Mahalo to Susan Sims for sharing this puffer fish photo from her Hawaii travels. Actually, Susan’s husband snapped this photo.

This puffer is an adorable little guy, isn’t he? He looks so friendly and curious. I wonder what he’d have to say if he could talk?

Mahalo again to Susan for sharing this great Hawaii underwater photo with us!

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Oahu is a great place to go to observe Memorial Day. Wondering what’s happening in Honolulu and Oahu for Memorial Day weekend? We’ve got the scoop!

Memorial Day Events on Monday May 27

Punchbowl- National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
The annual Honolulu Mayor’s Memorial Day Ceremony with a performance by the Royal Hawaiian Band begins at 8:30am at Punchbowl, the National Memorial Cemetary of the Pacific. The ceremony continues until 10am. This event is free and open to the public.

Parking may be difficult to find, so I recommend you consider taking The Bus. See this link for special Memorial Day bus service for the Mayor’s Ceremony in  Punchbowl. For more information about the Mayor’s Ceremony, call the Honolulu Parks and Recreation Department at 808-768-3002

If you miss the ceremony, a visit to Punchbowl is still worthwhile on Memorial Day. Local boy scouts honor Memorial Day by decorating the graves with more than 50,000 fresh floral leis that are hand sewn by local school children and residents.

Magic Island Lantern Floating Ceremony at Ala Moana Beach Park 
Thousands of local residents and visitors take part of the annual Lantern Floating Ceremony. It’s a peaceful and moving night of remembrance and prayer. This free ceremony takes place from 6pm to 7:30pm at Ala Moana Beach Park — just west of Waikiki. Ala Moana Beach Park (see map) is within walking distance of Waikiki — especially on the western end. Public transportation to Ala Moana Beach Park is available via TheBus. For more information, go to LanternFloatingHawaii.com.

Lantern floating ceremony at Ala Moana Park

Things to do over Memorial Day Weekend 

In observance of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, I suggest you consider these Oahu attractions.

USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor
We list a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial as one of the top things you should see and do on Oahu. It’s a very moving place to tour and can be an especially meaningful place to visit on Memorial Day. Admission is free. I highly recommend that you get there early in the morning as holidays are particularly popular times to visit. The Visitor Center is open from 7am to 5pm, but the timed programs to the memorial begin at 8am and run through 3pm. Be prepared for your visit by reading Visiting the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.

USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor  
The Mighty Mo played an important role in US history. Visiting hours are from 8am to 5pm. See this link for directions and ticket pricing details as well as my article with advice for touring the Mighty Mo.

Pacific Aviation Museum in Pearl Harbor
This museum displays aircraft that have been important to US military history. Open from 9am to 5pm. See this link for ticketing information.

USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park in Pearl Harbor
The Bowfin was an attack vessel significant in WWII. It’s open from 7am to 5pm. Admission is $10 for adults and $4 for children.

Other Events Over Memorial Day Weekend – May 24 – 27

- The 50th State Fair opens May 24 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.

- Catch the weekly Friday night fireworks show in Waikiki hosted by Hilton Hawaiian Village.

-Free Waikiki Hula Show at Kuhio Beach will be held on Saturday May 25 and Sunday May 26 at 6:30pm.

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- The Environmental Working Group just issued their 2013 guide to sunscreens. I’m using that list to continue my quest to find a mineral-based (coral safe) sunscreen that doesn’t make me look ghostly white. Have you found a good coral safe sunscreen?

- Unless you live by the coast, it’s difficult to find rash guards in local stores. (See my post on why rash guards are excellent to use on a Hawaii vacation.) Lands’ End currently has a nice selection for all ages. Their sales seem to vary from day to day, but at the moment it appears they’re offering free shipping on orders of $50 or more.

- Honua Kai and Aina Gourmet Coffee are teaming up to offer a special package celebrating 200 years of coffee cultivation in Hawaii. Starting at $354 per night, this package includes luxurious, all-suite accommodation with fully-equipped kitchen, a compact rental car, tour and lunch for two at O’o Farm (see my recent O’o Farm review), a $200 gift certificate at Pacific’O restaurant in Lahaina and an Aina Gourmet Coffee Amenity Basket. This deal is based on a five-night stay. We just stayed at Honua Kai and loved it. It’s located on North Kaanapali Beach on Maui.

- Through June and then again in mid-August, the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa offers a special rate of $179 per night. (Rates for July 1 – August 15 start at $199 per night)  Note that a $25 resort fee is in addition to the room rate. Waikoloa is a great base for a vacation on Hawaii, the Big Island.

- Attention foodies! Tickets are on sale for the 3rd Annual Hawaii Food & Wine Festival, taking place September 1 – 9, 2013 on Maui and Oahu. For more information go to HawaiiFoodandWineFestival.com

- Attention brides and grooms! Enter for a chance to win a dream honeymoon on Oahu in Maggie Sottero’s Love how YOU Fit Contest.

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While you may already think you know about the Hawaiian hula dance, we wanted to share 10 facts that we hope will enlighten and educate you about this beautiful dance.

1. You’ll most likely see a hula performed at a Hawaiian luau.

For the Hawaii visitor, you’ll most likely experience your first Hawaiian hula at one of the many great luaus found throughout Hawaii.

2. Most Hawaiian hula dances are performed by women.

Female hula dancers usually wear colorful tops and skirts with lei adornments.

