It’s Aloha Friday, which means the end of the workweek, for me at least. To celebrate the impending weekend, I spent my lunch break near the ocean, eating endless amounts of Hawaiian food. Wish you were here? HAWAII Magazine was invited to attend the Aloha Friday Luncheon at Shore Bird Restaurant in the Outrigger Reef […]
King Kamehameha Day is not until June 11, but Waikiki begins its celebrations this weekend. If you’re here on Oahu, check out these events. The celebration kicks off tomorrow at Aliiolani Hale (Honolulu Civic Center), where the King Kamehameha I statue will be decorated with 13-foot lei at 4 p.m., followed by music and hula
Summer is almost here, which means o-bon season is upon us. O-bon, or simply bon to many, is a Japanese Buddhist custom honoring the departed spirits of ancestors. According to tradition, it is believed the summer months are when these spirits return to visit family and friends. In Hawaii, o-bon has taken on a life
I was the last person to check out of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel—at least for a while. Yesterday at 11 a.m., the landmark Waikiki hotel shut down for a seven-month renovation. There were no chaises on the beach. The last drink had been served at the Mai Tai Bar. The shops with their 50 percent
With Waikiki constantly changing and evolving, it’s always good to see familiar faces return to its center stage. This weekend, it’s Bill Tapia, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and the Monarch Room. On Sunday, the venerable Royal Hawaiian will serve its last beachside mai tai before shuttering for a seven-month renovation. But first, it’ll bring back
Staying in Waikiki, but want to take your car rental for an afternoon spin on Maui’s scenic Hana Highway? With Hawaii remaining an island state for the foreseeable future, we’re guessing you won’t be able to drive inter-island direct in, say, this lifetime. But Hawaii Superferry today announced agreements with the bulk of Hawaii’s major
You ask. We answer. HAWAII Magazine reader Veronica Craig writes: On one of our many walking trips around Oahu, we saw Koko Crater, with a walking track to the top that looked like steps. Nothing was mentioned in our travel books. Could you please let us know, as we would love to climb to the
It is a ceremony both moving and serene. Yesterday evening at sunset, I stood with my feet in the warm waters off Oahu’s Ala Moana Beach Park, one of hundreds of people about to release a paper lantern—inscribed in my case to my mother, who died this year—the lantern illuminated by a softly glowing candle,
With the prices of just about everything skyrocketing these days, it doesn’t hurt to save a little. The same goes during vacation time, which is why TripAdvisor.com just released their annual list of the Top 10 free attractions in the country. We are pleased to note that a pair of local treasures found their way
We didn’t know who Dr. Steven P. Leatherman—a.k.a. Dr. Beach—was until this week when we received his 2008 America’s Best Beaches list. Two Hawaii beaches were on it: Hanalei Beach on Kauai at no. 2, and Hamoa Beach on Maui at no. 7. Clearwater/Dunedin, Florida’s Caladesi Island State Park was no. 1. We had no
I can’t get enough sushi. One of the places to indulge in this Japanese cuisine is Makino Chaya, located in Aloha Tower Marketplace. The restaurant’s decoration is a bit cheesy (where else would you find fish and octopus legs hanging from the ceiling?). But don’t let that deter you from entering the restaurant. Makino Chaya
There hasn’t been much Mainland press on this so good thing you’re a HawaiiMagazine.com regular. Especially if you’re a regular who’s going to be on Oahu on June 13 and 14 and digs food, wine and/or cigars. That’s the weekend The Kahala Hotel & Resort hosts its first-ever Food & Wine Classic. Think two days
