Category: Hawaii Culture & Happenings

Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast listeners will have noticed by now that Aloha Bruce has been flying solo of late, as co-host Lanai Tabura has been bouncing around between Hawaii and the mainland for a variety of local and national television productions with Aloha Plate Food Truck. He is a busy man (and Emmy Award winner) […]

 Hawaii’s film and television industry hummed along quietly during the worst of the pandemic. The pandemic slowed productions, but it did not stop them altogether. Funded by big “Hollywood money”, productions were able to maintain rigorous testing and distancing practices. The cameras kept rolling. No one seemed to notice because most of us were self-isolating […]

The topic of fresh fish in Hawaii dining is dominated by the big ones: ahi tuna, marlin, mahi mahi. There’s good reason for that. They’re delicious. But Hawaii is home to a bewildering assortment of tasty reef fish that you are unlikely to find on the menu anywhere other than a dry-erase board on a […]

We love our local food here in the Aloha State, especially here at Hawaii Aloha Travel. Our custom food tour is curated to offer the best of what Oahu’s farms and eateries have to offer. And we love to feature those establishments on the blog and Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast as well. But you don’t […]

Hawaii’s Comedy U and Jose “Dynamite” Figuera are keeping the laughs alive in Honolulu as the Aloha State continues its economic recovery amid the global coronavirus pandemic. Comedy U boasts a roster of talented and committed standup comedians and two showcase performances weekly at two popular Honolulu venues, The Blue Note and Hawaiian Brian’s. Jose […]

At the top of Nuuanu Avenue, about a mile and a half from the bustle of Downtown Honolulu, Oahu visitors can visit the Royal Mausoleum. Known as “Mauna Ala” in the Hawaiian language, it is the final resting place of many members of Hawaii’s royal family and retainers. It is an excellent way to experience […]

The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) and Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) have created a new video “Kuleana Campaign” to educate visitors about cultural norms and practices unique to the Aloha State. These unwritten rules are important to knowing what it means “Live Aloha” while enjoying a Hawaii vacation. All of the videos are available […]

On Hawaii Island, Kona’s Ronnie V & the Family Band offer visitors and residents a live music experience that transcends the Hawaii trope of strumming ukulele and falsetto warbling. A mix of bluegrass and blues, gypsy jazz and folk, and an eye for the love of the land, the outfit is unique among the many […]

The US Post Office has released a “forever” postage stamp featuring the USS Missouri battleship. Now a museum ship docked in Pearl Harbor on Oahu, the “Mighty Mo” played a significant role in one of the most important events in modern world history. (Forever Stamps are good for First Class postage regardless of future rate […]

When erupted on Hawaii Island on May 24, 2018, it made headlines around the world. Video and images of fountains and fast-moving rivers of lava drew many thousands of visitors and residents alike for lava viewing. The eruption slowed to a stop, with Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory stopping daily volcano updates in early October 2018 for […]

I recently had relatives visiting from Philadelphia who were staying in a time-share at Disney at Aulani, far from Downtown Honolulu and Waikiki. With just a couple of hours to spend together, I decided to take them to the (Punchbowl Cemetery, informally). It turned out to be a good choice, as I was to learn […]

Kauai visitors have a host of Kauai entertainment options to choose from throughout January to begin the New Year. The Garden Isle outside of resort hot-spots like Poipu and Princeville can be considered, generally and accurately, as quiet and pastoral. Its lush vegetation and pristine beaches are what come to mind when describing Kauai, not […]