Hula Planet:What To Do In Hawaii

Beautiful Leis from Kona Coffee Festival

With today being Lei Day in Hawaii, I thought it would be a great excuse to write about some outstanding leis we saw at the Kona Coffee Festival on Hawaii’s Big Island. As you will see each of these leis are gorgeous, but what makes them even more special is that they incorporate

Haleakala Sunrises–Fresh Every Morning

Catching a sunrise atop Maui’s Haleakala is truly spectacular. Each sunrise is unique. We’ve personally witnessed sunrise from Haleakala on three different occasions and they’ve all been different. I want to share our photos from those three visits so that you can see the variations. I’ll share them chronologically. This first photo is from April 2003. Our next visit was in January 2006. On this clear morning, we could see the summit of Mauna Kea on Hawaii’s Big Island rising above the clouds to the right of Haleakala. Can you see Mauna Kea in the following photo? Our most recent visit was on a cloudy morning in April 2009. Though the sunlight was filtered through the clouds, you can see that this sunrise was even more dramatic even though the sun itself was not visible. In this GoHawaii video , Cultural Educator, Nan Cabatbat, says that she’s been coming to Haleakala summit for more than 17 years and hasn’t seen the same sunrise yet. Isn’t that amazing? If you are making Maui vacation plans, I hope that you’ll include seeing sunrise on Haleakala as one of your top things to see and do on Maui .  You’ll find these Haleakala articles to be helpful for your planning: – Useful tips for seeing Haleakala sunrise – Very important directions to see sunrise from Haleakala summit – Comparison of whether you should see Haleakala sunrise versus sunset We’ve been blessed to have seen Haleakala sunrise three times. I hope there will be a fourth time and then some more. © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .

Haleakala Sunrises–Fresh Every Morning

Catching a sunrise atop Maui’s Haleakala is truly spectacular. Each sunrise is unique. We’ve personally witnessed sunrise from Haleakala on three different occasions and they’ve all been different. I want to share our photos from those three visits so that you can see the variations. I’ll share them chronologically. This first photo is from April 2003. Our next visit was in January 2006. On this clear morning, we could see the summit of Mauna Kea on Hawaii’s Big Island rising above the clouds to the right of Haleakala. Can you see Mauna Kea in the following photo? Our most recent visit was on a cloudy morning in April 2009. Though the sunlight was filtered through the clouds, you can see that this sunrise was even more dramatic even though the sun itself was not visible. In this GoHawaii video , Cultural Educator, Nan Cabatbat, says that she’s been coming to Haleakala summit for more than 17 years and hasn’t seen the same sunrise yet. Isn’t that amazing? If you are making Maui vacation plans, I hope that you’ll include seeing sunrise on Haleakala as one of your top things to see and do on Maui .  You’ll find these Haleakala articles to be helpful for your planning: – Useful tips for seeing Haleakala sunrise – Very important directions to see sunrise from Haleakala summit – Comparison of whether you should see Haleakala sunrise versus sunset We’ve been blessed to have seen Haleakala sunrise three times. I hope there will be a fourth time and then some more. © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .

Video of the 2nd Annual Lanai Ukulele Festival 2012

If you’ve been following along, you’ve already seen our day one , day two , and day three diary entries from the 2nd Annual Lanai Ukulele Festival . Now that we’re back on the mainland, we’ve put together a full length HD video summarizing this excellent three-day ukulele event. Rather than try to use words to describe how awesome this ukulele festival was, we’ll just highly encourage you to check out this video : (Email subscribers, click this link: 2nd Annual Lanai Ukulele Festival Video ) In addition, we took dozens of photos of the ukulele performers while at the festival. Check out the 2nd Annual Lanai Ukulele Festival photoset on Flickr! Please leave a comment and tell us who your favorite performer was! We’re on facebook! Please click here to join us. © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .

