Best Hawaii Vacation with Hawaii Vacation Blog

Hawaii summer vacation Special 2012

2012-01-08T16:45:00.000-08:00

The New Year 2012 is here and plans are made everywhere for a Hawaii Summer vacation. A Hawaii summer vacation Special in January? you ask. Yes, yes, just wait what we at 'Best Hawaii Vacation blog' have to offer this time.

When we heard a few days ago from one of our Kohala Coast Vacation Guide hosts with his plan to offer his luxury Kohala Coast vacation home located in prestigious gated Kohala Ranch of the Big Island NOW in January for the unbelievable rate of $375/nt. (regular $605/nt.) - 38% off the regular rate -we decided this Hawaii Summer Special is too good to keep it a secret.

Please, be aware that this Hawaii summer vacation Special on the Kohala Coast is an EXCLUSIVE OFFER on Kohala Coast Vacation Guide ONLY!

This designer furnished 3 Bd/4.5 Ba Kohala Coast vacation rental home with solar heated salt water swimming pool is located north of Kailua Kona Hawaii on 5 acres in the gate protected four-thousand acre Kohala Ranch. The home and property provides absolute privacy with an amazing unobstructed ocean view. The Kohala and Kona coasts of the Big Island of Hawaii offer some of the finest beaches, golfing, deep sea fishing and scuba diving in the world. This Kohala Ranch vacation home is minutes from one of the Conde' Nast Traveler top ten beaches in the world.

The world famous Mauna Kea Beach and Hapuna Beach resorts and four world-class golf courses are within 10 minutes drive of the home. The house is situated on a bluff with an unobstructed ocean view, the coastline, Mauna Kea mountain and Maui. Whale watching in Hawaii is one of the most popular Hawaii activities. The expansive views from the Kohala Coast vacation home offer prime viewing in the winter months for spectacular sightings of the migrating whales.

The Kohala Coast home is 35 minutes from the Keahole-Kona airport with direct flights to Kona from San Francisco and Los Angeles or with many other flights per day via Honolulu Airport. If you are interested in this Hawaii vacation summer special on the Kohala Coast, please, send us an email with 'Summer Special' in subject line. Include your travel details + your phone number. Our Kohala Ranch host is looking forward to hearing from you and so are we. A Hawaii vacation summer special in January? Priceless! Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacation

p.s.
Current vacancies for 3 Bd/4.5 Ba Kohala Coast Luxury Home which apply for Hawaii Summer Special at 38% OFF:
7/9 - 7/28/2012
8/12 - 8/31/2012
September 2012
October 2012

Hawaii Christmas 2011 Last Minute

2011-12-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

Jack Frost has a tight hold of most of the Mainland in December, no wonder you are dreaming of a warm Hawaii Christmas 2011. A last minute Hawaii visit would be the way to go, you think. Last minute Hawaii vacations have happened in the past. I have seen them but its not in the sense of a last minute "Special" or "Deal". There are no Hawaii last minute Christmas deals for the budget traveler who is waiting for them.

The term "last minute" relating to Hawaii Christmas only relates to somebody making up their mind to make it to the Hawaiian islands late notice for Christmas. OK, you definitely have a chance to find a nice Hawaii vacation rental or even a Hawaii hotel over Christmas - cancellations happen all the time - but the biggest issue is getting a Hawaii plane reservation last minute. Even at the much higher holiday airfare rates, planes bound for Hawaii for Christmas are filled to the last seat. It will be like winning the lottery to make it on a plane to Hawaii.

Another challenge will be finding an available car rental on the islands. The car rental supply on the Hawaiian islands is limited. However, if you are totally committed to a Hawaiian Christmas vacation last minute then Honolulu may be your best choice, with more rental cars available and a great bus system for getting around the island.

Mele Kalikimaka from Pua and Keoki Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
Toshua from Wahine Style Girls in Hawaii wishes all our blog visitors Mele Kalikimaka.

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3 Reasons for Star Watching in Hawaii in December

2011-11-17T09:15:00.000-08:00

Do you love to watch the stars in Hawaii? Hawaii star watching has some astronomical fireworks ready for you this December. We are warmly welcoming back Gerrit, our expert on watching the stars in Hawaii who first attracted your attention when writing his guest post about how to 'Watch a meteor shower in Hawaii'. So please, keep reading Gerrit's 3 reasons for star watching, when you will be visiting Hawaii next month.

3 Reasons for Star Watching in Hawaii in December

"Stargazing is often the best excuse if you don't want to go to sleep at night, but venture out on a memorable adventure. The Big Island of Hawaii is especially well suited for stargazing adventures because of its clear and dark skies. The best optical observatories of the world are built on the Big Island for a reason. Here are 3 reasons for you to go out and stargaze at night on your Hawaii vacation. Don't forget to take some pupus (pupu: typical Hawaiian picnic snacks) and picnic blanket + pillow or beach chair to recline in.

Watch total lunar eclipse in Hawaii December 10th

Lunar eclipses are not as rare as most people think. There are 2 to 4 lunar eclipses every year, but these eclipses are not visible from every location and are not always 'total' ('total' means that the complete moon becomes eclipsed). The December 10th 2011 lunar eclipse is a total eclipse and is perfectly visible from Hawaii (as well as from most of the United States)! The total lunar eclipse of December 10th 2011 will be visible from Hawaii during the early morning hours, as the moon sets in the western sky. The eclipse duration is 51 minutes, with the moment of greatest eclipse at 04:31 Hawaiian time. Because the moon will be low on the western sky the best place to watch this event is on the west coast of the Big Island.

For more information on this lunar eclipse, watch this two minute lunar eclipse video with a great lunar eclipse song ("moon dance" by Jim Morrison)

Watch Geminids Meteor Shower in Hawaii December 14th

Meteor showers are a spectacular event to watch, with dozens of shooting stars visible each hour during their peak. Regular readers of Best Hawaii Vacation Blog probably remember the meteor shower article on the delta aquarids meteor shower of July 2011. I also recommend the lovebigisland meteor shower guide for and trivia good background information on meteor showers.

December 14th you have another chance to watch a meteor shower. This time the Geminids will light up the sky and give you a chance to make some wishes. Unfortunately, the moon is still almost full on the 14th (full moon is December 10th, during the lunar eclipse). The way around this is to avoid the moon and watch the meteor shower before the moon rises above the horizon. This happens on 21:59 on December 14th, which means that any stargazing that night is best done after sunset but before 10p.m.

December 21st: Southern Solstice - midwinter night

Last but not least there is the southern solstice. A solstice happens twice a year, and marks the time when the sun reaches the lowest (southern solstice from Hawaii) or highest (northern solstice from Hawaii) point on the sky. This also means that the shortest day and longest night in 2011 on Hawaii fall on December 21st. Solstices get really interesting on the polar circle, where the sun never rises during the solstice in wintertime, and never sets during the solstice in summertime! This won't happen on Hawaii but you can celebrate the fact that from December 21st on and for 6 months, the days will get longer again and the sun will keep getting higher on the sky (which means she will get stronger and warmer). What is a better reason for a celebration!"

Again mahalo Gerrit for this great information on star watching in Hawaii. Gerrit is an often returning visitor to the Big Island and writes for lovebigisland and the lovebigisland blog. Lovebigisland.com promotes sustainable tourism and has a special focus on astronomical events on Hawaii.

We love to hear from you and your Hawaii star watching adventures. Hope this Hawaii star watch post will trigger your curiosity for a Hawaii star watching outing this December. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Best sun glasses for Hawaii vacation

2011-10-30T10:33:00.000-07:00

Are you wondering what the best sun glasses are for your Hawaii vacation and whether your 'old' sun glasses will still do for your 2012 Hawaii beach vacation? OK your sun glasses have nice dark shades and served you well in the past. They even have polarized lenses as health experts recommend. However, ladies here is the deal. Now and then we need to make a 'fashion statement'! So forget about the $20 - 30 polarized sun glasses from WalMart. Designer sun glasses are 'in', and you deserve them no matter whether your hubbie asks you 'Do you really need those sun glasses?' 'No, not REALLY but I want them' was my answer to Keoki.

This all happened when I came across those stylish sun glasses from Margaritaville Eyewear. I knew immediately I'd found what I wanted: state-of-the-art polarized lenses for best protection of my eyes from strong tropical Hawaiian sun combined with fancy styles of frames, shades and tinting. Now the question was not any more whether I really wanted to spend that kind of money on designer glasses but to choose from a huge variety of tropical sun glasses, sun glasses I like best for Hawaii and Hawaii vacation. The Calypso style sun glasses are MY favorite shades (photos courtesy by Margaritaville Eyewear).

Instead of my conventional brown frame sun glasses from the past, I chose the white/conch colored frame this time! Perfect tropical sun glasses for hanging out on Hawaii's white sand beaches and the right match for my new classy white cover-up I bought in Rome this summer. Too bad that I did not have those stylish sun glasses there, yet. OK no beaches or oceans in Rome but I tell you Rome's ladies are very fashion conscious and I would have fit right in with my new shades.

Anyways, I love my Margaritaville sun glasses. The stylish, light weight, tropical design is perfect for Hawaii vacations. Best tropical sun glass designs are of course a matter of personal taste but the big variety of Margaritaville shades allow everybody to find their personal best sunglasses for Hawaii vacation.Visit Hawaii in style and feel good about your fun-in-the-sun eye protection. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

p.s.

Of course, Keoki could not resist and had to try on my new fancy Calypso sun glasses. The design is not really for a guy. OK maybe Elton John but here is what Keoki said: Very stylish and sooo smooth. Wearing these shades is like giving my eyes a massage!

8 Best Maui Vacation Tips

2011-10-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

Is Maui your favorite island for Hawaii vacation? Our '8 Best Maui vacation tips' by today's guest author Melinda is perfect for you. Melinda fell in love with Maui on her first beach vacation in Kihei. Sunny Kihei has been her Hawaii vacation destination ever since. Good reason for her to share her ideas and vacation tips with everybody who plans a Maui vacation.

8 Best Maui Vacation Tips by Melinda

"Whether you are visiting Maui for a wedding, an extended stopover on the way to Asia or just plain rest and recreation vacation, well-informed planning ensures a Maui vacation that lives up to your expectations. Based on many trips to Maui ranging in duration from several days to several months, here are my 8 Best Maui Vacation Tips:

1. When to visit Maui?

High season on Maui is Christmas through Easter. Is it the best time to visit Maui? Nope! That's just when the most people are eager to escape winter on the Mainland. What little bad weather Maui has actually clusters in the winter months. The rest of the year, Maui weather is warmer but not unpleasantly hot. Maui hotel or vacation rental rates are lowest during fall and late spring.

2. How long to stay in Maui?

You can see the whole island in four days, but to have a real Maui experience, you should stay 10 - 14 days. After the first week you'll find yourself slowing down and mellowing to a Maui rhythm, enjoying life the way it was meant to be.

3. Where to stay on Maui vacation - condo or hotel?

There are very few traditional hotels and next to no motels on Maui. Your two main choices are Maui resorts (expensive) and Maui vacation condos (generally cheaper). Many condo complexes offer nearly everything you'd want from a resort except the high prices. The least expensive Maui condo rentals are available directly from the owners. Many of those Maui vacation condos include kitchens, giving you the ultimate flexibility in being able to dine in or out. Not to forget all those FREE amenities like Internet access and tons of beach equipment

4. Maui Beach vacation

In looking through Maui condo and resort descriptions, be aware that in Maui no one owns the beach. All of Maui's wonderful white sand beaches have public access, even the most high-priced Maui resorts . If you plan to swim or snorkel a lot, you might be better advised to book one of those Maui beach condos adjacent to one of the public beaches, such as Kamaole Beach Park I, II or III. Unlike most of the resort beaches, these are manned by lifeguards seven days a week, and they're clean, with restrooms.

5. Maui vacation locations

The two main beach locations for an extended stay are West Maui (Ka'anapali and Lahaina) and South Maui (Kihei and Wailea). Of these, Kihei is the least expensive, and its beaches are just as nice as elsewhere. If you prefer a resort atmosphere, gravitate to Ka'anapali or Wailea instead.

6. Do you need to rent a car on your Maui vacation?

Most visitors to Maui rent a car, but it's possible to have a great vacation without that expense. Simply choose a Maui vacation condo at the beach, surrounded by plenty of eatery choices. Then book sightseeing tours through any one of the plentiful activity kiosks you'll see nearby, selecting operators who will pick you up at the hotel. You can visit the top of Haleakala, ride the road to Hana and take snorkeling trips this way.

7. What to pack for your Maui vacation?

Maui is relentlessly casual. It's also warm, both day and night. This means you can travel light when visiting Maui. All you need in the way of clothing are shorts and shirts, one pair of pants or one light dress, your bathing suit of course, a light jacket or sweater, sandals and sneakers. If you plan to visit the top of Haleakala, where it can be as cool as 40 degrees, bring a down vest or fleece as well. I recommend a pair of binoculars as well, for watching whales and surfers.

8. Day planning of Maui activities

Most guidebooks don't tell you that the ocean is quietest in the morning prior to about 10 a.m., and therefore that's when you should plan swimming, snorkeling and boat tours. They also don't advise you to plan to watch the nightly sunset, especially in winter, when the sky puts on a spectacular show. Afternoons are great for sitting by the pool or sightseeing.

Use a few of my personal vacation tips, or best all of them, and have the best Maui vacation of your dreams."

Much mahalo, Melinda, for your great vacation tips for our Maui visitors fitting right into our Maui vacation articles. Maui visitors, what's your best Maui vacation tip? We love to hear from everybody who has Maui in his heart. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacation

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2011 Hawaii Ironman - Who will win?

2011-09-18T15:45:00.000-07:00

Aloha Kona,

Having been to many Hawaii Ironman competitions in Kona Big Island, the 2011 Hawaii Ironman is once more a huge challenge for professional and amateur triathletes from over 50 countries who all want to be an 'Ironman' in Hawaii once in a life time by making it over the finish line after a 2.4-mile ocean swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile marathon.

Watch the Kona Ironman countdown on the Ford Ironman World Championship site including 2011 Hawaii Ironman athlete guide, 2011 lottery winners and latest news like the last professional triathletes who have qualified for the 50 available spots for male athletes and 30 for female triathletes for the 2011 Hawaii Kona Ironman. Who will win 2011?

Ever since having started our 'Best Hawaii vacation blog' in 2007, we've written many blog posts about the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon in Kona (see links to Hawaii Ironman related posts below) but never did I speculate about the Hawaii Ironman winners. I won't do it this time either. In order to be able to do my best guess who will win the 2011 Hawaii Ironman, one has to follow closely the worldwide Ironman competitions of the professional triathletes and know who is in perfect shape to win this 2011 Ironman. However, despite big name triathletes, like Chris McCormick or Craig Alexander both from Australia winning again and again the Hawaii Ironman, there is always the surprise winner like Faris Al Sultan from Germany who won the 2005 Hawaii Ironman.

So why would I want to this post about "Hawaii Ironman 2011 who will win?"! To be honest, it may have been triggered by all that hype about online speculations whether 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will participate in the 2011 Hawaii Ironman. In 2010 each blog owner was riding the wave with the question 'Will Lance Armstrong win the Hawaii Ironman?' even though the first question should have been ' Will Lance be in Hawaii as a competitor for the 2011 Hawaii Ironman?'

I think a question in an interview with Armstrong last year about returning to doing triathlons, which he has started his career with, and maybe planning a Hawaii Ironman in 2011, got it all this hype going. After I read on ESPN that Lance Armstrong confirmed 3 days ago he will compete September 24 on the XTERRA course that covers a 1-mile swim, 20-mile mountain bike ride and 6-mile trail run, I thought maybe he really will show up for the Hawaii Ironman 2011. Checking Google did not give me the answer immediately but the 2011 Hawaii Ironman athlete registration list does NOT show any or THE Lance Armstrong.

Admittedly, It would have been fun watching Armstrong at the Hawaii Ironman. Well, Armstrong or not, this 2011 Hawaii Ironman with up to 2,000 competitors, ages 18-80, from 50-plus countries and all 50 states will once again get the national and international attention. Wishing all the 2011 Hawaii Ironman triathletes that they make it over the finish line by midnight to become a Hawaii Ironman. Anybody who wants to 'speculate' on the "2011 Hawaii Ironman and who will win" is warmly invited to leave his comment here. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Big Island Ironman

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Best Oahu Activities Beyond Waikiki

2011-08-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Best Hawaii vacation blog visitors,
Our recent Hawaii meteor shower guest post was well received by our blog visitors. We are certain that all of our Oahu visitors who are getting ready for their Oahu vacation and activities will love Jason's guest post 'Best Oahu Activities Beyond Waikiki'.

Jason Rushin lives with his wife, Sarah, in Honolulu's Hawaii Kai neighborhood, and is the founder of HulaCopter, a new iPhone and Android app that helps Hawaii vacationers find great discounts on Hawaii's best activities. Jason spends most of his non-work time either lying on Waimanolo Beach, attempting to surf in Waikiki, enjoying the view of Koko Head from his lanai, or training for the Honolulu Marathon. So let's see what he has to say about:

6 Best Oahu activities Beyond Waikiki

"For most visitors to Oahu, Waikiki is home base. Waikiki luaus, visits to Pearl Harbor and the spectacular North Shore, are on top of the Oahu activity list of visitors spending their Hawaii vacation between Ala Moana and Diamond Head. Given the beauty of the area, the attraction is obvious. However, best Oahu activities beyond Waikiki are just a short car or #22 bus ride away. A world of Hawaiian island beauty and fun activities is awaiting the Oahu visitor on East Oahu. Here are six popular Oahu activities beyond Waikiki which I recommend to friends, family and Oahu visitors on Hawaii vacation:

1. Hanauma Bay - Best Oahu snorkel spot

Surely one of the most beautiful natural areas in Hawaii, Hanauma Bay is a combination educational center, marine preserve, wide beach and premier snorkeling area. With over 250 species of fish accounting for 25% of Hawaii’s marine life, all protected in a calm bay, this is the can’t-miss snorkeling spot on Oahu and in the entire state of Hawaii.

2. Surfing Lessons - Learn how to surf beyond Waikiki

While Waikiki is a great place to learn how to surf, it’s crowded, has a rocky bottom, and feels very touristy. For a more “local” experience, and a boat ride, head out to Hawaii Kai’s Maunalua Bay for a fun, uncrowded, mellow beginners surfing lesson off of Portlock Point. Try Hawaiian Surf Adventure a friendly team whose #1 focus is on you having a great time (and they offer a shuttle from Waikiki)!

3. Fast-action Activities - Oahu ocean activities for speed lovers

If you’re looking for fun that’s faster than Waikiki’s waves and sailboats, try jet skis, wave runners, banana boats, and parasailing in the warm Hawaii Kai marina and calm waters of Maunalua Bay. Hawaii Water Sports Center provides all of these - and more - right from Koko Marina, and offers shuttle pick-ups in Waikiki.

4. Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail - Hiking for everybody on Oahu vacation

If you’re like me, a relaxing vacation usually means zero physical activity. If you need to stretch your legs, head out to the south-eastern tip of Oahu and walk the Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail It’s a two-mile paved trail with a moderate grade to the top (elevation gain: approx 400 feet - BRING WATER), but the views are spectacular! On most days, you can see Molokai to the east, and even Maui if it’s clear. During the winter, whale spouts are almost guaranteed. Plus, on the drive over, you can stop at Halona Blowhole and Sandy and Makapu’u Beaches for some of the most incredible blue water views you’ll ever see.

5. Waimanolo Beach Park - Beach activities beyond Waikiki Beach

For what I consider the best beach in the world, plan a day at Waimanolo Beach Park. It has beautiful, wide, white sand beaches, a constant breeze, great bodyboarding, and some of the most amazing aqua waters in the world. The best part: even when it’s "crowded," it’s still not crowded!

6. Great Food - Eat and relax with famous Hawaiian Oahu sunsets

If you’re tired of Waikiki’s chains and food that you can get at home anyway, try two Hawaii icons: The original Roy’s restaurant and Kona Brewing Company.Sure, there are six Roy’s locations in Hawaii and dozens more around the country, but only one is the original! (Tip: Come for a spectacular evening view as the sun sets over Diamond Head). Kona Brewing offers a selection of great island-inspired food and amazing Hawaii-brewed beers, with seasonal selections using ingredients ranging from ginger to coconut to Kona coffee.

Bonus: 7. Save Some Money on your Oahu vacation Beyond Waikiki!

