By Chris Cook - The Garden Island

Readers of Travel + Leisure magazine are ranking Kaua‘i as the best island to visit in Hawai‘i for 2004. And the same group of over 425,000 readers say Kaua‘i is the second best island in the world to visit, bested only by the Indonesian island of Bali.

The results of the magazine's ninth annual 2004 World’s Best Awards readers’ survey was released Monday. "It is incredibly exciting to be so highly recognized once again by a group as sophisticated as the readers of Travel + Leisure," said Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau, in a press release. "We’ve always enjoyed the popularity of being part of ‘Hawai‘i,’ so it’s thrilling to see that Kaua‘i has won the hearts of travelers who see it as a destination in itself." Kanoho told The Garden Island Monday that the Kaua‘i visitor industry is having an outstanding summer for visitor arrivals.

The 2004 World’s Best Awards was conducted by a questionnaire made available to Travel + Leisure subscribers during the first quarter of the year. In rating Kaua‘i as an island respondents were asked to rate on five characteristics including natural attractions, activities /sights, restaurants/food, people and value. Respondents reported were also asked where they had traveled worldwide and how.

World's Best Islands
from Travel + Leisure

Bali takes top honors for the third year in a row, and the Hawaiian Islands stage a major comeback, with Kauai rocketing to second place (from fifth in 2003), Maui to third (from sixth), and Hawaii to fifth (from seventh). Special kudos to our two new regional champions: the Grenadines--which edge out Cuba, last year's surprise winner in the Caribbean--and Zanzibar.