Hale Manoa, Tunnels Beach, Kauai, Hawaii

Kauai is known as the "garden island" because it has the wettest climate and is the most lush of the Hawaiian islands. It is the oldest member of the major islands, so the wind and rain over eons of time have sculpted the landscape into some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.

From the pinnacles of the Na Pali Coast to the deeply carved Waimea Canyon, the island will blow you away with its beauty. Helicopter tours are very popular here, as there is no other way to see the remote places where there are no roads. The summit of Mt Waialeale is the wettest spot on the face of the earth, averaging 480 inches of rain a year.

The Wailua River is the only navigable waterway in the Hawaiian islands; you can take a kayak tour up the river to a secret waterfall.