Finally made it to Hawaii. It was everything I'd always heard, but you don't really know until you experience it yourself. Bare feet, warm sea, fish, friends. If you haven't been, go!

These are a few of the high points:

• Driving down to Hana, where we rode horses up to a point overlooking Waimoku Falls. Our Hawaiian guide offered traditional chants in his native language.
• Getting up at 2am to drive up Haleakala for the sunrise, and seeing the shadow of the volcano lying below us, across the island and sea;
• Driving all the way around West Maui, one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.