Though Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (HVNP) is one of the state’s largest draws, few visit or even know about its Kahuku Unit on the southerly slopes of Mauna Loa. Thirty miles southwest of the park’s main entrance, the 116,000-acre former ranch plot was acquired by the park in 2003. It’s only open to the public […]
Some of the best food in Kona can be found at small, pop-up roadside eateries along the Belt Road (Highway 11). Fire-roasted huli huli (repeatedly turning) chicken, sold-hot-out-of-the-back-of-the-van malasadas and fresh island-caught fish tacos are true local foodie gems, even if there are miles between them. Now, it seems, there will be a regular one-stop
The creamy green avocado is a staple of tropical eating, but did you know Hawaii Island harbors over 200 varieties of guacamole’s star ingredient? From pear-shaped to perfectly round and every shape in-between, avocados may have been introduced to the region by in-the-know visitors as early as 1794. Farmers’ markets from Hilo to Kona have
When most people think about active Hawaii Island volcanoes, Kilauea comes to mind. But did you know that there are actually four volcanoes * around the island that are considered active, and among them is Mauna Loa, the world’s most massive volcano? Last September, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) raised Mauna Loa’s alert level
Residents and visitors have frequented Huggo’s, a popular downtown Kailua-Kona venue, since it first opened atop a rocky seaside prominence in 1969. Following a series of renovation roll-outs that began last October, the attached bar with an equally good view is working to transform itself from a place to sit while you wait for your
While Kona agriculture for many is synonymous with coffee, Big Island Bees wants you to think a little sweeter. The company, under the direction of owners and fourth-generation beekeeper Garnett Puett and his wife Whendi produce as much as 600,000 lbs of the syrupy treat with their more than 190 million bees each year. If you’re up
There’s a stretch of Rice Street in downtown Lihue where few visitors venture. A place whose buildings—many of them constructed in the 1930s—have seen several small, local businesses come and go. Not exactly a location you’d expect to find a shiny new craft brewpub, but walk past a used car dealership, a liquor store and
Move over, wine tastings … Chocolate tastings are the new “it” foodie tour. We spoke with an Oahu-based bean-to-bar expert to help us figure out the best ways to bring out the proper profiles from the chocolates that call Hawaii home. Nat Bletter, co-founder of Madre Chocolate, shares some tips for getting the most out
Within earshot of Kailua-Kona’s lava-enclosed airstrip and close enough to the ocean to feel the sea spray, a tiny blue building fronts an unusual aquatic farm, the only one of its kind in the United States. On any given day, Ocean Rider Seahorse Farm is home to more than 20,000 seahorses and I’ve flown from
Visitors to the Garden Isle have a new luxury accommodation option on the South Shore. The Lodge at Kukuiula are new island-style abodes that opened in July inside the residential Club at Kukuiula on Kauai. . Kukuiula opened in 2011 as an upscale residential community, and now sports 15 two or three bedroom Club Cottages,
Hawaii Island’s Waimea—also called Kamuela to distinguish it from the places on Oahu and Kauai with the same name—is big sky country, where electric green pasture lands surrounded by cactus-lined fences enclose herds of grazing cattle. A rodeo arena sits just south of town and a red-barn theme extends to even buildings housing chain stores. Wander through this charming
Hawaii’s natural beauty is stunning, and fortunately for both residents and visitors, the state is blessed with an abundance of public lands. With gigantic waterfalls, lush rainforests, white—and even black and green—sand beaches, there’s much to see and do in the great outdoors here. National Public Lands Day (NPLD), an annual day aimed at affording the public
