1) Fire and Waterfall Adventure Tours. The iconic and impressive Fire and Falls traces the many ongoing volcanic eruptions and mind-blowing waterfalls of the Big Island. There are a multitude of ways to see these natural wonders, starting with simple hiking tours to full-on airborne helicopter tours. It is basically left to your budget and your measure of adventure. But either way, the big island of Hawaii offers what most never see in their lives: scalding lava spilling into the sea, misty mountains of water cascading into abysses of impenetrable depth. The lava will leave you in awe, while the waterfalls will help you cool off quickly or have a wonderful romantic encounter. These sights are good for the young, the old, and the young at heart. In other words, they are unique reasons to visit the Big Island. Don’t delay them or leave them out by staying at the hotel pool.

2) Visit the coast. Don’t just sit on a stretch of white-sand beach, though Waikiki’s shoreline could hold you hostage. Instead, get out there and ride the entire swath of unbridled coastline. Again, depending on your stomach, you can travel by foot, rented jeep, canoe, zodiac, speedboat, helicopter (ask to leave the doors open for a truly magnificent experience), or pinball. Each piece of beach seems to be very different. From the cooling lava rock to the pristine patches of sand so fine, it’s a miracle to think waves could actually hit it so well.

3) When visiting these beaches, don’t just sit there; getting wet As beautiful as the shimmering wave tops and sun-bleached sand, there’s an entirely different universe waiting just below the surface of the warm water. Grab a fin, snorkel, or even a scuba tank to relax with thousands of types of saltwater fish and coral reef formations. There are many tours, glass bottom boats and even free diving expeditions that you can embark on. There are also night tours for the fittest: experience amazing views of manta rays, sharks and other fish in the dark. Either way, be sure to see all sides of this Big Island paradise, both the dry and the wet.

4) Whale Watching in Zodiac Raft. There really is no better way to go out and see whales than to do it in a boat smaller than them. Talk about making your heart race. Hop on your Captain Ahab here and go after the big fish in a small boat!

5) Take a surf lesson. Kona and Waikiki beaches are incredible places to learn to surf. The reason? Smooth, long point breaks that allow smaller waves to gently cascade to shore. You will find many local surfers to help you here; learning to surf is big business on the big island.

6) Leave tennis, golf, sunbathing and shuffleboard behind. With all these incredible natural wonders to enjoy on the Big Island, leave the more pedestrian forms of entertainment on the mainland.