3. However, traditionally, men were just as likely to perform the hula.

Hawaiian men still perform the hula and you’ll find them just as talented and focused.

4. Hawaiian hulas are often a religious performance.

Hulas are not just a dance. The origin of the hula in Hawaii was that of a religious ceremony and today, a hula is often performed at blessings and celebrations.

5. You don’t just see the Hawaiian hula performed at luaus.

In addition to blessings or celebrations, you are also likely to see the hula performed at a church service like we did at Hope Chapel in Kihei on an Easter Sunday.

6. Where there’s Hawaiian music, there’s likely a hula dancer.

In fact, you don’t have to attend some large elaborately staged Hawaiian luau or event in order to see the hula performed. If you’re listening to a live Hawaiian music performance, then there’s a good chance a hula dancer will show up! It is a real treat to see these impromptu dances.

7. There are lots of free hula shows in Hawaii.

And, most resort areas–especially shopping centers and malls–have regularly scheduled free hula performances.

8. Check your hotel for hula performances and workshops.

Many hotels in Hawaii offer hula dance workshops or will have their own hula dance performances–often for free!

9. There’s a new generation learning the hula in Hawaii.

Thanks to a resurgence, many hula schools (called Halaus) are teaching a new generation of hula dancers in Hawaii.

10. Not all dances performed in Hawaii are the Hawaiian hula.

While you will likely see a Hawaiian hula dance at just about any luau you attend, not every dance is a Hula. For example, this is not a Hawaiian hula, but a traditional Tahitian Otea dance.

We hope you enjoyed our brief look at the different aspects of the Hawaiian hula dance. We’ll finish with this video we shot of a hula dance performed for us as special guests at a home in Kauai.

(Email subscribers: click here to view the video on the post page.)
Please let us know your favorite hula shows, performances, or experiences in Hawaii.

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Guests touring O’o Farm picking salad greens

This diverse organic farm was created to supply fresh, locally grown produce for two Maui restaurants, Pacific’O and I’o, as well as the luau Feast at Lele — all located at 505 Front Street in Lahaina. The farm provides additional produce and coffee to Aina Gourmet Market in Honua Kai The farm grows over 60 items seasonally by chef request.

Coffee cherries ripening for Aina Coffee production

While touring the gardens and orchards, the tour guide tears off leaves of interesting plants and encourages guests to try a sample. We tasted the sweetness of an antioxidant rich coffee cherry and the spicy wasabi flavor of the purple osaka mustard green, just to name a couple. We also got to taste and smell some lovely herbs and spices like lemon verbena and allspice.

Chef JJ describes some of the ingredients he’s prepping for lunch

The following short video gives you a small taste of the tour. This little snippet shows some of the variety of the produce grown. Also in this video, Ancil, our extremely knowledgable guide, provides some insight to their homegrown fertilizer.

Just one more thing to point out from the video. Notice the chirping birds and butterflies. It was a very peaceful place.

(Email subscribers: click here to watch the video on this post page.)

While the tour group is off exploring the gardens, Chef JJ prepared a buffet-style lunch. I dare say this lunch may have been one of the freshest and healthiest lunches I’ve had. The menu depends on what’s in season. See this link for potential menu options.

Covered picnic area

After lunch, guests can grab dessert. For our tour, we had freshly rolled dark chocolate truffles that went perfectly with a freshly roasted, ground and brewed cup of Aina coffee that’s grown on site and other locations in Maui.

Aina Coffee House at O’o Farm

If you have the slightest interest in gardening and the farm-to-table movement, you’ll really enjoy this tour.

What to know when you go:

- The cost of the tour and lunch is $50 per person. As a matter of disclosure, our visit was hosted as part of a trip arranged by the Maui Visitors Bureau. As always, I only write the exact advice that I would give to my best friends and closest family members as what I share here on Go Visit Hawaii.

- O’o Farm is located at 651 Waipoli Road, Kula, Maui, Hawaii.

- Tours are currently offered Monday  through Thursday from 10:30am to 2pm.

- Check the O’o Farm website for any updates to pricing and schedule.

- Wear comfortable shoes for walking on uneven surfaces.

- Wear sunscreen

- You may want to bring a light jacket as the farm is located at the elevation of 3,400 feet.

- See more photos from our visit to O’o Farm

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This first photo shows the whale emerging from the ocean into a breach:

From this next photo, you can see the whale is rotating in this breach:

The grand finale of the breach concludes with a big splash.

Norm tells me that he snapped this series of photos of the same  breach when he visited Maui in February 2010. Here’s a bit more of what Norm shared:

We were on a commercial whale watching excursion just a few miles from Lahaina.  I was following the whale with my telephoto lens when it breached, so I was able to get three quick shutter clicks.  It was the only whale breach that we saw up close that day and was one of the highlights of our trip.

Alas, the humpback whales have completed their winter break in Hawaii’s sheltered waters and headed back to their nutrient rich summer homes, like Alaska. While we were  visiting Maui last week, we didn’t see or hear any signs of whales. We knew it was the tail end of the season, though.

It’s time to say  a hui hou (until we meet again) humpbacks!

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Beach safety signs at Ke’e Beach, Kauai

Before we jump into what prompted this post, let’s review some Hawaii water safety recommendations.

