March 2008 archive
Aloha Airlines' unexpected shutdown has certainly made this year's Merrie Monarch more exciting (in a bad way) than most had anticipated. Attendees are scrambling to ensure that they can still fly to Hilo for the fest. Halau (most of which…
The Hawaii Tourism Authority just sent out a release offering assistance to travelers holding Aloha Airlines tickets on transpacific or interisland flights. The struggling airline is shutting those flights down this Monday. HTA lists a bunch of places for travelers…
Academy film curator Gina Caruso was having a hard time finding a Honolulu-based speaker to introduce Esther Robinson's documentary about her uncle — Danny Williams, sometime Andy Warhol boyfriend and unsung filmmaker — at Friends of Film Friday. Caruso took…
After my post earlier this week, these nice folks dropped me a line to say, hey, come stay on the Friendly Isle -- we got your back. Not endorsing this service but good to know. One question to ask them,…
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There is a joke at the Honolulu Academy of Arts that the security guards are the most interesting people on staff. And like all jokes, there’s a lot of truth to it. The men and women who make sure the…
After losing money for several decades, the Molokai Ranch announced it would close, laying off 120 workers and effectively boosting the Friendly Isle's unemployment rate to 12%. The Ranch was one of the largest employers on the island. It also…
My friend (and Hawaiirama blogger) Bruce does a nifty podcast on how to get cheap Hawaii hotels. Surprisingly, there are a decent number of totally decent cheap hotels for this price. And if you want to dip into condos, then…
I'm posting from Shokudo, a Japanese restaurant right next to Ala Moana Shopping Center and five minutes from Waikiki. This mobile post, typed on the go from my laptop whilst I polish off a platter of ahi tatami atop…
Word in the blogosphere is that Alan Wong is in the running for Outstanding Chef (we had already reported as Best Chef in the Northwest -- We were wrong).. He won it in 1996. Would be nice to get a…
John Fischer from About.com gives a nice write up of a hike he took to the Lower Makamaka'ole Valley with Hike Maui. Nice waterfalls, interesting native plants, archaeological ruins -- sounds all good to me. Only bummer is the…
And I totally agree with him. This article is beyond predictable, beyond trite. I have no idea why National Geo would pay megabucks to get this sort of tripe but hey, it's a plum gig. Here's what Andy has to…
This is a great article by Derek Farrar on what its like to go night surfing in Waikiki. I personally am a huge fan of night surfing, particularly in mellow waves like you find on the South Shore of Oahu…
I'm mobile posting from the Side Street Inn, a favorite sports bar / dive bar that is the closest thing to Momofuku Noodle Bar that Honolulu has. Food. Reminder -- this post is sponsored by Microsoft and I put…
The good travel agents over at Travel Hawaii have done some homework on what guests pay to park at different hotels in Waikiki. It's a definite eye-opener. Rates range from free at the ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Tower to $25 per…
A short report from Honolulu's Nightlife Diaries this time. I just had to reveal the best new thing from Chinatown... Thirtyninehotel has revamped their Happy Hour!…
Ono Kine visits Downtown @ HiSAM, Ed Kenney's latest venture. Great pics. Gives you a real flavor of the place.…
Golf Mag trots out it's 20th anniversary rankings of best resorts around the world. Natch, Hawaii bags a good number -- nine out of 75, to be exact. Catching top ranking was the Four Seasons Resort Lana'i at Manele Bay.…
Another hearty mahalo to Mister Softee (Microsoft) for sponsoring Hawaiirama for a bit and funding my outrageous restaurant habit. Thanks, Bill! I got your back in Hawaii! Check out a brief audio post covering one of my favorite beaches…
Andy Kass over at the Kauai hiking blog does a great write-up of an excursion in to Kipu Kai, a totally untouched cluster of beaches hemmed in by mountains on a private ranch along Kauai's sunny South Coast. This…
Waikiki is called crowded, wonderful, and all sorts of other adjectives. Lately, it's being called a new word by residents who live there -- dangerous. A rise of high-profile, seemingly random low-grade violence has roiled the community enough to cause…
class="right" />After five years of research and conservation (and two concentrated months of whirlwind construction, signmaking, writing, planning) the Honolulu Academy of Arts’ landmark exhibition The Dragon’s Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan opened with a special weekend of members-only…
Matson, one of the two primary shipping lines servicing the Hawaiian Islands, announced that it would soon boost its fuel surcharge on island container shipping to a whopping 33.75%. That's on top of the regular shipping costs, some of which…
LAT visits Chinatown and declares it now hip. A decent read with decent coverage. They missed, however, the newer restaurants and many of the good hangouts. No reference to Mei Sum for Dim Sum or Hank's for piano bar's or…
From the Honolulu Star- Bulletin. "Kauai dog owners are incensed at the county's plan to ban dogs along the new $50 million, 16-mile coastal path set to link Lihue and Anahola." Can't blame them. Can't we all get along?…
This is an intriguing article on restoration efforts in Honokowai Valley on Maui, from Maui No Ka Oi Magazine. A number of projects like this have cropped up over the past two decades as the Hawaiian Renaissance continues to slowly…
Honolulu Mag food critic rolls out his take on a number of steak joints around Honolulu and one on Maui. Unfortunately, only half are local -- the other three are parts of big chains, so a little less interesting. But…
