Standing at the edge of the red bowl of Kauai’s Waimea Canyon, it’s hard to imagine a more spectacular sight. At 3,600 feet, the main lookout presents panoramic views of “The Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” a deep, colorful gorge accented by waterfalls, a snaking riverbed, frequent rainbows and goats teetering on rugged cliffsides as […]
All right. First off, stop chuckling at the seeming absurdity of a great road trip in Hawaiʻi. We’ve heard every reason our incomparably scenic island byways never make it onto any great American road-trip lists. Yes, we live on a collection of eight mostly smallish islands, each separated by miles of deep blue Pacific Ocean.
The sun is shining, the sky is blue and, most importantly, the tide is low. Just 15 minutes from the shores of Kaneohe Bay, surrounded by the Koolau Mountains and its reef-protected waters, a literal slice of paradise reveals itself: The largest saltwater sandbar in the world. Because of its sprawling nature, the sandbar is
We’ve reached the point that most people don’t look forward to—the Road to Hana’s famous twists and stomach-churning turns. From the passenger seat, I watch the driver grip the steering wheel with both hands as he turns it all the way left, all the way right, then left again with so much precision and effort
The breath is yoga’s foundation. On the mat, breathing exercises unlock the code to stress relief, mental clarity and pranayama—the Sanskrit word for conscious breathing, which literally means “to extend the vital life force.” Native Hawaiians have also revered breath. Similar to other Polynesian cultures, Hawaiians greeted one another with a traditional honi—the joining of
Sons of Thunder wasn’t planning on serving poke. The small restaurant in New York was supposed to be a burger and sandwich joint. But when the utilities company took forever to turn the gas on, Sons of Thunder decided: When life gives you a cold stove, you make poke. Shrimp tempura, tofu, seaweed, golden beets
Detail on the black-sand grains of Pailoa. Photo: Daniel Sullivan/HAWAIʻI Magazine Waianapanapa State Park is a popular stop along Hana Highway—the 64.4-mile Road to Hana, known for its 620 curves, countless waterfalls, lush green scenery and remote hidden beauty. At around mile marker 32, 2 miles outside Hana Town, a sign directs you toward the
A cosmos of plankton swirls near my face as I breathe through my snorkel, making sounds not unlike Darth Vader. Tiny orange shrimp, just-hatched, staple-sized translucent larval fish and green algal blobs dance in front of my mask, all driven by internal instinct to the surface by a spotlight facing the seafloor. Beyond, blackness is
Editor’s Note, June 2, 20201: Lānaʻi Cycles is no longer in operation. Fifteen. That’s the number of times I’ve counted my guide, Marcom Pascua, wave hello to a passing vehicle. He’s the co-founder of Lanai Cycles and we’re biking across the length of this island he calls home. Every car, pickup truck and hotel shuttle that
It’s 8:30 p.m., and I’m lying in bed under a mosquito net staring outside the large screen windows that cover the four walls of the one-room cabin. I’m in the middle of the Kapoho jungle, deep in Lower Puna on Hawaii Island. I can’t see anything past the dark shadows cast by the forest’s large
Wherever Kathy Carroll goes on the small, friendly island of Lanai, invariably someone asks her about one of her cats, or says a playful “good meow-ning” to her in passing. Kathy Carroll, Lanai Cat Sanctuary founder. Photo by Steve Czerniak for HAWAII Magazine Carroll is known as The Cat Lady. She feeds and houses 425 cats
The wood-burning fireplace in the dingy, barely insulated state cabin at the Lodge at Kokee on Kauai wasn’t enough to keep me warm that first night, so I had donned everything I had in my backpack: a long-sleeved shirt, a thin hoodie, two pairs of socks and a rain jacket. It worked out, since that’s