Let’s be honest: Hawaii can be expensive, especially the "tourist" areas. Oahu areas beyond Waikiki offer a less-crowded, less-expensive option to have some great fun, see some amazing sites, and enjoy more of the beautiful people of Oahu - all for a little bit less money."

Much mahalo again, Jason, for your fun post about your favorite Oahu activities. Your Oahu activity photos are wonderful and enticing for Oahu visitors to give the activities a try when on Hawaii vacation.

So, dear Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors, what is on the top of your list of 'Best Oahu Activities Beyond Waikiki'? Your favorite Oahu activity is wanted here. We are looking forward to your comments. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Affordable Hawaii Vacations

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How to watch a meteor shower in Hawaii

2011-07-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors,

After celebrating our 5th Hawaii Blog birthday, we are happy to share another guest post with our Hawaii visitors. Hawaii will experience a special 'fireworks' in the night skies tomorrow, Friday night. Gerrit from BigIslandHawaiianVacation shares with you his Hawaii meteor shower guide:

Best Meteor Shower of the year in Hawaii

"Friday will be your best shot this year to see shooting stars burn in the Hawaiian night sky as the Delta Aquarids meteor shower reaches it peak.

Normally the mid-August Perseid meteor shower steals the show with on average up to 60 shooting stars per hour during its peak. This year however, the full moon will outshine all but the brightest of the Perseid Meteors, which forces those of us with a long wish list to turn to another shower.

Luckily, the Delta Aquarid meteor shower is a worthy contender. It may not be as active as the Perseids, but the peak of the Delta Aquarids coincides with the new moon coming Friday (July 29th). On top of that you will also be able to see the first of the Perseid meteors as the shower slowly starts building up to its (poorly visible) peak on August 13th. The combination of these two showers with the new moon make Friday the best night of 2011 to watch a meteor shower in Hawaii. Expect to see up to 15-30 shooting stars per hour against a clear and dark sky.

What are shooting stars or meteor showers

Meteor showers happen as Earth plows through the trail of debris that is left in the wake of a comet. Because our planet moves with the incredible speed of 90,000 miles/hour, all swept up particles quickly burn up in the atmosphere as a shooting star.

What is the best time to watch the meteor shower in Hawaii

You can see shooting stars during any time at night. However, you can see by far the most meteors after midnight. This has everything to do with the rotation of the Earth. Between midnight and sunrise Earth's rotation has brought you on the leading edge of our planet, and Earth can sweep up many more meteoroids!

How to watch a meteor shower in Hawaii

Comfortable meteor watching is best done with a reclining chair or a blanket to lie down on, because you will be looking up for a long time. Bring a pillow for your neck and find an as dark spot as possible. Once installed sit back, relax, and allow 15 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the darkness. As with all Meteor showers around the globe, the best time to watch the meteor shower in Hawaii is the early hours before dawn."

Much mahalo, Gerrit, for this guest post about meteor showers in Hawaii. Big Island visitors and everbody else who is preparing for watching the meteor shower tomorrow night in Hawaii, will find great tips on 'What to pack for watching the meteor shower in Hawaii' Don't forget your wish list when you are preparing for your long night out tomorrow. Make a wish or two or three...aloha, Pua HawaiiVacations
p.s.
Don't tell us your wishes but tell us when and where you watched a meteor shower in Hawaii.

Hooray today is Best Hawaii Vacation's Birthday

2011-07-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

and the lucky winner of our 5th Best Hawaii Vacation Blog birthday celebration is...

Sherie from Maui. Congratulations, Sherie, you won Keoki's 'Hawaii Easy Stretch DVD'. Just let us know your mailing address and we will be mailing you the DVD to Maui Hawaii as soon as possible. Stretch and relax with Keoki's DVD and keep visiting our Hawaii Vacation blog.

We would like to say 'mahalo' again to everybody who had joined our Hawaii Sweepstakes for 'Best Hawaii Vacation'. Best Hawaii Vacation blog starts today another year of blogging about Hawaii vacation. Please, come back for another blog visit to see what our next post will be about. Mahalo and aloha, Pua and Keoki Hawaii Vacations

How to Win a Hawaii Stretch DVD?

2011-07-13T17:04:00.000-07:00

Warm aloha to
our Best Hawaii Vacation blog followers, our Hawaii twitter friends and all the other Hawaii lovers. It's the time of the year to celebrate the birthday of our Hawaii blog. Our Best Hawaii Vacation Blog will be 5 years young on July 25th. That's five exciting years of blogging about Hawaii. Top Google ranked posts and a steadily increasing number of hundreds of daily blog visitors are a nice reward for all the work of love and aloha.

Well, a blog birthday is a good reason to celebrate with all our 'Best Hawaii Vacation' blog visitors and readers. Please, join our birthday celebration by leaving a short comment on this post 'How to win a Hawaii Easy Stretch DVD'. Just tell us what comes to your mind about the three magic words 'Best Hawaii Vacation'. Easy to do just as 'Hawaii Easy Stretch Body/Mind Relaxation' with Keoki.

How can you win Keoki's Hawaii Stretch DVD?

1.
Leave a comment which includes the three words 'Best Hawaii Vacation' in a sense making sentence or two. No advertising comments eligible. US + Canada comments only.

2.
This post is open for commenting + winning the DVD till 7/24/11. Sign in with Name/URL for extra traffic to your site (don't forget http://).

3.
Keoki and I will put the entries in a bowl and draw the lucky winner of Keoki's Hawaii 'Easy Stretch DVD' (value $25). Legal way excluded.

4.
After you left us a comment, email us the name you used for your comment, so we have your email address and may contact you by email in case your are the lucky winner of the DVD.

Ok the 'How to win a Hawaii Easy Stretch DVD' is on. Let's hear your 'Best Hawaii Vacation comment. Mahalo, Keoki & Pua HawaiiVacation

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4th of July in Hawaii

2011-07-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Best Hawaii Vacation visitors,
Are you in Hawaii for 4th of July and wonder how to celebrate your Independence Day in Hawaii? Hawaii 4th of July events are very popular among Hawaii visitors and residents alike with parades, festivals, BBQs and 4th of July fireworks all over the Hawaiian Islands.

A Hawaii 4th of July event on the Big Island celebrates a very different and unique independence. It's the independence of the Hawaiian green sea turtle! The turtle (honu in Hawaiian) is one of the attractions when snorkeling or scuba diving in warm Pacific ocean around the Hawaiian Islands. In order to keep it that way for many years to come, everything is done to preserve the Hawaiian green sea turtle.

This is what 'Turtle Independence Day' on the Big Island is all about. Mauna Lani Bay Hotel educates theirs guests and Hawaii visitors on the Kohala Coast on their daily 'fish tour' around the premises with wonderful tropical fish ponds offering baby sharks, sting rays, huge variety of tropical fish like humuhumunukunukuapua'a and...Hawaiian green sea turtle babies which had a home in those ponds for a few years till Turtle Independence Day get released into the ocean when they are three and four years old after growing up in the Honu Ponds at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows.

At 10:30am on 4th of July, the turtles will be gathered from the Honu ponds and paraded to the beach front for release into their new home, the vast Pacific Ocean. A welcome ceremony will start the event. What a wonderful Hawaii 4th of July event celebration with live entertainment and BBQ to save our Hawaiian wild life and celebrate Independence Day at the same time. Please, tell our visitors about your 4th of July in Hawaii. Happy Independence Day! Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Win a trip to Hawaii with Hawaii T-shirt design contest

2011-06-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Hawaii lovers,
A Hawaii fairy tale wedding is not in your plans or budget for this year, but you'd still love to visit Hawaii, the Hawaii T-shirt design might be perfect for you, provided you have a creative streak in you to design a Hawaii T-shirt for Hawaiian style Kettle Potato chips. We received this Press Release yesterday and decided to publish it because your entry could win you fame or/and a Free trip to Hawaii!

"The makers of Hawaiian® Kettle Style Potato Chips take great pride in the beautiful, original artwork on all of its packaging and now want to inspire consumers to create a new generation of art. From now through August 31, 2011, adult residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia are invited to submit an original design for a Hawaiian® Kettle Style Potato Chips t-shirt. The winning design will be made into a cool Hawaiian style t-shirt that people all over the country could be wearing!

“We want people to use the unique, colorful, tropical artwork that appears on the Hawaiian® Kettle Style Potato Chips packaging as inspiration for their own design,” says Terri Barberi, Brand Development Manager in the Specialty Foods Division of Pinnacle Foods Corp., marketers of the Hawaiian® brand. “What we’re looking for is original artwork that takes a nod from the designs we’ve created to bring the laid back feel and taste of Hawaii to life."

The 'Win a trip to Hawaii T-shirt' design contest for Hawaiian Kettle Chips has officially started May 15, 2011. You can submit your idea of an original Hawaiian t-shirt design by going to HawaiianBrandSnacks and clicking on the "Hot Hawaiian® T-Shirt Design Contest" banner. Entry deadline is August 31, 2011. Have fun designing your own Hawaii T-shirt for Hawaiian Kettle chips. Good luck everybody for winning a trip to Hawaii. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

3 Best Tips for Getting Married in Hawaii

2011-05-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

Aloha everybody,
There must be a getting married wedding frenzy out there after the entire world watched Prince William and Kate Middleton tying the knot in the most ever watched wedding event. You cannot blame all those want-to-be brides getting all excited about getting married to their prince of heart and wondering about their wedding gown and best location for their wedding. A Hawaii wedding is definitely the next best thing after getting married to a prince at Westminster Abbey.

Here are our 3 best tips for getting married in Hawaii

1. Choose your favorite Hawaiian Island for getting married in Hawaii

If you are a first time Hawaii visitors and don't have a favorite Hawaiian Island yet, make yourself familiar with the basic differences between the islands including climate differences on an individual island. Our recommendations for the best location for getting married in Hawaii are the all-year-round sunny white beaches of Kihei, Maui or the Kohala Coast, Hawaii Big Island.

2. Choose the best time for getting married in Hawaii

Of course, it would be wonderful to get married on a sunny beach in Hawaii at Christmas or New Year's as we did but we lived there and did not have to travel to Hawaii at peak season. You want to make sure that not only a few of your family and friends can afford a the trip to Hawaii. Hawaii travel is best and affordable in spring or fall months. You will enjoy the same sunny weather.

3. Plan your own wedding in Hawaii or employ a Hawaii wedding planner

That's probably a decision which is not easy to make. We know of great Hawaii wedding companies - also read our former posts about getting married in Hawaii - which can make your wedding in Hawaii easy on you and your family. They offer a great variety of Hawaii wedding packages meeting your budget and expectations. The above photo is courtesy of 'Romantic Beach Weddings'. Additionally, Hawaii hotels offer considerable room discounts for wedding party celebrations guests. Have you own 'Royal wedding' in Hawaii!

And guess what, if a Hawaii wedding isn't in your plans because you'd like to share your celebration of love with all your family and friends from near and far, have a unique honeymoon in Hawaii. Hawaii honeymoon packages may include a flower lei greetings with or without limo pick-up at the airport, champagne and pupus (appetizers) at your hotel room or honeymoon beach vacation home, a massage on the beach and...whatever else you and your loved one wish for on this special occasion.

Anybody who wants to chime in on 'getting married in Hawaii' tips? Our Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors would love to hear from you. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

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Hawaii Vacation for Less 2011 Spring

2011-05-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Hawaii travelers,

It's not too late to book a Hawaii vacation for Less when looking for a budget travel to Hawaii. As most of you know by now the best time to travel to Hawaii cheap is in Spring. Hawaii spring vacation 2011 is not any different. Check our Hawaii Vacation Rental budget deals which makes a Hawaii vacation for Less available to you:

Sunny Side Waimea Cottage from $95/nt. - 2011 Spring Special 'Hawaii for Less'

This Hawaii cottage is fully equipped (full kitchen) and at a private location with short 10-minute drive to Mauna Kea beach. Stay for less money at a nice cottage and save money for restaurant visits or other Hawaii activities, like a helicopter flight over an active volcano. Spring vacancies from 5/15/11at $95/nt. with 7-night booking. Sunny Side Waimea Cottage Kohala Coast Vacation Rental Cottage Near Best Beaches

Mauna Kea Views apartment from $95/nt. - 2011 Spring Special 'Hawaii for Less'

This Big Island Waimea 1Bd/1Ba vacation rental w/kitchen is at a private, peaceful vacation apartment overlooking an expansive green valley and spectacular Mauna Kea Mountain on the Big Island Waimea Apartment with Mauna Kea Views It's a short 5-minute drive to best restaurants and shopping in Waimea. Kohala Coast Beaches and Big Island adventures like Waipio Valley or Mauna Kea Summit are easily accessible. This Hawaii vacation spring special of $95/nt. applies to a weekly stay in May or June.

Waikoloa Golf Condo (Studio) from $100 - 2011 Spring Special 'Hawaii for Less'

This Waikoloa Golf course condo makes the dream of any passionate golfer for golfing in Hawaii come come true. The Waikoloa Golf Condo with full kitchen enjoys expansive ocean and beautiful sunset views is located directly on the beautiful Waikoloa Village Golf Course on the Big Island. A discounted 18 hole golf fee of $60 (including cart) is also available at the Waikoloa Golf Course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Beautiful Anaeho'omalu Beach is a short 10-min. drive away. The Golf Condo offers a great Spring Special at $100/nt. (dbl.)

Hawaii Puako Beach Apartment from $115/nt. - Puako Special all-year round

This Puako Apartment is right across from Beach 1Bd/1Ba Puako Vacation Apartment If it's just the two of you and you love the beach, this is as good as it gets with all the Puako rentals. $115/nt. this is your best deal Puako beach! It is currently still available for 6/20 - 6/30 + July. Enjoying all your meals outdoors in a tropical setting on your spacious private lanai. Puako is one of the most desired areas on the Kohala Coast. You can access the ocean right there across from Puako Puako Beach Drive or pack your beach stuff into the car and take a short 5-minute drive to Puako Beach 69 also called Wailea Bay.

Puako Condo 3Bd/2 Ba $145/nt. (4 pers.) - 2011 Spring Special 'Hawaii for Less'

Oceanfront Puako village has become one of the most desired Big Island vacation area with immediate beach access on the sunny west coast of Hawaii's Big Island, north of Kona on the Kohala Coast. This 3Bd/2Ba Puako condo is one of the rare ocean front Big Island vacation condos at the most affordable rate. It has three bedrooms with a king size, a queen size, and two twin beds. There are two full baths and a fully equipped kitchen. Condo amenities include beach gear, including chairs, coolers, towels, snorkels and masks are included. Puako vacation condo Stay at most desired Puako village across from beach at a price you can afford. Sorry guys, May is booked but there are nice vacancies for June + July 2011.

Kona Ocean View 2Bd/2Ba Vacation Condo with swimming pool from $110/nt.
2011 Spring Special 'Hawaii for Less'

White Sands Estates Triplex on a bluff above Alii Drive with an amazing view of the ocean. Located between Kona's most popular beach, Magic Sands and Kahaluu. This two-bedroom, two-bath condo features sun decks, pool and an incredible panoramic ocean front view from the lanai, splash pool and living areas. Kona Ocean View condo with Pool + Short walk to beach has SPRING vacancies in May + June. Believe me this is the best Kona condo rate for location + amenities!

Much mahalo for checking our 'Hawaii Vacation for Less Spring 2011'. The Hawaii vacation rental owners are waiting to hear from you and make your Hawaii budget vacation a dream come true this spring.

Well, and if you have more money to spend on your Hawaii accommodation this spring, there are luxury Kohala Coast vacation homes right on Puako beach or in our gated Kohala Coast communities like Kohala Ranch or Kohala by the Sea. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacation

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Hawaii Hula Festival Videos

2011-04-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

A Komo Mai everybody,
At Best Hawaii Vacation Blog, we are proud of sharing big Hawaii events which keep Hawaiian traditions and culture alive with all our friends who are in love with Hawaii. Hawaii vacation is not only about white sand beaches, as we all know, but also about the Hawaiian culture which we experience everywhere on the islands. Aloha spirit and hula are the biggest part.

In the past, we wrote many posts about the meaning of hula and hula festivals in Hawaii. The Merrie Monarch Hula Festival on Hawaii Big Island is coming up for its 48th anniversary this 2011 Easter. Good reason to get you in the hula festival mood with our Hawaii Hula Festival videos.

For those who have not heard about the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, here is some basic information for Big Island visitors, who are in Hawaii and would like to visit Hilo for the Hula Festival this Easter. Merrie Monarch Festival is a non-profit organization that honors the legacy left by King David Kalakaua, who inspired the perpetuation of Hawaii traditions and culture, Hawaiian language and arts.

The week-long festival features an internationally acclaimed hula competition, a huge crafts fair, an amazing Hawaiian art show, a grand parade through Hilo town and last but not least, a three-day hula competition that has received worldwide recognition. This year's 2011 Merrie Monarch Festival takes place April 24-30, 2011.

In preparation of this Hawaii Hula Festival blog I perused many hula videos on youtube including some of the older Merrie Monarch Festivals. Enjoying all thess hula videos, the chants and songs, beautiful Hawaiian style costumes and the special sounds of Hawaiian music, I came across the following video by the Polynesian Cultural Center's about hula shows at Moanikeala Festival. I was so impressed by it that I decided to post it here.

Most impressive of this Hawaii hula festival video was for me that hula is a dance of all generations from the youngest keiki to the older generation. Please, enjoy this huge variety of hula dances.

We close our Hawaii Hula Festival post with a video from the 2008 Merrie Monarch Festival presenting Halau Hula Olana, which shows the grace, the love, the beauty and the commitment of the Hawaiian wahine in their hula performance.

Let us know what you think about these Hawaii hula videos and of course your experience with the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival. Mahalo and aloha, Pua

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Hawaii Ohana Blogs

2011-03-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

Hawaii Ohana Blogroll

Best Hawaii Vacation Blog is proud of sharing its Hawaii Ohana Blogs with our visitors. Hawaii visitors are well aware of the meaning and the importance of the word 'ohana' (in Hawaiian 'family') in the Hawaiian culture of old and NOW.

Ever since we started our 'Best Hawaii Vacation Blog' in July 2006, we emphasized the connection with kindred-spirit-minded Hawaii blogs, which are sharing their love and aloha for Hawaii, its land and its people with our Hawaii visitors.

Here is our Hawaii Blogroll reflecting an abundance of Hawaii vacation related information. Hawaii visitors, please, see for yourselves. Hawaii blog owners, who are not yet part of our 'Best Hawaii Vacation' ohana blogroll, tell us about your Hawaii blog and join our Hawaii Ohana Blogs.

You may also visit us on Twitter. Hawaii Vacation tweets are are favorites. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Hawaii Blogs & Resources

Beat of Hawaii
Best Hawaii GuideBooks
Best Hawaiian Music NOW
Conservation Hawaii
Go Hawaii
Hawaii Vacation All Islands
Hawaii Vacation Gifts
Hawaii Youtube Videos
Online Highways Hawaii
Sexy Ladies of Hawaii
The Right Blue

Hawaii Big Island Blogs

Big Island Vacation
Big Island Video News
Kona Scuba Diving
True Aloha Hawaii Blog

Hawaii Blogs Kauai

Kauai Vacation Rentals

Hawaii Blogs Maui

A Maui Blog
Hawaii Maui Vacation Rentals
Kaanapali Dreamin
Maui Vacation Blog
Maui Vacation Condo Rentals

Hawaii Blogs Oahu

Homespun Honolulu

Blogs Beyond Hawaii

Entertainment Blogs

Health Blogs

Best Price Hawaii Stretch Video

Life Lessons

Joe Duck

Vacation Blogs

Vacation on Olympic Peninsula

2011 Hawaii volcano eruption videos

2011-03-08T15:31:00.000-08:00

The world's most active volcano is erupting again!

I remember in the late 70ies when Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano erupted. It was a very similar scenario to the msnbc.com Hawaii Volcano Eruption Video shown during the nightly show with Brian Williams and displayed on MSN.

Back thirty years ago, it was also the East Rift zone that erupted. We were able to drive our car and park along a road close-by to the lava flow. The eruption was maybe 300yards away, with a curtain of lava, very similar to the video, shooting lava over 100 feet into the air with the curtain extending far a distance of more than 200 yards. Just to stand there and watch the most active volcano on earth, spewing red hot molten lava and listening to the sound as if a jet engine is ready to take off but never does, that is deeply embedded in my mind, never to be forgotten.