Video of the 2nd Annual Lanai Ukulele Festival 2012

If you’ve been following along, you’ve already seen our day one , day two , and day three diary entries from the 2nd Annual Lanai Ukulele Festival . Now that we’re back on the mainland, we’ve put together a full length HD video summarizing this excellent three-day ukulele event. Rather than try to use words to describe how awesome this ukulele festival was, we’ll just highly encourage you to check out this video : (Email subscribers, click this link: 2nd Annual Lanai Ukulele Festival Video ) In addition, we took dozens of photos of the ukulele performers while at the festival. Check out the 2nd Annual Lanai Ukulele Festival photoset on Flickr! Please leave a comment and tell us who your favorite performer was! We’re on facebook! Please click here to join us. © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .

Do you recommend going to a luau on your Hawaii vacation?

Readers often ask for my thoughts about luaus. Are they worth the time, money and effort? Are they touristy? Are luaus authentic? Those are all great questions, but there’s probably not a one-size-fits-all answer. What’s worth it to me might not be worth it to you. In my opinion, I think going to a luau is definitely worth planning into your Hawaii vacation. For around $90, you get to sample Polynesian food and watch a colorful Polynesian dance show. Luaus feature traditional Polynesian and Hawaiian food that you might not find on a resort menu. For example, many luaus include lau lau which is  pork or fish wrapped in a taro or ti leaf and cooked in an imu (underground oven). Kalua pork is another luau staple that’s cooked in an imu. Of course no luau is complete without at least sampling a taste of poi. Luaus give you the opportunity to try all these traditional foods. Most luaus serve a buffet dinner, though some high-end luaus will offer table service. A couple of luaus with table service are Maui’s Feast at Lele and the Big Island’s Hilton Waikoloa Village’s Legends of the Pacific . My favorite part of a luau is the Polynesian dance show. Most luaus feature the dances and music from all the major Polynesian Islands. The colorful costumes and graceful dancers capture your attention. I’ve probably been to a dozen or so luaus throughout Hawaii and I’ve not seen a show that’s disappointed yet. Most luaus end with a Samoan fire knife dance that are absolutely thrilling to watch. Are luaus touristy? Yes, they are definitely touristy. At just about every luau, you’ll hear cheesy jokes that will still make you laugh. You’ll also see over the top costumes. For example, you’ll usually see female dancers wearing coconut shell bras. I could do without that glitz and glamour, to be honest. Here’s our video of Fia Fia luau at the JW Marriott Ihilani on Oahu. This video will give you a flavor of a typical luau show – there’s a taste of all the Polynesian islands mixed with a bit of entertaining humor. (Email subscribers: click here to access the Fia Fia video .) As for the authenticity of luaus, I can’t speak to that with authority because I am not Hawaiian. My impression is that there are aspects of luaus that are probably authentic, such as the food and the hula dancing. As a whole, luaus are set up to appeal to tourists and entertain. I guess the best analogy I can use is that if you host a Christmas dinner at your home for your family, that’s your authentic celebration. If you were to invite a large group of strangers to your Christmas dinner, you’re probably going to try to make it more appealing to the masses. In that case, you’d probably try to put on more of a show in order to entertain. If you want to try to attend an authentic luau, I’ll share the same advice I was given — check the local papers for fundraiser luaus. Those luaus are usually put on by locals for locals. If you’re thinking of planning a luau into your Hawaii vacation, check out this article to help you choose the luau that’s right for you – How to choose a Hawaiian luau . In addition, I’ve written a series of posts with luau reviews, costs and schedules organized by island. I do update them periodically. Kauai luaus – schedules, costs, reviews Big Island luaus – prices, reviews, schedules Maui luaus – prices, schedules, reviews Oahu luaus that I’ve reviewed are Ali’I Luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center and their amazing Polynesian show HA: Breath of Life Fia Fia at the JW Marriott Ihilani Have you been to a luau in Hawaii? Which one did you go to?  Do you think going to a luau is worth the money and time? © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .

Do you recommend going to a luau on your Hawaii vacation?

