For several decades, Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon, the fetid body of water fronting the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort (or part of it, since that place is HUGE), has long been an unsightly eyesore. Infested with jellyfish, coated with slime and cursed…

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…

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…

Day 2: You’re in Hawaii so get wet and take it all in. Score a kayak cruise in Kealakekua Bay, a marine preserve at the base of the green hills of Kona's coffee country, where pods of spinner dolphins are…

(Here's the first in a series of family itineraries that I'm going to run, starting with Big Island. Enjoy and let me know if anything's wrong.) So you've finally arrived. The Big Island is impressive from any viewpoint and your…

Volcano is an amazing place place. A quiet town on the slopes of Kilauea Volcano and a soaring place of thousands of acres of lava fields and remnant forest, it's lovely, quiet, and eerily spiritual. Sandwiched between a smoking volcano…

In the Kohala District of the Big Island, clouds of mist collide with volcanic mountain ranges. The resulting rains fill hundreds of mountain streams and create numerous waterfalls, most of which are not accessible to the public. This region is…

Anyone who's been to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, on the Big Island, understands what its like to walk on Earth so new its still smoking. Literally. Madame Pele, the volcano goddess, is everpresent and the eery quiet of this isolated…

Noted restaurateur Peter Merriman was one of the original founders of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine (HRC) over a decade ago. His flagship eatery in upcountry Waimea is an island institution with intricate plates crafted from Big Island produce (he has…

For the most part, Hawaii hotels are booked up for the holidays. Yes, its kinda crazy out there. But should you get the urge for a post Xmas vacation with the little ones, the Kona Village Resort might be one…

If you’re like me and you want to get a headstart on your holiday shopping (because the malls are going to be crazy this year, my friends), you’ve probably done a lot of browsing on the Internet. Shopping online is…

Travel & Leisure readers love the 62-acre Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island. They've given the resort top marks among family resorts in Hawaii for several years now. Am sure the canal boats and the mini-tram used to ferry…

One simple pleasure of exploring Hawai‘i Island’s sunny, lava-drenched west side is discovering a precious nugget like Mahai‘ula Beach, also known as Kekaha Kai State Park. Make it past the bumpy – but negotiable – semi-paved lava road and you’ll…

Here's the latests in our series of beach lists from John Clark, the noted Hawaii beach expert and all around beach nut, will be feeding us his extremely informed take on best beaches around the Aloha State. At any…

This Big Island beauty fronts one of Hawaii's classic resorts, the angular, elegant and Frank Lloyd Wright-esque Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. The sand is quite fine and the surf generally mellow. Due to its strong westerly orientation sunsets are…

This is one of my favorite beaches in the islands. It's not a big beach but its truly stunning. Actually, Kuki'o is more like a peninsula with two pocket beaches and fabulous lawn overlooking crystal clear water. There is…

Note: There is at least one other company that claims it is making Hawaiian chocolate.The key question -- ask where the beans are grown and what percentage are actually grown in Hawaii. Ono Farms in Hana, Maui that is…