7. Five-star sundowners

Don't blow your nest egg on a $500 room: The Princeville Resort's famous view of crescent-shaped Hanalei Bay (with the emerald Bali Hai coast rising above it) is available for $9--the price of a mai tai at the Living Room, Princeville's indoor/outdoor lobby bar. Brilliant purple-orange sunsets bring out the shutterbugs, so get there early for a seat. Live music starts nightly at 7 p.m. 808/826-9644, princeville.com.

Hanalei's is an especially sweet farmer's market (Amanda Friedman) [enlarge photo] NOVEMBER 2005 ISSUE • Ghosts of the Sierra Madre • Kauai: The Top 25 • When Everybody's an Expert, Who Can You Trust? • Rome Sweet Rome • Chains Giving Away Wi-Fi • The Sea Islands • Turkish Hostels Are Going to New Heights MORE ON HAWAII • The Real Hawaii • The Big Island's Big Budget Road Trip • Hawaii • 'I'm Finally Going to Hawaii. What Should I Do There?' • Kauai: The Top 25 • Family Hawaii • Hawaiian Fun, Hold the Beach

8. Hawaii untamed

Kauai's premier attraction is the 15-mile Na Pali Coast, a dramatic stretch in the island's wild northwest corner. Waimea-based Na Pali Explorer leads a five-hour tour on a 48-foot, hard-bottomed Zodiac that's small enough to maneuver into sea caves and isolated snorkeling spots. Upon reaching Na Pali's westernmost point, you'll be dazzled by cliffs, waterfalls, beaches, and emerald valleys. When the captain declares, "Welcome to my office," you'll cry with envy. 808/338-9999, napali-explorer.com, $125.

9. Mark Twain's approval

The 3,567-foot-deep Waimea Canyon was impressive enough to the well-traveled Twain for him to call it "the Grand Canyon of the Pacific." Lazy sightseers can pull over at any of the lookouts along Highway 550, but the alternately barren and lush landscape is best explored on the many trails in Kokee State Park. Pick up a map at the Kokee Natural History Museum (on Hwy. 550, just past the 15-mile marker; 808/335-9975, kokee.org, free). If you get an early enough start, drive to the end of the road for a peek into the Kalalau Valley and the Na Pali Coast beyond. Later in the day, however, rain and fog are likely to ruin the IMAX-worthy view.

10. Quicker and easier

Both American and United offer nonstop service to Lihue, eliminating that frustrating transfer in Honolulu. There are daily flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco, which makes getting to paradise that much less of a hassle.

11. Pigging out

To fill up like a local, find a "plate lunch," an only-in-Hawaii experience that matches a hefty portion of protein (maybe teriyaki chicken or barbecue ribs) with two sides (usually giant scoops of rice, potato salad, or macaroni salad), for under $10. The plate lunch at the Koloa Fish Market is a gourmet experience hidden inside a Styrofoam container: roasted kalua pig with sides of ahi poke--raw ahi tuna tossed in soy sauce and spices--and salt-cured lomi salmon salad (5482 Koloa Rd., Koloa, 808/742-6199). In Hanalei, the simply named Mixed Plate serves a kind of hippie-fied version, with brown rice and tofu stir-fries alongside the salty and deep-fried entrées that Hawaiians love (5-5190 Kuhio Hwy., 808/826-7888).

12. Boobies on parade

Red-footed boobies are some of the countless rare seabirds that flock to the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge--and if you're lucky, you'll also spot seals and whales. Home to the 1913 Kilauea Point Lighthouse, the refuge is the northernmost spot on the island, as well as the first sight of land for ships sailing in from Asia. End of Kilauea Rd., 808/828-1413, $3.