Hawaii’s Garden Isle offers a wild, lush experience above and below the water. Here are the 10 reasons we love the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i:

1 SHERATON CAVERNS Weave through a maze of lava tubes and arches where nooks and crannies hide frogfish, nudibranchs, eels and heaps of napping turtles.

2 NI’IHAU Pods of spinner dolphins, beaked whales, monk seals and three shark species
call this satellite island home; Sea Sport Divers’ 48-foot-long boat makes the trip twice a week May through October. (seasportdivers.com)

3 TURTLE BLUFFS Think the scores of turtles patiently posing for divers as they relax
at cleaning stations are this site’s only attraction? Nope: Peek under ledges to find whitetip reef sharks seeking shelter.

4 BRENNECKE’S LEDGE Strong currents explain the pelagic cameos made by humpbacks, giant tuna, dolphins and gray reef sharks.

5 HAWAIIAN MONK SEALS Landlubbers can watch these tubby pinnipeds at Poipu Beach on the south shore; divers can enjoy their slow, graceful barrel rolls at many dive sites.

6 HUMPBACK WHALES Join Captain Andy’s sailing adventures for a whale-watching tour; spot the giants breaching, and listen to the glottal singing thanks to the onboard hydrophone. (napali.com)

7 HELICOPTER TOUR Buzz over the green folds of Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast. (bluehawaiian.com)

Read Ken McAlpine's exciting adventure in Kauai and Ni'ihau!

8 BACKCOUNTRY TUBING At what could be the world’s lon- gest lazy river, float past the old Lihue sugar-cane plantation, under tunnels and over small rapids. (kauaibackcountry.com)

9 LILIKOI PIE This fluffy, passion-fruit chiffon dessert, served at Wong’s Restaurant in Hanapepe, will melt in your mouth.

10 ZIP LINING Pair extreme zip lining over treetops and streams with a refreshing dip at a waterfall-fed swimming hole. (princevilleranch.com)