You know coming in that Hawaii is loaded with amazing tropical scenery and unique natural attractions. There are lots of ways to see it all: tour buses, rental cars, inter-island cruises, helicopter rides or hiking, for example.
But if you like to ride a bike, that just might be your answer. In a single bicycle tour, you could explore historic village ruins, investigate a missionary church and watch small-town children fly exotic kites in the tradewinds. You can pedal for miles along scenic, unpopulated coastlines, and maybe stop to sample Hawaiian wine and even spend the night at a beachside campsite.
The slower pace of a bicycle compliments the pace and laid-back lifestyle typical of Hawaii. Instead of being another frantic mainlander speeding to cram sights into a short vacation, you can linger over each view or spectacle that intrigues you. You may be surprised by offerings of advice, help, cold drinks, or directions to a secret local spot by local residents.
Hidden delights are everywhere, and you don’t have to pedal marathon distances before you come across an opportunity to hike, kayak, snorkel, or just relax on the beach. Even if you aren’t a cycling enthusiast, but just someone who’d like to challenge yourself, enjoy Hawaii’s air and waters, and go to bed pleasantly weary from the day’s adventures, you’ll be more than satisfied.
While Hawaii is a great cycling destination, the sport has yet to sweep through the islands. Be aware that facilities like repair shops and the lack of alternative means of transportation make for a pretty weak support network. Many roads are in poor condition. But even with those disadvantages, Hawaii can come surprisingly close to the ideal.
There are bicycle tour companies on all of the major islands. They will provide you with route maps and suggested stops. Most of the companies also offer tour guides, helmets, support vehicles, repair services, meals and accommodations, but the whole gamut can cost as much as $2,500, not including your airfare. Of course, if you come with your own bike and go it on your own …
Pick an agent from our Web site home page (hawaii-aloha.com) or call 1-800-843-8771. We’ll help you set up your Hawaii cycling vacation.
When you visit a new place for your vacation, it’s a little like your first day at a new school or moving to another part of the country. You know that millions have been there before you, but you still don’t want to do anything to embarrass yourself.
Here are some things you might keep in mind for your visit: Visiting a Private Home Take a small gift – a dessert, for instance – and take off your shoes before going inside. (Your host may urge you not to bother.) If you know ahead of time that you will visit a private home, take an offering from where you live – sourdough bread from the Bay area, scrapple from Philadelphia, beef from the Midwest, etc.
In Your Rental Car Hawaii drivers are usually easy-going and courteous. Use of your car horn is unnecessary, except to warn of an imminent accident. If you’re used to driving in a large U.S. city, that can be almost unnerving. And there’s very little of the “Me first!” drill. You will almost never have to cut someone off to get into a lane; just use your turn signal and you’ll be let in. When you’re let in, wave a thanks to the other driver. (Locally we use the “shaka” sign, which you’ll pick up as soon as you arrive.) Dining Most locals use chopsticks comfortably, but you need not have acquired the knack to feel at ease in a restaurant of any kind. Some Asian restaurants place only chopsticks at their place settings but will gladly provide conventional utensils upon request. Otherwise, you aren’t likely to encounter anything you wouldn’t expect to find at any other destination. Everywhere Remember that we don’t use east, west, north and south much. When giving directions, we’ll usually send you toward a landmark. “Mauka” says toward the mountains; “makai” means toward the sea, and they, of course, work on all the islands.
Pick up your trash, and don’t mess with our sea turtles, monk seals or coral reefs.
When visiting the Big Island, it is important to not take any black sand, as it is said that doing so angers the Hawaiian goddess Pele.
If there is a custom in your home area, tell us about it. We’re eager to hear about it, and it might even take hold here in the islands. Zillions of customs from around the world now are commonplace in the islands and respected by everybody.
That’s about it. Very little to worry about. Relax and enjoy your vacation.
