A colorful offering of festivals celebrating Hawaii’s food, music, dance and unique melting pot of cultures is just one more reason to visit Kauai this summer. Read on for our roundup of some of the best events scheduled for summer 2016. Kauai Tahiti Fete The mission of the Kauai Tahiti Fete is to perpetuate the […]
In the sleepy, dirt-dusted town of Hanapepe on the idyllic island of Kauai’s west side, there stands a brick-and-mortar tribute to ink on paper. Quaint, full of character and somewhat eerily situated next door to a decrepit movie theater, Talk Story Bookstore is an off-the-beaten-path treasure for word lovers and those appreciative of the art
As the wheels of my car pound the wooden planks of the one-way bridge into Hanalei Valley, all signs of modernity seem to fall away. No crowds, no traffic lights, no foreign noise. Just a carpet of shock-green kalo (taro) and the Hanalei River, wide and placid, gently gliding toward the sea. Traveling down the
Kauai’s Mount Waialeale, widely considered one of the wettest spots on earth, averages 394 inches of rain per year. And it’s thanks to that amazing amount of precipitation that the island is abundant with lush, jungle-like scenery. During the summer season, however, the Garden Isle’s notoriously rainy skies clear up, morphing some of its typically
If you need some motivation to incorporate a healthy dose of exercise into your Hawaii vacation, imagine a setting for your jog, power walk or bicycle ride that looks something like this: A flat, cliffside path with expansive views of the Pacific’s crystalline blue waters extending across 8 miles of pristine shoreline. If only every workout
It was 6:30 a.m. when we started our hike to Hanakapiai Falls, a roughly 300-foot tall waterfall nestled in the back of Hanakapiai Valley on Kauai’s north shore. We were the only ones out hiking. In fact, save for the vocal birds above, we had the entire beach and valley to ourselves. While this hike
Best known for its dazzling waterfalls and white sand beaches, Kauai is also home to a little-known but burgeoning fashion industry. It’s true: On the fourth-largest Hawaiian island where board shorts double for everyday wear and footwear is largely optional, a tiny couture scene is blooming. And word is getting out. Kauai’s Kaikini Bikinis, for
In the whimsical town of Hanalei on Kauai’s lush north shore, a tribal art shop adorned with tiki poles and flaming torches beckons passersby inside. Venture onto the lanai (porch) and you’ll experience an authentic sampling of the Pacific islands’ history and culture. Havaiki Oceanic and Tribal Art is part gallery and part giftique. The
These businesses are taking Hawaii-grown cacao from bean to bar and, in some cases, even grow the chocolate on-site. HAWAII ISLAND Big Island Chocolate Co.The small family farm south of Hilo has about 300 trees and makes chocolate on-site for sale at area farmers markets. (808) 966-6693, bigislandchocolatecompany.com. Hawaiian Crown Plantation and Chocolate FactoryLook for its
“May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii.” In celebration of the beautiful art of lei making across the Islands, no matter what day May 1 coincides with, festivities will take place. This year, May Day falls on a Sunday making way for a variety of events leading up to it throughout the weekend. Oahu May
Happy Talk Lounge was a popular pau hana (after work) hangout long before its doors opened to the public this winter. For years the restaurant and bar at the Hanalei Bay Resort in Princeville kept a loyal following of visitors and locals looking to let loose with a cocktail and a plate of good food
In the middle of the night, HAWAI‘I magazine editor Christine Hitt and I awoke to a torrential downpour. We had already been braving boisterous winds lashing down. Normally, this weather wouldn’t faze us. But tonight we’re camping in a small tent in Malaekahana Beach Campground in Laie on Oahu’s North Shore. The rain stopped about 20
