Kauai

Kauai is the fourth largest of the Hawaiian Islands. Its nickname is “Garden Isle” because so much of its surface is covered by tropical rain forest. Not to be confused with kawaii, the Japanese word for “adorable,” the name Kauai is thought to mean “favorite place around the neck” or possibly “harvest season.” Kauai isn’t the tourist magnet that Oahu, Maui or “the Big Island” are, but the scenery here is more familiar to people who’ve never visited. South Pacific, Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park III, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Tropic Thunder, Blue Hawaii, The Thorn Birds, Outbreak, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Donovan’s Reef, Honeymoon in Vegas, Avatar, Dinosaur, Mighty Joe Young, Fantasy Island, Castaway Cowboy, Hook, Gilligan’s Island, Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N., Throw Momma from the Train, 6 Days / 7 Nights, and Fast & the Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw were all filmed here. Even Lilo and Stitch is supposed to take place on Kauai.