea cliffs of Kauaʻi’s epic Na Pali Coast (p1119).

9 Kayaking Kauaʻi’s sacred Wailua River (p1118) to secret waterfall swimming holes.