Hawaii Vacation Blog

Have You Tried Haulolo?

When haupia and kulolo make a baby, you get HAULOLO. The hybrid dessert combines two traditional Hawaiian foods into one non-traditional creation. Haupia (coconut-milk-based) and kulolo (taro-based) have been featured items at the luau table for decades. But only recently have the two been deliciously married into something rather wonderful. Pomai Kulolo is the company […]

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Aloha Plate Wins Food Truck Race

Congrats to Team Aloha Plate for winning season four of “The Great Food Truck Race”! The popular show on the Food Network follows eight teams of food truck amateurs as they embark upon a culinary road trip across the country. Local comedian and Pidgin 101 creator Lanai Tabura, his brother Chef Adam Tabura and buddy […]

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A Toast to Kona Brewing Co.

Cheers! To Kona Brewing Co. for being innovative in their bottle design. Glass Packaging Institute awarded the company’s Longboard Island Lager for its “innovation, packaged design and consumer appeal.” Introduced in April 2013, the new design also has a smaller carbon footprint, according to an article by “Pacific Business News.” By working with a glass […]

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Hawaii is Crazy for Cronuts

Have you tried a cronut yet? If not, then be sure to get the croissant-donut hybrid on your next Hawaii vacation. The incredible creation came from New York but has since spread to the islands by way of local culinary artists – and in a matter of months, too! Regal Bakery in Downtown Honolulu had been […]

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Taste of Summer: Li Hing Pickled Mango

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled mango. Oh, how I wish I was Peter Piper right about now. For weeks, I’ve been trying to get my hands on a jar of li hing pickled mango. The season for this juicy, ripe summery pick is quickly coming to a close – meaning, I’ll have to wait […]

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Teriyaki Spam? Can!

Breaking News: Spam now made in teriyaki flavor. LOL. You might have done one of several things after reading that sentence. Squealed with excitement while licking your lips; plotted where to get your next musubi; cringed in disgust or scratched your head at all the fuss. My reaction had been a mixture of hunger and […]

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Big Island Cookies: Hilo’s Sweet Spot

No trip to Hilo is complete without getting some Big Island cookies and candies. These delicious concoctions are available at Big Island Candies, right in the heart of Hilo.  A Taste to Remember My taste buds first met this wonderful creation of chocolate-dipped mac nut shortbread Big Island cookies during a fifth-grade day trip. The […]

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Watch Out for Wana!

Lets just say, if you see a reef full of black sea urchins (like the ones pictured above), you probably want to avoid getting near them. Wana (vah-nuh) is every beach-goers’ worst nightmare because of their sharp toxin spines that may puncture your skin. Ouch! It hurts just thinking about them. I once endured the […]

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Mochi Haven at Two Ladies Kitchen

Join us as we visit Two Ladies Kitchen on Hawaii Island. It’s a Hilo treasure that will win your heart (via your taste buds).  The Treasure Within As the worn-out phrase goes, don’t judge a book by its cover, and in the case of a popular Hilo mochi shop, it’s what is waiting inside that’ll […]

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50 Years of Polynesian Cultural Center

Happy 50th birthday to the Polynesian Cultural Center! More commonly known as PCC, the Mormon-church-owned center attracts thousands of visitors ever year – over 30 million to date. But even more impressive are the thousands of Mormons who traveled to Hawaii in celebration of this week. These include alumni of the nearby Brigham Young University-Hawaii, most […]

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Exploring Hawaiian Bamboo Groves

Hawaii, known for its myriad landscapes, promises a journey of vibrant contrasts. One moment, you’re treading along a secluded forest trail, and the next, you find yourself dwarfed amidst a soaring bamboo grove. The dramatic transformation in the terrain, from dense forests to towering bamboo groves, paints a vivid picture of Hawaii’s diverse ecosystems. This […]

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Hidden Reservoir in Nuuanu

If you’ve ever hiked the trail to Pauoa Flats, it is likely you’ve seen the Nuuanu Reservoir right below the lookout. A 20-foot-dilapidated tower and rusted bridge sway ever-so slightly in lush Nuuanu valley; with the exception of a faint echo of cars zipping along the Pali, everything at the reservoir remains still, and there […]

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