Big Island visitors' numbers have considerably increased according to 'US Today Travel' due to the dramatic Hawaii volcano eruption. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park recommends Big Island volcano visitors to get maps, photos, Webcam views, and other information about Kilauea Volcano on the official Hawaii Volcano website. Currently the 'Chain of Craters' Road, East Rift Zone and the campground in Volcanoes Park are closed for visitors. Big Island visitors may get a daily update on the volcano's activity and road closures by phone at (808) 967-8862.

If you are interested in more information about our Hawaii Kilauea Volcano history and the current 2011 eruption, visit 'Big Island Video News' - best source for daily Big Island video news -, which actually just published today interesting information about the 'Man behind global Hawaiian Volcano eruption video' I guess we all, including msnbc.com, have to give him huge credit for this amazing 'Hawaii Volcano Eruption Video".

Any comments from recent Hawaii Volcanoes Park visitors are most welcome. Mahalo and aloha, Keoki and Pua Hawaii Vacation

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Which Hawaiian Beach photo do you like best?

2011-02-27T09:53:00.000-08:00

Hawaii Beach Bums Wanted,
At least, their personal opinion about Hawaii beach photos!

When visiting the Hawaiian Islands and asking our Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors why they prefer Hawaii for their vacation destination and NOT Mexico or California or Phoenix the majority of visitors will tell us, the answer is the Hawaiian Beaches on clear turquoise ocean waters of the Pacific Ocean. There is a never ending discussion going on among Hawaii visitors and residents which one is the best Hawaiian beach. Hawaii Beach photos it is TODAY!

After our most recent post of Best Big Island Beach es Youtube Videos, we decided to stay with the theme and asked our Hawaiian ohana from different Hawaiian Islands for their best Hawaii Beach photos. We received a very unique selection of Hawaii beach photos. We are proud of sharing our friends' Best Hawaii Beach photos'. You will find out very fast that they are very unique, beautiful but each one is very personal and reflecting the photographers relation with the Hawaiian Islands and its beaches.

Best Hawaii Beach Photos Oahu, Maui and Molokai

Special 'Mahalo' goes to Brigitte from 'Be Back Hawaii' who submitted the following Hawaii beach photos of Beaches on Oahu, Maui and Molokai.

Waimanalo Beach Photos Oahu

Napili Bay Beach Photos Maui

Molokai Papahaku Beach Photos

Best Hawaii Beach Photos Big Island Kona

Barbara from 'Kona Ocean View' took these unique photos of Big Island beaches on the Kona side of the Big Island. Enjoy photos with views of Kona Beaches.

Kukio Beach Photo Kona Big Island

Photo of famous Kahaluu Beach in Kona

Another Photo City of Refuge Snorkel Beach

Another photo City of Refuge snorkel beach

Best Hawaii Beach Photos Big Island South Point + Punaluu Beach

Each time Big Island visitors are at awe when they see the Green Sands Beach at South Point and beautiful Black sand beaches on big Island's East Coast. Missie from 'Big Island Cottage' shares some rare and unique photos of Green Sands and Black sands beaches with you.

Best Hawaii Beach Photo Kohala Coast

When taking best Hawaii beach photos on the Kohala Coast, it's mostly Hapuna Beach and Mauna Kea beach photos. Barry Rose from 'Waiaka Homestead' shows a beach photo of Puako's Wailea Bay beach, also called Beach 69 among locals, which is claiming more attention among Kohala Coast Big Island visitors for its unique beauty, privacy and easy access.

Hope you enjoyed those Hawaiian beach photos just as we did. Please, let us know which of our Hawaii beach photos gets your vote as 'My Best Hawaii Beach Photo'. Looking forward to hearing from you. More personal Hawaii Beach photos are welcome. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
If you are interested to use any of these Hawaii beach photos on your own Hawaii website, please, be aware that these photos are copyright material. So please ask the site owners for permission to use a certain photo from our blog post,and in most cases you will get it when you refer to your Hawaii beach photo owner's site.

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Tags: Best Hawaii Beach photos

Best Big Island Beaches Youtube Videos

2011-02-07T08:20:00.000-08:00

Dear Hawaii visitors who are NOT in Hawaii this winter,
Everybody who is in Hawaii right now or will be there soon, will tell you that the white sand beaches are the best part of their Hawaii vacation. So let's give everybody a taste of the Hawaiian Islands with some great Big Island beach videos, which I found on youtube when preparing this post. Remember pictures or videos speak a thousand words.

Best Big Island Beaches

'Best Big Island Beaches' by Steve are nicely done Hawaii beach videos. The order of beaches wouldn't be my personal choice of Big Island beaches but that's all in the eye of the beholder. Actually, my personal #1 Big Island Beach, Mauna Kea Beach or Kauna'oa Beach, is not even featured in Best Big Island Beaches. My post 'Best Big Island Beach' tells you more about Mauna Kea Beach. You can get nice glimpses of Mauna Kea Beach on Kohala Coast Beaches or watch the following Mauna Kea Beach youtube video.

Views at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

Looking forward to your comments on YOUR 'Best Big Island Beaches'. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
By the way, don't be too tough on Steve regards his pronunciation of the Hawaiian beach names. Admittedly, he could have asked some locals to tell him but hey he did a good job with his Best Big Island Beach videos.

Cherry Blossom Festival in Hawaii

2011-01-30T10:07:00.000-08:00

A Komo Mai 'Best Hawaii Vacation blog' visitors,
As all of you know monthly events are plentiful in Hawaii. Hawaii visitors to the Kohala Coast on the Big Island have to choose from a lot of events in the Kohala Coast event calendar for February. Admitted, February events are not the big national events like the Big Island Triathlon in Kona or the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in Hilo. However, there are lots of local area events in Hawaii, which came to life through their residents and their different cultural background and traditions.

One of those traditions is the Cherry blossom festival in Hawaii. Honolulu's Cherry Blossom Festival has a long tradition and offers lots of events for Hawaii visitors and residents alike all the way through February and March as long as the cherry blossoms are blooming.

And yes they are blooming not just in Honolulu but also in upcountry Waimea on the Big Island. Each year an abundance of cherry tree blossoms are blooming in Church Row attracting with their beauitiful pink colors and wonderful scent. The Japanese residents of Waimea and Big Islanders from all over will come to Waimea to celebrate the blossoming of the cherry trees on Church Row Park, just east of KTA shopping center on Saturday, the 5th of Februray.

The tradition of flower viewing of cherry trees has it roots in Japanese culture, but has become a tradition across the U.S. to celebrate the unofficial arrival of spring. There is even a National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the gift of cherry trees from Japan in 1912.

Those planning to attend the Waimea Cherry Blossom Festival will be able to view a Japanese bon dance, taiko drumming and Cherry blossom art. Waimea also has two very extensive Farmers markets providing fruits, veggies and prepared foods for those with a hearty appetite. This year's event pays tribute to master lei and kapa maker Marie McDonald, and Milton Yamasaki.

During the 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. festival, a host of activities will take place from the Parker Ranch Historic Homes on Mamalahoa Hwy. 190 to the Hawaiian Homestead Farmer's Market on Hwy. 19. Enjoy Japanese and multi-cultural performing arts, plus demonstrations of bonsai, origami, tea ceremony and mochi pounding and a wonderful craft fair.

Hope you can make it to the Cherry Blossom in Honolulu or Waimea. If you do, let us know what you liked best at this year's Cherry Blossom Festival in Hawaii. Photos of the cherry blossom trees in Hawaii are most welcome too. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

How to Move to Hawaii with your Pets

2011-01-12T17:07:00.000-08:00

Best wishes for the New 2011 Year to all of our Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors! May all your dreams, like moving to Hawaii for good, come true!

The 2011 Hawaii real estate market is still a great buyer's market with great prices, far below the 2005 high, so thoughts of moving to Hawaii can become a reality instead of being a dream. A big part of 'Moving to Hawaii' plans has been and still is for many families the question 'How to move the pets to Hawaii?' Generally, moving pets to Hawaii has become so much easier in recent years with the 5-day or less program. Erick from Royal Hawaiian Movers joins us today with his guest author article about:

How to move to Hawaii with your pets

"Moving to Hawaii can be a rewarding experience, but transporting all of your belongings from the mainland to the Aloha State can leave you with a bit of a headache, especially when you have to consider all the restrictions and special sanctions that apply to certain things you might want to ship… like your pets. If you have dogs, cats or other animals that you wish to take with you when you make the move, it’s a good idea to read up on the current restrictions by the State of Hawaii that apply to shipping pets to Hawaii. Here’s some of the basic info you need to know.

Hawaii’s Animal Quarantine

Hawaii has a special animal quarantine program that was put in place in 1912 to prevent the entry of rabies into the state of Hawaii. Historically, Hawaii has always been a rabies-free state, having had no indigenous cases of the disease. In an effort to maintain this status, the state’s Department of Agriculture instituted an animal quarantine that applies to dogs, cats and all other carnivores that could potentially carry the disease.

The quarantine requires that all animals to which it applies be properly inspected and qualified before entering Hawaii. Pets can be released directly from the airport if the owner follows the required procedures before the pet’s arrival. If not, the procedures must be done before the pet may be released. It usually takes about four months to test and qualify an adult pet, as various vaccinations and inspections are needed. Qualifying a newborn kitten or puppy for Hawaii’s quarantine program can take 10 months or more.

Exceptions

If you’re moving from the continental United States to Hawaii, the quarantine applies to your pets. The only exceptions that are made are for animals that come from other rabies-free areas of the world or from places where rabies prevention and control protocols are as strict as or stricter than Hawaii’s protocols. "

Mahalo again Erick for your input on the pet quarantine program. We hope that everybody who wants to know how to move with pets to Hawaii found some valuable information in our 'Moving pets to Hawaii' post. Even though moving your pets to Hawaii has become so much easier on the pets and the pet owners, it still takes a lot of filling out the right paperwork, following the correct procedures and paying the necessary fees, when you want to take advantage of the 5-day or pick up at the airport program.

Moving to Hawaii is a huge step by itself, so maybe you want to get some help from a company who is familiar with the necessary steps to move your pets. It can't hurt to contact a pet relocation service like AKonaPet, which I found in preparation for this post.

Your comments about how you moved to Hawaii with your pets are most welcome by us and our Hawaii blog visitors. Mahalo, Pua Hawaii Vacations

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5 Best Reasons for Christmas in Hawaii

2010-12-14T07:27:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Hawaii ?

Have you ever wondered how you can really enjoy the Christmas holidays without all the Mainland christmas stress? All our Hawaii visitors who celebrate their snow free Christmas in Hawaii will tell you "How". Book a vacation in Hawaii for the Holidays, most favorably including Christmas Day and New Years.

Keoki and I had great fun putting our '5 Best reasons for a Christmas in Hawaii' together for our 'Best Hawaii Vacation' visitors:

1. Escape to warm sunny Hawaii

Actually, Keoki recommended to make that reason the top 3 reasons, which is probably true. Escaping snow, icy roads bundling up in tons of layers of clothes is definitely in everybody's mind when making their reservation for Christmas in Hawaii.

2. Escape the Mainland Christmas Shopping Mania

Each year it seems that Christmas arrives earlier at the markets and stores with Christmas decorations showing up at early as October and "Silent Night" being played for hours, days and weeks. Christmas shopping for yourselves and family can be really fun in Hawaii. Hawaii gift stores are very happy to mail Christmas presents to your friends and family.

3. Escape long lines at your local Post Office

Christmas in Hawaii saves you from standing in long lines at the local post office, not to mention gift wrapping and packing Christmas packages. As said before, gifts from Hawaii are always welcome by family and friends whether it's Kona coffee, Big Island Macademia Nuts, Hawaiian shirts or Keoki's 'Hawaii Easy Stretch DVD' or other Hawaii goodies. All those can be easily shipped by the Hawaii company right to your family and friends.

4. Trade the Snow Shovel for a Boggie Board and a dip in the warm Hawaiian Ocean

Imagine yourself walking barefoot on a warm white sand beach, or floating in turquoise blue warm water of the Pacific on Christmas Day instead of slipping and slidding down the road with your car on your way to family or friends on Chistmas Day. Christmas Vacation in Hawaii? Priceless!

5. Have a Healthy Holiday in Hawaii.

No need to go to the gym for your tough workouts on the mainland. Beach walks, swimming, boogie boarding, kayaking, and body surfing will get you in the perfect shape during your Christmas Vacation in Hawaii. Have some extra money to spend? Try a relaxing massage at one of Hawaii's excellent spas. Serenity Now!

Last but not least, if we convinced you that a Christmas Vacation in Hawaii is just what you need to make your Christmas Holidays fun, low stress and healthy all at the same time, plan your Hawaii Christmas vacation far ahead to get the best rates for air fares, car rentals and vacation accommodation.

Mele Kalikimaka from Heidi and Keoki Hawaii Vacations

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In love with Geckos in Hawaii

2010-11-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

Dear Hawaii visitors,
E Komo Mai and Welcome back to our special world of fauna and flora in Hawaii. The magic word today is "Gecko".

Long before the insurance company Geico adopted the gecko as its mascot, the Hawaiians knew the true value of their little friend. They shared their homes with the gecko, allowing it to roam at will, eating bugs or any other not welcome insects in the Hawaiian homes. The chirp, chirp of the gecko - mostly at night because geckos are nocturnals - was and is a reassuring sound, knowing the geckos were doing their job keeping the hale (Hawaiian for house, home) free of bugs.

Now,I know a lot of visitors come to the Hawaiian Islands not knowing about the benefits of the gecko and their first complaint is, "Hey there is a lizard in my room". Well, I say that's not a lizard, that's a friendly and non-threatening gecko.

Our geckos in Hawaii don't bite, in fact they don't really like you, just leave them alone and they will serenade you with their chirp, chirp chirp and keep your hale free of bugs. Of course you have to clean up some gecko poop once in a while. Little to pay to keep your tropical hale bug free.

If you have a gecko story about your encounter with the geckos in Hawaii, please, let us and our Hawaii visitors know. Mahalo and aloha, Keoki Hawaii Vacations

Snowbirds are coming back to Hawaii

2010-11-07T10:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Hawaii blog visitors,

What's up with today's blog title? At the beginning of each winter season, Hawaii residents and visitors are used to read and hear the excited statement 'The Humpback whales are coming back!'. Our article today is claiming that the 'Snowbirds are coming back!'

Oh well, everybody in Hawaii knows that 'Snowbirds in Hawaii' are not an endangered species of rare Hawaii animals but we call those visitors who come back to the warm Hawaiian Islands and the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean each winter 'Snowbirds'. All they are trying to do is escape the snow and the cold on the Mainland for at least a month or two. The very lucky ones who are retired and call a condo in Kihei Maui or a beach house in Hawaii their second home, might even spend the entire winter months in Hawaii.

One thing is for certain, Hawaii business owners, whether owners of vacation rentals or restaurants, can't wait for the arrival of the 'Snowbirds' in Hawaii because winter season in Hawaii means big business for Hawaii tourism. Snowbirds are treated like royalties! If you are still planning a Hawaii vacation for this 2010/2011 winter season, be aware that the busiest Snowbird months in Hawaii are January and February when most of the Mainland states are in the firm grip of winter.

Snowbirds love Hawaii. For them, each time they come back to the Hawaiian Islands it's like coming home after a long absence. They reunite with other Snowbird friends, their Hawaiian friends and family from the Mainland. Hawaii's Snowbirds are definitely not on the endangered species list because each year more people fall in love with Hawaii and join the ranks of the Hawaiian Snowbirds.

If you are coming to Hawaii for the first time in winter, you might not even recognize you favorite summer beach anymore. Here is what happens. During the winter months, our Hawaii white sand beaches can lose half of its sand due to constant high tide and surf, which can make beaches more crowded than some of our visitors like. Not your cup of tea? Then travel to Hawaii in November, when the Snowbirds are not in Hawaii yet, or in April, when the Snowbirds have already left Hawaii.

Any Hawaii Snowbird story you want to share with our visitors? We'd love to hear from you. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
Last but not least, we would like to make you aware of a great discussion at our friends blog 'Beat of Hawaii' about 'Does the Deal fuel your Hawaii Trip'. Read Hawaii visitors' comments carefully. You might find a deal for your Hawaii trip as well.

Is that the Lowest Hawaii Condo price?

2010-10-21T09:19:00.000-07:00

Aloha and welcome to our Hawaii bargains!

Current Hawaii vacation rental bargains for this fall season 2010 are the lowest I've seen. Please, don't expect the same deals for the Hawaii holiday season and high season months January and February 2011, when everybody on the Mainland wants to get out of their winter misery for a Hawaii vacation in sunny warm Hawaii. If you want to visit Hawaii for the holidays, NOW is your last chance to find a nice Hawaii vacation home.

For many of you, Hawaii is not only of interest for a short vacation in the sun but the idea of having a Hawaii vacation escape at hand when needed is more than tempting. Those dreams have become a reality, especially with Hawaii condo prices at Kihei Maui condo resorts have having come down. However, a lot of the buyers are still waiting for the 'lowest Hawaii condo price' in the Hawaii Real Estate 'game' or consider even a condo 'short sale'.

Even though we are not Hawaii realtors, we like to write about Hawaii real estate because it's closely connected with 'Best Hawaii vacations'. And when we see a bargain, we love to share it with you. Here is a buying bargain for a Hawaii resort condo on the island of Molokai. The owner has just lowered the price by $30,000 to an impressive $189,000.

Hawaii Molokai Resort Condo for Sale!

If you want to know more about this Molokai resort condo, go visit my post 'Hawaii Condo for Sale' from 2009 for more information and photos of the condo. Question everybody searching for a Hawaii condo for sale deal has to ask and answer himself "Is that the lowest Hawaii condo price for a resort condo will go?"

If you are interested in this Hawaii condo in Molokai, please, email us with subject line ' Hawaii condo for Sale' and we will connect you with the condo owner. Aloha, Pua, Hawaii Vacations

Hawaii Real Estate Market articles

Hawaii Real Estate 2010
Is it a good time to buy a Maui Condo?
Moving to Hawaii Vacation for ever
Will falling prices in Hawaii Real Estate attract new home buyers
Molokai Vacation

Best Time to visit Hawaii Fall bargains 2010

2010-10-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors,
You couldn't make use of our '5 Best Tips for the Kona Big Island Ironman', oh well such is life but I tell you what, fall season is just starting and as posted before, fall season in Hawaii is one of the best times to visit Hawaii: nice warm weather (NOT hot as in summer), kids are back to school, hosts are offering amazing fall bargains for October 2010, beaches and restaurants are quiet and peaceful. Not to forget: Fall flights to Hawaii and car rentals on the islands are on the cheaper end.

Let's have a look at Fall Bargains on the sunny Kona Kohala Coast of Big Island for October. This is as good as it gets. I've never seen such Hawaii vacation rental deals before. Check it out NOW.

Kona vacation Golf condo 2Bd/2Ba - Fall Bargain from $85/nt.(dbl.)

Watch the waves at H-Bay and the ocean view sunsets off the water at Keauhou Bay at this 2Bd/2Ba Luxury Kona Country Club condo. You will have every amenity,long distance phone,high speed internet,granite counters throughout, gourmet kitchen, and BBQ from the beautiful lanai while listening to the luau music. Swim in the beautiful pool to relax and take in the Hawaiian lifestyle. You will not want to go home. Cheap Fall Rates for this Kona condo start October at $85/nt.

Waikoloa Golf Condo (Studio) - Fall rate bargain from $100/nt. (dbl.)

Waikoloa Golf Condo with full kitchen enjoys expansive ocean views is located directly on the beautiful Waikoloa Village Golf Course on the Big Island. It has expansive ocean and beautiful sunset views. Beautiful Anaeho'omalu Beach is a short 10-min. drive away. The Golf Condo offers a great Fall Special at $100/nt. (dbl.)

Puako Vacation Condo 3Bd/2 Ba across from ocean - Fall Special from $135/nt.

Puako, a tiny oceanfront village on the sunny west coast of Hawaii's Big Island, north of Kona on the Kohala Coast, is where you find this 3Bd/2Ba Puako condo. It has three bedrooms with a king size, a queen size, and two twin beds. There are two full baths and a fully equipped kitchen. Condo amenities include beach gear, including chairs, coolers, towels, snorkels and masks are included. Puako vacation condo Stay at most desired Puako village across from beach at a price you can afford 10/12 - 11/5.

Kohala Estates Private 2Bd/2Ba Vacation Home - Fall bargain from $175/nt. (dbl.)

