Visiting ancient temples, listening to prayerful chants, learning to weave a ti leaf lei. My favorite part of visiting Hawai‘i is absorbing the Hawaiian culture. Many destinations offer sun, surf, and sand, but only Hawai‘i has the rich heritage that rode the waves with the ancient wayfarers, survived in traditions passed down through generations and lives today in the soulful sounds of chanters and the graceful movements of hula dancers.

On my first trip to the islands, I visited Pu‘uhonua o Honauanau National Historic Park on Hawai‘i Island (also known as the Big Island). The lava rock remains of the ancient heiau (temple) fascinated me. Over the years, I studied the Hawaiian culture. For 10 years, I edited Hawai‘i Westways, the magazine for AAA Hawai‘i, and to understand the culture more deeply, I began taking hula lessons near my home in Southern California. Although I no longer edit Hawai‘i Westways, I continue to study hula—I’ve learned to love the dance and its inspirational context.

Learning more about Hawaiian culture enriches every visit I make to the islands. It can enrich your visit, too. Here’s how.

Cultural specialists at resorts throughout the islands teach visitors Hawaiian history and traditions through hands-on programs. For example, I learned to make a ti leaf lei. “The ti leaf is used in many cultural ceremonies,” said Lori ‘Ululani Sablas, who taught our class of about five guests. “People believe it's a protection. When I was a young girl and went off to Hana, my mother would make sure I took a ti leaf lei with me.” Today, the ti leaf lei I made still hangs on a hook at the entrance to my office cubicle. (You can’t be too careful.)

At Hawai‘i Island’s Kona Village Resort, where guests stay in thatched-roof huts clustered around lagoons or along a crescent beach, staff members teach lauhala (pandanus leaf) weaving, hula, and feather-craft. “My father was the last Hawaiian born here in the old fishing village of Ka'upulehu,” said guest activities director Aunty Lei, when she led me and a few other guests on a tour of the petrogyph fields that lie on the resort’s property. “When Kona Village was built in 1960, the village had been abandoned, but in ancient times, it was a favorite place of Chief Kame'eiamoku, Kamehameha the Great's uncle.” She noted carvings of what appeared to be 18th-century sailors in three-corner hats. “It's telling the story of the Fair American, a ship from New York,” she said. “Kame'eiamoku captured the ship right off this bay.

Down the beach at the AAA Five Diamond Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on Hawai'i Island, in a room decorated with tapa prints and paintings of Hawaiian royalty, cultural specialists teach Hawaiian quilting, language, and the making of traditional fishing throw nets. “It's important for us to share the arts and crafts of the Hawaiian people,” said Earl Kamakaonaona Regidor, who supervised the resort’s Ka'upulehu Cultural Center. “We want to make sure that our guests will be able to take that part of Hawai'i with them so that they can share it with their friends and families back home.”

Marriott, Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, and Hilton all offer cultural programs at their hotels in Hawai‘i.

In addition to participating in hotel enrichment programs, you can visit ancient heiau—every major island has at least a few of these lava rock temples. Parts of most are open to the public but many have areas that are off limits. When you visit, remember that these are sacred places, so show the kind of respect you would when visiting a church or cathedral in Europe. A Hawaiian cultural guide I know always presents a ho‘okupu (an offering), such as a wild pikake flower or ginger blossom before entering a heiau.

The Bishop Museum on O‘ahu is also a must-visit to learn about Hawaiian culture. Hawaiian Hall here recently reopened after a nearly three-year renovation. And you can visit two former royal residences: ‘Iolani Palace on O‘ahu and Hulihe‘e Palace on Hawai‘i Island.

The Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau, is a good resource for learning about where to discover Hawaiian culture. Who knows? You, too, might find yourself hooked on hula. What’s your favorite cultural activity to do in Hawai‘i?