Hawaii

Hawaii - the Aloha State - welcomes and seduces visitors with its plumeria-scented sea breezes and tropical warmth. This is where East merges with West in a blur of hula and hip-hop, soap operas and creation myths, junk food and Japanese tea ceremonies, Shinto shrines and surf clubs.

Mark Twain declared Hawaii to be 'the loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean', and not even 50 years of mass tourism have managed to prove him wrong. Whether your thing is volcano spotting, surfing or hanging loose on the beach, this is the place to indulge yourself.

Although Hawaii's busiest tourist season is during winter (December to February), this has more to do with the weather elsewhere, since many visitors are snowbirds escaping cold winters back home. Average temperatures differ very little from winter to summer. June through October is the hottest period, while rainfall is heaviest between December and March - neither extreme is worth worrying over. Hotel prices are lowest during the spring (April to mid-May) and autumn (October to mid-November).

Big holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and Easter mean accommodation is tight and prices a bit higher. In terms of cost, visiting between mid-April and mid-November can be a bargain because some hotel prices drop in the off-season. Hotels and resorts catering to summertime vacationing families do not lower their rates significantly.

If you're a board surfer, you'll find the biggest waves in winter, whereas if you're a windsurfer, you'll find the best wind conditions in summer. Football freaks will want to plan holidays around the Hula and Pro Bowls, while cowboys might plan an adventure around big rodeos. Alternatively, you might want to avoid big-time events. For example, unless you've scored tickets to the Merrie Monarch Festival, visit Hilo another time.

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