July 2007 archive
I love Lahaina. What's not to love? It's got a bit of history, from the whaling days. There are great eats (David Paul, Malo's, I'o). Most of the people seem like they are having a really good time. There's pretty…
I am not sure if this is a really good idea or a horrible idea. Do you really want your child to see you bend that super pricey Big Bertha around a tree? For families with the max zen factor,…
According to the latest update from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the temblor-caused interruption in the lava flow from Kilauea on the Big Island remains in effect as there is currently no lava visible from any place within easy striking distance…
Alan Wong's Restaurant announced what super sous Wade Ueoka would be slinging at the next "Next Generation Dinner" on August 8. These events are killer one-of-a-kind tasting menus with wine pairings that the folks working with Alan whip up to…
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This is fairly clever. Voyager Travel is offering a promo on a handful of Hawaii hotels with rates running below $100 per night. Most people can't conceive that hotels in such an expensive place could be so cheap but they…
Earlier this month Maui County authorities announced a crackdown with hefty fines on vacation rental owners who were letting their properties out without county approval. This caused most vacation rentals and the majority of B&Bs to stop taking visitors and…
Hilo, hole-in-the-wall, foodie Naung Mai restaurants Harrison Ford George Lucas Cate Blanchette Calista Flockhart Indiana Jones Big Island Hawaii Hawaiian
Maui Time Weekly weighs in on the Kula Sandalwoods Cafe, a restaurant I have often heard mentioned as a local favorite with simple, hearty fare. It was really nice food when I went there. Plenty of local vehicles parked outside,…
Looks like the usual holiday fare spike will be negligible. And if you want to fly to Hawaii for Labor Day, flights are below $300 according to my weekly Buzz report from Kayak.com. Check it out. These fares from from…
Apparently not. The latest Nobu, located at the newly hipified (as opposed to hippified) Waikiki Parc, has been hopping. My friends who have eaten there have said that the food is excellent, albeit a bit dated (meaning, we've have the…
I just blogged about the Royal Hawaiian yesterday but heck, hard to miss this news. The owners of the the four big Starwood properties in Waikiki -- the Royal Hawaiian, the Westin Moana Surfrider, the Princess Kaiulani and the…
The lure of Hawaii is apparently quite strong for filmmaker Steven Spielberg. He's chosen Hawaii yet again as a primary scene location for the latest and greatest Indiana Jones flick, the forth in the series. Apparently, Spielberg and company have…
Legendary Chicagoland restaurateur Hank Adaniya, the owner of the celeb chef factory and noted Mobil Five-Star Joint Trio, has returned to his dog eat dog roots -- in Honolulu, no less. Before his birth, Hank's mom and dad ran a…
Rough seas and winds resulting from the passage of Tropical Depression Cosme near the Big Island were cited as the reason for postponing the maiden arrival of the new 340-foot Hawaii Superferry in Kahului on a passage from Honolulu. Fellow…
With occupancy rates continuing to fall in Hawaii and the summer travel season sleepier than normal, lots of deals to be had out there. The Sheraton Royal Hawaiian is offering a pretty good one -- $289 for an ocean view…
Most of the time when I read drive guide articles by mainland writers, I rarely find something original or different. It's far too easy to trod the beaten path and many editors far from Hawaii don't know the difference. When…
The raucous Halloween festivities in Lahaina (pictured here -- yes there are some risque costumes), the most touristy city on Maui, have long drawn comparisons to Mardi Gras and other gleeful street parties. This apparently offends Native Hawaiian groups, who…
So how did this link to a site put out by Guerba travel garner the top rank for a Google search for the term Hawaii beaches? No pictures. Scanty and lame information. They can't even spell the names of the…
The Honolulu Advertiser is reporting a serious shark attack off Bellows Beach, an extremely popular and lovely beach in Windward Oahu. I've mentioned Bellows before as a hidden gem and a great shady beach for late afternoons. Shark attacks off…
Fishing in Hawaii is serious business. Lots of locals feed their families with fresh catch. The best restaurants either buy in the morning from the fishmarkets or directly from the fishermen. And the islands are a world class sportfishing destintation…
Not quite sure what to make of ClubHawaii.com. The hook is four travel writers and 300 insiders suggest itineraries. ClubHawaii screens the info and assists paying customers -- that's right, they want you to pay money for their insights. Me,…
Grantham Resorts is running a $79 construction Garden Isle. The offers warns about noise and construction inconvenience during the day but notes that evenings and Sundays are quiet. This is more an offer for people who want a rack to…
