Tugging an open-ocean kayak toward the shoreline of Kailua Bay on a blustery late December morning, I feel the flutter of butterflies in my belly. In the distance, kite surfers are bumping along, briefly lifting above the choppy water, their multicolored parachutes swelling against the cloud-streaked, azure sky. A few weeks earlier, I had no […]
The story of Aloun Farms begins in 1977, when Aloun Sou and his family of six immigrated to Hawaii by way of a refugee camp on the border of Laos and Thailand. Equipped with a hard work ethic and limited English speaking skills, the family settled in Waianae and started a farm on a five-acre
Remember transfer slips? Those torn pieces of paper allowing you to jump on another bus, free of charge. Well, they are now a thing of the past. As of October 1, TheBus on Oahu discontinued those multicolored tickets and introduced a 1-day pass. If you’re looking to ride the bus without transferring, prices will remain
The owners of Shore Bird Restaurant have retired and closed the restaurant’s doors for good as of September 30, along with its sister restaurant, Ocean House. Opened in 1979 at the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort, Shore Bird was right on the beach and had some of the best views of Waikiki and Diamond Head,
In this tried-and-true guide, we highlight the most memorable, the most special, the most aspirational resorts to stay this year. After a year’s worth of checking into everything from the shiny new thing on the block to the enduring turn-of-the-century classic, this collection of properties falls under a special class of accommodations: the 50 hotels,
Considered the pinnacle of long-distance Hawaiian outrigger canoe racing, the Kaiwi Channel is a grueling 41-mile stretch of open ocean separating the Hawaiian Islands of Molokai and Oahu. In Hawaiian, ka iwi suitably means “the bone”—it takes every muscle and fiber of the human body to complete, a reminder that, when one’s physicality is stripped
Oahu’s North Shore eateries have to be on their game to fuel the active lifestyle of the Seven Mile Miracle’s residents and visitors. You’ll find coffees made with butter alongside papaya bowls, sandwiches filled with local and organic ingredients, and menus with whole sections devoted to the vegan consumer. The cafés, restaurants and food trucks
At 5 years old, Tyler Purcell is one of the youngest sponsored surfers in the world. The kindergartener started surfing when he was 18 months old, at first sharing a board with his father, and then graduating to his own board. His father still helps him with duck diving and pushing off, but the shredding
On August 13, hundreds of fans and onlookers packed all three levels of the main atrium at the International Market Place to watch the unveiling of a statue honoring the late Hawaiian musician Don Ho. The unveiling coincided with the legendary entertainer’s 87th birthday and the shopping center’s one-year anniversary. The placing of the statue
Oahu’s west side gets a bad rap: Parents tell their kids to leave their valuables at home if they’re heading in that direction, and its town names, such as Waianae and Nanakuli, strike fear into the hearts of some visitors and locals. However, much of that is unwarranted and the rugged beauty of the island’s
In 1913, Universal Studios filmed “Hawaiian Love” and “The Shark God” in Honolulu, marking the first Hollywood productions recorded in the Aloha State. Since then we’ve seen everything from cult classics, such as “North Shore,” to box-office flops, like “The Big Bounce,” set on our sunny shores. To celebrate Hollywood’s continued fixation with Hawaii, we’ve
In our May/June issue of HAWAII Magazine, we asked members of our social media audience what their dream trip to Hawaii would be, and then helped plan it out. “Visit the North Shore of Oahu to see a surf contest. it’s a dream I’ve had for a long time. I want to meet Clark Little