Ocean/Beach Safety

• Never turn your back to the ocean. When you are swimming or simply standing or walking by the shoreline, you never know when a strong wave might sneak up on you. The waves could appear to be predictable for many minutes before  a rogue wave hits.
• If in doubt, don’t go out. If you aren’t sure of the conditions, don’t risk it.
• Where possible swim at lifeguarded beaches.
• Check posted safety signs.
• Avoid swimming at night, dawn and dusk. That’s when sharks tend to be the most aggressive and active.
• On Oahu, Box jellyfish usually arrive to the near shore approximately 7 to 11 days after the full moon of each month. For Oahu, check this Box jellyfish arrival prediction calendar.
• Review this additional beach and ocean safety information and check conditions at Hawaii Beach Safety
• I try to wear a flotation device when kayaking, snorkeling, canoeing, etc.

Waterfall and Stream Safety

• At waterfalls, don’t go beyond guard rails.
• Look upstream towards the mountains and check for rain-like conditions. Flash floods can occur without warning. I experienced a flash flood at Waimoku Falls and it was frightening. In the blink of an eye, the waterflow tripled. We had to cross that stream to hike back to our car. A few other visitors were there at the same time. We all wondered if we’d be trapped until the waterflow subsided. We didn’t know if conditions would get worse. We all looked after each other as we crossed the stream. I prayed and held on to large rocks standing high above the waterline for dear life as I crossed.  I thank God I survived!
• Be aware that rocks below the water’s surface can be invisible and extremely slippery. Resist the urge to dive in.
• Occasionally rocks are swept in streams and plunge below waterfalls and you don’t want to be under the flow when that happens.

Now, what prompted this post? A twitter pal from the San Francisco Bay area alerted me to her local news coverage of the ocean dangers around Hawaii — particularly in Kauai. (The news segments are embedded below. Email subscribers: click this link to view the videos on this post page.) Sadly, 11 people drowned in Kauai this year alone — with three of those victims being from the Bay area.

Part one – Dangerous Hawaii Destinations Revealed

Part two – Addressing Hawaii’s Dangerous Destinations

In my opinion, Hawaii does a great job of posting signage about the dangers at each beach. It’s up to the beachgoers to heed the warnings. However, many visitors are easily distracted by the beauty of the ocean.

Do you know the phrase you don’t know what you don’t know? I definitely think that applies to many Hawaii visitors. That’s why I applaud the folks on Kauai who created this ocean safety educational video that was referenced in the news segment. I highly recommend you watch this video before visiting Kauai. Even if you are visiting another island, I recommend you watch this video. The information on rip currents and seasonal surf/swell trends apply to the other islands as well. (Email subscribers, click here to view the video on this post page.)

Have you ever had a close call in Hawaii’s waters?

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North Kaanapali Beach

Wow, how quickly a five-night visit passed! As I reflect back on the last week, I can hardly believe how much we did in such a short period of time, with thanks again to the Maui Visitors Bureau and their partners for hosting us.

I want to give you a preview of posts to come with a brief summary of our visit.

Where we stayed

Our first three nights were in Wailea at Wailea Beach Marriott Resort and Spa. This 22-acre, oceanfront resort is located on a peninsula between Ulua and Wailea beaches. The resort has five pools with my favorite being their serenity (infinity) pool. In between our busy schedule, we were glad that we were able to find about 30 to 45 minutes to enjoy this pool.

Cabana for rent at the Wailea Beach Marriott Serenity Pool

Our last two nights we stayed in Honua Kai Resort and Spa in North Kaanapali Beach. This luxury, all-suite resort had us feeling like we were living like a rock star. We were upgraded to a two-bedroom, two bath, ocean view suite with a gourmet kitchen, upscale decor and extra spacious lanai. We did not want to leave Honua Kai Resort!

View from our lanai at Honua Kai Resort

Where we explored

Tuesday:

We toured an organic farm, O’o Farm, in Maui’s cool upcountry at Kula. The variety of produce that the farm grows to supply three Maui restaurants is amazing. After touring the farm and picking some salad greens along the way, Chef JJ prepared a gourmet lunch that we shared on picnic tables.

Our O’o Farm guide Ancil

While we were near the entrance of Haleakala National Park, we decided to drive up to the crater. We have been to the summit area three times previously for sunrise, but had never been up in the middle of the day. The advantage of being at the summit at mid-day is that the weather is warmer.

Andy purchased a GoPro camera for this trip. While we were at the crater watching the clouds roll in and disapate, Andy took this time lapse video.

(Email subscribers: click here to see the video on this post page.)

Wednesday:

From Polo Beach fronting the Fairmont, we took a kayak and snorkeling tour with ProDiver Maui. I had wondered how in the world we would get in and out of a kayak out in deep water, but our guide, Chris, coached us through the process without a hitch. It was beautiful being out on the water and then in the water to snorkel. We saw several honu (sea turtles), an octopus, sea urchins, starfish, but the big highlight was seeing a manta ray, which Andy captured on video with his GoPro.

(Email subscribers: click here to see the video on this post page.)

In the afternoon, we took a hike through the Waihe’e Coastal Dunes & Wetlands Refuge that is being restored by the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust. This beautiful coastal hike is open to the public and access is free. If you are looking for an opportunity to volunteer while you visit Maui, the land trust invites you to help them restore this culturally significant site on Fridays from 8am to noon. For more information, call 1-808-244-LAND.