Around Hawaii a dispute has been bubbling between vacation rental owners and their neighbors in residential neighborhoods. The rentals create noise, traffic and crowds, according to the opponents. On Maui, which has perhaps the greatest percentage of rentals in the…
The lovable low-brow comedy star was spotted in June cutting the rug at an afterhours club event in the Hanohano Room at the Sheraton Waikiki. Apparently, Wilson showed up for the extremely popular and still red hot after two years…
I personally love the House Without a Key. It's where we've gone to eat many, many nights. with guests in town. When I was drinking man, I tossed back countless potent Mai Tais mixed up at this oceanfront restaurant on…
The country singer legend took a private tour of the Parker Ranch on the Big Island, the largest (really!) working cattle ranch in the country and one of the last bastions of the paniolo lifestyle (although this paniolo stuff is…
My pal Dave Choo takes a look at lunch at Stage Restaurant, the latest "IT" eatery in Honolulu (alongside Mavro's Cassis). His verdict? Mixed. This contrasts with a glowing review from the Honolulu Advertiser. "All the fixtures are beautiful, but…
Earlier this week I wrote this post about an article in Hawaii Business Magazine outlining public opposition to a proposal to build out luxury homes at Lipoa Point. The post drew a quick reply from Maui Land & Pineapple, the…
Veteran Hawaii golf writer Don Chapman rounds up a spate of recently opened (meaning within a decade or so) exclusive, private golf clubs around the Hawaiian Islands. Private, as in, by invitation only in some cases, such as the Nanea…
Pull up the list of the Top 5 recommended restaurants on Maui and you can see why TA is totally untrustworthy when it comes to food. Ferraro's Bar e Ristorante, Kihei (I've never a Hawaii local say this one is…
The Honolulu Advertiser is reporting that Hawaiian Airlines passengers have been waiting 45 minutes or so to get to a live phone rep. The airline cited an unforeseen spike in call demand. A recent move to outsource a call center…
This is a typical Hawaii mango tree. It's located in Wailea, Maui. Notice the concentration of fruit. Things are different in Hawaii. :) :) :) Image via Wailea Daily Photo…
Maui Time Weekly puts forth a review of Cloud Nine Cafe, a seat-o-the-pants eatery in this erstwhile cowboy town located farm from the hotels (though you'll still rub elbows with the tourists). This is the first I've ever heard of…
Update: Hulihee Palace suffered considerable damage in the 2006 Earthquake centered off the Big Island. Tours of the palace are offered on a limited basis due to this damage and reconstruction work may be underway in the near future. This…
The idyllic Northwest corner of Maui is home to the super-rich resort Mecca of Kapalua. There are several beautiful beaches, some of the country's best golf courses, a Ritz-Carlton, and a new super-upscale timeshare on the way. Plus the local…
">The southern shore of the Big Island is not known for its beaches. The landscape is rugged with the remnants of recent volcanic eruptions. The shoreline tends to be rocky in most places. Then there’s Punalu'u Beach Park, an idyllic…
Maui is a wonderful place to relax after prison. At least, that must be why Paris Hilton, the recently sprung from the slammer heiress, has come to the islands. You kinda feel bad that even in Hawaii the photogs hound…
T&L taps Malia Boyd (I know both her and her husband, Stewart Yerton) for its semi-annual Oahu roundup. Malia talks to local promoter Tim Bostock and his wife for a local perspective. They provide some nice tips of places a…
That Hawaii hotel deal which seems to good to be true? Often times, it really is. There's a whole lotta renovations going on right now but you may not figure that out until you arrive in the islands. Shame on…
After a spate of quakes shook the summit area of Kilauea a few weeks ago, Pele's lava taps turned off. Fearing geological instability, the National Park Service closed down a bunch of the hiking trails including the Napau Trail and…
I've been blogging about the Superferry for some time now, a boat that will take cars and small trucks -- and people, though that's less interesting -- around the islands on short hop, short duration trips. This means, you can…
In an item completely unrelated to tourism, travel or fun things to do, a wacky new critter that scientists are dubbing and "octosquid" was trapped in uptake filters at a deep-water energy plant project of Keahole Point on the Kona…
In the May 2007 edition, senior editor Steve Millburg gives a quick taste of a hike I've long wanted to take, circling the rim of Waipio Valley, a lush, massive valley on the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island. I've…
And so it goes again. The Honolulu bureau of the Associate Press sent out over the wires yet another version of the "Hawaii Loves Spam" article. It's a nice read and made it all the way into the International Herald…