If you’re staying in Waikiki and don’t want to travel too far away, a nice alternative is a visit to Ala Moana Beach Park. Within walking distance or short drive from most of the hotels, this is a great place to enjoy the beach and also mingle with locals.
The park itself is kind of like the "Central Park" of Hawaii. This is were a lot of locals gather and also the site of many family activities and gatherings throughout the year. It’s adjacent to the very popular Magic Island and the entire area encompasses over 76 acres. On just about any given weekend you’ll find something happening, from fireworks displays to outdoor concerts and events.
While the beach there is relatively safe for swimming, caution should be taken in certain areas. There can be swift tidal changes and strong undercurrents so make sure that you adhere to any signage posted by the lifeguards which are on duty. Most days the water is calm and it’s protected by an outer reef. The beach was actually man-made by accident when a dredging company back in the 1950s dumped the sand here.
You can make a real great day of it by going to Ala Moana Beach Park and then heading over to the famous Ala Moana Center, the largest shopping center in Hawaii where you’ll find everything you can imagine from a shopping perspective. All of the major stores are there as well as restaurants and a food court.
Considering all that Hawaii has to offer, tours of Kalaupapa National Historical Park on the island of Molokai seem a little … well, gloomy. Now more than twenty-five years old, the park is dedicated to preserving the memories and experiences of the past.
The park’s mission is to provide a well-maintained community to ensure that the present resident patients of the Kalaupapa Settlement may live out their lives there. The park also supports the education of present and future generations concerning Hansen’s disease or leprosy, a disease shrouded in fear and ignorance for centuries.
Suddenly, visitor interest in Kalaupapa, on the northern edge of the island, is surging. And it will likely continue to increase when the Vatican proclaims Father Damien — the 19th century priest who cared for the Hansen’s disease patients — a saint, most likely late next year. (Hansen’s disease has been curable since the development of sulfone drugs in the 1940s, and people treated with drugs aren’t contagious.)
Two dozen patients still live at the settlement, and they are anxious to celebrate Kalaupapa’s most famous resident. They would welcome pilgrims at Damien’s church and grave.
On the other hand, they are wary of hordes of tourists interrupting the settlement’s serenity and desecrating the land.
Kalaupapa’s attraction for tourists comes from the story behind the Vatican’s recognition of a miracle attributed to Damien, who died in 1889 after contracting Hansen’s disease himself. An 80-year-old Catholic woman from Oahu visited Kalaupapa a decade ago and prayed at Damien’s grave after learning she had terminal cancer. In less than a year, the cancer had vanished.
This summer, Pope Benedict XVI ruled that Damien had intervened since there was no scientific explanation for her recovery.
Visitors are limited to 100 per day, and Kalaupapa can be reached only by light aircraft, mule ride or a hike of an hour or two.
If you’d like to learn more, ask one of the agents at our Web site Hawaii-aloha.com or call 1-800-843-8771.
Okay, here’s an idea for a way to spend a pleasant vacation day on the Big Island of Hawaii. You get up bright and early and take a swim in the ocean – say, two and a half miles. When you get out of the water, jump on a bike and pedal for a hundred miles or so. Then leave your bike and run as fast as you can over 25 miles of volcanic terrain.
Sound ridiculous? Well, believe it or not, 1,700 hardy souls will be doing just that on October 11th, and they had to scramble for the opportunity either through a lottery or by winning a spot at one of the qualifying events held around the world.
It’s the Ironman World Championship, held in and from Kona each year at this time. For triathletes, there is no bigger day in the sport than the Ford Ironman World Championship. It is the race that brought the sport of age, and it continues to be the defining race for any avid triathlete.
While there are thousands of triathlons around the world, this is the one that defines the sport. It all began at an Awards Ceremony for a relay running race in Honolulu in 1977. A group of local athletes discussed the idea of an endurance triathlon – consisting of three major events that already existed on Oahu. It was suggested that the sports be combined to create a single-day event and that whoever finishes first should be called the Ironman." The Ironman has since become triathlon’s Super Bowl, Wimbledon, World Series, World Cup, and Tour de France all rolled into one. What makes this event so unique is that "average" people get to compete alongside the best in the world.