2 Bd/2 Ba Kohala Coast vacation home at Kohala Estate with 180° ocean view offers a 40% discount for Fall 2010 October + November at $175/nt. (dbl.). Experience Hawaii at its best. Enjoy the Aloha at this tropically decorated two bedroom, two bathroom Kohala Coast vacation home, minutes from best white sands beaches like Spencer, Mauna Kea and Hapuna Beach, world-class golf and five star resorts.

Kohala Coast vacation home 3BR/3.5BA, $435/nt. (dbl.) w/pool & tennis court -
Fall bargain $100 off in October ONLY

This private Kohala Coast estate sits on 3-1/2 acres in the prestigious Kohala Ranch on the Big Island’s Kona Coast. The island-style home offers spectacular unobstructed ocean and mountain views, and is ideally set up for family vacations, honeymoon celebration or attending a wedding on the Kohala Coast resorts.

Kohala Coast Villa 3Bd/3.5 Ba - Fall bargain from $550/nt.(dbl.)

Spend your Fall vacation at this brand-new Luxurious Kohala Coast Villa - 3 Bd/3.5 Ba - (Sleeps 6) at the lowest rate ever $550/nt.! This 3000sft Kohala Coast villa features spectacular ocean views from each room, private swimming pool and spa. Guests will enjoy all the luxury Kohala Coast resort amenities of Mauna Kea and Hapuna Beach Resort! Vacancy Oct/Nov!

It's big bargain rates for your Hawaii vacation on the Kona Kohala Coast this Fall 2010. If you did not find the location or the rate for your budget and expectations, you might want to check more Kohala Coast vacation rental Fall SPECIALS 2010.

Enjoy this Hawaii fall vacation bargain extravaganza. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Best Time to visit Hawaii Articles

Best Time to Visit Hawaii
Is it a good Time to travel to Hawaii Now?
When is the best Weather for a Hawaii Vacation?
What's Hawaii like in April?
Hawaii Family Vacation in October
Is November a good time to go to Kona?

5 Best Tips for Kona Big Island Ironman Visitors

2010-09-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

Welcome back everybody who is interested in Hawaii vacation tips!
After our recent post about '10 Best Hawaii vacation tips' today's post has vacation tips for those Hawaii visitors who are visiting Kona for the Big Island Ironman.

I can't believe it that another year has passed and Kona on the Big Island is once again preparing for its biggest Big Island event: the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon Ford World Championship. It's still 9 days to the Big Island competition of this biggest endurance race for triathletes in Kona Hawaii on October 9th but Kona is already hustling and bustling with hundreds of triathletes getting a feel for this year's race swimming the rough Pacific Ocean waters, running along Alii Dr or even trying a bike ride to Hawi.

Before I share my personal '5 Best Tips for Kona Big Island Ironman Visitors' with all of our Best Hawaii vacation fans, here is a great youtube video by everymantri.com which shows an interview with top triathletes like Craig Alexander, twice Ironman champion in the last two Big Island Ironman races. What does Craig think? Can he do it again? Get right into the Ironman mood with this interesting preview event video from Kailua-Kona Hawaii Big Island.

Having been to the Big Island Kona Ironman many times in the past, live and later on through TV and videos, here are 5 tips which pop up in my head for Hawaii visitors who visit Kona for the Ironman this year 2010:

1. When you stay at a Kona hotel downtown, don't even think about taking your car to get anywhere on the day of the Kona Ironman. You can't.

2. When you come from a place farther away on the Big Island, get early into Kailua-Kona like around 6am to secure a parking place and a good observation point in Alii Dr for watching the spectacle at 7am when thousands of swimmers jump in the ocean and fight for a top position. BTW, best top triathletes get a privileged early start before big crowd.

3. You stay on another Island and decide for last minute visit to Kona for Ironman and try to book a hotel room. Kona Hotels are solidly BOOKED for the Ironman weekend and most of the Ironman week. Try places north of Kona like vacation condos in Waikoloa Village (best rates, about 30min drive to Kona) or condos at Waikoloa Beach Resort (more expensive, about 30min drive to Kona). Another option for Ironman accommodations is South Kona.

4. Prepare yourselves for a long day in the hot Hawaii sun and heat: water, sun screen + hat are a must. Remember you'll have an early morning start and it will take a bit over 8hrs for the first men and about 9hrs for the first women to arrive at the finish line after the marathon.

5. Stay away from restaurants at the regular meal hours. They will be totally jammed. Plan your lunch for 2pm and your dinner for 9pm or even later. After the first huge Ironman excitement between 3 - 5 pm with lots of cheering, things calm down somewhat later but if you are in for the long haul, there are many more exciting moments coming before midnight when the Ironman cutoff (no more counting who comes in at what position) takes place.

Hope these 5 best tips for Kona Big Island Ironman visitors will help you make it through a day of unbelievable excitement and exhilaration. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacation
p.s.
Last but not least, get yourself a Kona and Big Island West Coast map to make sure you know which roads or highways are closed for the Kona Ironman race on Sat. 10/9. Also see Ford Ironman World Championship Road restrictions from Kona to Hawi.

Big Island Ironman Related Posts

Ever wanted to visit Big Island Ironman for your Hawaii vacation
2009 Hawaii Kona Ironman Visitors Information
Kona Ironman ccommodations
Hawaii Ironman Triathlon Kailua Kona 2006

Tweet 'Experience the Real Hawaii' Big Island video

2010-09-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Best Hawaii blog visitors,
Our Hawaii twitter ohana is growing. When I came across this well done video about the Big Island National Parks and heiaus, I promised @PuukoholaNPS to share it with our Best Hawaii Blog visitors.

Of course, I also went ahead and shared a tweet with all my Hawaii Twitter friends:

Via @PuukoholaNPS Have you seen "The Real Hawaii"? http://ht.ly/2DL0o Great Big Island video Hawaii culture #HawaiiTravel #HawaiiCulture

10 Best Hawaii vacation tips

2010-09-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Hawaii visitors,

Summer is coming to an end on the Mainland with cooler, rainier days announcing fall season for most of our 50 states. NOT so for Hawaii. Hawaii vacation in sunny warm weather all year round becomes again the top topic for family vacation plans for this fall and winter season. Our '10 Best Hawaii vacation tips' were put together to make sure you and your family will enjoy your best Hawaii vacation on your next trip to Hawaii.

When preparing our today's Hawaii travel and vacation tips and ideas, I became fully aware that this is actually what our 'Best Hawaii Vacation Blog' is all about: sharing our travel and vacation tips with all of you who are getting ready to visit Hawaii. It got me by surprise that we already listed 63 posts under 'Hawaii vacation tips' among them such interesting topics (randomly chosen) as:

How to find peace in Hawaii?

5 Things to pack for your Hawaii vacation

Hawaii Volcanoes Videos

How to visit Haleakala on Maui?

So, what's so different with our today's post from all the 'old' Hawaii vacation tips? I'd say Hawaii visitors will get basic, easy-to-follow Hawaii vacation tips at one glance. Here are our '10 Best Hawaii vacation tips' to make your Hawaii vacation easier, healthier, safer and cheaper:

1. Take snacks with you to the beach or on your island trips

Snacks like homemade sandwiches at your vacation home kitchen or granola bars, trail mix or fresh fruit. Don't count on finding restaurants or affordable food places on your island adventures. Bring your snacks, safe big, and of course, you won't go hungry!

2. Take plenty of bottled water with you

when going to the beach or on road trips around the Hawaiian islands. To buy a single bottle of water on the road will cost you much more than a 6-pack at WalMart or worse, you might not even find a place to buy water. The hot Hawaii sun can dehydrate you within 1/2 hr!

3. Stay away from soft drinks

With their high sugar content, soft drinks will make you actually make you thirstier, plus bottled water is generally healthier and cheaper.

4. Get a small cooler on your Hawaii vacation

Most Hawaii hosts offer small coolers to their guests anyways. If not, ask them. Otherwise when you stay at a hotel, we recommend to buy a small cooler at WalMart for about $5. It will keep your food and water cool + fresh, especially when on road trips or on a hidden beach.

5. Stay out of Hawaii sun between 11am - 2pm

When hanging out on our Hawaiian beaches, try to find a shady spot to settle down, especially during midday hours. You can even find at WalMart a cheap beach umbrella for sun protection. A hat (best with neck protection) and high SPF sunscreen are a must for Hawaii. Always reapply sunscreen after swimming, even when sunscreen says 'waterproof' on label. Make sure that your kids stay protected from strong Hawaiian sun. One can even get a sunburn in Hawaii from sun reflection!

6. Don't keep valuables in your car

I lot of Hawaii visitors think valuables are safe under their front seats when they go to the beach or for a hike. Unfortunately they are not. This is where thieves always look first. Carrying a backpack will help you keep your valuables safe.

7. Visit Hawaii restaurants at lunch time

Just like on the Mainland, visiting a restaurant in Hawaii at lunch is a great idea for vacation and can save you lots of money. The amount of food you will get is mostly the same as for a dinner entree at night but it's mostly 1/3 or even half the price of the dinner meal. No reservation is necessary and often you don't have to wait for your favorite ocean front table. If it's a very popular restaurant, you might want to show up before 12 noon to avoid the busy lunch crowd.

8. Carry your Hawaiian Island map

and your Hawaiian Island Revealed guidebook with you on road trips, so you will always know know where you are and what to see and to do in the area. Never go on a road trip without your bathing suit, a towel and a beach mat!

9. Talk to Locals

Talk to your Hawaii vacation rental hosts, shop assistants at markets or when you meet people. They happily share with you: best beaches in the area, affordable local restaurants, farmers markets for fresh fruits and more.

10. Hang loose, sit back and relax

Finally, relax and let go of your Mainland tension. No tight schedules in Hawaii! Give yourselves plenty of time to enjoy the ocean waves, the balmy breezes, a good book or just do NOTHING!

If you have more Hawaii vacation tips, please, share with our Hawaii blog visitors. The more, the better. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii vacacations

More Best Hawaii Vacation Tips posts

3 Best Hawaii Vacation Tips for Thanksgiving

How to save money on gas in Hawaii
A visit to Waikoloa Village

Hawaii Vacation with Kids

Have fun at Christmas in Hawaii
Hiking in Hawaii

Learn more about Hawaiian culture

2010-08-13T17:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Hawaii lovers,

Did you ever wonder when lying on Hawaii's white sand beaches or enjoying some spectacular hiking that it would be fun and at the same time a wonderful mahalo to the Hawaiian people by learning more about their culture and history? Our Best Hawaii vacation blog makes it a mission to spread the word about ancient Hawaii tradition and what needs to be done to keep the Hawaiian culture and language alive for next generations to come.

Here is a great opportunity for Big Island visitors who currently spend their Hawaii vacation on the Kona Kohala Coast. This weekend on August 14 + 15 Establishment Day, a true Hawaiian Festival, is celebrated. It is held in Kawaihae on the Kohala Coast near the beach below Pu'ukohola Heiau. The public is invited to participate in the cultural demonstrations and workshop activities in Pelekane (royal courtyard) with only one stipulation: that each visitor learns at least one craft before leaving the area to help preserve a part of the Hawaiian culture.

I had learned many years ago how to make a lidded 'umeke' bowl from a gourd. Our Hawaiian teacher helped us a lot, yet we all were very proud walking home with our own Hawaiian umeke bowl decorated with a beautiful hibiscus flower and Hawaiian images of our choice on the outside of the Umeke. We also learned that when their was an argument in the family, the Hawaiians would put the lid on the bowl in order to catch the bad spirit inside till peace had returned to the home.

There will be lots of Hawaiian arts and craft workshops and demonstrations available from 11am-3pm. There will be Hawaiian canoe rides and much more. Local musicians will play songs of Hawaii. This will be fun for the entire family. So pack some lunch and take lots of water and learn more about the Hawaiian people and their culture. I am sure you will be going home with great memories and some hand made Hawaiian art of your own. Wear a hat and some comfy clothes and don't forget the sunscreen.

By the way, the Pu'ukohola Heiau is located about a mile south of Kawaihae on the Kohala Coast. If you have more questions, you may call (808) 882-7218 for more info. Last but not least, Spencer Beach Park with shade supplying trees is just around the corner. A dip in the cool refreshing ocean waters will be a nice reward for your efforts of making your own Hawaiian art piece. What a wonderful Hawaiian gift to bring home from the Aloha State!

We love to to hear about your encounters with Hawaiian culture, art, traditions and festivals. Mahalo from Pua Hawaii Vacations

Hawaiian Culture related articles

City of Refuge Big Island

Conch Shell Blowing in Hawaii

Hawaiian Traditions

Hawaiian Fish Ponds

Hawaiian Slackkey Guitar

The Healing Power of Noni

Best Big Island Hiking 2

2010-07-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

Dear Hawaii lovers,

Good news for our recent 'Best Hawaii sunset photos'. Hawaii vacation home owners loved to share their very own sunset photos, unique in each way as you can see, and Hawaii visitors enjoyed viewing them. What is a Hawaii vacation without a sunset photo!

We are ready to 'hele on' with more Best Big Island hiking, as promised on our post 'Best Big Island Hiking1', which showed you photos of Pololu Valley and talked about hiking Pololu Valley. Here is the sequel 'Best Big Island Hiking 2', which will tell you a lot about Waipio Valley hikes. This order is not according to its relevance. It's just that we had to start with one Valley. Believe me both our Big Island Valleys, Pololu and Waipio Valley, are of unique beauty and are a Big Island hikers' delight.

Waipio Valley located on the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island of Hawai'i, is the largest and southernmost of the seven valleys on the windward side of the Kohala Mountains. Waipi'o is a mile wide at the coast and almost six miles deep. At the coast there is a beautiful black sand beach. On either side of the valley are cliffs reaching almost 2000 feet affording views of cascading waterfalls during the rainy season.

How can Big Island visitors explore Waipio Valley? the easiest way is driving your car on Hwy 19 to Honokaa where life seems to have stood still with all the the small retail stores along Main Street. After your Honokaa town tour, follow the signs to Waipio Valley which you can't miss as Waipio Valley Lookout is at the end of the road. Fun part is even if you come on a cloudy day, as we did when I took these photos last year, you will always be able to snap some great photos of Waipio Valley from the Lookout with the steep coastal cliffs as a backdrop.

Provided you are in good shape, you can walk down into the valley but remember you have always to make it back up and it's steep. Only 4x4 can make it down into Waipio Valley. The valley will reward you with some amazing views and adventures. Waipio Valley is also a favorite spot for local surfers who love to ride the tough surf there. The higher, the better! That's when the TV reporter says 'Don't try this at home!'. Better stick with the horseback riding or Wagon tours. Most of them pick you up at Waipio Valley Lookout, take you into the valley and start the adventure there.

Our favorite Waipio Valley hike has always been White Rd hike in the past. A hike which starts at some cattle meadows with stunning views of snow-covered Mauna Kea summit in winter and leads through singing bamboo, 'jungly' forest with wild colorful impatients, bottle brush trees and lots of ferns along the trails. After a modest hike of about 45 minutes, the scenery suddenly opens and you can just stand there in awe and utter 'Wow'. You will be standing on a small narrow trail of the valley rim, high above the valley, allowing magnificent views of the ocean and the waterfalls across the valley. Hikers' boots recommended when going further!

Unfortunately, White Rd hike, which has always been a special recommendation in Big Island hiking books, is now only available through HawaiianWalkways hiking tours, which made arrangements with the land owner. We don't know what exactly happened but the owner of the private land does not allow the general public to use this trail anymore. If you are not a lover of guided hiking tours, you may still access Waipio Valley rim from a different route starting in Waimea. Waimea residents, who love to hike, will tell you.

That's it for today with Big Island hiking Waipio Valley. What's your best Big Island hiking experience? Let us know. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

p.s.

Please, also visit our 'July Carnival of Aloha' which is hosted by Evelyn from 'Homespun Honolulu' and brings together our Hawaii blog ohana.

Best Hawaii Sunset Photos

2010-06-22T08:48:00.000-07:00

Dear Best Hawaii Vacation visitors,

Our last post 'June is the month of Hawaii sunsets' and our call for your best Hawaii sunset photos triggered a nice response with beautiful Hawaii sunset photos. Without any further ado, here is our display of unique Hawaii sunset photos with information about the Hawaii location and the person who took the sunset photo:

Hawaii Sunset Photos in Kailua Kona Big Island Hawaii

These very unique Hawaii sunset photos were taken by Barbara the owner of Kona Ocean View.

Hawaii Sunset Photo Kealakekua

This sunset photo was taken by Viviane the owner of Bellevue Kona Bed and Breakfast

Hawaii Sunset Photo in North Kohala Hawaii Big Island

This sunset photo in Mahukona was taken by Bobi the owner of Kohala Coast Adventures

Hawaii Sunset Photos South Kohala Coast

These Hawaii sunset photos were taken by Kalia the owner of Hale O Pueo in Kohala Estates.

Hawaii Sunset photo Puako Beach

This photo was taken by Bruce the owner of Hale Hoaloha Puako condo

Hawaii Sunset photos Waikoloa South Kohala

These photos were taken by Andy and Diana from Hale O Malia in Waikoloa

Hawaii sunset photo Wood Valley East Coast

This photo was taken by Missie from Big Island cottage in Wood Valley

Hawaii Sunset Photo Maui

This photo was taken by Julie the owner of Ka Hale Ulu Wehi O'Maui

Hawaii Sunset Photo East Coast

This Hawaii sunset photo was taken by John the owner of Kohala Gallery

June is the month for sunsets in Hawaii

2010-06-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Best Hawaii vacation blog visitors,
Let's take a short break between posts about best Big Island hiking. Hiking Pololu Valley as our 'Best Big Island Hiking' suggestion, did gather momentum soon. So for all those passionate Hawaii island hikers, our next hiking tip for the Big Island is coming soon.

When our friend Bill Jardine, long time realtor on the Big Island, came up with another one of his wonderful articles about Hawaii, written with love and passion for the islands and writing skills I envy him for, I could not resist to publish it right NOW:

June is the month for sunsets in Hawaii

"There are sunsets every night. Actually, scientists might remind us that there are "horizon rises" every night, but I prefer the idea that the sun is going down rather than the horizon rising up, hurling me backward into the night at over 1,000 miles per hour! The thing with sunsets is that the ones with the ocean on the bottom have been glorified to the point that the other sunsets just don’t get the attention they deserve. The classic ocean sunset is indeed gorgeous but, really, kind of boring too.

Here on the Island we get plane loads of folks from the mainland who are dreaming of sitting on their very own lanai and watching the horizon gradually rise up to block the sun. Perhaps they will match the ruby red wine in their glass with the rosy western afterglow as the canopy of stars spreads far above. Before long the edge of the great Milky Way will be obvious, stretching across the heavens from upper right to lower left. Perhaps with subsequent glasses of wine they will toast the great good fortune that has guided them to this blessed place in the middle of the vast North Pacific. Indeed, it is a blessing, and we who have been able to spend our lives in all this beauty are way beyond lucky.

Ours is a very special view at sunset, because the rush toward dusk sets the mountains glowing with bright blades of gold before rendering their great flanks a warm burgundy against the gathering darkness in the eastern sky. Flocks of Warbling Silverbills fly like notes of a symphony into the shelter of the Koa trees.

We enjoy views of great, sunny pastures which are home to cattle and wild donkeys and goats who revel in the fresh trade winds that ruffle their coats and sweep away the flying insects seeking to climb aboard. In the distance are the three great mountains, Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and Hualalai, gathering cloaks of afternoon rain along their western slopes. They are intensely beautiful and seem to have personalities of their own when the sun sets over the ocean and shows its reflections on the majestic volcanoes."

As soon as I was writing Bill's article about Hawaii sunsets, I was wondering what fun it would be to collect Hawaii sunset photos from residents or Hawaii visitors. If you have one of those special Hawaii sunset, feel free to email it to us with your short description where in Hawaii you took the sunset photo. Maybe, if we get enough photos, I can publish your photos in a special "Best Hawaii Sunset Photos". I can't wait to hear from you. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
As a start with Hawaii sunset photos, here is my contribution.

Best Big Island Hiking 1

2010-05-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

After telling our Maui visitors about chances of seeing famous celebrities in Hawaii sooner or later on their Maui vacation, maybe even watching them dancing a hula, let's return to the real Hawaii adventures. Admittedly, celebrities in Hawaii is not everybody's cup of tea.

