Hawaii Vacation Blog

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

It doesn’t take a national travel listing to tell me how simply breathtaking Kauai’s Na Pali Coast really is. TripAdvisor added this magical place to its list of 20 most awe-inspiring destinations in the world, alongside the Taj Mahal and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.  The Nāpali Coast, also spelled as Na Pali, is a breathtaking […]

Every year, Hawaii celebrates the birthday of its only queen and last reigning monarch with a day of festivities. Song, dance and cultural demonstrations take place on the lawn of Iolani Palace; however, on her 175th birthday, Queen Liliuokalani had been honored with a different kind of gift. A new bronze plaque graces her six-foot-tall […]

According to Hawaiian oral tradition, Hawaii shark attacks were most common during the late summer and fall months, or, as they put it, “when the wiliwili tree blooms.” Turns out, they weren’t too far off from what scientists are now finding out. A recent study shows that female tiger sharks migrate to the Hawaiian Islands […]

Cat lovers visiting Hawaii get to tickle their fancies with a festival of viral cat videos. Dog lovers, on the other hand, get a festival filled with tail wagging and slobbery kisses. The Da Kine Canine Festival happens every year in the heart of Kailua. Dozens of pooch and their owners make their way to […]

It had been a while since I have visited Kapaa, so on a recent trip to Kauai, I made it a point to stop by this quaint east side town. Turns out, it had been a stop for coffee on our way out to the North Shore that steered us in this direction. We got […]

Looking for the best Kauai pie? Check out The Right Slice, which serves up slices of tropical goodness to customers from near and far.  Kauai Pie at The Right Slice There’s nothing like eating a dessert packed with the flavor of the islands, especially if you’re on vacation. And if you’re on Kauai looking for […]