Waihe’e Coastal Dunes and Wetlands

Thursday:

Ah, waking up to yet another gorgeous day in paradise with a full slate of activities to fill the day. The morning started with sailing on a canoe made by modern materials in the ancient Hawaiian sailing canoe style with Hawaiian Sailing Canoe. One thing I liked about this canoe compared to others we’ve seen/experienced in the past is that there was no motor whatsoever. The canoe was powered by paddling and the wind in the sail. In addition to the sail, we got a chance to snorkel again.

After checking out of the Marriott, we headed up towards West Maui with a stop at Maui Ocean Center. Our last visit to the ocean center was in 2005, so it was great for us to get a chance to tour again and get fresh photos and a video.

One of the many salt water tanks at Maui Ocean Center

We were supposed to have taken a tour on Atlantis Submarine, but a road closure due to a fatal accident didn’t allow us to get to the tour in time. We were directed to drive the beautiful but somewhat treacherous Highway 340 around northwest Maui.

The rugged northwest Maui coast.

We take every opportunity to admire the night sky whenever we’re in Hawaii, so we were excited to take the Tour of the Stars at Hyatt Regency Maui. Through their $10,000 telescope we saw 10 million stars, literally. We also got a great view of Saturn and her many rings.

Friday:

Our big adventure of the day took us up to Makawao to Pi’iholo Ranch for a two-hour walking horseback ride. The ride led through the rolling hills of a working cattle ranch and through a eucalyptus forest. I got to ride a very gentle natured, $48,000, one-eyed horse named Boomer. Andy’s horse, Mudslide, was a little more headstrong which gave Andy the chance to hone his riding skills.

Horseback riding in Makawao with Pi’iholo Ranch

Saturday:

At last, we had some free time to enjoy the beach! We rented loungers and an umbrella on the beach fronting Honua Kai. The weather wasn’t very cooperative, but we were determined to enjoy the view and the sounds of the ocean anyway.

Where we spa’d

Oh my goodness. We have a new favorite spa and it also happens to be one of Maui’s best kept secrets. From here on out, every time we visit Maui, we intend to visit Kapalua Spa. We enjoyed a couples massage following our horseback ride. The timing was perfect. I’m going to have to rein in my enthusiasm at the moment, but let me just say that the facilities, staff and way the spa wove in Hawaiian culture is the absolute best we’ve experienced.

A cascading waterfall into the hot tub of swirling sea salt water at Kapalua Spa

Where we dined

We enjoyed many amazing meals during this visit. We can recommend:

• Celebrity-owned Mala at the Wailea Beach Marriott for breakfast and dinner with great food and great elevated ocean views.
• Nick’s Fishmarket at the Fairmont Kea Lani has great food and a very unique dessert presentation with flaming strawberries to dip in chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
• Kumu Bar & Grill at the Wailea Beach Marriott offers a nice poolside lunch with ocean views.
• For a change of pace, Beach Bums at Maalaea Harbor creates just about any barbeque dish you could think of in a lively atmosphere.
• Duke’s Beach House at the Honua Kai Resort on Kaanapali Beach offers delicious food in a casual, oceanfront atmosphere. We can recommend Duke’s for breakfast and dinner. Breakfast is a particularly good value here. When you go for dinner, you must save room for a slice of their famous Hula Pie for dessert.
• For snacks, picnic supplies and freshly made sandwiches, we recommend Aina Gourmet at Honua Kai Resort. The quality of food was excellent and the prices are reasonable.
• We made yet another stop to one of our favorite Maui restaurants, Pineapple Grill in Kapalua. It’s as yummy as always.

Here’s the vine video of flaming strawberries at Nick’s Fishmarket

(Email subscribers: click here to see the video on this post page.)

Whew! Can you believe we covered all that in just five nights? We’ll be posting more details about this trip in the days and weeks to come.

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Mahalo to Myk Salonga Photography for sending this beautiful photo of a secluded waterfall in Oahu’s Kalihi Valley.

When Myk posted this photo, he shared that he’s “so blessed to live in paradise!” Yes, indeed, he is!

What a dreamy scene in a pristine tropical forest. I love the milky smooth photo effect that was used in this photo. You can almost hear the calming sound of the water gently cascading to the pond.

Mahalo again to Myk for sharing this secluded scene with us.

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For our recent visit to Kauai, we wanted to experience a stay along the Coconut Coast near Kapaa. We booked a special deal with Courtyard Kauai at Coconut Beach that included ocean view room, jeep rental for the entire stay and $100 food and beverage credit for the rate of $240 per night. This selection turned out to be a great choice.

This grove of coconut palm trees fronts the Courtyard Kauai at Coconut Beach

The location

Courtyard Kauai is located on the Coconut Coast just beyond the heart of Kapaa along Kauai’s east shore. See this map indicating Courtyard Kauai. The hotel is centrally located and convenient for sightseeing around the island.

This oceanfront hotel is set on a lovely beach, however the beach is not safe for swimming. If you enjoy beachside walking or biking, there’s a nice shoreline path that runs for miles through and beyond the hotel grounds

Shops and restaurants are within easy walking distance. In fact, one of our favorite Kauai restaurants, Hukilau Lanai, was only a five or ten minute walk away.

Sunrise at Courtyard Kauai

The rooms

Guest rooms are nicely decorated with ocean blue carpet and dark wood furnishings. We upgraded to one of their executive guest rooms for extra room (over 500 square feet) and an oceanfront view.

The entertainment hutch included a flat screen television, mini-refrigerator and a coffee maker with Kauai coffee supplied.