In the history of our 'Best Hawaii Vacation blog', we have talked a lot about the exciting adventures visitors to Hawaii Big Island can expect on their Hawaii vacation. If you are getting ready for your Big Island vacation, please, visit our Big Island vacation articles. Actually, our today's post fits right into the Big Island adventure theme: Best Big Island Hiking 1. We called it #1: Hiking Pololu Valley, meaning more Big Island Hiking will follow!

The Big Island visitor will find Pololu Valley in the very northern tip of the Big Island. Best to get an idea of the remote location of Pololu Valley is with our Big Island map. When driving north from Kawaihae on the S. Kohala Coast on the coastal Hwy 270, calculate some extra time for stops at Lapakai and Mahukona State Parks. You can even get some serious snorkeling in right then and there. On your way to Hawi, the traditional biking route of the Big Island Ironman Triathlon, enjoy the magnificent coastal views and learn to appreciate what tough challenges the triathletes face on their way.

Arriving in Hawi and Kapaau takes you back to the days of old Hawaii. Hawi is a sleepy little town is filled with art galleries, shops and a few restaurants whereas Kapaau is celebrated for being the birthplace of King Kamehameha I. After strolling through those two towns, it's time to head further on the road to your final destination: Pololu Valley.

Be aware that the road to Pololu Valley Lookout is very narrow and most of the time the parking spaces close to the lookout are taken. When you see a good spot to park your car ahead, be smart and do so. On your walk to the viewing area, you will enjoy some special views as well. Of course, you will hear the biggest aahs and oohs when standing on the viewing platform overlooking breathtaking Pololu Valley. It's one of those moments and views on your Hawaii vacation on the Big Island you won't ever forget!

Hiking down into the Pololu Valley is steep but it goes in serpentines, it's moderate and feasible for most everybody. After about 30minutes continuous downhill - remember you have got to make it back up - the reward will be the sounds and views of thunderous waves crashing on a black sand beach. Please, take the sign no swimming serious.

In addition to this very special Pololu Valley hiking adventure, there is another hike starting at one of the gates near the Pololu Vally lookout. This hike leads an a trail to a secret waterfall and is considered one of the best Big Island hikes. Please, don't climb over the gate. You need a special hiking permit for this trail. But if you want to add this special Pololu Valley Hike to your Big Island hiking adventures, check with one of our hiking companies like HawaiianWalkways or Forest and Trails and ask them for this hike.

We can't wait to hear from Big Island hikers about their Pololu Valley hike and what they like best on their hike. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Celebrities dance hula in Hawaii

2010-05-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors,
Well, hope our today's blog title made you all curious which celebrities danced the hula in Hawaii. I came across this hula dance off between Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Aniston on AMauiBlog fun post about 3000 people applying for a job as extras for the new movie 'Just Go With It' starring Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman. I like the actors and I love hula.

Too bad that I was not there but I liked the ET interview with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston and all the snippets from the hula 'competition' between Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman. I read on other blogs that Nicole Kidman won this hula dance off...

One thing is for certain, celebrities love Hawaii just as we all do whether they are on vacation there or are shooting a new movie. Hope the new movie 'Just go with it' will be as much fun as watching the the hula dance off with Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman. Maui visitors with upcoming Hawaii vacation might get a chance to see more of our famous celebrities. Good luck. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

2010 Summer vacation rentals in Hawaii for the budget traveler

2010-05-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Hawaii travelers,

Did our recent post about 'Finding employment in Hawaii' make you wonder whether you should try your luck finding a job and check things out on your next Hawaii summer vacation? Not a bad idea, if you can make a short notice decision for a Hawaii summer trip. I noticed quite a number of nice Hawaii vacation rentals are still available for early summer in June and later summer August.

Generally, June is a great month for summer vacation in Hawaii, also for those families who travel with kids to Hawaii. If you can choose, decide for June and save money on accommodation, air fare and car rental. Even with taking the economic slowdown into consideration, one of the biggest travel month to Hawaii was and is July, when kids have their summer vacation.

Here is my observation regards 2010 Hawaii summer vacation. Amazingly, most quality Hawaii vacation rentals are booked for most of July but listen to this: The same wonderful rentals are still wide open for August. So if you are flexible budget traveler, forget about a Hawaii summer vacation in July and shift your full attention to getting the best deals for Hawaii accommodations for AUGUST!

2010 Summer vacation rentals in Hawaii for the Budget Traveler

Sunny Side Waimea Cottage from $95/nt.

Save lots of money on your nightly Hawaii lodging rate for going out to dinner or do a whale watch tour when you stay at this fully equipped (full kitchen), private location with short 10-minute drive to Mauna Kea beach, which has currently still vacancies for June and July at $95/nt. with 7-night booking. Sunny Side Waimea Cottage Kohala Coast Vacation Rental Cottage Near Best Beaches

Mauna Kea Views 1Bd/1Ba vacation Apartment from $110/nt.

This Waimea vacation rental w/kitchen is a private, peaceful vacation apartment overlooking an expansive valley and spectacular Mauna Kea Mountain on the Big Island Waimea Apartment with Mauna Kea Views It's a short 5-minute drive to Waimea for shopping. Kohala Coast Beaches and Big Island adventures like Waipio Valley or Mauna Kea Summit are in easy reach. Inquire with your travel dates for July - August 2010!

Waikoloa Golf Condo SUMMER Special at $100/nt. (1 -2 pers.)

Waikoloa Golf Condo with full kitchen enjoys expansive ocean and mountain views is located directly on the beautiful Waikoloa Village Golf Course on the Big Island. It has expansive ocean and beautiful sunset views. Beautiful Anaeho'omalu Beach is a short 10-min. drive away. The Golf Condo offers a great SUMMER Special at $ 100/nt. for 2010. Not to forget the amazing golf rate discount guests at that condo will enjoy for golfing at Waikoloa Golf Course.

Puako Beach Apartment across from ocean from $115/nt.

If it's just the two of you and you love to stay close to the beach, this Puako Apartment is right across from Beach 1Bd/1Ba Puako Vacation Apartment Best Deal Puako Beach $115/nt.! It is currently still available for 6/7 - 6/30, a few vacancies in July and lots of travel dates available for August. A spacious lanai allows for enjoying your meals outdoors in a tropical setting. Puako is one of the most desired areas on the Kohala Coast. You can access the ocean right there in Puako or pack your beach stuff into the car and take a short 5-minute drive to Puako Beach 69 or Wailea Bay.

Puako vacation condo 3Bd/2 Ba from $145/nt. (2-4 pers., sleeps 6)+ tax
SUPER Bargain June + September $110/nt. (2 - 4 pers.)

Puako, a tiny oceanfront village on the Kona side of Hawaii's Big Island, north of Kona on the Kohala Coast, is where you find this 3Bd/2Ba Puako condo. It has three bedrooms with a king size, a queen size, and two twin beds. There are two full baths and a fully equipped kitchen. Condo amenities include beach gear, including chairs, coolers, towels, snorkels and masks are included. There is a gas grill on the private lanai. Two televisions, a VCR, cable, and a stereo make this your home away from home. There is Internet access for your laptop computer as well. Stay with your family in Puako across from the beach at a price you can afford. The 3Bd Puako condo has great summer vacancies: 6/9 - 6/19, 9/5 - 10/1 SUPER Bargain applies
6/28 - 7/9, 7/25 - 9/2/10 Book Today!

South Kona Vacation Suites from $115/nt. + Cottage from $150/nt.

Kona Vacation Rentals Suites offer a unique location overlooking historical Kealakekua Bay. This property has breathtaking Pacific Ocean views and an expansive panoramic South Kona coastline view. These two private Kona vacation suites are fully equipped, spacious accommodations with private entrances. The individual cottage with its private lanai is blessed with lots of amenities, views and privacy. It's perfect as a honeymoon cottage in Hawaii. This property lies on a lush, five-acre coffee farm complete with coffee, avocado, papaya and banana trees. Inquiry for your SUMMER vacation. Kealakekua Bay's marine-life preserve offers the best snorkel spot on the Big Island and farther South, Honaunau with 'City of Refuge' National Historic Park invite Big Island vacationers for a visit.

Kona Vacation Condo 2Bd/2Ba with Swimming Pool from $120/nt.

Kohala Coast vacation rental 1Bd/1Ba Ocean Views from $150/nt.

This Kohala Coast vacation rental is situated 400' above the Kohala Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii, offering expansive, unobstructed views of the ocean, coastline, and nearby Hualalai Volcano. Awesome sunsets and balmy ocean breezes are the norm here. A short 5- 10 minute drive gets you to the best Big Island beaches: Spencer, Mauna Kea + Hapuna Beach. Best rate for Kohala Coast Estates premier location and top amenities. Rare vacancies 6/20 - 25, 7/17 - 31 + August!

Kohala Estates 2Bd/2Ba Vacation Home from $150/nt. (dbl.) - Super Bargain!

2 Bd/2 Ba Kohala Coast vacation home at Kohala Estate with 180° ocean view offers a huge 40% discount till June 15, 2010 at $150/nt. (dbl.) + after 7/15. Experience Hawaii at its best. Enjoy the Aloha at this tropically decorated two bedroom, two bathroom Kohala Coast vacation home, minutes from best white sands beaches like Spencer, Mauna Kea and Hapuna Beach, world-class golf and five star resorts.

Choose from these and more affordable Hawaii vacation rentals near best beaches on the sunny Kona Kohala Coast of the Big Island for your Hawaii summer vacation!

Finding Employment on Hawaii

2010-04-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Best Hawaii vacation lovers,
Hawaii has been and still is the dream of tons of people on the Mainland, more so the ones going through the rough winters like the Canadians. No wonder that the 'snowbirds' from Canada and the Pacific Northwest show up each winter in Hawaii for the simple reason that they want to see some sun!!!

And each time the snowbirds are here in Hawaii, they are wondering what it would be like to live in Hawaii for good. For the majority of people, the biggest question to contemplate is finding a job in Hawaii. Employment in Hawaii is the basis to sustain your and your family's life, whether being on the Mainland or in Hawaii.

Finding a job in Hawaii, provided you have to work in Hawaii because you are not independently wealthy does not come easy. If you were extremely lucky as a college teacher, you might get a job at the University of Hawaii. I would not count on that. Those who have a good teaching position there or at a nice private school like HPA Hawaii Preparatory Academy or Parker School on the Big Island, don't move too often.

A better chance is getting your substitute teacher's license and be available for 'subbing' at the public schools. It's surprising how many people from the Mainland, even with much more qualified jobs such as lawyers, are going this route in the beginning. It's like about $110/day but this income is not guaranteed because your name will be rotated on a list.

If you really want to live in Hawaii for a longer period, you might want to look into employment at the hotels where jobs become available on a more frequent basis. You might get turned down as 'overqualified' but it's a chance to get a job in Hawaii. Lots of people sacrifice well-paid jobs from the Mainland in order to live in Paradise. However, don't move to Hawaii with all your stuff and kids before you secured your employment in Hawaii. Be aware that hotel jobs in Hawaii depend on the tourism industry. No Hawaii visitors, no jobs!

Quite a number of people who move to the islands get their Hawaii real estate license. Hawaii will always stay a dream destination for vacation or retirees! The more hands-on people get their license as an LMT, licensed massage therapist in the state of Hawaii. It implies to spend quite a bit of money for attending one of the Hawaii massage schools for getting trained, doing many hours of supervised free massages before being allowed to the Hawaii state exam for LMTs.

As said above, the tourist industry is where your biggest chances are finding a job on any Hawaii island. The best chances for finding employment in Hawaii is Honolulu in on Oahu. It's also the only Hawaiian island where you can get around with public transportation at affordable prices and can easily share the cost of a rental apartment with a room mate. We would love to hear from those who are willing to share their experience about finding employment in Hawaii. Mahalo and aloha, Pua

Moving to Hawaii Big Island

p.s.

Hope you did not miss our post about the biggest Hawaii event.

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Biggest Hula Event in Hawaii coming up

2010-03-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Hawaii hula lovers,

Hawaiian hula is the beautiful way for Hawaii people to express their feelings, emotions and events through the ancient and modern form of hula dance and chant. Easter is the time when hula dancers and hula lovers from the Hawaiian Islands, the Mainland and from around the world meet for the biggest Hawaii hula festival, the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in Hilo on Hawaii Big Island during the week 4/4 - 4/10/10.

When preparing this article, I visited the Merrie Monarch Festival website, as I was curious to see which Hawaiian hula halau (groups) and individual hula dancers will be in Hilo for the 47th Merrie Monarch Hawaii Hula Festival. I loved the Hula backstage videos! Get an idea with how intense the last preparations for the biggest Hula Festival are with watching videotaped last rehearsals!

To get our hula lovers and fans, I chose for today's 'Biggest Hula Festival' post two youtube videos from last year's Merry Monarch Hula Festival. These hula performances don't show last year's hula festival winners and they are not perfect but they show thecommitment, dedication and personal involvement of each hula dancer and their close connection with the audience who get mesmerized by the ancient dances and the powerful rhythm of chants and the Hawaiian gourd drums (Ipu, Ipu Heke and Ipu Hula). Feel the unique atmosphere of the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival TODAY!

2009 Merrie Monarch Hula Festival - Ho'ike - Halau O Kekuhi

Halau o Kekuhi men performed Auana hula at the Merrie Monarch 2009 Ho'ike in Hilo, Hawaii

Sorry guys if you got all excited and maybe plan a last minute visit to Hilo Hawaii for the hula festival, Hilo vacation rentals and Hilo hotels are sold out. The tickets for the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival are sold out too, just like in the years before. I don't know what your chances are and how long the lines will be for the Wednesday night hula performances but I can assure you when you are on Hawaii vacation during the hula festival, Hawaii TV stations are proud to show you the best of Hawaii's hula. So enjoy it then or buy a DVD of the biggest Hula Event in Hawaii later. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

p.s.

Don't miss our recent post 'How to find peace on Hawaii vacation'.

Hawaii Hula Related Posts

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How to find Peace on Hawaii vacation?

2010-03-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Hawaii vacation lovers,

When dealing with Best Hawaii vacation, we occasionally encounter Hawaii visitors asking us where the non-touristy places in Hawaii are. They tell us they are looking for hidden beaches or Hawaii vacation rentals away from the tourists and the big crowds. Just a few thoughts from us regards non touristy places in Hawaii.

How to find peace on Hawaii vacation?

Hawaii has changed a lot, even more so within the last 10 - 15 year. I love to listen to the stories my husband tells me about the Big Island when he came there over 35 years ago: there was only one highway on the island, there was only one 5-star hotel, Mauna Kea Beach Hotel built by Rockefeller in 1965, most of those white sand beaches on the Kohala Coast were still hard to reach and imagine, there was not one traffic light between Hilo and Kona!

As you know this has all changed big time. Once the beauty and warm climate of the Hawaiian islands were discovered, naturally everybody wanted and wants to experience it! Resorts and golf courses got 'dug out' of the lava fields, palm trees planted and ocean front 5-star hotels with access beach access built. Hawaii's infrastructure is still lagging a bit behind those latest townhouses and condominium subdivisions developed during the Hawaii building boom during 2000 - 2005.

I always have a hard time to accept all the changes at one of the most beautiful resorts, Mauna Lani Beach Resort, when visiting there. Hotels like 'Mauna Lani Beach Hotel & Bungalows' and 'Fairmont Orchid at Mauna Lani' are not easy to spot anymore with all the new condominium and townhouse structures developed around them. I appreciate that Big Island builders at least stayed away from those high rise condo buildings as visitors can find in Honolulu. Well, as Keoki says 'The only constant in life is change!'. This is not any different for the Hawaiian Islands. One cannot go back in time.

Here is the good news. There are still a few secret beaches which are not well known to tourists but mostly it's the ones which are hard to get to. The majority of Hawaii visitors prefer a short walk to the beach from parking lot. So these hard to access beaches and coves still provide the non-touristy visitors with peace, tranquility and serenity they are looking for on their Hawaii visit. Please, be aware that you might not be by yourselves on weekends when Hawaiians love to go camping on those beaches.

Quite a number of locals, Hawaiians and Haoles (white people), do still camp on the beach, play their ukuleles and BBQ. These people know each other well and don't advertise their 'beach party'. You definitely need to know somebody in order to be part of it.

Unfortunately, non-touristy Hawaii visitors' wishes of rain forest and waterfalls being close to white sand beaches do not match how 'Mother Nature' developed the islands. It's either or. There are spectacular waterfalls in Hawaii but a lot of the times it will take you long walks (or a long kayak tour like on Kauai) to reach those but already the walk, hike or kayaking is an experience by itself. Try it and you will love it!

If you really want to spend your Hawaii vacation away from people and resorts, try Upcountry Maui or Upcountry Big Island. It's beautiful ranch land with rolling hills, cows and horses. You may find a private cottage overlooking the mountains and the coastal regions. There is always Molokai being the least developed island in regards to tourists and resorts but this also means it's a little harder to get to and a simpler life with less shopping available.

Hoping this gives the non-touristy visitor, who is in search for peace and tranquility on Hawaii vacation, a better understanding of the Hawaiian Islands TODAY. Have a peaceful Hawaii vacation! Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

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Best Hawaii Vacation Rentals Spring 2010

2010-03-09T08:37:00.000-08:00

A Komo Mai and Welcome back to our Hawaii Blog,

Best Hawaii Vacation Blog's editors, Pua and Keoki, are happy to see that our post 'Is it a good time to travel to Hawaii NOW?' attracted a number of Hawaii hosts to share their comments about the many advantages of travel to Hawaii this spring. Today's post will provide vacation rental recommendations for 'Best Hawaii vacation rentals Spring 2010'. We've put together a list of fully equipped, yet affordable Hawaii vacation cottages, condos and suites near best beaches on the sunny Kona Kohala Coast of the Big Island.

Choose from our Best Hawaii Vacation rentals for your Hawaii spring vacation!

Sunny Side Waimea Cottage from $95/nt.

Save lots of money on your nightly rate for going out to dinner or do a whale watch tour when you stay at this fully equipped (full kitchen), private location with short 10-minute drive to Mauna Kea beach, which is currently still available from April 8 - May at $95/nt. with 7-night booking. Sunny Side Waimea Kohala Coast Vacation Rental Cottage Near Best Beaches

Mauna Kea Views 1Bd/1Ba vacation Apartment from $110/nt.

This Waimea vacation rental w/kitchen is a private, peaceful vacation apartment overlooking an expansive valley and captivating, well-known mountain of Mauna Kea on the Big Island Waimea Apartment with Mauna Kea Views It's a short 5-minute drive to Waimea for shopping. Kohala Coast Beaches and Big Island adventures like Waipio Valley or Mauna Kea Summit are in easy to reach. Inquire with your travel dates for April or May 2010!

Waikoloa Golf Condo with full kitchen enjoys expansive ocean and mountain views is located directly on the beautiful Waikoloa Village Golf Course on the Big Island. It has expansive ocean and beautiful sunset views. Beautiful Anaeho'omalu Beach is a short 10-min. drive away. The Golf Condo offers a great Spring Special at $ 100/nt. for April + May.

Puako Beach Apartment across from ocean from $115/nt.

It's just the two of you and you love to stay close to the beach, this Puako Apartment is right across from Beach 1Bd/1Ba Puako Vacation Apartment Best Deal Puako Beach $115/nt.! It is currently still available for 4/13 - 4/19 + 4/27 - May. A spacious lanai allows for enjoying your meals outdoors in a tropical setting. Puako is one of the most desired areas on the Kohala Coast. You can access the ocean right there in Puako or pack your beach stuff into the car and take a short 5-minute drive to Puako Beach 69 or Wailea Bay.

South Kona Vacation Suites from $115/nt. + Cottage from $150/nt.

Kona Vacation Rentals Suites offer a unique location overlooking historical Kealakekua Bay. This property has breathtaking Pacific Ocean views and an expansive panoramic South Kona coastline view. These two private Kona vacation suites are fully equipped, spacious accommodations with private entrances. The individual cottage with its private lanai is blessed with lots of amenities, views and privacy. It's perfect as a honeymoon cottage in Hawaii. This property lies on a lush, five-acre coffee farm complete with coffee, avocado, papaya and banana trees. Inquiry for your Spring vacation.

Kona Vacation Condo 2Bd/2Ba from $120/nt.

Kohala Coast vacation rental 1Bd/1Ba Ocean Views from $150/nt.

This Kohala Coast vacation rental is situated 400' above the Kohala Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii, offering expansive,unobstructed views of the ocean, coastline, and nearby Hualalai Volcano. Awesome sunsets and balmy ocean breezes are the norm here. Best rate for Kohala Coast Estates premier location and top amenities. Rare vacancy 4/22 - 4/30 + May!

