When film directors scout out spectacular island vistas for location shoots, Kauai is often at the top of the list. In fact, some of the most memorable scenes in Hollywood history have been filmed here - from South Pacific to the Stephen Spielberg classics Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jurassic Park.

The island's attractions are many - gorgeous beaches, majestic waterfalls, cliffs towering over the sea. Quite literally, Kauai can take your breath away.

Known as the "Garden Island" for its lush tropical rainforests and sugarcane fields, Kauai offers something for everyone: hiking, swimming, snorkeling, shopping, fine dining, and much more. Life moves a little more slowly here than on Oahu and Maui, but you can be sure it's never, never dull.

Kauai has been voted the friendliest place in the United States. It might well be the most beautiful, too. After you've met a few of your new friends here, you can stroll miles of uncrowded beaches. Hunt rainbows in breathtaking Waimea Canyon.

Discover emerald mountains and lush valleys with more shades of green than you may have thought possible. Enjoy wonderful restaurants; unique shops, championship golf, and a zillion water sports, and much more. Or just relax by the pool.

Points of interest:

• Fern Grotto: Guided boat tours up the Wailua River lets you witness the tropical splendor of Kauai, truly the Garden Isle.
• Kalalau: Elevation 4,000 feet. See the splendors of the Na Pali Coastline. Hike the trails of Kokee. Enjoy a picnic or a wide variety of outdoor activities at Kokee Park.
  
• Kilauea Bird Sanctuary & Lighthouse: Discover a refuge for nesting seabirds near a lighthouse on an isolated Oceanside cliff.
  
• Spouting Horn: High tides cause waves to pressure through lava tubes bursting into spectacular fountains of salt spray and foam. Home of a great flea market. Great buys.
  
• Waimea Canyon: Kauai's answer to the Grand Canyon - experience its breathtaking magnificence and jewel-tone colors.
  
• Kauai Movie Locations: Jurassic Park, Blue Hawaii, Bali Hai, King Kong, The Thornbirds.

Anini Beach County Park
On the north shore of the island, is Kauai's safest beach for swimming and windsurfing. Sitting on a blue lagoon at the foot of majestic cliffs, it is also one of the island's most beautiful beaches.

Haena Beach Park
Just minutes from Tunnels Beach, this golden sand beach offers excellent swimming and great snorkeling with its vast amount of tropical fish. During the winter, waves can be large and dangerous.

Tunnels Beach
A picture-perfect, gold sand beach. Protected by a coral reef, this beach is excellent for swimming and snorkeling. During the winter, the waters can get rough.

Hanalei Beach
Wide, golden sand beach, Hanalei Bay is excellent for swimming year-round, especially in summer, when Hanalei Bay becomes a big, placid lake.

Ke'e Beach
Where the road ends on the North Shore, you'll find this great little reddish-gold beach almost too beautiful to be real.

Poipu Beach Park
On the south shore, Poipu Beach Park offers two beaches, divided by a sandbar. On the left, a perfect sandy-bottom beach for children; on the right, also known as Brennecke's Beach, an open bay perfect for swimmers, snorkelers, and surfers.

WHERE TO SHOP -

Coconut Marketplace
Centrally located on east Kauai, the Coconut Marketplace has a unique plantation-style ambiance, offering over 70 specialty shops, restaurants, and a movie theatre complex over 64,000 square feet of shopping area.

Kukui Grove Shopping Center
Kauai's only regional mall located in Lihue where you'll find major department stores as well as specialty gift shops, numerous dining options, and a 4-plex theatre complex. Entertainment is also available at the Center Stage.

Kauai Village
This shopping mall located in the town of Kapaa offers a mixture of boutiques, gift shops, art galleries and restaurants that appeal to both local residents and visitors of Kauai.

Princeville Shopping Center
Located at the entrance of Princeville Resort, the Princeville Shopping Center is a plantation-style shopping center offering a collection of 37 shops and three restaurants.

Shopping Secret
Poipu Shopping Village, offering a variety of shops, restaurants and retail stores you'll enjoy. A great place to find gifts, art, clothing or groceries.

Top Five Things To Do on Your First Trip to Kauai:

5. Get serenaded by Hawaiian musicians under the Fern Grotto.
4. See the view from Waimea Canyon, the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.”
3. Visit the Kilauea Lighthouse and bring a camera to capture the views.
2. Go to the Spouting Horn and watch the ocean spray up to 50 feet in the air.
1. Enjoy the humbling scenery from various points along the Napali Coast.