Readers often ask for my thoughts about luaus. Are they worth the time, money and effort? Are they touristy? Are luaus authentic? Those are all great questions, but there’s probably not a one-size-fits-all answer. What’s worth it to me might not be worth it to you. In my opinion, I think going to a luau is definitely worth planning into your Hawaii vacation. For around $90, you get to sample Polynesian food and watch a colorful Polynesian dance show. Luaus feature traditional Polynesian and Hawaiian food that you might not find on a resort menu. For example, many luaus include lau lau which is  pork or fish wrapped in a taro or ti leaf and cooked in an imu (underground oven). Kalua pork is another luau staple that’s cooked in an imu. Of course no luau is complete without at least sampling a taste of poi. Luaus give you the opportunity to try all these traditional foods. Most luaus serve a buffet dinner, though some high-end luaus will offer table service. A couple of luaus with table service are Maui’s Feast at Lele and the Big Island’s Hilton Waikoloa Village’s Legends of the Pacific . My favorite part of a luau is the Polynesian dance show. Most luaus feature the dances and music from all the major Polynesian Islands. The colorful costumes and graceful dancers capture your attention. I’ve probably been to a dozen or so luaus throughout Hawaii and I’ve not seen a show that’s disappointed yet. Most luaus end with a Samoan fire knife dance that are absolutely thrilling to watch. Are luaus touristy? Yes, they are definitely touristy. At just about every luau, you’ll hear cheesy jokes that will still make you laugh. You’ll also see over the top costumes. For example, you’ll usually see female dancers wearing coconut shell bras. I could do without that glitz and glamour, to be honest. Here’s our video of Fia Fia luau at the JW Marriott Ihilani on Oahu. This video will give you a flavor of a typical luau show – there’s a taste of all the Polynesian islands mixed with a bit of entertaining humor. (Email subscribers: click here to access the Fia Fia video .) As for the authenticity of luaus, I can’t speak to that with authority because I am not Hawaiian. My impression is that there are aspects of luaus that are probably authentic, such as the food and the hula dancing. As a whole, luaus are set up to appeal to tourists and entertain. I guess the best analogy I can use is that if you host a Christmas dinner at your home for your family, that’s your authentic celebration. If you were to invite a large group of strangers to your Christmas dinner, you’re probably going to try to make it more appealing to the masses. In that case, you’d probably try to put on more of a show in order to entertain. If you want to try to attend an authentic luau, I’ll share the same advice I was given — check the local papers for fundraiser luaus. Those luaus are usually put on by locals for locals. If you’re thinking of planning a luau into your Hawaii vacation, check out this article to help you choose the luau that’s right for you – How to choose a Hawaiian luau . In addition, I’ve written a series of posts with luau reviews, costs and schedules organized by island. I do update them periodically. Kauai luaus – schedules, costs, reviews Big Island luaus – prices, reviews, schedules Maui luaus – prices, schedules, reviews Oahu luaus that I’ve reviewed are Ali’I Luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center and their amazing Polynesian show HA: Breath of Life Fia Fia at the JW Marriott Ihilani Have you been to a luau in Hawaii? Which one did you go to?  Do you think going to a luau is worth the money and time? © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .

Aloha Stadium Swap Meet is Souvenir City!

Aloha Stadium Swap Meet is Souvenir City!

Chairadise in Lanai

It’s time for a new chairadise post , but this one will be solely focused on Lana’i. So, when you feel like you need a little relaxation time in Hawaii, but you can’t get there, picture yourself in a Lanai chairadise. We’ll start with a photo from the Hale Ahe Ahe Lounge at Four Seasons Lanai Resort at Manele Bay. We enjoy this spot for pupus and a sophisticated cocktail. (Psst – they usually have excellent happy hour specials.) Pick your spot under one of these umbrellas at Hulopo’e Beach. Next up is a chaise lounge for two overlooking Hulopo’e Bay. I took this photo in the morning when the sun was just beginning to light up the day. If poolside is more of your scene, pick your spot. Koele, the cat, knows how to relax in one of the many wicker chairs and ottomans on the lanai of the Four Seasons Lanai Lodge at Koele. How about a spa treatment? Even the reception area at the spa at Manele is beautiful with wall to ceiling murals. You can linger in the spa lounge is you like, but why do that when you can get an oceanside massage ? (Ok, technically those are massage tables, not chairs. So, let’s call this one a tabledise .) I hope you’ve found this trip to Lanai chairadise relaxing. © Go Visit Hawaii – Republication of this entire post is prohibited without prior permission. Using extracts of less than 100 words are permitted with full attribution and link back to GoVisitHawaii.com .