Though the rooms are generally spacious, the bathrooms are very much on the small side. The bathroom door barely opened past the toilet. (See this link for a photo of the bathroom. Note that the tub/shower is immediately behind the dark wood door. You had to close the door to get in the tub.) Fortunately, we had a separate vanity area just outside the bathroom.

The lanais were somewhat small. They basically only accomodate two people.

The amenities

The resort offered plenty of lounge chairs, tables and umbrellas along the poolside courtyard. The firepit/fountain was very popular at night. What’s a firepit/fountain, you ask? Well, this video should explain it.

The hotel offers two onsite restaurants. We had dinner onsite for Valentine’s Day and we’d describe it as an okay experience.

The resort offers tennis courts and complimentary use of tennis rackets. A basketball court is also onsite.

Lei making, hula lessons and yoga on the beach are offered for fees ranging from $10 to $17.

The resort has a rental station where you can rent bikes, beach chairs, beach umbrellas, sand toys, and insulated beach bags by the day or week.

The free hula and fire knife show

The brave fire knife dancer concentrates during his performance.

On Wednesday evenings, the resort offers a very special treat for guests — a free hula and fire knife show. The performances includes music, hula by multiple dancers and a fire knife show. It was really well done and the price (free) can’t be beat! See our short video for samples of the show.

On Monday and Wednesday mornings, the resort provides a sunrise welcome with Hawaiian hula and chants. Unfortunately, we missed this both mornings during our stay.

The friendly, honest staff

Each member of staff that we met was very warm and friendly. They were always willing to answer questions with a smile.

One morning we were out exploring the island, when I realized I wasn’t wearing my watch. Then, my heart sank when I remembered that I had taken my watch off to apply sunscreen and I had left it sitting on the vanity countertop. This watch had  great sentimental value to me. We prayed that housekeeping wouldn’t take it. We rushed back to the room. Housekeeping had been there and my watch was still on the counter where I’d left it. Whew! Many thanks to the honest housekeeping staff!

What to know:

- Parking is $14 per day.

- Be sure to pick up  and review the calendar of events at check-in.

- See this link for more photos from our stay at Courtyard Kauai at Coconut Beach.

The itinerary  prepared by the nice folks at the visitors bureau is packed with many new experiences. One of my aims with each trip to Hawaii is to gather new advice for you. With this visit to Maui, I’ll be gathering tons of new information/experiences to help you — whether you’re coming to Maui for the first time or the fiftieth time.

I’ll have many blog posts to write when I get back home. In the meantime, I’ll be posting lots of photos on twitter and facebook, so please virtually join me on this visit!

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While that does mean that I’m not always “styling and profiling” with an extensive vacation wardrobe, it does allow me to bring one important piece of camera equipment: a tripod.

And, after I share with you 5 reasons why a tripod is a great accessory to take to Hawaii, you may just want to bring one too!

Reason #1 to bring a camera tripod: Waterfalls

It’s true, you can hand hold your camera and get some great photos of waterfalls in Hawaii. But, with the use of a tripod, you can set your camera to take a “longer” shot by keeping your shutter open for 1 second or more. Now, if you hand hold your camera, your photo will look blurry–you simply cannot hold it still enough. With a tripod, you can keep you camera perfectly still and get stunning photos like this one I took at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden:

Reason #2 to bring a camera tripod: Night scenes

When the sun goes down, there’s not much light for your camera to capture. That typically means that the shutter has to stay open longer–and leads to blurry photos if you try to handhold your camera. A tripod lets you capture stunning night scenes like this one of Waikiki:

Reason #3 to bring a camera tripod: Selfies

Unless you have really long arms (or an Xshot) it’s pretty much impossible to take a self-portrait shot without your arm being in the picture. That’s where a tripod comes in handy.

Reason #4 to bring a camera tripod: Fireworks

Again, you can take some great looking fireworks photos in Hawaii, with any handheld camera, but if you want to achieve that “star trail” look, you’ll need a tripod. Set your camera to either fireworks mode, or a shutter length of 1 to 10 seconds. That was my trick to getting this photo of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Friday night fireworks on Waikiki Beach.

Reason #5 to bring a camera tripod: Video

We’ve taken a lot of video in Hawaii and we’re always looking for ways to reduce the shakes. While you can eliminate some shaking in post-production, using a tripod eliminates it from the outset. A tripod also saves your arms from getting tired–especially when filming something long, like a hula or Hawaiian band like I captured at the Lanai Ukulele Festival.

Aren’t tripods bulky? How do you fit them in your luggage?

So, what tripod should you take on you Hawaii vacation? Don’t they take up a lot of room? Well, no. They can, but I prefer to take portable, collapsable tripods. Here are three that I recommend:

• The Pedco Ultrapod is great for placing on a table or some other high flat surface.
• Similarly compact, the Gorillapod has the advantage of legs that you can wrap around railings or tree limbs.
• If you want something larger (and great for video) I recommend the Manfrotto MKC3-H01. It extends to 60″ but collapses down small enough to fit in a carry-on or backpack!

Bonus tips:

• Experiment with the best setting for your camera and photo type. It could be that based on the lighting, you can only set your shutter to half a second or it gets blown out (too bright).
• Use a remote or your camera’s self timer. Just the act of pushing the shutter button may be enough to cause blurriness–even with a tripod. Avoid that by setting your camera to the self-timer mode.
• If you can’t take a tripod, set your camera on a wall or some other sturdy object.
• If using a DSLR with any kind of vibration reduction technology, turn it off when using a tripod. Strangely, vibration reduction can actually create vibration when using a tripod.