Just finishing an Ironman race is often the highlight of many triathletes’ careers. Athletes with disabilities now compete in the event in the physically challenged category, and they are required to meet the same cutoff times as able-bodied competitors.
5,000 volunteers help to put the event together, and the path to the finish is lined with more that 10,000 spectators. It’s a magnificent spectacle for visitors, participants and even Big-Island residents. If you’re going to be in Hawaii during mid-October and would like to be in on the excitement, pick an agent from our Web site home page (hawaii-aloha.com), or call 1-800-843-8117.
One of the most common questions we are asked is whether or not there is gambling in Hawaii. The short answer is no however, there are many reasons why and lots of theories on this issue.
Hawaii is only one of two states that has no legalized gambling of any kind. That means no lotteries, horse races, sports betting, or even bingo. The only other state that doesn’t have any kind of legalized gambling is a Utah. If you’re traveling on a cruise ship in the Hawaiian Islands unfortunately, there is no gambling on cruise ships in Hawaiian waters either.
Most people in Hawaii oppose gambling because they think it takes away from the family atmosphere and will create more problems than good. There’s some truth to that, one of the great things about Hawaii is that it is a family destination and that means there’s lots of things to do here without having gambling as part of the vacation mix. You can come to Hawaii and not have to worry about losing your shirt in a casino. It’s also no secret that a Hawaiian vacation can be costly so gambling is another expense you won’t have to worry about on your vacation. Sure there are a lot of people that can afford to lose substantial sums of money but, that usually doesn’t include most of us.
On the other side of the issue there are those that think that gambling in Hawaii would be a great thing for the state of and would bring much-needed revenue. There are also those who feel that the Akaka bill, which has been in Congress for awhile, if passed, will mean that native Hawaiians will be able to build casinos on Hawaiian lands just as native Indians do on the mainland. It’s kind of ironic that the number one destination for people that actually live in Hawaii is Las Vegas. Locals in Hawaii really do love to gamble so it makes you wonder what impact legalized gambling would actually have on the local population here in Hawaii.
No matter which side of the issue you’re on at the present time you’ll have to keep your poker chips in your pocket. There won’t be any gambling in the foreseeable future for Hawaii. So for now come to Hawaii, don’t worry about having to gamble, and we promise we won’t tell anybody you’re building sand castles on the beach.
Visitors and kamaaina alike can still get a decent hotel room in Hawaii for under $100 a night. The trick is using the Internet to find one. That’s how Phoenix friends Diane Dillon, an artist, and Arlene London, a clinical researcher for a pharmaceutical company, found the Aqua Palms & Spa for $90 a night. The 262-room boutique property, one block from the beach and less than a mile from Ala Moana Center, has a 3-diamond rating from AAA. It’s in the same block of Ala Moana Boule-vard as the Wailana Coffee House, another perk for Aqua Palms guests. "Shopping and beach, that’s all I want," said Dillon, as she and London waited to check in this week.
Aqua Hotels’ 12 Waikiki properties are running about 90 percent full as most Ha¬waii hotels struggle to fill rooms. Oahu’s occupancy was 64.8 percent for the week ending Sept. 6, down 5.6 percentage points from the same week last year.In addition to the Aqua Palms, the Aqua Aloha Surf and The Equus were offering the $90 rate for Web reservations. The ‘ latest addition to the Aqua line, the Best Western Coconut Waikiki Hotel—it’s the only Best Western in Waikiki—currently averages $130 a night. "We set up the company to offer value-added hotels," said Mike Paulin, Aqua’s CEO. "That means adjustments like offer¬ing free breakfasts and other deals through the Internet. People like free." The big outfits like Expedia, Travelocity and Tripadvisor dominate the search for cheap rooms, but locally-based companies try to sell their Hawaii expertise to Web surfers.
