The Hawaii Traveler

On Makapu’u Beach, not too far from Waikiki on the island of O’ahu, is the theme park and attraction Sea Life Park. It’s a marine-oriented center that’s not as huge as some of the parks you know from back home, but that is still a nice attraction/distraction for those who want to get more up-close and personal with some of Hawaii’s sea creatures without having to go on an expensive or involved expedition. Educational, exciting, and fun, you’ll get your education and interaction on, in an environment with all the convenient amenities and facilities.Now that the park is under …read more

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If you know the social networking site Twitter, you know how easy it is to make new friends. (Come on over and make friends with me at Twitter or FriendFeed to join in the fun.) One of those new friends, who goes by the moniker LaMama Naturale over at her blog Recycle Your Day, is going to Kaua’i soon; it’ll be her first time to the islands, and her little one’s first-ever plane ride.As you can tell by the title, Recycle Your Day is a site that’s dedicated to green living, and in the post Save Kauai, LaMama addresses an …read more

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If you’ve been keeping your eye on the lifestyles of the rich and famous set, you may have heard about a travel trend that’s growing faster than Robin Leach’s waistline: Luxury Destination Clubs.
Destination Clubs provide members with access to extremely luxurious homes and resorts in Hawaii and all over the world, at prices ranging from moderate to unreachable by most mere mortals’ standards.
Some of the more well-known, higher-end destination clubs include Quintess and Solstice.
Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by Neurofibromatosis – Reggie Bibbs

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From the environmental files: did you know that Hawai’i is the Endangered Species Capital of the World?According to the Hawaii Biological Survey, there are more endangered species per square mile on these islands than any other place on the planet. On the list of endangered living things are:

Nearly 300 taxa of plants
The O’ahu tree snail
The Monk Seal
The Green Sea Turtle (honu)
30 species of bird including the Hawaiian ‘Akepa, the Hawaiian Duck, and Hawaiin Goose (nene)
And many more.

There are heavy, heavy fines for tangling with endangered species of any kind, which begs the question, “What can I tangle with?” …read more

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We here at the Hawaii Traveler are taking this opportunity to say aloha and mahalo to George Carlin, who died this week at the age of 71.
However you feel about Carlin’s work, almost everyone can agree that he was a groundbreaking artist who boldly went where a lot of other comics and comedians couldn’t.
He was dedicated to his craft, and was able to cross over to the big and small screens, and contributed to children’s television.  And on a personal note, I grew up listening to Carlin’s  eight-track tapes along with Steve Martin’s, even though it was totally age inappropriate …read more

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If you’re new to snorkeling, you’ll no doubt be amazed and impressed with the sights you’ll see off the Hawai’i coast.First: Hit a place such as Snorkel Bob’s for equipment, maps, and a fish card, for identifying the scaly creatures that await. (Or just look and appreciate.) Wear your rash guard for protecting your back from the rays while you’re looking below. It’s easy to sunburn unnoticed, since the water can keep you feeling cool, even when you’re burning up.
You might be interested to know that more than 20 percent of Hawaiian reef fishes are found nowhere else in …read more

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On the Big Island, there are many a fragrance to be sniffed.  The flowers, the ocean air. The coffee.
If you’re a coffee lover–and even if you aren’t, you’ve probably heard that Kona Coffee is some of the best in the world. Personally, I agree, but beware: Not all “Kona Coffee” is the real deal. Look for the labels that say 100% Kona Coffee. Yes, you’ll pay a premium for it, but you might as well stay home with Mrs. Olson for the quality you’ll find in the brands that fill their bags with a high percentage of other …read more

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If you’ve ever heard of the hiking along the Napali Coast, you probably already know its reputation for being the most scenic, epic walk on the islands.
Here’s a b5 media wrap-up tribute to walking everywhere. Get your proverbial passport and let’s go.

Filipina Soul tells you how to Walk Old Manila At Your Leisure
Walk Bondi to Bronte over at the Sydney Traveler
Getting places on foot is one of the reasons why The Europe String names Amsterdam one of the top 5 budget traveler’s havens.

A Hearty Life journal entry includes walking as a part of Kendra’s overall health plan.

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It was about one year ago that I first experienced the excitement of night surfing.  The recent swell had caused every break along the south shore to become infested with hoot-and-hollering surf rats eager for an epic ride. In order to avoid the crowd and to watch the special pre-4th of July fireworks, my friend Brian and I ventured out on his extra-long stand-up surfboard for a tandem night surf session.
Arriving on the beach by the Duke statue, small fish were jumping out of the water along the shore. We looked out to see lazy 2-footers rolling in one after …read more

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When Hank’s Haute Dogs first opened about one year ago, there was huge hype about these Chicago-style gourmet hotdogs that some locals drove all the way into town from Ewa and Waimanalo to have a first taste.  
The mastermind behind these delicious dogs is Henry (“Hank”) Adaniya, a local who gained restaurant fame as a chef in Chicago, but decided to move back to Honolulu to open a hot dog stand that could offer locals with a taste of gourmet hotdogs.  Popular dogs are the Chicago dog, chili cheese dog, and the vegetarian “No Dog.”  Bold eaters can have a …read more

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