Have you taken any great photos in Hawaii using a tripod? We’d love to see them!

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Mahalo to Patty Trott for sharing today’s Aloha Friday Photo of this beautiful hibiscus. Patty took this photo near Captain Cook during here 2011 vacation to Hawaii, the Big Island.

The colors of this flower are unique. Peach, pale lilac and burgundy are not colors that you usually see together.

Mahalo again to Patty for sharing her beautiful photo with us.

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A few years ago, Andy and I were on Kauai for Lei Day. We were able to observe the colorful and fragrant Lei Day festivities held at Waiohai Beach Club. (See our post with video from this Lei Day celebration.)

A Hawaiian culture expert by the name of Lopaka was on hand to tell about the significance of the lei in Hawaiian culture. We learned that the lei has much deeper meanings than what appears to the eye.

A lei tells a story starting with the lei maker taking a voyage into the forest to carefully collect the flowers, berries, nuts, leaves and/or feathers. The lei maker then invests their mana (energy) to create a this symbol of affection.

Lopaka receives a lei

A lei is a symbolizes connection. As each flower is connected to the next, the lei represents the connection of the lei maker and the recipient. A lei can also symbolize the connection of family from elders to parents to children. On a larger scale, the lei symbolizes the connection the human race shares.

A lei emanates the love of and awareness of the aina (land) and environment. A lei maker only uses what he or she needs. After the lei fades, in Hawaiian culture, the lei recipient would usually go to the ocean. Then, after some quiet contemplation, give the lei back to the environment.

After understanding the deeper meanings of the Hawaiian lei, I appreciate them much more.

Have you been an honored recipient of a lei during your Hawaii travels?

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With Wailea being one of Hawaii’s most luxurious beach resorts, Grand Wailea fits right in. The grand entrance with stately statues and water features make a great first impression for this high-end, Waldorf Astoria property.

We recently enjoyed a four-night stay at Grand Wailea and want to share our impressions with you. For a great first overview, check out our video tour of the resort.

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The Rooms

The rooms are well laid out with a large bathroom, plenty of closet space, coffee and refrigerator alcove, sitting area, desk and spacious lanai. We liked the oversized  bathroom with step-in shower and separate tub.

We loved sitting on the lanai and watching whales in the distance from our 6th floor perch. We splurged each morning with room service for breakfast to further enjoy the view from the lanai.

Room service with a view for breakfast

The absolute best part of the room was the bed. Oh my goodness! That was the most comfortable bed that I’ve ever experienced. The quality linens, fluffy comforter and pillow-top mattress cover made me feel as if I was sleeping on a cloud. If the call of Maui’s beauty wasn’t so loud, I would have gladly stayed in bed longer each morning.

Super luxurious king bed in the Haleakala Tower

The pools and beach amenities

Grand Wailea offers many excellent pools for guests to enjoy. They have one of the most unique pool features I’ve ever seen — it’s a water elevator that lifts to the starting point of a curvy waterside. Andy and I certainly enjoyed exploring the pools and acting like a couple of kids again.

After riding the water elevator and slipping down the slide, we encountered a very cool grotto swim-up bar where you can order smoothies, cocktails and snacks.

If finding a quiet spot for relaxation is what your hoping to find, there’s a place for that, too. The pool dedicated for adults only was peaceful.

Peaceful water features on the grounds of Grand Wailea

The resort fronts a really nice section of Wailea Beach with that part of the ocean having a sandy bottom. The resort provides the use of beach chairs and umbrellas for guests as part of the resort fee. Unfortunately, we were not able to use this amenity as it was always fully occupied when we checked.

Some tips about the pool and beach amenities:

- Guests must wear a wrist band for each day they use the pool and beach amenities.

- This resort is very, very popular. If you plan to have a pool or beach day, get an early start. We both had colds during our stay, so were slow to get going in the mornings. We didn’t typically make our way towards the poolside and beach until about 11 am. Each time, we probably spent at least 20 minutes waiting to get our wrist bands and then walking around to find two unoccupied chairs together anywhere — not just at a prime spot.

The restaurants

We dined at  Humuhumu and Alan Wong’s Amasia during our stay. We recommend both of them. Take note that they both offer Pau Hana Happy Hour specials, which can help you stretch your vacation budget.

Macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi on purple sweet potatoes with shitake mushrooms at Humuhumu

The name Humuhumu is short for the Hawaii state fish, the humuhumunukunukuapua’a. This open air restaurant serves Hawaii regional fare with many fresh Hawaiian fish options. In addition to the food, the sunset view from Humuhumu is superb.

Sunset view from Humuhumu

I would describe Amasia as an Asian version of a tapas restaurant serving Hawaii regional and global cuisine. There’s not really much of a view here, so don’t worry about getting here for sunset.

Amasia at Grand Wailea

The resort hosts an onsite luau. If the sound of the applause we heard as we took an evening stroll is any indicator, the luau must be a good one.

The spa

I first experienced Spa Grande on my first Maui trip in 2003. It’s still as impressive now as it was then. Like everything at Grand Wailea, Spa Grande is indeed grand in space and amenities.

