WHAT'S the best island for your Hawaiian vacation? All the major islands have stunning beaches and scenery - it's the other attractions and each island's personality that make the difference. Here's a look at the "Big 4" - Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii (the Big Island) - with recommendations for a "don't-miss" natural and cultural attraction on each.
Oahu
Thanks to Honolulu, the island has big-city shopping, restaurants and entertainment along with famed Waikiki Beach, the USS Arizona National Memorial at Pearl Harbor and world-class surfers on the giant-wave North Shore.
Don't-miss nature: Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is a crescent of white sand and fish-teeming seawater in the collapsed crater of a volcano. It's a perfect (and sometimes crowded) place to sun and snorkel. (808) 396-4229 or www.honolulu.gov/parks/ facility/ hanaumabay.
Don't-miss culture: The Bishop Museum in Honolulu is a treasure trove of Hawaii's natural and cultural history, from ancient hula to interactive science exhibits. (808) 847-3511 or www .bishopmuseum.org. (Its century-old Hawaiian Hall is being renovated; it will reopen in late 2008.)
Maui
Think beach - miles and miles of tropical-dream beaches plus scads of hotels/condos and restaurants to choose among, especially in the heavily developed Kaanapali area. Golf on the many courses; play in the water, from snorkeling or whale-watching boat tours to kayak excursions, surfing and kiteboarding lessons.
Don't-miss nature: Take a day trip up Haleakala; a road climbs to the 10,023-foot summit of the dormant volcano in Haleakala National Park. Walk along cinder trails in the crater, or simply enjoy the vast views. The brave can take guided bike rides down dozens of miles of the volcano's long and winding road. (808) 572-4400 or www.nps.gov/hale.
Don't-miss culture: Maui has fewer cultural attractions than some of the other islands, but in the old whaling town of Lahaina, you can go beyond the souvenir shops to historic 19th-century buildings, including the Baldwin Home Museum, a restored 1835 missionary's home. (808) 661-3262 or www.lahainarestoration.org.
Kauai
More rural and less crowded than Maui or Oahu, Kauai offers idyllic, palm-fringed beaches and some evocative local-history museums.
Don't-miss nature: The National Tropical Botanical Garden has three preserves on Kauai, with hundreds of acres of tropical trees and flowers (and a fourth garden on Maui). Even the most resolute nongardeners will enjoy walking through the lush greenery on self- guided or guided tours. (808) 742-2623 or www .ntbg.org.
Don't-miss culture: Grove Farm Homestead Museum preserves the grounds and buildings of a 19th-century sugar plantation, including the sprawling, old-fashioned family home still full of period furniture and mementoes. Tours by reservation only. (808) 245-3202 (no Web site).
Hawaii (Big Island)
There's truly something for everyone here, from Hapuna Beach (sometimes rated as Hawaii's best) and ancient temple sites to space observatories atop the often-snowy 13,796-foot Mauna Kea. And, of course, an erupting volcano.
Don't-miss nature: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where Kilauea continues to ooze lava into the sea. (808) 985-6000; www.nps .gov/ havo.
Don't-miss culture: Pu'uhonua o Honaunau, or the Place of Refuge, is an oceanfront national historic site of ancient temple sites and tiny coves (where sea turtles shelter) with a few reconstructed buildings among palm trees. (808) 328-2326 or www.nps.gov/puho.
The smaller islands
What about Molokai and Lanai? These rural islands have their ardent fans, although sights and accommodations (and beaches) are limited.
Lanai has quiet beaches and a few deluxe resorts (and simple B&Bs).
Molokai has a high percentage of native Hawaiians and small farms, and a sprinkling of mostly moderate lodgings. Its major sight is Kalaupapa National Historical Park, once a leper colony, on a remote peninsula.