Kohala Estates Private Vacation Home from $175/nt. (dbl.)

2 Bd/2 Ba Kohala Coast vacation home at Kohala Estate with 180° ocean view offers a a 30% discount for Spring 2010 April + May at $175/nt. (dbl.). Experience Hawaii at its best. Enjoy the Aloha at this tropically decorated two bedroom, two bathroom Kohala Coast vacation home, minutes from best white sands beaches like Spencer, Mauna Kea and Hapuna Beach, world-class golf and five star resorts.

We hope you found the Hawaii vacation rental matching your budget and expectations for your 2010 Hawaii Spring vacation. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Is it a good time to travel to Hawaii NOW?

2010-02-21T10:49:00.000-08:00

Aloha Hawaii lovers,
If you recently wondered whether it's a good time to travel to Hawaii NOW, you are not alone. Spring 2010 is looking around the corner and Hawaii spring vacation ideas are popping up in people's heads asking themselves 'When is the best, cheapest time to travel to Hawaii?'.

5 Best Reasons to travel to Hawaii NOW

1. Spring 2010 April + May Hawaii low season travel months

April and May 2010 won't be any different. With March being the last month of Hawaii high season December - March, the number of Hawaii visitors declines rapidly in April. Maybe because April is tax month and generally people are preoccupied and don't think of traveling to Hawaii in April? However, if you are looking for the cheapest travel month to Hawaii, add April or May to your itinerary options.

2. Best vacation accommodation deals for April and May 2010

Private Hawaii vacation rental owners are willing to offer you accommodation specials for low season months April, May and beginning June 2010. Keep in mind that with the Economic Slowdown, the vacation industry including Hawaii tourism was hit hard too. More Hawaii vacation rental owners are competing for less guest inquiries! A good chance for you to book a Hawaii vacation rental for an unbelievable low rate as we did in September 2009 when we paid for our 1Bd/1Ba Kihei condo 1000ft from beach $70/nt.!

3. Hawaii Hotel Specials for Spring Vacation 2010

If you prefer staying at a Hawaii hotel to renting a private vacation rental or condo, sign up for email specials from your favorite Hawaii hotel. I already noticed quite a number of great online specials from Hawaii hotels starting April 2010 like discounted room rates, 4th night free or resort vouchers!

4. Empty Beaches during spring months

A lot of Hawaii visitors are not aware that a big part of our favorite Hawaii beach gets under water during the high tide winter months. Some huge swells can even occasionally 'swallow-up' the entire beach for a few days. Anyways, during the winter months Hawaii's white sand beaches offer somewhat limited space for the huge winter crowd of snowbirds. During spring months, the ocean will recede again so there is plenty of white sand beach available for much less visitors guaranteeing privacy and peace for for Hawaii vacation.

5. Empty Restaurants in Hawaii in spring

Honestly, restaurants can get quite busy during our our high season winter months in Hawaii. Nobody likes to wait for their food or for getting seated in a restaurant. Hawaii restaurants are no exception. Waiters at Hawaii restaurants will warmly welcome you on your Hawaii vacation in slow spring months. No waiting for seats or being served! You will really enjoy your meal and a nice hula performance with a relaxed dinner in Hawaii in April or May.

Last but not least, Hawaii car rentals are generally cheaper during low season spring months. Just make sure that no huge Hawaii event is scheduled for the time you want to travel to Hawaii. Cheap Hawaii air fares are in everybody's mind but not that easy to get. Low season spring air fares are somewhat cheaper but to catch the Last Minute Hawaii travel deals, one has to be on a flexible working schedule and not traveling with family and kids.

'Is it a good time to travel to Hawaii NOW?' What do you think? Your comments are most welcome by our Best Hawaii vacation visitors and by us. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

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Watch the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle

2010-02-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

Aloha Hawaii snorkelers, scuba divers and Hawaiian Sea life lovers,

We are certain you all enjoyed Lisa's 'Dolphins' in Hawaii' story. Dolphins, Humpback whales and the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle are on top of our Hawaii visitors' list when exploring ocean life in Hawaii. The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle gets many oohs and aahs when discovered basking in the sun for a nap or some rest from all its swimming. No need to get in a scuba diver's suit or put your goggles on. Of course, watching the Hawaii Green Sea Turtle in its element, the ocean, gracefully swimming and floating around, puts an extra thrill to your Hawaii vacation.

When encountering Hawaii Green Sea Turtles in the ocean, divers need to pay special attention to what they are not supposed to do. Bobbie from 'The Right Blue' blog had written about 'Tips for watching Sea Turtles in Hawaii' for our blog visitors. Those Hawaii diving tips are still the same valid right now. If you plan on going diving on your next Hawaii vacation, it's some useful advise which helps to protect our ocean life for many years to come.

Our today's post belongs to 'Best Hawaii Youtube Video' category. Enjoy this Hawaii video from JournOwl.com about the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle. Watch a green sea turtle swim gracefully over a coral reef in Maui.

Aren't those turtles in Hawaii a good reason to bring snorkel gear for a snorkel adventure in Hawaii? Ask locals where there is a good spot to see the green sea turtles and where it's safe to snorkel. Have fun snorkeling and watching the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

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Dolphins in Hawaii - A Hawaii Big Island Dolphin Story

2010-02-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

Dear Hawaii vacation lovers,

Remember the 'mantra' we have about our Best Hawaii Vacation blog? It's all about sharing our love with Hawaii and its people with Hawaii visitors. It's those unique Hawaii stories which we hope will awaken your curiosity about the Hawaiian Islands, ancient Hawaii culture of its people and flora and fauna.

So meet a new Best Hawaii Vacation blog guest author today: Lisa Weber! Lisa lived in Hawaii for 14 years, mostly in Puna and Hilo on the Big Island. She traveled extensively with her family to every island of Hawaii and talks about her trips on her site andHawaii.com, exploring every beach and waterfall and cool-sunset-viewing-spot she could find. Here is Lisa's story about her personal encounter with wild dolphins in Hawaii:

Kayaking with Dolphins, On Their Terms - A Big Island of Hawaii Story

"Let me tell you a story about one of the most awesome experiences of my life. It happened in 1998 or 1999 at a deserted cove on the Big Island of Hawaii.My husband and I were camping. We had a four wheel drive and we liked to explore the island, so we undertook a several mile trek over old lava from Highway 11 to the ocean on a lava road in the area of Manuka in Kau.

Now, when I say road, I actually mean crudely-beaten-down-path. Basically, there was a huge field of lava, and over several years, slightly-crazy people in lifted, beaten-up 4 wheel drives drove on this lava field to the ocean, taking the way that looked the easiest, and eventually a sort of path was visible to the eye. I know we contributed to the beating down of the path with the bottom of our jeep several times as we bounced and scraped.

So, at the bottom, we had the area all to ourselves. There was a rocky cove area that will probably be a nice beach in a few hundred years, a very large heiau (ancient Hawaiian temple), and a nice grove of Kiawe trees over to the left that made shade for a campsite. This is where we set up, but we had to be careful because Kiawe thorns on the ground were big enough and sharp enough to go through the sole of any tennis shoe or slipper.

Shortly after we set up the campground, we took down the kayak from the top of the jeep and launched it into the water. As soon as we were about 20 feet away from shore we were suddenly surrounded by dolphins. They came from nowhere and literally surrounded us. They were everywhere. My husband and I were actually a little scared, not because they were aggressive, but because they were sooo energetic, and most of their energy seemed focused right on us. This was our first close-up experience with dolphins in the ocean and we weren't sure what to expect.

Imagine ... there were 15 to 25 dolphins, and they were surrounding us. They were obviously Hawaiian Spinner dolphins because several of them jumped out of the water and spun straight up, 5 or 6 feet up in the air. They would dart beneath the kayak, then spin jump up on the other side, and splash us as they came down, then they would turn around and dart beneath us again, and do it again on the other side.

There were two babies in the group that we saw, and the babies would try to jump like the adults, but they didn't have the strength or ability yet, because they would only make it about a foot or two out of the water before splashing back down on their sides. They were very cute, and absolutely wonderful, these baby steps ... or baby jumps.

So, this went on for about 15 minutes, and then the pod made their way out of the cove. It's like they came cruising past the cove, saw us, and said to each other something like "let's go show off," or "let's go say hi." Sometimes I like to think that they were introducing the baby dolphins in the pod to humans, saying "these are humans, that's what they look like, they get all excited when they see us. They are mostly good and fine, just use good judgement about whether to get close to them or not.

We had a camera with us, but it was one of the first digital cameras ever, or maybe one of the first ones we could afford, so it didn't take very good pictures, and we forgot to take pictures for the first 10 to 15 minutes anyway. We just floated there with our mouth open saying "oh my gosh!" "look at that!" "Did you see that?!" "ooooooohhhhh!" "amazing!" and other more colorful things.

It was truly an amazing and awe-inspiring experience that I will never, ever forget. We talked about it long into the night, trying to sustain that feeling of awe and wonder for as long as possible."

Much mahalo, Lisa, for this wonderful Hawaii dolphin story. To everybody of our Hawaii visitors who is wondering whether they can still experience such an encounter with the dolphins today, we say 'Yes, you can'! Maybe not with the first try but with the right preparation, patience, commitment and the right place, our unique Hawaii nature is at your finger tips. Hawaii is full of wonders, like our wild dolphins, waiting to be discovered by you on your Hawaii vacation! Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
We invite everybody who wants to read more unique articles about Hawaii to visit this month's Carnival of Aloha put together by Evelyn from HomespunHonolulu.com: from 'A Love Letter to Lanai' to 'President Obama's vacation home at Kailua Beach on Oahu and much more.

Hawaii Real Estate Market 2010

2010-01-23T15:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Hawaii Vacation blog visitors,
Hawaii Best Vacation blog has always been watching closely what's going on on the Hawaii Real Estate and Housing market. This is not any different for the 2010 Hawaii Real Estate Market. There is no way talking about Hawaii vacation and ignoring trends of Hawaii Real Estate. Why? Because when you once fell in love with the Hawaiian Islands, there comes a day that you are looking for your own piece of Paradise, a condo on Maui or a townhouse on the Big Island on the sunny Kona Kohala Coast.

Our 2009 Hawaii real Estate posts like 2009 Hawaii Real Estate market analysis or 'Is it a good time to buy a Maui condo NOW?', received top attention. Let's stick with the tradition and ask our friend Bill Jardine from Big Island Buyers Brokers what he thinks about the 2010 Hawaii Real Estate and any trends he sees. Today's article is beyond winning a Hawaii vacation with Hawaii Sweepstakes. If you consider buying Hawaii Real Estate in 2010, keep reading Bill's guest article:

The Hawaii Buyer's Market is likely ending soon

"January has brought us a fresh perspective as the year 2010 stretches out before us in all of its mystery and promise. There seems to be an anxious prognosticator behind every tree these days, and predictions are all over the board as usual. For many this is a time of planning, and wouldn’t it be nice to know what lies in store for the months ahead?

The author of 'The Black Swan' Nassim Nicholas Taleb, has taken a really hard look at our ability to predict the economic future and has noted that those with the highest degree of self-regard do the most poorly at predicting by far! Since I have virtually no pretensions at knowing anything about the future, perhaps you will take my predictions more seriously.

We are experiencing a mini-rerun of the financial inflation that preceded the crash of the financial markets a couple of years ago, and various magazine writers have published articles warning investors to keep their wits about them as this re-inflation occurs...(Editor's note: Bill allowed us to skip this paragraph about economic details for slowdown)

What this means to you is that there likely will be a gradual housing bubble growing over the next couple of years, and bank stocks should do quite nicely until the new bubble bursts. In the meantime, expect very low interest rates and improving real estate prices as a result. I have been listening a whole lot to the chatter of my fellow brokers in the West Hawaii market and find everyone pretty much on the same page. Hawaii real estate inventory is shrinking, prices are still low and expectations are that within the year we will see the return of a more attractive Seller’s market.

If you have entertained thoughts about joining us here in Hawaii you might better get on your hobby horse and dig in your spurs. The read is that this incredible buying opportunity in Hawaii is coming to its natural conclusion, and you may well regret missing super low interest rates and super low prices. For the many of us anticipating retirement, things may be a bit more serious. The Baby Boomers will soon begin retiring, and if one-percent (1%) of them decide to live their warmer years in Hawaii, we will have to build 70,000 new units to accommodate them. Yikes!

If you would like to talk-story about any of this stuff please feel free to call or drop me an email any time. Aloha, Bill Jardine, Big Island Buyer's Broker"

Well, this is what a longtime, experienced Hawaii realtor thinks about buying Hawaii real estate in 2010. We won't know for sure whether this will come true until the year 2010 is over. For now, we are grateful that Bill shared his opinion with us.

Here are a few tips for the motivated Hawaii home or condo buyers from the editors of best Hawaii Vacation blog. Don't just look from afar but come visit Hawaii this Spring 2010. Of course, you need to do your homework and determine the Hawaiian island of your choice, condo or house/townhouse, vacation rental (higher taxes) or not, price range you can afford + stick with it (no offense, Bill, but realtors have a tendency to show clients very nice properties, which they cannot afford) and don't forget to investigate future Hawaii property taxes or condo maintenance fees. Visit Hawaii for catching the wave of Hawaii real estate buyer's market 2010 as long as it lasts. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Hawaii Real Estate Market related articles

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Will foreclosures help your dream of living in Hawaii?
Best Price Hawaii Home for Sale
Moving to Hawaii Vacation for ever

Win a Trip to Hawaii with Sweepstakes

2010-01-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

Aloha everybody in love with Hawaii,

After our recent invitation to write an article about Hawaii, Best Hawaii vacation blog editors are back with a nice way not only to save money on your best Hawaii vacation but to win a free trip to Hawaii in 2010. Normally, I am not a big promoter of sweepstakes, even if it's Hawaii Sweepstakes but there are always exceptions to the rule.

Today we received this Hawaii Sweepstakes invitation from Wellness with Aloha, which offers body and soul work a unique opportunity to connect to the heart of Hawai'i through private experiences with native healers called kahunas. Having both been for many years in the Hawaiian healing business as licensed massage therapists in Hawaii, we learned first hand about the power of Hawaiian healing and the powerful body/mind + spirit connection.

We perused the Internet for currently available Hawaii Sweepstakes but could not really locate any 2010 Hawaii Sweepstakes. We were intrigued by this special invitation which is not only giving our Hawaii visitors a chance to win a free trip to Hawaii in 2010 for a healing vacation but at the same time, joining these Sweepstakes will help to promote Hawaiian culture and the tradition of Hawaiian spiritual leaders. Something we believe we owe Hawaii and the Hawaiian people. For Google and our Best Hawaii vacation visitors, this following Hawaii Sweepstakes information from Wellness with Aloha is NOT a paid advertising.

Enter Hawaii Sweepstakes to win a Healing Vacation in Hawaii

"Wellness with Aloha is offering you the opportunity to win a $10,000 Hawaiian Spiritual Journey when you make a $10 purchase of CDs created by our kahuna. That's right--just $10, you will not only be helping to promote the preservation of Hawaiian culture and assist indigenous spiritual healers help those in need, you will receive 2 Hawaiian Music/Chanting CDs AND have the chance to win an all-expenses paid Hawaiian Healing Vacation (retail value $9995). This fabulous 7 night and 6 day experience for 2 people includes:

Airfare from the Continental US

Traditional Hawaiian Lei greeting

Full-size rental car

Private ocean-view villa or condominium accommodations

Hawaiian Blessing

Kukui Lani Energy Healing

Sacred Tour Anointment

Lomilomi Massage

Heiau Journey

Pele Experience

Catered Dinner (one night)

Private Hula or Concert

Our world today is so stress-filled that no matter what your religious views, we all need to take time to inhale the peace and serenity of the Ka Leo 'O Na Kahuna Lapa'au 'O Hawaii Hale 'O Lono. So please join their efforts and ours with a CD purchase today, it could be your ticket to peace and serenity tomorrow. Don't miss out! The drawing is scheduled for April 1, 2010. Please acknowledge all rules before formally entering our Sweepstakes. Offer void in HI, NY, FLA and RI. Other restrictions apply."

As you can see, this is not just a regular Hawaii vacation at an ocean front Hawaii hotel. A Hawaiian healing experience makes this trip to Hawaii a very special vacation for your body and soul. Good luck for winning these 2010 Hawaii Sweepstakes. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Why write guest post for Best Hawaii Vacation?

2010-01-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou to all our Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors,
The New Year 2010 is 7 days old. Not too late for plans and resolutions. for 2010. Make your dream of a Hawaii vacation come true. Our Planning a Hawaii Vacation 2010 got out in time for Christmas and New Year's when meeting with friends and family for making vacation plans for 2010.

Hawaii vacation rental hosts adjusted to the economic slowdown. We believe there will be again vacation rental bargains out there like our $70/nt. at a wonderful 1Bd/1Ba Maui condo, 1000 steps to beach, in September. Hawaii experienced a big revival for the winter season. We recommend to make Hawaii travel plans for spring 2010, starting April, to get the benefits from best Hawaii air fares, car rentals, hotel rooms or best Hawaii vacation rental rates.

Today's post is an invitation for all the Hawaii vacation and travel businesses to promote their Hawaii business without spending extra money. Yes, you can advertise with Best Hawaii Vacation blog at the lowest Hawaii advertising rates but there is even a way to get some extra attention and traffic to your Hawaii site for free by writing a guest author article for our Hawaii vacation blog. Pretty much anything about Hawaii, Hawaii vacation and Hawaii travel goes. No writer's skills are necessary. This is our personal blog about our love with Hawaii. Write a guest article about what you love in Hawaii, what our Hawaii visitors can do and see on their vacation on the Hawaiian Islands.

Benefits of writing a guest post on Best Hawaii Vacation blog

1. Increasing traffic to your Hawaii vacation related website

2. Talking to your target audience for 'Hawaii vacation'

3. Demonstrating your expertise in the field you write about

4. Online exposure before new groups of people

5. SEO benefits of your article in Google search

6. Free advertising and almost instant Internet promotion

Let us help you make writing a Hawaii article on Best Hawaii Vacation blog your FREE marketing tool for 2010. Please, email us your post. Best wishes for all Hawaii businesses. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Planning a Hawaii vacation 2010?

2009-12-23T17:36:00.000-08:00

Here is an idea from Best Hawaii Vacation blog for 'Which Hawaiian Island to visit in 2010' and 'What to do in Hawaii on vacation in 2010?' If you want to add some additional excitement to your Hawaii vacation 2010, please, keep reading.

Hawaii Big Island has been named the island of adventures by Hawaii travelers for a long time. Viewing a live volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park or stargazing through telescopes on top of the highest mountain on earth (measured from bottom of the sea) Mauna Kea Summit, not to forget those daredevils who ski the mountain in winter, helped the Big Island winning this attribute of 'adventure island'.

I've always called the Big Island, the Hawaiian Island of Superlatives. Why not plan your 2010 Hawaii vacation for October on the Big Island and add one more of those Superlatives to your Hawaii vacation next year? Kona Hawaii Big Island will host the next Ironman Triathlon World Championship on Saturday October 9, 2010. Believe me the Hawaii Ironman in Kona meets the criteria for biggest and best Hawaii event. This is your chance to be part of the biggest spectacle in Hawaii. Not sure what to expect, watch this Hawaii youtube video of the 2009 Hawaii Ironman.

So, when sitting down with family or friends over the holiday planning your Hawaii vacation 2010, share with them this exciting video. BTW, this is not a paid advertising. I just like the video!

Mele Kalikimaka - Merry Christmas to all our Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors. We hope you will stay with us through another exciting year of Hawaii vacations 2010. Aloha, Pua Affordable Hawaii Vacations

Which island is your favorite Hawaiian Island?

2009-12-12T10:18:00.000-08:00

E komo mai and welcome Hawaii visitors,
Today, we are back to the same old question which Hawaiian island is your favorite - this is where you can find what other Hawaii visitors have to say about their favorite Hawaiian island - or in other words 'Which Hawaiian island should you visit for your best Hawaii vacation?'

I actually answered that question in detail in Yahoo answers some two years ago. Here is an updated version of 'Favorite Hawaiian Island':

Most everybody who visits Hawaii for the first time is getting overwhelmed and confused, yes confused too, by figuring out which Hawaiian island they should visit first. When you limited your Hawaii visit choices to 2 islands, you are already a step closer to your final destination in Hawaii. That makes things a little bit easier.

