Ever wonder how chocolate is made or how a cacao bean turns into a chocolate bar? Touring a cacao farm (or a few) is the perfect place to learn about the beloved treat. Though cacao is a relatively new commercial crop in the state, farmers on Hawai‘i Island are working hard to develop the industry […]
We chat with former Miss Aloha Hulas Natalie Ai Kamauʻu (1990), TeHani Gonzado (2000), Malia Petersen Arakaki (2002), Māhealani Mika Hirao-Solem (2010) and Manalani (English) Souza (2013) as the 2021 Merrie Monarch Festival competition airs today through Sunday. When the 2020 Merrie Monarch Hula Festival was officially canceled last March, the impact on the
It’s a sunny Saturday morning in Hilo when my boyfriend and I drive up a rocky road to Lavaloha cacao farm, gazing at the clear, blue sky and empty fields along the way. At the top of the hill, we’re greeted by large palm trees swaying in the wind next to a quaint farmhouse overlooking Hilo Bay. We park the car and
When I first met Simply Sisters’ owner and designer, Regina “Lola” Miller in 2014 at the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo, we instantly bonded over our shared love of hula, the festival and supporting Hawaiʻi’s thriving creative community. It was Merrie Monarch, after all, and I was making the craft fair rounds for all my Hawaiian
The Merrie Monarch Festival is back this year—and competition starts today in Hilo. There is one change: It will be broadcasted on television—meaning no spectators—due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The performances and announcement of winners will be broadcast on July 1 to 3. In 2020 festival president Luana Kawelu made the crucial decision to cancel
It should be a rule that if a restaurant (or, in this case, a food truck) gets recommended to you more than five times, the question isn’t if it’s good—it’s how good. When I was first introduced to Island Style Grindz on Hawai‘i Island, I immediately tried to Google when and where I could get
Located in the heart of downtown Hilo, Kula Shave Ice is taking the beloved local treat to the next level with organic and fresh ingredients. Kula is committed to providing the highest quality shave ice on the island without using processed syrups and preservatives like the more “traditional” shave ice. “We make all our fruit
The view from Uēkahuna, the highest point on the rim of Kaluapele, the caldera of Kīlauea, is unlike any other—and the popular bluff has reopened this week after being closed since 2018. That year, magma drained from Halemaʻumaʻu, the summit crater, triggering months of repetitive earthquakes, damaging ash clouds and the eventual collapse of Kīlauea
You shouldn’t be surprised that Hāpuna Beach on Hawaiʻi Island was named the best beach by “Dr. Beach.” You already knew that! You voted for the white-sand beach on the Big Island’s western shoreline as your favorite, too, in our 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards. Read More: The 5 Best Hawaiʻi Island Beaches in 2021 And
EDITOR’S NOTE: Since the publishing of our 2021 Readers’ Choice list, Kealakekua Bay Bed & Breakfast and Waipi‘o Rim Bed and Breakfast have closed their doors permanently. The familial comforts of a proper bed and breakfast—or inn—are hard to beat. Instead of feeling like you’re on vacation—a vibe that hotels and resorts are perfect
If you’ve ever snorkeled in Hawaiʻi, you’ve probably seen it—and you probably didn’t know how important it was to Hawaiʻi’s ecosytem. Cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina)—called koʻa in Hawaiian— is a surge-tolerant species of reef-building coral that you often find in exposed shorelines around the Islands. As its name indicates, this coral resembles the cruciferous vegetable,
The beaches on Hawaiʻi Island are some of the best in the state—and there are a lot of them. Due to the island’s ever-growing coastline and massive size, there are hundreds of beaches dotted along the Big Island, some of which can’t be found in magazines or on websites. Even the ones that are easy to
