Hawaii's most populated island - 75% of the state's 1.1 million residents call Oahu home - is also its most exciting, offering an eclectic blend of people, customs, and cuisines. On the south side of Oahu, in the shadow of Diamond Head volcanic peak, Waikiki is a 2.5-mile hot spot with scores of restaurants, seemingly endless shopping, and nearly 120 hotels and condominiums.

Nature lovers will appreciate the majestic highlands that cross the island. Eons of erosion by wind and weather have carved these ranges' sculptured, jagged peaks, deep valleys, sheer green cliffs, and dynamic vistas. At the base of these mountains more than 50 beach parks lie draped like a beautiful lei, each one known for a different ocean activity: snorkeling, bodysurfing, swimming, or windsurfing.

A counterpoint to this tropical splendor is Honolulu, the state's capital and the nation's eleventh-largest city. Modern skyscrapers stand directly across from the Aloha Tower, which was built in 1926 and was, until the early 1960s, the tallest structure in Honolulu. Old structures have found new meaning here: Today's governor's mansion, built in 1846, was the home of Queen Lili'uokalani until her death in 1917.

Even amid Honolulu's urban development, you are never more than a glimpse from an ocean or mountain view that can take your breath away.