Here is what I recommend you to do before making your final decision. Think about and determine what it is you expect from this 'first Hawaii visit or vacation'! It's all about your expectations what to want to see and to do in Hawaii and how much money you can spend for your Hawaii vacation.

When asking fellow Hawaii travelers for their favorite island, you will hear all kinds of different answers and reasons. It's good to hear those but it does not help you solve your problem, unless they love exactly the same things you do. So 'word-of-mouth' is not necessarily working in your situation.If somebody gave you advice to make yourself knowledgeable about those 2 Hawaiian Islands for your best Hawaii vacation. I agree. That will help. However, here are my suggestions for choosing your Hawaii vacation island.

Book your Maui Hawaii vacation when/if

1. your are a surfer - Maui is a surfer's paradise
2. like lots of white sand beaches
3. are young + like nightlife + don't mind crowds
4. prefer ocean view rental and don't mind a condo

Book your Big Island Hawaii vacation when/if

1. you love adventure - 'live' volcano, snow in Hawaii (Mauna Kea summit)
2. love laid back Hawaii with quiet beaches: white or black or green
3. like a peaceful Hawaii vacation Big Island Vacation Guide
4. love healing vacations: spas, alternative healing vacation

Book your Kauai Hawaii vacation when/if

1. you like laid back Hawaiian atmosphere - not too touristy
2. you love green tropical scenery - Kauai is the Garden Island
3. you don't mind some rain from time to time
4. you look for affordable ocean front or view condos

Book your Oahu Hawaii Vacation when/if

1. you have to switch planes in Honolulu anyways
2. you have never been to legendary Waikiki Beach
3. you want to see the crazy surfers on North Shore
4. you want to discover the old laid back Hawaii
5. you want to learn more about Pearl Harbor

Be aware that I am totally generalizing. Best you complete my lists with finding pros and cons which apply exclusively to you. All those who went through this process before are invited to share their favorite Hawaiian island with our first-time Hawaii visitors.

Hope this gets you on the right track. Have fun contemplating your options. Have a great Hawaii vacation. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacation

A Guide to your Big Island Vacation that will work for you

2009-11-16T16:38:00.000-08:00

Aloha Hawaii visitors,

What's on today's 'menu' of Best Hawaii Vacation blog today? It's 'A Guide to your Big Island which will work for you'. Please, keep reading if you own a Big Island vacation rental or if you plan a Big Island vacation sooner or later.

Most of our visitors are aware that besides our weekly Hawaii vacation blog posts, which include vacation articles about all the Hawaiian Islands: Big Island, Kauai, Maui, Oahu and Molokai, we constantly update and improve our Hawaii vacation sites Big Island Vacation Guide and Kohala Coast Vacation Guide. Having called the Kohala Coast on the Big Island our home and having been Hawaii vacation rental hosts for many years before retiring from the business in 2006, that's the Hawaii we know best.

Our Big Island Vacation Guide with exclusive information about the Kohala Coast and beautiful Kohala Coast and Big Island photos, which we and Hawaii visitors took over the years, was getting Google's and thus Hawaii visitors' attention right from the beginning in 2004.

Some time after having created our Big Island Kohala Coast Vacation Guide, we noticed that we cannot pack all the Big Island vacation info onto that site. Exploring the Big Island on vacation, in cyberspace or in reality, is a huge project. Big Island visitors can get easily overwhelmed and lose track of focus. The biggest issue for any Hawaii visitor is to find the right home base on the Big Island from where they want to start their daily explorations. We consider our Big Island Vacation Guide with islandwide Big Island vacation rental s a guide which will work for you, Big Island visitors and for Big Island rental owners!

To tell you the truth there are lots of Big Island vacation sites and blogs out on the WWW. Naturally, our amateur, homemade Big Island Vacation Guide was facing strong competition especially from such big corporations like Homeaway, Alwaysonvacation, Vamoose, just to name a few. As former vacation rental hosts it was kind of sad to watch Homeaway buying out all the old well established rental directories like greatrentals, cyberrentals and even vrbo and thus being able to dictate the highest vacation rental listing prices rental owners have ever seen. Unfortunately, the high annual listing price does not guarantee Big Island rental owners that their Big Island rental gets found among the hundreds of listings and gets booked.

What makes our Big Island Vacation Guide unique?

1. Only affordable Big Island rentals, below $200/nt., get listed.

2. Only individually owned Big Island rentals get listed.

3. Big Island map shows location of vacation rental.

4. Guide displays lots of Big Island vacation info:

Activities, Car Rental, Events, Weather

Best Big Island Vacation Guide Feature for Big Island Visitors

- See all available Big Island rental locations at one glance.

- Click your preferred Big Island locations.

- See nightly rental rates at one glance.

- Only affordable Big Island rentals are listed.

- No wasting your time by visiting hundreds of rental pages!

Best Big Island Vacation Guide Feature for Big Island Owners

- Your listing is absolutely FREE. No limited time offer.

- No fine print restrictions.

- Link back to HawaiiAffordable + get a free link to your site.

So, visit Pua's and Keoki's Big Island Vacation Guide and let us know what you think of our unique Guide to your Big island vacation. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Why bloggers steal our blog posts?

2009-11-06T10:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all our Hawaii blog visitors who checked out our recent post about 'Visit Hawaii for Thanksgiving 2009'. Well, we know a short notice Hawaii vacation is not for everybody's budget and family schedule but we are happy to share Hawaii vacation rental vacancies and deals with all those who are still looking into a Hawaii Thanksgiving visit.

So, what's on today's blog agenda for our Hawaii visitors? Well, it's a post I never thought I'd have to write. Alas, it's not for our Hawaii visitors and even takes time away from our original blog goal sharing our and other visitors experiences to make your best Hawaii vacation possible. It's about bloggers who want to save themselves time and money by taking original blog content from other bloggers who put all the hard work in.

Blogging about our favorite topic Hawaii is a labor of love and commitment. When writing our Best Hawaii Vacation blog posts, we write them with the intent that the people who are searching the web for this Hawaii vacation information will find our posts. Believe me there is a lot of efforts, time and research going in each post!

Unfortunately, not all bloggers respect that. For quite some time, we have experienced that bloggers copy and paste entire of our top Google ranked Hawaii blog posts to their so-called 'vacation' and 'travel' blogs - without quotation marks, using our exact post title and without giving us, the original blog author, any credit for the post and without asking permission.

Why do bloggers steal our blog posts? Easy answer. They take advantage of top ranked Google posts under popular search terms for traffic boosts to their site and financial benefits. Good news is that Google really supports the real bloggers and helps us in keeping the search results clean from 'sploggers' with the Google spam report form. Each time I used it, Google removed the splogger from Google SERPs. However, I'd rather use my precious time to write about Hawaii + Hawaii vacation than having to report bloggers who steal our blog content!

Last but not least, a word to all our Hawaii or vacation blog friends who'd like to use content of one of our posts on their blog. We love you to do that! Please, make sure to give us credit in the very top before quoting us, limit the quote to 2 - 3 paragraphs with a continue reading link to our blog, include quotation marks and create your own post title. Thanks for spreading the word about Best Hawaii Vacation within the copyright terms. Mahalo and aloha, Pua & Keoki Best Hawaii Vacation Blog Editors
p.s.
Kahiau, one of the beautiful girls from Hawaii Big Island is our today's post girl with courtesy from WahineStyle.com.

Visit Hawaii for Thanksgiving 2009

2009-10-31T11:07:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving 2009 is coming up with high speed. Anybody of our Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors who still wants to visit Hawaii for Thanksgiving 2009, might want to catch up on some Thanksgiving info from our older posts 'Best Places Hawaii for Thanksgiving 2008' or '3 Best Hawaii Vacation Tips for Thanksgiving in Hawaii' and of course, continue reading.

Here is a short list fully equipped Hawaii vacation rental homes near best beaches which are currently still available for 2009 Thanksgiving in Hawaii. Most vacation rental hosts offer great amenities, such as free high speed Internet access for your laptop and snorkel gear or and boogie boards. Visit Best Hawaii Places for Thanksgiving 2009, from most expensive luxury homes to cheap, affordable vacation condos and cottages:

Spend Thanksgiving Kohala Coast Vacation at this brand-new Luxurious Kohala Coast Villa - 3 Bd/3.5 Ba - (Sleeps 6) at the lowest rate ever $1100/nt.! This 3000sft features spectacular ocean views from each room, private swimming pool and spa. Guests will enjoy all the luxury Kohala Coast resort amenities of Mauna Kea and Hapuna Beach Resort.

This Puako Oceanfront 3Bd/3Ba from $735/nt. (sleeps 8) is currently still available for Thanksgiving 2009. This is the Best price for your family beach vacation in Hawaii! Book it when you can. There is no beach home available at this price.

You look for a luxury Hawaii ocean view vacation home, then this one is right for you Kohala Coast vacation home 3BR/3.5BA, $435/nt. (dbl.) w/pool & tennis court Enjoy ocean views and top amenities at the most affordable rate at upscale gated community!

Save lots of money on your nightly rate for going out to dinner or do a whale watch tour when you stay at this fully equipped (full kitchen), private location with short 10-minute drive to the beach, which is currently still available for Thanksgiving week at $95/nt. with 7-night booking. Sunny Side Waimea Kohala Coast Vacation Rental Cottage Near Best Beaches

There is no place like Hawaii on a Thanksgiving vacation. Hope you found what you were looking for on our list of Best Places Hawaii for Thanksgiving. Please, let us know in the comments whether you booked one of these vacation homes and how you liked it. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
Hawaii vacation rentals owners still having a vacancy for Hawaii Thanksgiving 2009, check our affordable Best Hawaii Vacation blog ads for finding your Thanksgiving guests TODAY.

Best Place for your Hawaii Ad

2009-10-28T09:56:00.000-07:00

Our Best Hawaii Vacation blog offers affordable advertising options to Hawaii, Hawaii vacation or travel and vacation related businesses. The best ad place for your vacation business just opened up on top of our sidebar! Take advantage of our top search engine results in Google for Hawaii vacation + Hawaii travel related keywords (see below).

Advertising options on our Best Hawaii Vacation blog:

Blog Ad Option 1 - Text Link Ad on Sidebar at $15/mo. (3-mo. min.)

Best Hawaii Vacation blog offers Hawaii travel and vacation advertisers a unique opportunity to purchase a text link to their web site. Restrictions apply, “no-follow” is used for each paid link, and each link is subject to approval. You may advertise your Hawaii or other travel or vacation related business with a short 4-5 word text link ad at $15/mo. (3-mo. minimum). Save $30 when signing up for 1 year at our 'Economy' ad rate of $150/yr.

Blog Ad Option 2 - Logo Ad on Sidebar at $20/mo.(3-mo.min.)

Our Best Hawaii vacation blog visitors are mainly consisting of people who are planning a visit to Hawaii and are researching Hawaii accommodations, hotels, activities, events, travel, air fares and car rentals. This is a great opportunity to promote your Hawaii business. Your logo ad will be displayed in the top of the right sidebar above Feedburner links. It's a 3-mo. minimum for your logo link. Save $60 when signing up for 1 year at our ad 'Logo' rate of $180/yr.

125 x 125 static ad logo

Displayed on index page and every archive and blog post page

Your link URL with logo - 'No-follow' tag applies

In addition to advertising here on our Best Hawaii Vacation blog, please, view advertising options for your Hawaii business on our well established Hawaii vacation sites KohalaCoastWeb and HawaiiAffordable Check out our very affordable Hawaii Economy and Premium ad listing offers.

Please, contact us for advertising your Hawaii vacation or travel business on our Hawaii blog. Mahalo, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
We appreciate your interest in writing a guest post on our blog about best Hawaii vacation themes. Write us an email and submit your Hawaii story for review. Sorry no advertising articles. If approved, we will publish your Hawaii article with your short bio and link to your Hawaii blog or website URL for FREE!

Google Search Results for Best Hawaii Vacation 2010

#1 in Google search for 'Best Hawaii Sunset Photos'
#1 in Google search for 'Best Hawaii Vacation Blog'
#1 in Google search for '10 Best Hawaii Vacation Tips'
#1 in Google search for 'What does a Hawaii Vacation cost?'
#1 in Google search for 'Best Time to visit Hawaii'
#1 in Google search for 'Best Tips for Kona Ironman'
#1 in Google search for 'Maui Vacation Trip Report'
#1 in Google search for Big Island Places to visit City of Refuge
#1 in Google search for Is it a good time to buy a Maui condo now?
#1 in Google search for 'Best Hawaii Youtube Videos'
#1 in Google search for 'Best Hawaii Shopping'
#2 in Google search for 'Save Money on Hawaii Vacation'
#2 in Google search for 'Christmas Vacation in Hawaii'
#3 in Google search for 'Big Island or Maui Vacation'
#3 in Google search for 'Hawaii Vacation Blog'
#3 in Google search for 'Favorite Hawaiian Flowers'
#3 in Google search for 'Best Photo Tips for Hawaii'
#6 in Google search for 'Best Hawaii Events'
#6 in Google search for 'Favorite Hawaii T-shirts'
#7 in Google search for 'Is Hawaii a Good Place to Live'
and more.

Please, note that Google search results may vary from week to week.

Share your love for Hawaii with your Friends

2009-10-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors,

After our recent visits to Kihei Maui 'Is Kihei a good place for a Maui Vacation?', we are ready to move on with more Hawaii blog posts enticing our visitors to plan their next Hawaii vacation, sooner or later. Actually, we'd recommend better sooner than later because Hawaii vacation rental hosts still make unbelievable special accommodation offers for fall months and so does Hawaiian Airline. Air fare rates + Hawaii vacation rental rates will go up for the busy holiday season 2009.

Let's get straight to our today's post 'Share your love for Hawaii with your friends'. I love to read Hawaii tweets from my Hawaiian friends. If I come across one which I feel is of special value for our Best Hawaii vacation blog visitors, I retweet it. My Hawaii tweet will be displayed on my blog side bar where all my recent Hawaii tweets show up with links to Twitter friends or Hawaii sites of interest.

One of my favorite Hawaiian sites is HawaiianRainbow.com I wrote about my friends in my post 'Hawaiian Music' and told our blog visitors how they can listen to Hawaiian music 24/7 for FREE. Just add this site to your favorites and whenever you are in the mood to get in the relaxed Hawaii mood, go visit Hawaiian Rainbow and click the link 'Listen to Hawaiian Music NOW'.

Close your eyes and get transported to the Hawaiian islands. Feel the warm Hawaiian ocean breeze and hum to your favorite Hawaiian songs. Best way of releasing stress through this special Hawaiian meditation! Not to forget to mention 'Keoki's Hawaii Easy Stretch Video', which also includes a guided relaxation to the sounds of gentle ocean waves!

Besides Hawaiian music, I love Hawaiian hula whether it's the lovely hula ladies of a hula halau like the ones on our Hawaii youtube video or the powerful warrior hula of the guys, hula is food for your soul and your spirit. So sit back and relax with this wonderful Hawaiian hula halau 'Hula Halau O Kamuela', Merrie Monarch 2009 Women Auana Winner - a treat for your ears, eyes and soul. Don't forget to share your love for Hawaii with your friends by telling them about the magic of Hawaiian music and Hawaiian hula. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Vote for best Kihei Beach for Maui Vacation

2009-10-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Hawaii travelers,

As you can see from our blog title today we ask Maui Visitors and residents to vote for their best Kihei beach, at least what they think is the best beach. Charlie Young became our favorite Kihei Beach when we stayed in South Kihei on our Maui vacation. Before we ask you to vote for your favorite Kihei Beach at the end of this Maui article, we share 3 reasons with you why we think Charlie Young is the best Kihei beach.

3 Reasons to vote for Charlie Young Beach as Best Kihei Beach

1. Charlie Young Beach - Best South Kihei location

We noticed that the beaches in North Kihei were prone to frequent winds which makes them the favorite beaches for wind and kite surfers. Charlie Young beach seems less windy and also offers nice little 'alcoves' and shady places from palm trees, which allows more privacy on the beach than the sometimes busier Kamaole Beaches with all the condo visitors from the Kihei Condo complexes from across Sout Kihei Rd. like Kihei Kai Nani, Maui Vista and Pacific Shores.

2. Charlie Young Beach - Perfect for Swimming & Beach Walks

The soft white sand beach of Charlie Young Beach next to crystal clear ocean waters affords easy ocean access for swimmers, for those who just like to float and relax in the warm waters of the Pacific or the more ambitious kind who like to swim across the bay parallel to the shore. The long stretch of white sand beach - Charlie Young extending into Kamaole Beach I - is perfect for those who love to get their exercise in with beach walks. One can see beach walkers starting off Charlie Young at all times of the day.

3. Charlie Young - Great for Boogie Boarders & Families

The ideal location of Charlie Young Beach makes this a special beach more protected from high surfs, especially through winter months. Boogie boarding looks pretty easy but we don't recommend newbies to start with the high surf waves. Charlie Young allows to ride some easy waves when trying boogie boarding the first time. It is pretty safe for families with kids, especially since the life guard stand of Kamaole I is right next to it. If you want to make sure that your kids are safe, you may walk a little closer to the life guard stand for optimal protection.

There is no long trucking your beach stuff to Charlie Young Beach from the parking lot and the fresh water shower for rinsing the salt water off after you come back from the beach before you climb back into your car, are nice features too.

How about a Maui vacation at Kihei Vacation Condo?

2009-10-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

E Komo Mai and welcome to Kihei on Maui,

Our today's post is a sequel of our last post where we listed 3 reasons why Kihei is a good place for a Maui vacation. 'Keihei Vacation Condos' are HERE for everybody who loves a Maui vacation on the white sand beaches in sunny Kihei on West Maui. The Kihei Condos we talk about are located in 'Kihei Garden Estate', the best kept secret among the many ocean front and ocean view Kihei vacation condo complexes.

We love the laid back Hawaiian ambiance of Kihei Garden Estate: low 2-storey buildings in a peaceful tropical garden setting, away from the traffic noise of South Kihei Rd, and only steps to a quiet white sand beach. Enjoy this beach for tranquil early morning beach walks, a dip in the ocean, watching Maui's magnificent sunsets or our gentle giants, the humpback whales, during the winter months. Serenity NOW at one of the 1Bd/1Ba or 2Bd/2ba Kihei Condos on your Maui vacation at Kihei Garden Estate!

The special 'makai' (ocean side) location of 'Kihei Garden Estate' does not only allow easy access to the ocean, but at the same time convenient shopping at Azeka Shopping Center and Star Super Market. Plenty of Kihei restaurants from fine dining to affordable nationality restaurants or fast food add to your comfort when staying at a Kihei Garden Estates condo. It's only a short 5-minute drive to the wonderful Kamaole Beaches and Charlie Young beach making these Maui vacation condos in South Kihei an ideal vacation home away from home.

The 1bd/1ba Kihei Vacation Condos are ground floor condos with a comfortable 640 sqft vacation space with garden views and peeka-boo views of Haleakala from your lanai at Maui's most desired location. The covered lanais are perfect for enjoying the tropical Hawaiian atmosphere with your meals. Cool tile flooring greets your feet as you enter the condo from the nearby parking lot. No climbing stairs with your shopping bags or beach equipment! A wall mounted A/C unit keeps the condo cool during hot summer days. Most of the time, a nice cross ventilation and ceiling fans throughout the condo, does not make the running of AC necessary.

Kihei condos at Kihei Garden Estates offer everything you need for your home-away-from-home for your Maui vacation: fully equipped kitchen, high quality mattresses for a good night's sleep, flat screen TVs w/DVD players for your entertainment at night, Hawaiian style sleeper couch for additional guests, lanai furniture for sitting outdoors, high speed Internet WiFi, beach equipment and so much more.

There is no need to venture out far from your Maui condo home, if you don't want to. You may relax right there. Kihei Garden Estate has a beautiful big enclosed gated swimming pool. This ground floor unit makes going to the pool a fun activity. In addition, a relaxing hot tub, two gas barbeques, a large picnic area will make your Kihei condo experience one to tell your friends about.

