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Posts by Aloha
Merrie Monarch Festival Celebrates Hula Tradition in Hilo
One of Hawaii’s most beloved festivals is underway in Hilo on the Big Island. The Merrie Monarch Festival is a hula competition that began in 1964 as an attempt to attract visitors to the Big Island, which was reeling due to the collapse of the sugar industry there. The festival honors King David Kalakaua, who…
Read MoreMaui’s Weird Dancing Rules
In Hawaii, there are four county governments: the City & County of Honolulu (Oahu), Kauai County, Hawaii County (Big Island), and Maui County (Maui, Molokai, Lanai). Maui County has distinguished itself as somewhat peculiar in one rather particular regard, and that is its Liquor Commission’s policy on dancing in establishments that serve alcohol. Simply put,…
Read MoreWaikiki Surfing by Moonlight
Waikiki surfing is more than a sport or a tourist activity. For many, it’s a way of life. But moonlit surfing in Waikiki is a unique experience, drawing athletes from around the world who want to catch a wave after dark. The Search For Uncrowded Surf Surfers are known, notorious even, for going to extremes…
Read MoreSpring and the Lunar Calendar in Hawaii
There are Hawaiian-ized names for the months of the year, similar to their English counterparts but adapted to accommodate a language that has only five vowels and twelve consonants. April is “” in Hawaiian. But the Hawaiian lunar calendar is much more complex, with each of the 28 phases of the moon noted in close…
Read MoreOn the Waterfront at Honolulu Harbor
The single most important landmark for Hawaii’s economy isn’t a tourist attraction. Not really, anyway. Aside from the cruise ships that disgorge wobbly passengers at Aloha Tower, Honolulu Harbor is Hawaii’s shipping center, a sort of belly button, or piko, that connects our state to the rest of the world. Because well over 80% of…
Read MoreMakaha Valley Country Club Golf: Worth the Drive
Along the Oahu’s Waianae Coast, the famous Makaha Beach and Yokohama Bay further up the coast are the most popular destinations for more intrepid visitors not dissuaded by the 90-minute drive from Waikiki or the grittiness of life out there. There is a string of public parks at beaches in Nanakuli, Waianae, and Maili, but…
Read MoreParking at HNL: Know Before You Go
Let’s face it. There is a whole lot that can go wrong when you’re traveling abroad. Weather delays and cancelled flights. Mechanical problems. Teething babies. High airfares. With so much beyond our control, savvy travelers know that taking care of the things we do have control over is our only defense against those forces that,…
Read MoreHawaii Barbeque Essentials
If, during your Hawaii vacation, you find yourself and/or your family invited to a potluck barbeque by someone you’ve met here, there are a couple of important things to consider. First, you’re probably pretty awesome. Locals here are warm and welcoming. But that doesn’t mean that we’re cavalier about who we allow into our lives.…
Read MoreTaro Farmers, Back to Basics
For visitors to Hawaii, luau productions are a fun way to experience the hula-dancing, smiling Polynesian trope most people around the world are familiar with. Plastic flower lei, industrial amounts of luau food, a boisterous emcee: all of these have long been associated with the common perception of Hawaii by those who don’t know better.…
Read More2 Arts Festivals Prosper in Honolulu
There are two different arts festivals taking place on Oahu this month, PowWow! Hawaii and the Oahu Fringe festival. Pow!Wow! Hawaii focuses on the visual arts with a musical element, and the Oahu Fringe festival features performance art, music, dance, and theater. Pow!Wow! Hawaii is a series of events that feature gallery shows, lecture series,…
Read MoreA Day in the Heart of Manoa Valley
For most Waikiki visitors, the jagged ridgeline of Manoa Valley is merely the pleasant green backdrop of a vacation in paradise. But Manoa offers treasures of its own, far from the rolling surf and deep in an almost impossibly lush forest. For residents who live or work in Waikiki, the Manoa ridgeline is as familiar…
Read MorePunahou Carnival Beyond the Midway
The coming weekend brings one of Oahu’s most popular events, attracting thousands of residents each year, the Punahou School Carnival. Like the annual Lantern Floating Festival, the 4th of July Fireworks at Magic Island, and the Aloha Festivals Parade, the carnival is a quintessential part of life for countless Oahu families. It’s a yearly ritual,…
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