SURFING on Waikiki beach, swaying palm trees and hula girls are just some of the things that make Hawaii a fantasy destination.

THIS collection of islands conjures up visions of lazy days on immaculate beaches and frangipani-scented evenings, sipping Mai Tai cocktails.

While many go to relax and soak up the laid-back lifestyle, it is worth tearing yourself away from your lounger to go exploring.

For starters the place boasts the world's longest on-going volcanic eruption.

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And because of its volcanoes, it has a unique coastline, probably the most spectacular on the planet, with amazing snorkelling and the little-known Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

The ocean has a fixed "hot spot" that spews out undersea lava, while the tectonic plate above it moves along like a conveyor belt at four inches a year.

This results in a volcanic island slowly being created before moving on past the spot, leaving the next one to be built up.

The newest island, called Big Island, is still growing and thrilling awestruck visitors with orange-glowing lava.

The oldest major island, Kauai, has had millions of years to erode into a truly individual and dramatic landscape.

It's probably the Hawaii you've seen in the movies.

Starting with Elvis Presley flicks and South Pacific, Kauai has also provided the setting for Jurassic Park and the TV series Lost.

The main draw is the Na Pali coastline's sheer 4,000ft cliffs.

Steep They have been slashed into a series of narrow precipitous valleys, each one separated by razoredged ridges and sheer drops.

Waterfalls and landslides have carved the cliff walls to give a pleated look, like wavy curtains.

It's all so steep that no roads can get across it, and even the one 11-mile walking path could not be cut into the cliffs beyond the halfway mark.

Throw in the fabulous pinnacle formations, the amazing variety of tropical trees and plants which somehow cling on almost horizontally, and gorgeous beaches, and you can see why movie-makers flock there.

Visitors can enjoy this wonderland by helicopter or by boat with Liko Kauai Cruises. Liko's trip also offers dolphin, turtle and whale watching.

The unmissable Island Helicopters tour also flies to the Jurassic Park waterfall and the 3,400ft deep Waimea Canyon, which is a more colourful version of the Grand Canyon because minerals have given the ancient lava chasm a variety of hues.

Chopper pilots used to re-enact a scene from The Man With The Golden Gun and fly tourists through tiny Honopu arch, which separates two golden beaches, until the authorities banned it.

To see current lava eruptions, the place to go is Big Island, where the hot stuff has been constantly flowing from the mountainsides into the sea for the past 28 years.

But volcanoes are, by their nature, unpredictable and regularly change, so what you'll see and from how close is pure luck.

Roads have had to be constantly rebuilt as new flows have run across them, while some residents know full well their homes could one day be incinerated.

Three weeks before my visit, a new river of molten rock had come to a halt just 50m from a viewing area car park.

For most of the past few years, visitors have at least been able to see lava torrents plunging straight into the ocean.

I was lucky enough to see just that from a boat 100m out.

But if your timing is right, there's always the chance of witnessing one of the periodical truly grand-scale eruptions that can emerge from anywhere on the giant volcanoes' flanks.

At times, these have included fountains of lava shooting 1,900ft into the air, massive craters overflowing with swirling pools, and rivers of molten rock cascading over cliffs.

The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park visitor centre displays a photo of a wedding party which was posing for photos on a crater rim when huge fountains of lava suddenly began spurting behind them.

Early tourists to the park had a tradition of burning a corner of their postcards by dipping them in the 2,000F lava.

But rangers now advise against getting that close.

The hollowed-out Thurston Lava Tube offers delighted youngsters the chance to walk through one of these tunnels which can extend for many miles.

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Meanwhile, on the neighbouring island of Maui you can enjoy snorkelling or diving in a submerged volcano crater teeming with tropical fish.

If you prefer your action on the water though, Maui is also a mecca for kite and windsurfers.

Hawaii's famed giant surfing waves can be found on the island of Oahu, which is also where to find the best nightlife.

Each island is totally unique, with paradise beaches, buzzing bars and unrivalled scenery. In Hawaii you are spoilt for choice.

FACT FILE

RETURN flights from Heathrow to Honolulu, via Los Angeles, start from £683 with Continental Airlines.

To book visit continental.com.

Fly between all the islands with low-cost airline go! Mokulele. See iflygo.com.

Kauai boat tours offer snorkelling, dolphin, turtle and whale watching.

For Liko Kauai Cruises see liko-kauai.com or call 001 808 338-0333.

Check out Island Helicopters at islandhelicopters.com or call 001 808 245-8588.

For Kauai places to stay near the best beaches see kalalaubnb.com or call 001 808 826-6800.