How about a Maui vacation at a Kihei Condo? Kick back and enjoy a relaxing Maui vacation at Kihei Garden Estates Vacation Condo at affordable nightly rates, depending on length of stay + # of people:

$79 - $99/nt.(2 - 4 people) for value season (NOW - 12/15/09) and $125/nt. - $135/nt. for high season (12/16 - 4/15/10). NO cleaning fee applies when staying 6 or more nights. Please, inquire for 2bd/2ba condo rates. Just write me an email with your travel dates and number of people in travel party and I will respond asap. Aloha from Keoki from sunny Kihei Maui

Kihei Condo Reservation & Rates

Deposit of $200 is required within 10 days of confirmation to secure reservation.
Full prepayment is due 30 days prior to arrival.
All rates are subject to 12.42% Hawaii State Tax.
Minimum stay is 4 nights. Cleaning fee for 5 nights or less is $85 per stay.
NO cleaning fee when booking 6 nights and more.
CHECK-IN time is 2:00 PM. CHECK-OUT time is 11:00 AM.
A 1/2 day charge is required to guarantee a late check-out.
Special rates available for 8 days stays or longer.
All rates and taxes are subject to change.

Kihei Vacation Related Articles

Is Kihei a good place for a Maui Vacation?
Our Maui Condo Vacation in Kihei

Best Flight offers from Seattle to Maui

Is it a good time to buy a Maui Condo NOW

Is Kihei a Good Place for a Maui Vacation?

2009-09-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

After we had published or most recent post 'Our Maui condo vacation in Kihei' on our Best Hawaii Vacation Blog , not only our Hawaii friends were wondering whether Kihei is really such a good place for a Hawaii Maui vacation. Most of our friends figured from our enthusiastic blog writing that we must have liked our Maui vacation in Kihei a lot. We are happy to share with all our blog visitors our best reasons why Kihei is a good place for a Maui vacation.

3 Best Reasons why Kihei is a good place for Maui vacation

1. Kihei Maui has a beach for everyone

North Kihei offers great surfing beaches for wind- and kite surfers because of frequent wind activity. Wailea / Kahena area in South Kihei invites snorkelers and scuba-divers for some great ocean adventures. And all of the Kamaole Beaches, I, II, II together with Charlie Young Beach are 'displaying' Hawaii the way the Mainlander is dreaming of when he thinks of a Hawaii vacation: soft white sand beaches, blue skies and swaying palm trees.

2. Kihei has a condo for everybody + every budget

Naturally, when we searched for the, our, best place to stay in Kihei Maui, we cruised hundreds of websites and Kihei condo listings allowed for vacation rentals. Decision making was tough! You can choose from high end ocean front condos like Kauhale Makai, the more medium priced ocean view condos of Kihei Kai Nani or the more affordable vacation condos at Kihei Garden Estates, which we loved for its mellow Hawaiian ambience with its 2-story buildings in a tropical garden setting.

Be aware that you will always pay extra, double or triple, for ocean front or ocean view condos but again, there is a Kihei condo for everybody. Make sure that your Kihei vacation rental condo complex has a decent size pool for those days when the huge winter surf waves hit the Hawaiian Islands + Kihei during the winter months.

3. Kihei offers plenty of things to do

...in addition to beach walks, ocean swimming, snorkeling, board surfing, board paddling, boogie boarding + sun bathing on the beach. We love to play tennis. There are plenty of public tennis courts at the Kihei Beach Parks, like Kalama Beach Park and Waipuilani Park. Kalama Beach Park offers tons of fun things to do besides the tennis (4 hard courts with lights!) for Kihei visitors and residents alike. The park provides excellent facilities for picnicking and family outings with picnic tables + pavilions, BBQ grills, showers for those who played volleyball, basketball, baseball and soccer. I also noticed a great playground for little kids and a skate board facility which was busy with young skate boarders.

When we visited Kalama Beach Park, we also noticed a lot of weekend fishermen having several fishing rods with baits out in the ocean, staring at the ocean patiently waiting for the fish to bite and telling us all these angler stories about how many fish they caught the other day!

South Kihei offers paved trails along the ocean for biking and jogging, which we actually both like. For those who stay longer on their Kihei vacation and don't want to miss their daily workout with free weights and machines, Kihei offers 2 gym or fitness centers with daily and monthly rates.

Kihei's restaurant choices are from affordable to luxury, from fine dining to fast food. Kihei offers a restaurant for everybody's taste and budget. Nationality restaurants like Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese are favorites of visitors in Kihei. Another good reason why Kihei is a good place for a Maui vacation.

Honestly, we were kind of overwhelmed by all the dining and shopping options in Kihei. Our favorite place to shop was the 'Farmer's Market' in north Kihei with its daily fresh tropical fruits. Not cheap but who can resist tasty apple bananas, juicy strawberry papayas or sweet Hayden mangos?! Interestingly, no white pineapples. Those are really a speciality of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Last but not least, it is Kihei where you find the best weather for your Maui vacation. Kihei offers nice sunny weather all year round with our Hawaiian trade winds working as natural AC. Tell us what you think why Kihei is a good place for a Maui vacation. A hui hou. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

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Our Maui condo vacation in Kihei

2009-09-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

Wow, Keoki and Pua spent a Maui condo vacation in Kihei? Really, Maui? Big surprise for all of our Best Hawaii vacation blog visitors who know that our favorite place is the Kohala Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii. After writing two Maui vacation blog posts recently: Best Flight offers from Seattle to Maui and Is it a good time to buy a Maui Condo NOW, not to forget our most recent post about Cheap Hawaiian Interisland flights, we decided it's time to reunite with Maui by spending a Kihei condo vacation there.

We took advantage of one of the Maui Vacation condo bargain offers and the most affordable air fares + Maui car rentals in years. Guess what. We got rewarded with a week of sunshine + blue skies, mellow trade winds, perfect ocean conditions for swimming and stretches of empty white sand Kihei beaches for those early morning beach walks!

Finally, we were able to visit all those Maui beaches in South Kihei, Hawaii visitors and residents rave about, and tell you what Kihei beach became our favorite beach. However, let us tell you first where we stayed in Kihei. We had booked a nice ground floor 1Bd/1Ba condo at Kihei Garden Estates. Kihei Garden condos are not ocean front like Kauhale Makai but they are a few 2-story buildings in a beautiful Hawaiian garden setting meeting our expectation for a peaceful Maui vacation. And the price was right for our Maui condo vacation!

We felt sorry for all the Maui condo owners who did not have any visitors. September is usually a slow month in Hawaii. I keep recommending this month because the weather is beautiful (not as hot as summer), travel to Hawaii is cheap, and beaches and restaurants are empty. This year, September seemed even having less visitors than in the past. We mostly had the swimming pool and the jacuzzi at Kihei Garden Estates to ourselves. As we are not big BBQ-ers, but we enjoyed the closeness of Star Market and a huge number of affordable restaurants (Thai restaurant was our favorite), all in walking distance from our Kihei condo.

From our Kihei Garden Estate condo it was just a short walk to the beach - wonderful for beach walks and cooling off dips in the ocean. As Charley Young Beach was only a short 5-min. drive down S.Kihei Rd, it became our favorite S.Kihei beach. In the mornings, we hopped in our car equipped with beach chairs, towels, books and camera to enjoy the most splendid Hawaii mornings by the ocean. Heavy winds are not really blowing in S. Kihei as they do on the northern coast. It was also fun to watch the board paddlers!

All in all, Keoki and I had a wonderful Maui vacation in Kihei. Affordable condos in Kihei, Kamaole Beaches and Charlie Young Beach are worth a Maui visit. Hope you like our Maui condo vacation photos. Where did you spend your Maui condo vacation in Kihei? Aloha, Pua Hawaii Maui Vacation

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Fly cheap between Hawaiian Islands NOW

2009-08-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

We just island hopped virtually yesterday from Maui to the Big Island. But this is much better. Here is our Best Hawaii Vacation blog Interisland Flight Special Alert for everybody who is visiting Hawaii in September. Hawaiian Airlines offers Island Hop Hawaiian Style at $24.99 Interisland Fare One Way, which includes tax!

Hawaii Traveler Alert:

Sign-Up by 8/31/2009 + get this Hawaii Interisland
Flight Special for 9/1 - 9/30/09

- The $24.99* Interisland fare inclusive of U.S. tax is applicable to one way routing
- You'll get unlimited Interisland trips at this low fare
- Reservations must be booked via HawaiianAirlines.com from 08/24/2009 - 09/30/2009
- Travel must be completed by 09/30/2009
- The $24.99* Interisland fare inclusive of U.S. tax is good for coach class travel booking class 1
- Discount cannot be applied to tickets purchased before sign-up
- Interisland flights booked with this special promotion are eligible for HawaiianMiles Mainland Madness credits.

Read more about this Cheap Hawaii flight between Hawaiian Islands in September 2009. Hawaiian island hopping as cheap as it gets! Don't miss the deadline on 8/31/09 for your September Interisland travel for this Hawaiian Airlines flight special. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Big Island Places to Visit - City of Refuge

2009-08-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

It's time to island hop back to the Big Island after we spend some time on Maui dealing with the current abundance of Kihei condo short sales and the question 'Is it a good time to buy a Maui condo?' Maui condos are also getting some special attention this fall because condo vacation rental rates are lower than ever for the 2009 fall season. One reason for us to share with our Best Hawaii vacation blog visitors Best Fall Airfares from Seattle to Maui. After Labor Day, flight tickets are outrageously low. It's time for a Maui Beach vacation in Kihei!

If you are not a beach bum but prefer adventure, the Big Island is right for you as we pointed out in many previous posts such as 'Which Hawaiian island is your favorite island?' My favorite saying about a Big Island vacation is this Hawaiian island offers 'adventure beyond the ordinary'! Where else can you see a live volcano or go ski in the morning on a snow covered mountain and swim in the warm waters of the Pacific in the afternoon. Those who plan their Big Island vacation now, might want to peruse our previous Big Island vacation articles.

Here is another of those special Big Island adventures, which actually allows you to combine learning more about ancient Hawaiian traditions and culture with having the best Hawaii snorkel experience. It's a visit to the City of Refuge or Pu'uhonua o Honaunau, National Historic Park. The park is located on the southern Kona Coast. Take Hwy 11 to Hwy 160 and continue downhill 4 miles to the entrance of the park.

The visitors Center is open 8am - 5:30pm. A self guiding tour takes you through the grounds: The Royal Grounds and the Place of Refuge. With Honaunau Bay offering an easy canoe landing place + the availability of drinking water, it was the perfect place for the ali'i (Roayals) to build one of their major residences there. The Royal grounds were separated from the pu'uhonua, place of refuge, by a massive stone wall built about 1550 - 10 feet high + 17 feet thick! - and still standing today. Can you believe that?!

So, what's the story behind the City of Refuge? In ancient Hawaiian life, activities were regulated by 'Kapu'. If a 'kapu' was broking, Hawaiians feared that their gods would get mad at them with an earth quake, volcano eruption or tidal wave. To 'prevent' that they tried everything to catch the kapu breaker. A kapu breaker was sentenced to death, unless he/she managed to reach pu'uhonua, which meant absolution by a priest and a safe return home. Tough times, I'd say.

See for yourselves how ancient Hawaiian ali'i lived. When you walk those ancient sacred Hawaiian grounds, you might get transported into the past and feel the spirit of old Hawaii. We did not feel any goose bumps as some visitors report when visiting ancient heiaus in Hawaii. Get back into the presence by swimming and snorkeling in the ocean waters of Honaunau Bay. Don't forget your snorkel gear, as Honaunau Bay is one of the best snorkel spots on the Big Island. It is also a great place to see the Hawaiian green sea turtles.

You want to share your personal City of Refuge experience, we'd love to hear from you. Have a wonderful time on your Big island vacation. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Best Flight Offers from Seattle to Maui

2009-08-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

Aloha to everybody who loves a Maui Hawaii vacation,

Let's stay for today's Best Hawaii blog post kind of within the topic we talked about 'Is it a good time to buy a Maui condo NOW?' We heard from Maui realtors in the South Kihei condo area that the months January through April 2009 had been really slow with interested buyers in Maui condos. Summer 2009 showed a big slowdown in vacation rental requests but on the other hand, more "Mainlanders" showed up interested in buying Kihei condos at 'bargain' prices as investment and as a vacation rental and a place to stay warm during cold winter months!

For all those, who are still looking into buying a Maui condo now or are getting ready for a Maui vacation during fall season, there is great news out there for Maui travel, especially for travelers from the Pacific Northwest, from Seattle and Portland. I came across those new best flight offers from Seattle to Maui through a Maui Twitter friend whose tweet I actually retweeted for our best Maui vacation visitors yesterday:

RT @MCIMaui New Direct Alaska Airlines Flight from Portland to #Maui: Will more competition mean more affordable... http://bit.ly/17sif9

It's pretty amazing how things come and go around through social networks like twitter. Anyways, my Maui Twitter friend had picked up the good Maui travel news from the Maui Real Estate Directory Blog, which wrote on a post 'Will more competition mean more affordable flights to Maui?': "As of July 3rd, a convenient new flight via Alaska Airlines is taking passengers direct from Portland, Oregon to Maui, Hawaii. Alaska offered three flights weekly at first, but as of August 7th, service will expand to daily flights." I definitely recommend Maui visitors to read the entire post New Direct Alaska Airlines Flights from Portland to Maui.

As we all know affordable air fares to Hawaii can and will give the Hawaii Tourism Industry a big boost. That's why we were happy to see our friends from Beat of Hawaii on the same track when they are talking about Hawaii Fall Airfare predictions, referring to Hawaiian Airlines, on one of their recent posts:

"Pacific Northwest will be the hottest market. In just the past week the cost to fly from Seattle to Honolulu has dropped by 25% and is now at $298 round-trip on Hawaiian. I expect to see Seattle and Portland fares continue to drop, especially on service to Honolulu and nonstop flights to the outer islands. Likely we will again see round-trip fares for as little as $200 (plus tax of about $20), from time to time, as we saw last year." Again, we recommend to read the entire article about the best flight offers from the Pacific Northwest to Hawaii.

Here is a copy of part of my comment in case you missed that:

"Much mahalo, Jeff, for making our Hawaii visitors from the Pacific Northwest aware of those special air fares from Seattle and Portland to the islands. I've checked on Hawaiian and found the special rates you mentioned Seattle - Honolulu and Seattle Maui for RT $298.

However, I noticed with Maui, that travelers might want to leave a little more time between now and their departing flights to Maui in September. As the direct flights to Maui leave only once a day, the planes get filled up fast and then Hawaiian asks more money for their seats, whether Wednesday or weekend flying, it does not matter."

So guys check Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines for those special fall airfares from the Pacific Northwest or San Francisco to Hawaii. Find your best flight special from Seattle to Maui or Honolulu Hawaii. Hop on the plane and have a great Hawaii Vacation. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacation
p.s.
We chose beautiful Hawaiian girl Sara from WahineStyle.com as our Hawaii post girl today.

Is it a good time to buy a Maui Condo NOW?

2009-08-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

Aloha to all our Hawaii blog visitors, our regulars and the drop-ins,

The Sharks, Rays and Whales on the most wanted Youtube Video post took off right from the start. It was fun writing the post and sharing this spectacular video with everybody. Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors and our Hawaii friends liked it a lot. I am sure Jon got quite some extra traffic for his video from our blog, and he deserved it.

As mentioned before, visiting other Hawaii blogs and Hawaii twitter friends is a steady source and pool for new ideas. A recent post by our friend Julie from 'Maui Vacation Guide' about Short Sales of Maui Condos got my special attention this time. Reading Julie's article on low price short sale offers for Maui condos for sale, triggered my curiosity to that extend that I thought Maui condo short sales will hit a nerve and attract the attention by a lot of our Hawaii blog visitors. It seems time to talk 'Hawaii Real Estate' again. This time specifically about 'Is it a good time to buy a Maui condo NOW?'

My first action to prepare this post was a Google search for Maui condos for Sale and peruse a big number of those top search result sites for Maui condos. Bottom line, there is quite a number of Maui real estate sites which focus on Maui condo for sale real estate market trying to lure the 'Mainlanders' hungry for Hawaii sun to buy a Maui condo now.

I liked those sites which provided in addition to the basic condo info like:

- Asking price

- Maui condo resort location

- condo bedroom + bathroom number

additional detailed condo info like:

- Is the condo zoned for vacation rental?

- Condo monthly maintenance fee

- Annual Taxes

- Sales history

The prices for Maui condo short sales are really tempting but be aware of that the banks take their time to 'collect' a number of offers for a certain short sale condo and decide for the highest offer after 3 - 4 months or even longer. If you are not in a hurry, try your luck. Maybe your nice cash offer will be accepted by the bank. In any case, that's probably the lowest price for Maui condos, not just short sales, I have seen in a long time. So, is it a good time to buy now?

Believe me, not just us regular folks wonder whether the Hawaii Real Estate market has reached the bottom or will even further slow down, meaning Maui condo prices will even come down more. The following article about reaching the bottom and about current trends in Hawaii Real Estate market by Michael Gallagher shows you that Hawaii realtors can't guarantee either whether this is now the best time to buy a Maui condo. One thing is for certain though, Hawaii real estate market will recover as it always has. There is no place like Hawaii! The decision is yours. Before you buy a Maui condo, here are 3 facts you need to know when buying a Maui condo NOW.

3 Facts to know for buying a Maui Condo

1. Maui Condo Vacation rental zoned

If you don't want to move to the island of Maui permanently and consider spending 2 - 3 months on Maui in winter, you want to rent out your Maui condo for the rest of the year at the best rate you can get. Lots of things have changed recently in the Maui vacation rental scene recently. Make sure that the condo you buy is in a vacation rental zoned condo resort or complex. If the complex got 'grandfathered' in, make sure the condo complex bylaws state 'short term rental allowed'. BTW, Maui legislature is still dealing with making more vacation rentals legal.

2. Maui Vacation Rental business Slowdown

Remember the economic slowdown has a big effect on family's capability to go and spend some extra money on vacation. Hawaii vacations got postponed by many families this summer. Summer 2009 in Hawaii was one of the slowest high season summer months for vacation rentals in years. Hawaii visitors who stuck with their travel plans to the islands, received deals they had never dreamed of. Good for them. However, vacation condo rates did often not cover the expenses Maui condo owners have like high monthly maintenance and annual taxes. Good news: Winter months look much better for Maui vacation condos!

3. Maui condo Property Management

Be aware that renting your Maui condo as a vacation rental requires knowledge, business skills and means to advertise it. That's why the majority of Maui condo owners rely on property management companies. Maui property rental managements charge for booking and renting you condo fees between 20 - 25%. You might want to check and compare. I even found out that one of the biggest Maui management company charges a monthly fee whether they book your condo or not.

BTW, when you are not a permanent Hawaii resident, you need a Hawaii agent to act on your behalf which is another reason that Maui condo owners decide for a Maui property management company. Lots to think about when you want to make some money from your Maui vacation condo.

Do you think 'It's a good time to buy a Maui condo NOW?' Our Best Hawaii blog visitors and we'd love to hear from everybody, whether Hawaii realtor or lay people like us. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

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Sharks, Rays, Whales on the most Watched youtube Travel Video

2009-07-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

More Hawaii ocean life, you ask, what is that for? Just wait a minute and I will explain.

Actually, the sharks, rays, whales and fish you are about to see are ocean creates also live in Hawaii's ocean waters but these sharks, rays and whales do live in the 2nd biggest aquarium (biggest one is in Georgia, Atlanta) in the world, in Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan

I can't believe this coincidence. One minute, I am writing my blog post about the wonderful book 'Sharks and Rays of Hawaii' and shortly after, when cruising my favorite Hawaii ocean blog 'The Right Blue', I come across this most awesome and amazing youtube video shot by video producer Jon Rowlinson! This is one of those miracle stories which twitter + tweets, youtube and the world wide web can make happen.

I just read on @jonrowlinson the following tweet:

Kuroshio sea is the top rated travel video on youtube...of all time. http://bit.ly/AZhJ9 Wait, it got a higher rating than Matt dancin??

Long story short. Here is Jon Rowlinson's famous youtube video displayed on Best Hawaii Vacation blog for your convenience and of course, for getting you all excited to watch all the fantastic ocean life in real nature on your next Hawaii vacation. Don't know how close you want to be to the sharks though. Watching sharks through the glass walls of an aquarium feels definitely safer.

Kuroshio Sea by Jon Rowlinson - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world

Here is what Jon says about the aquarium:

"The main tank called the 'Kuroshio Sea' holds 7,500-cubic meters (1,981,290 gallons) of water and features the world’s second largest acrylic glass panel, measuring 8.2 meters by 22.5 meters with a thickness of 60 centimeters. Whale sharks and manta rays are kept amongst many other fish species in the main tank." Let's not forget to mention that music is "Please don't go" by the group 'Barcelona'.

So, what do you think about the video, sharks, rays, aquarium, music and all? Mahalo for your comments. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations