In a radical departure to their traditional policies, there’s no minimum stay requirements at the resort this fall, and there’s the  offer of a 4th night free and reduced room rates. For more information call 800-321-HANA, or see the Hotel Hana Maui Web site.

Post from: The Hawaii Traveler

If you’ve heard anything about Maui, you’ve heard of “the road to Hana.” While I wouldn’t say it’s treacherous, it is wind-y, it’s twist-y, and it’s long; at the end of it is, in my opinion, the greatest place in the world. Here’s why: There’s nothing to do there.I realize that, to some, this is the description of Hell.  But I think it’s sometimes good to unplug, decompress, and smell the rainforest. This is what Hana is for.  And Hamoa Beach is one of the best beaches in the state.  But here’s the deal with Hana: You may not want to spend your whole visit there, but you might not want to spend a whole day in the car taking a day trip.

If you want to stay for one night or two, however, you’ll have trouble finding accommodations. Most of the homes and hotel rooms are available for reservations of three nights or more. That’s why we were delighted to discover Tom and his little cluster of plantation homes called Hana Accommodations.

Hana Accommodations are located just across the street from Venus Pool (aka Waioka), Coastal Trail and other spectacular scenery.  The homes are not far from town, the Seven Sacred Pools (aka O’heo Gulch) and hikes to more waterfalls than you can shake a stick at.

Tom’s got a few different properties to choose from, with lots of space between homes to kick around and grill up some of the fish you buy from roadside stands. (The fish there was usually caught a few hours earlier. Fresh enough for you?) Hana Accommodations are private, quiet, fully furnished, beautifully landscaped, and feature amenities such as outdoor showers and a hot tub on the grounds. Yes.

Call Tom at 800-228-4262 or email him at info@hana-maui.com. He’s totally friendly, and is a longtime Hana business owner and resident.

Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by D’ArcyNorman

Post from: The Hawaii Traveler

Poi was used in the old days as a way to make more palatable meats cured and preserved with salt in the absence of refrigeration.  Today it’s used as a thickener for Hawaiian foods, such as soups, stews, and sauces.

The food poi is sometimes confused with the fire-juggling art of the same name.  If your poi is on fire, don’t eat it.  

Where it is: 
The only place I’ve seen it sold with any kind of frequency is at the Hasagawa General Store in Hana.  It’s also served at luaus, mostly as an obligatory part of any Hawaiian meal. The truth is you probably won’t want it and don’t need it at a luau, much less make it yourself, so my suggestion is to try it if it’s offered to you as an act of good etiquette, and then move on to the tasty stuff.  Paste is paste, which you probably ate plenty of back in Kindergarten.

Other poi-related foods and dishes that you might actually like  include:

• Deep fried taro puffs
• Poi cocktail (milk with poi)
• Taro chips

Have you recently tried poi?  Write in or comment with your experience.

Photo by Flickr–Creative Commons, by Ebonabri

Post from: The Hawaii Traveler

Although Hawai’i isn’t known for its nude beaches, the thing that is most likely to designate one beach or another as such is its inaccessibility.

Red Sand Beach in Hana, or Kaihalulu Beach, is most definitely clothing optional–if it isn’t, all the naked people I’ve seen there never got the memo.  It’s a stunning beach, with red sand and sparkling blue waters. The contrast is more of a draw than the other bodies there, in my opinion. It’s a tricky walk there, however.  Don’t take the path through the Japanese cemetery, however, even though some suggest doing just that. Instead, take the trail to the right; it’s easier, even if there’s a sign nearby that says there’s no trail. (There is, of course.)  Bring your hiking shoes; it’s a very unforgiving trail with loose cinders and steep drop-offs. Don’t hike it when it’s muddy, and just like your mother would say, “Be careful and don’t fall!”

Little Beach at Makena (Pu’u Ola’i Beach)
Again, you can’t reach Little Beach by car, so to get there, take a drive to Big Beach (Makena Beach) , which is on Maken Ala Nui Road, just past the Maui Prince Hotel.  Walk to the northwest end of Big Beach, and look for a path up the lava, and eventually, the nude sunbathers. The difference between Little Beach and Red Sand is that the swimming and snorkeling here are good.  Hopefully, the water isn’t too cold, if you know what I mean, and I think you do. 

