Hawaii Vacation Blog

Downtown Honolulu is very much a walkable city, which is great news for residents and visitors alike. It’s a little over six miles from the iconic Diamond Head State Monument to the heart of Downtown, a flat south-to-north stretch with several straight-line routes along Ala Moana Boulevard, King Street, and Beretania Street.  And along those […]

Happily, with Summer 2022 comes the return of the Hawaii festivals and a variety of annual fairs and celebrations around the state that were shuttered by the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Virtually all pandemic gathering and capacity restrictions are lifted throughout Hawaii. The official start of summer in Hawaii is still more than a […]

As we barrel into Hawaii’s high-summer vacation season, we thought we’d point out some changes at a couple of Oahu’s popular visitor attractions. As Aloha Bruce noted on the latest Hawaii Vacations Podcast, visitor arrival numbers are approaching pre-pandemic levels. With Asia-Pacific arrivals expected to begin to surge as we move deeper into 2022, the […]

In Hawaii, “Almost Pau” is a life strategy, a philosophy that is abidingly optimistic. “Pau” means finished, by the way, in Hawaii. Done. Over. In the past. “Almost pau” is a zen-like acceptance of the fleeting nature of minor inconveniences. “Pau hana” means work is done, literally, but it also embodies the time of day […]

Hawaii’s Great Outdoors, its beaches and natural spaces, are generally the reason most people seek out a vacation in paradise. “Hawaii voluntourism” is an ever-growing movement among Hawaii visitors. Residents have embraced beach and natural space cleanups at unprecedented rates over the past two years, especially during the pandemic. There are many community organizations and […]

It’s been a long time since we’ve written about Oahu’s Rabbit Island Hawaii. Seen from the Makapu’u Lighthouse Lookout, Makapu’u Beach Park, and much of the Windward Side, it’s a familiar sight for residents whether or not they know its history and status.  The improved Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail and increased public parking to accommodate the […]

A Hawaii golf adventure is a dream for many, and it’s one reason we occasionally write about Hawaii golf courses here on the HAT Blog. Another reason is that Hawaii golf is a major contributor to Hawaii tourism revenue and to the state’s tax coffers, to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars each […]

The Merrie Monarch Festival begins on April 17, 2022. The beloved hula festival was begun in 1963, conceived as an effort to attract visitors to Hawaii Island. It celebrates the legacy of beloved King David Kalakaua, the Merrie Monarch himself, an elected king whose legacy of devotion to arts and culture and to the best […]

For the most recent Hawaii Vacation Podcast, Aloha Bruce and Yaling Fisher offered listeners some important information about “Big Island Pro’s and Con’s.” It got us here at the blog thinking in terms of “dos and don’ts” for Big Island visitors. New restrictions at Waipio Valley came immediately to mind. Back in February of this […]

Hawaii Tourism officials released Hawaii visitor arrivals and spending numbers for February 2022, which indicate a near return to pre-pandemic levels. This was not unexpected, but it is remarkable: those 2022 arrival and spending numbers are nearly back to normal even with just a trickle of visitor traffic arriving from Asia and other international markets. […]

First, some facts about flying to Hawaii: I love to travel. I view air travel with the same loathing as anyone would fear a root-canal or an IRS audit. I’ve just returned from a trip to Denver. We flew direct on United. Our return trip was on the final full day of Hawaii Safe Travels […]

The Hawaii Aloha Travel Blog recently returned to the Hard Rock Cafe Honolulu after a long three years. We are happy to report that it remains one of Waikiki’s “must-do” establishments. The food is great, the prices are reasonable even for Waikiki, and the location is central to pretty much everything there is to do […]