Just last week Hawaii-Aloha.com added a link to its Web page that lists hotels in the $80-$100 economy range all the way up to the $400-$600 luxury range. "There are other inexpensive hotels out there, but we have visited to make sure they are clean with decent bedding, and that there are no complaints from customers," said Hawaii-Aloha.com President Bruce Fisher. "If customers start to complain about a hotel, it’s no good. It will spread all over the Internet." Hawaii-Aloha.com still is fine-tuning its new link, which uses Google-like program-ming. It utilizes the familiar pinpoint icon and zoom control used by Google Maps to locate properties. The links take viewers to slide shows, video and details of the hotels. The Castle Ocean Resort Hotel Waikiki, for example, at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki, has nightly rates starting at $89
"This resort is smoke-free and situated right on the Honolulu bus route, which makes it a breeze to get around town," says Hawaii-Aloha.com. "Ask about fourth night free." Or check out the Castle Maile Sky Court, where rates start at $96. "High-rise, nothing fancy, furniture is simple," states a Hawaii-Aloha.com agent. "The units are clean, restaurant in the lobby, pool is OK, nice for sunbathing." "The Maile Sky Court ain’t the Taj Ma¬hal," Fisher said. "There’s no balconies. But we’ve never had any complaints." Hawaii-Aloha.com, which books up to 200 Mainland customers each month, recommends no Neighbor Island hotels for under $100.But it does list one Maui property, three on Kauai and four on the Big Island that go for well under $150 a night.
But it does list one Maui property, three on Kauai and four on the Big Island that go for well under $150 a night.
Okay, you’re thinking about a vacation in Hawaii and considering all you’d like to do here before you finalize your plans. You’ve heard about most of the possibilities – the beaches, attractions, landmarks, great dining, entertainment, water sports, historical sites, natural wonders – and you hope to indulge in as many as you can.
But admit it: Don’t you kind of long to get off by yourself and be pampered in serenity and privacy, with everything focusing solely on your comfort and pleasure?
Hawaii has an abundance of spas in hotels and resorts and as free-standing oases. Most of them are truly wonderful; more than a dozen are rated among the world’s finest. Massage therapy is available at all of them. One of the most popular treatments is the lomilomi massage. It’s very spiritual, using long rhythmic strokes, and was an important aspect of ancient Hawaiian culture. A lot of the treatments feature local ingredients such as sugar, coffee, honey and macadamia nut oil.
There are skin-care therapies galore – deep-sea, lava stone, microdermabrasion crystals, skin-lightening – and even facials for men.
But the ultimate is an entire day of papering. A few larger resorts – notably Hilton Waikoloa Resort on the Big Island and the Grand Wailea Resort on Maui – offer utopian surroundings and all-day “spa journeys.” You bask and loll in luxury through it all. You can get massages in your room. If you’re a couple, you can get simultaneous treatments. You can experience a number of specialty baths: Japanese Furo, Roman Tub, sauna, steam room, cascading waterfall shower, and Swiss jet showers.
Sure, it’s expensive. Figure on an a-la-carte rate of $80 -$90 per hour for most treatments; less depending on the treatment and the length of your indulgence.
So go ahead. Pamper yourself on your Hawaii vacation. You’re sure to return home relaxed, rejuvenated and ready to face the grind.
They call it the “Forbidden Island” or the “Mystery Isle” or the “Distant Isle.”
Niihau, the smallest of Hawaii’s inhabited islands, is planted southwest of the westernmost “major” island, Kauai. Mysterious through its obscurity alone, Niihau simply is privately owned, having been purchased from Kamehameha V in 1864, and the owners haven’t been inclined to turn it into a tourist destination. You certainly won’t see it promoted as such. The privacy has led some of the few Hawaii visitors who become aware of the island to imagine hostile “natives” armed and ready to drive off any intruders. Hardly.