Post from: The Hawaii Traveler

Oahu isn’t the most visited island for nothing. With Honolulu’s big-city amenities, big historical exhibits, and big beaches, it’s the island that’s got it all.

Some no-brainers there include a day at world-famous Waikiki Beach (don’t forget the sunscreen). Also awaiting the fam:

• The Waikiki Aquarium and the Honolulu Zoo
• Pearl Harbor Memorial (and the USS Missouri and USS Bowfin)
• The view from the top of Diamond Head
• The beaches along the famed surfer haven, North Shore.

For the older kids with an interest in getting the low down on Hawai’i and its people, see:

• The Polynesian Cultural Center
• Bishop Museum at Kalia, in the heart of Waikiki. This hands-on museumette features a such activities as lei-making. You can watch some killer surfing movies, too.
• Shave ice in Haleiwa
• Hawaii Maritime Museum

Keiki style culinary escapades include shave ice in Haleiwa and Chinatown, where they’ll be spellbound by the exotic foods and goods at the outdoor markets.

Water, Water Everywhere
When the ocean’s not enough, take the kids to:

• Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park, a 29-acre water-theme amusement park for children, teens and adults
• Hawaii Childrens Discovery Center is for keiki ages 2 to 13, and is a ginormous palace of stimulating color, motion, and activities that will entertain for hours with interactive exhibits and stations. Great for rainy days or for those with beach burnout.

On Maui

First stop: Lahaina, where the harbor beckons with its big boats, and Banyan Tree Park, home to the most impressive tree you’ve ever seen. Take in an art fair for the big and small and marvel at that great big tree. Have breakfast at the Pioneer Inn, which is one of the few places in town that opens as early as 7:00 AM and serves a mean macadamia nut pancake.

Lahaina Cannery Mall is where you and your wee one can go for an ice cream cone from Dairy Queen, and maybe catch a hula show. If your motto is, “Don’t leave the islands without a tee shirt,” this is a good place to fulfill your manifest destiny.

Whaler’s Village is the place for shopping, from low-end to off-the-charts, and from stores with an honest to goodness dressing room to carts parked along the beachwalk.

Next up: The Hawaii Nature Center in Iao Valley, where kid-friendly exhibits encourage exploration, and a great way to kill some time in a positive way while you wait for your late-night flight to depart.

And always: The Hana Highway. Take it just long enough to see “upcountry,” or swim in a few waterfalls, or take it, as the name suggests, all the way to Hana, home to some of the luckiest cattle I’ve ever seen. Beware of the trip with keiki with ants in their pants; a drive to Hana takes at least three hours one-way.

And Now for Something Completely Different
There are those days or nights in the islands when you’ll want to separate yourself from the babes, even if only for a few hours, so that you can do things like enjoy a plate of food without having to hide the condiments first, or use the bathroom all by yourself. What’s a parent to do? It’s during those occasions when you may want to use a babysitting service, founded just with people like us in mind.

For example, Happy Kids Maui and Happy Kids Kaua’i will send a sitter to you anywhere on either island. When we used the service on Maui in 2007, a very nice woman named Lynnette came to our condo with a small suitcase full of toys and goodies, and when we returned, our little 2 1/2-year-old looked happy as a clam in Maui. And, as an aside for all you folks who believe that island fever is inevitable for full-time residents: Lynnette was originally from California, and hasn’t been off the island of Maui since she moved there 24 years ago. (I actually can’t say that I blame her, but that’s just me.)

A personal tip from me to you: Most, if not all services will set a minimum number of hours for which you must schedule your sitter; in our case, the minimum was four hours. Because my husband and I are honest with ourselves that we are 400 years old and would be bushed by 9:00 PM, we knew we needed to request a nice, early start time of 5:00 for our “date night” to sunset-watch on Ka’anapali and dinnner at Cheeseburger in Paradise.   Obviously, your mileage may vary, depending upon which child-free activities you have lined up.

Wherever you go with the wee ones, go slowly and take in all the sights. It’s recommended that families limit their island-hopping to one island a week if feasible, and to focus on the journeys, rather than the destination. A direct flight to your destination can save you an average of two hours one-way hanging around an airport with your brood, so plan well in advance, and remember that wherever you go, there you are: In Hawai’i.

Post from: The Hawaii Traveler