Their Terme Hydrotherapy is very unique. What’s Terme Hydrotherapy? It includes all sorts of water-based pampering — like the soaking tubs inspired by individual Hawaiian islands and the  cascading waterfall that melts away shoulder, neck and back stress. Terme Hydrotherapy is included as part of all spa treatments.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get any photos of the spa. Photography is not allowed inside the spa to respect guests’ privacy.

A couple of tips about the spa:

- If possible try to schedule your spa treatment at a quiet time. Call the spa to ask when is the least busy time.

- Make sure you arrive about an hour before your treatment so that you can enjoy the Terme Hydrotherapy.

What else to know when you go:

- There’s a $25 per room per day resort fee that includes these “amenities.” While the lei greeting is nice, you specifically pay for it in the resort fee. I’d rather they not tell us that, to be honest.

- Parking is valet-only at a daily rate of $30.

- Here’s the link to their special offers.

- See more photos from our stay at Grand Wailea

Have you stayed, spa’d or dined at Grand Wailea on your Maui vacation? How was your experience?

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In addition to the attractive detectives solving the weekly crime mystery, Hawaii is the shining star of the CBS hit TV series Hawaii Five-0. We may never know the influence the show has had on Hawaii tourism, but every Monday night, the show highlights Hawaii’s beauty — enticing viewers to visit.

The vast majority of scenes are filmed on Oahu, where the Five-0 team is stationed in the tropical metropolis of Honolulu.

I love playing my own detective role with each episode by trying to determine where Hawaii Five-0 scenes are filmed. In fact, sometimes I find I’m more interested in the scenery than the story line.

I’ve put together this list of recognizable filming locations for fellow Hawaii Five-0 fans to explore as part of their Oahu vacation.

Kualoa Ranch
Many of the jungle and mountain scenes are filmed at Kualoa Ranch on windward Oahu. (See this map for the exact location.) The ranch has been the site of many television shows and movies, such as LOST, 50 First Dates and Jurassic Park, to name a few. The ranch offers a movie set and ranch tour that’s roughly an hour-long for $26 per adult and $15 for children. Read our review of this tour. Kualoa Ranch is nice to see, regardless of its television and big screen fame.

Near the entrance of Kualoa Ranch

Ali’iolani Hale — Hawaii Five-0 Headquarters 
Historic Iolani Palace and Ali’iolani Hale are located near each other in downtown Honolulu. In the show the exterior of Ali’iolani Hale is shown. This building is the headquarters for the state of Hawaii’s judicial system. You would probably also recognize the statue of King Kamehameha in front of the building.

Ali’iolani Hale in downtown Honolulu

Hilton Hawaiian Village
This longstanding Waikiki hotel has been the backdrop for many scenes. (See our post with photos and video of Hilton Hawaiian Village.)  When the team meets up for dinner, usually it’s at the oceanfront Tropics Bar and Grill, though I’m not sure how recognizable it would be.

Do you recall the episode when Chin was grieving the loss of his wife and he was sitting on the beach and Danno joined him? That was shot on the beach just outside of Tropics Bar and Grill. The rest of the team were dining in Tropics while Danno and Chin had there conversation.

Perhaps a more recognizable filming spot near Hilton Hawaiian Village, is where Kamekono parks his shrimp truck. It’s near the ocean side of Kahanamoku Lagoon. I believe the shrimp truck is only onsite just for filming, though. The scenery should look familiar. The following photo shows Rainbow Tower of Hilton Hawaiian Village. Kahanamoku Lagoon is located on the right side of Rainbow Tower. The shrimp truck scenes are filmed near the top sliver of sandy beach just to the left on Rainbow Tower  and near to the rock wall that’s built into the ocean.

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
Many of the show’s funeral scenes are filmed at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, which is also known as Punchbowl. Steve McGarrett’s father’s grave site is set here. We recommend that you visit this site regardless of your interest in the television show. It’s a beautiful and moving place to visit. See our post on visiting Punchbowl.

Punchbowl

Other Hawaii Five-0 related posts

• Though Leonard’s Bakery and Liliha Bakery haven’t been the sites of filming, their food has been featured. See Hawaii Five-0 has great taste in bakeries.
• During the first season, we shared these eight myths of Hawaii Five-0.

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Mahalo to Michael Hoven for sending today’s Aloha Friday Photo of lovely rainbow at Maui’s Kaanapali Beach. Here’s what Michael shared about his photo:

While walking on the boardwalk in Kaanapali on January 3rd, we came across this amazing rainbow. Not very often we get to see all the colors at home. We saw many rainbows during our time in Maui.

This rainbow appears to start in the beautiful blue Pacific to arch to the golden Kaanapali Beach sand. What a beautiful scene and moment definitely worth capturing on photo!

Mahalo again to Michael for sharing his Maui vacation photo with us!

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Did you see the Duck Dynasty season finale where the Robertsons take a family vacation to Hawaii? Wasn’t the scenery fantastic? If you caught the show and also the bug to take your own Hawaii vacation like the Duck Dynasty family, I took notes and have practically recreated Willie’s itinerary — from which hotel they stayed in to where they rode Segways in the jungle.

For a quick show recap, check out this Duck Digest of this Aloha Robertsons episode.

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First, the Duck Dynasty family flew to Kona Airport (KOA) on Hawaii, the Big Island. From there, they traveled about 20 minutes north to Waikoloa Beach Resort, which is an area we highly recommend for a Hawaii vacation. More specifically, they stayed at Hilton Waikoloa Village, which is one of Hawaii’s largest hotels and very family friendly.