It’s certainly beautiful enough. It embraces Hawaii’s only natural lake, Lake Halulu, lazy monk seals bask on the immaculate beaches, reef fish browse in calm waters and glass balls still wash up on the shore.
If you like the idea of venturing where few others have ever been, there actually are escorted day tours to Niihau via helicopter or catamaran. Usually, the tour will take you past the spectacular Na Pali coast of Kauai, then cross the channel and land you on one of those great Niihau beaches, where you can picnic for breakfast and/or lunch, swim, snorkel and relax in unimagined seclusion.
You can even go hunting! A helicopter will take you, you’ll be fed lunch, and you can get permission to shoot a boar and a sheep.
What sports paraphernalia do your kids cherish? Bat, ball and glove, soccer ball, football, hockey or lacrosse stick, basketball?
Here in Hawaii, kids have surfboards, of course. They tote them to the beaches on bikes, simply carry them, or are lucky enough to have cooperative parents willing to put racks on the roofs of their cars.
Less familiar to visitors is the canoe paddle. Paddling and canoe racing comprise one of the most popular activities in the Hawaiian islands. Hawaii has more than 60 canoe clubs and more than 5000 people are actively involved in the sport. Actually, the number goes far beyond that, as friends and extended families flock to paddling events.
Long-distance races continue to grow in popularity. The annual Molokai-Oahu race is a highly-promoted, grueling channel-crossing, and on the Big Island the Queen Lili’uokalani Race on the west shore now is attracting canoes and their owners from all over the islands.
All paddlers, even the very young ones, know that the waves are capricious. A calm surface can change abruptly into a raging turbulence of foam. Every paddler must learn about the swell, wind, and vastness of the sea. Each is steeped in Hawaiian history, guided by the ancient Hawaiians, for whom the canoe brought life in the form of fish protein.
More than a millennium before Captain Cook arrived, a group of intrepid Polynesians braved the Pacific in search of land. They traveled by canoe at night, without instruments, and depended on the stars guide their way.
When they reached Hawaii, they discovered the giant koa tree, from which they could craft canoe hulls out of a single piece. Because they also discovered that the rough waters surrounding the islands made fishing challenging at best, the building of the canoe became a religious procedure.
A specially-trained kahuna (Hawaiian priest), alert to any propitious or disastrous signs, would search for the perfect site and tree. His guide was the elepaio, a Hawaiian bird attracted to rotting koa wood. If the bird liked the tree, the kahuna knew not to use it. The canoe’s final consecration, before its maiden voyage, included the sacrifice of a pig and a dog. The pig symbolized the ‘rooting’ of the canoe into the open sea, and the dog the tearing apart the billows of the ocean.
Today, a day at the races is a big deal not only for the paddlers, but for onlookers, as well. Pigs may be sacrificed for the inevitable tailgaiting, and family dogs are safe to circle the raucous, cheering throngs in hopes of finding dropped morsels. In the meantime, TV cameras capture all the action for the evening news.
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Aqua Hotels’ 12 Waikiki properties are running about 90 percent full as most Ha¬waii hotels struggle to fill rooms. Oahu’s occupancy was 64.8 percent for the week ending Sept. 6, down 5.6 percentage points from the same week last year.In addition to the Aqua Palms, the Aqua Aloha Surf and The Equus were offering the $90 rate for Web reservations. The ‘ latest addition to the Aqua line, the Best Western Coconut Waikiki Hotel—it’s the only Best Western in Waikiki—currently averages $130 a night. "We set up the company to offer value-added hotels," said Mike Paulin, Aqua’s CEO. "That means adjustments like offer¬ing free breakfasts and other deals through the Internet. People like free." The big outfits like Expedia, Travelocity and Tripadvisor dominate the search for cheap rooms, but locally-based companies try to sell their Hawaii expertise to Web surfers.
