Top 10 Fun Things to Do in Hawaii

Hawaii has some of the most amazing golf courses on the planet. On Oahu, check out the Makahana Golf Club, Ko'olau Golf Course, and Turtle Bay Palmer. On Maui, try the Bay Course at Kapalua Resort and the Ka'anapali Tournament Course. On Kauai, play Poipu Bay Golf Course, Princeville Course, and Kauai Lagoons Golf Club. On the Big Island, experience Hapuna Golf Course, Mauna Kea Golf Course, and Waikoloa Beach Course.

You can't go to Hawaii without sitting on the beach. On Oahu, don't miss the nature preserve at Hanauma Bay. It is pleasant but crowded. For more pristine beauty, head to Maui. There is a string of gorgeous beaches along Kapalua and Ka'anapali on the northwest coast. All of them are free and open to the public.

After you are done sitting by the ocean, see what is underneath it. You can rent snorkeling equipment at any beach in Hawaii. Most beaches have abundant sea life just a few feet from the beach. For the best snorkeling in Hawaii, take a boat out to the Molokini Crater off of Maui. Fish there will eat from your hand.

Hawaii is one of the best places in the world to get a close look at a whale. Humpback whales migrate past the Hawaiian Islands from December to May. You can take a whale-watching boat tour from any island during whale-watching season.

The Big Island of Hawaii is the only place in the United States where you can see a regularly erupting volcano. The Kilauea Volcano in Volcanos National Park spews lava every day of the year. It is especially spectacular at night, when the lava glows in the dark.

Adventurous types can ride a mountain bike down the side of a volcano. The Haleakala volcano on Maui is dormant, so you won't be dodging lava. Still, flying down the volcano at breakneck speeds will give you a jolt of adrenaline. It is 38 miles downhill with just 400 yards of peddling uphill. Take the sunrise tour for a view of the sun coming up from the top of the volcano.

The Road to Hana on Maui is one of the great American road trips. The winding road features 600 hillside curves over 54 bridges. You travel through a lush tropical rain forest with waterfalls and breathtaking ocean views. You can stop along the way to swim in pools beneath the waterfalls.

No visit to Hawaii is complete without experiencing a luau. It is a traditional Hawaii feast featuring a roasted pig in a pit. Enjoy traditional Hawaiian cuisine and entertainment of hula dancing and fire spinning. It may be a little touristy, but it is authentically Hawaiian.

Waimea Canyon is called the "Grand Canyon of Hawaii." The comparison is not quite accurate. Unlike the dry Grand Canyon, Waimea Canyon is a tropical jungle. It is 10 miles long, one mile wide, and more than 3,500 feet deep. In the morning, clouds wind through the tree tops, creating an eerie landscape.

Pearl Harbor is a national monument run by park rangers. You can visit the spot where World War II began for the United States on December 7, 1941. A boat takes you to the Arizona Memorial, where the tip of the battleship USS Arizona still sticks out of the water. The visitors' center shows a comprehensive movie about the historical significance of the site.