One of the many pools at Hilton Waikoloa Village. I believe the lounge chairs on the right is where the Duck Dynasty family lounged before all the adventures began.

While the wives sipped lava flows (pina coladas with strawberry sauce) by the pool, the guys tried their luck with surfing lessons. They arranged their lessons through HYPR NALU.

The next adventure was over on the Hilo side of the island at World Botanical Gardens, where the guys rode Segways through tropical gardens and jungle. We didn’t see their Segway training scene, but I’m pretty sure their instructor did not teach them to drive like they were at a Segway rodeo, but it sure made for some great laughs when they got out of control. I’m also certain that the average person would not be permitted to climb into the river as that’s dangerous.

They must have made a stop, at least to film scenery for an interlude,at Akaka Falls while they were in this neck of the woods. It’s a beautiful, thin, straight line waterfall that plunges over 400 feet.

Akaka Falls

While the guys are off exploring the other side of the island and jumping off old lava rock structures at Hilo Bay, Phil and Miss Kay are enjoying a private oceanside couples massage at Kohala Spa, I believe.

Fire knife dancer at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Luau

To conclude the Duck Dynasty Hawaii vacation, the family gathers for their own private oceanside luau. Private luaus are unusual and probably extremely expensive, but the Robertsons can certainly afford it. If you go, I recommend you opt for one of the standard luaus and the Hilton Waikoloa Village has a nice one onsite.

There’s really so much more to see on Hawaii Island. The Duck Dynasty gang should have checked our popular guide to what to see and do on the Big Island, which also happens to be very budget-friendly.

So what did you think of the Duck Dynasty season finale in Hawaii? Did it get you wanting to book a Hawaii vacation like it did to me?

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The adventure starts in Lihue where you meet the fun guides and get your gear consisting of a helmet with a headlight and gloves. An informative and sometimes bumpy 30 to 45-minute van ride leads to a nice view of the oft cloud-covered Mount Wai’ala’ale – the water source for our tubing ride. You get to hop out of the van to take in the view.

Mount Wai’ala’ale

Then it’s back in the van for a short ride to the start of our floating adventure. The guides carefully assist each person as they plop into their tube. Overall, the guides did a great job keeping us together and safe all while having fun. They all had a great sense of humor.

Unlike typical mountain tubing adventures, the water source isn’t a river — it’s an irrigation ditch. This ditch was originally hand dug in the late 1800′s to water the booming sugar plantations. Now that the plantations have all gone, the flow is used for Kauai’s drinking water.

The ditch flows through a green forest with some tunnels. The water moved fast enough to have fun, but slow enough to enjoy the green canopy of ferns and trees in between tunnels. I believe we traveled approximately three or four miles of the irrigation ditch, though in total, it’s much longer than that.

After our float, we boarded the van for a short ride to a picnic spot for lunch and a swim. Lunch consisted of a make-your-own turkey sandwich, chips and a cookie. We had the option to swim again, but no one in our group did that. From there, we boarded the van to go back to the Lihue office where we started.

Our video will give you a better idea of the pace of the water and the scenery.

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What to know when you go:

- Pricing is $102 plus tax per person. We recommend that you check around for pricing. We were able to save 13% by booking through a Hawaii tours discount broker. If you enjoy the help that the guides provide, bring along some cash for gratuity.

- You must be age five or older, 43 inches or taller and weigh less than 300 lbs for this adventure.

- Don’t be surprised that you must weigh before heading out on the adventure. The weight is needed for the guides to choose the proper size tube for you.

- Bring/wear sunscreen and bug repellant.

- Wear swimwear and/or quick dry clothes. Ideally it’s best to wear a long-sleeved rash guard to prevent skin burns from skin catching on the tubes.

- Wear shoes that are designed to get wet like these. If you don’t have water shoes, the company rents reef shoes. I wouldn’t recommend wearing flip flops as you feet might scrape against the tunnel wall.

- There’s no need to bring a hat or visor as you’ll be wearing a helmet.

- Avoid sitting in the back of the van unless you want a very bumpy ride and don’t want to be able to hear the guide’s commentary on the drive. :-/

- You pre-order your lunch when you book. You have a choice of turkey sandwich or veggie sandwich. I ordered the veggie sandwich, but somehow my order didn’t make it.

- I recommend the late morning 10am start time so that the provided picnic lunch will best coincide with lunch time.

- Check out all our photos from the tubing adventure 

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The Hawaiian word kokua means help or assistance. With Hawaii’s beautiful but fragile environment, we as visitors need to give our kokua to help keep Hawaii litter-free.

A very easy way for us visitors to help keep Hawaii litter-free is to bring a reusable shopping bag. It’s not only eco-friendly, it’s practical, too.  As I have previously shared, we recommend you bring a reusable shopping bag that can provide multiple uses on your Hawaii vacation — like carrying your shopping, doubling as a beach bag and acting as a carry-on for your souvenirs on your way back home. We include bringing a reusable bag on our list of what to pack for Hawaii.

In 2015, Hawaii retailers will be prohibited from supplying plastic shopping bags. So, we might as well get into the habit of bringing our reusable bags now.

Reusable shopping bags make great beach bags.

Jack Johnson has written this catchy, short song to help remind us why it’s important to avoid plastic in Hawaii.

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With today being Earth Day, we’d love to hear how you try to make a difference to give your kokua to protect Hawaii’s environment. Please comment with your ideas.