Travel Adventures and Photography
A brightly-colored royal Hawaiian court, princesses in elegant gowns, and horses decorated in elaborate floral arrangements. It's the floral parade in honor of King Kamehameha Day, a public holiday in the state of Hawaii. If you're lucky, your Hawaii vacation might fall on this day and you'll get a chance to see a really special cultural tradition of the islands. Expect to see Hawaiian pageantry at its finest. The holiday Read More
One could say that visiting Kauai is a spiritual experience. Just being on the island really is a breath of fresh air for the mind, body and spirit. Among Kauai's abundant hidden gems is a (very) quietly tucked away Hindu Monastery and for me, no Kauai trip is complete without a morning there. While it's not a touristy place, all visitors are welcome to benefit from the peaceful and spiritual settings whether for reflection, Read More
Our beloved "Garden Isle" would not be the lush and tropical island we know, were it not for it's heavy rainfall. The north shore of Kauai sees an average of 250 inches of rain per year which is over half of the recorded annual rainfall in the wettest place on earth (Mawsynram, India which sees 467 inches of rainfall per year). On a recent visit to Kauai I joined a small group with Kauai Photo Tours that began in the east Read More
Oahu has some excellent snorkeling in spots such as Kuilima Cove, Kahe Beach, Shark's Cove and Kaena. But in my opinion, Hanauma Bay is the best snorkeling on the island and I'm certainly not the first person to suggest that this spot probably has the most fish in all of Hawaii. Hanauma Bay is a Nature Preserve located just 30 minutes east of Waikiki. The bay is home to 400 species of extremely colorful fish and green sea Read More
The Hawaiian island of Kauai bears some of the most lush and vibrant surroundings in the world, which is the main reason I visit as often as possible. While the island's south shore is home to the popular and gorgeous McBride and Allerton Botanical Gardens, I wanted to share a secret about some lesser known gardens. Ones which I prefer because nobody else is there and I can make believe that they are my own secret Read More
The Manoa Falls Trail will take you through dense jungle that is lush with a shady canopy, bamboo forest and huge trees that will make you feel like you are in a jurassic park movie (minus the dinosaurs). The movie Jurassic Park was actually filmed in this area! Just 1.6 miles up you'll see Manoa Falls, a beautiful 150 foot waterfall and pool (no swimming allowed). The trail has a slight incline and can be muddy, so dress Read More
Aloha! When you’re looking for airline tickets to Hawaii, your online searches most likely won't show you the results from Panda Travel, who I found to have excellent prices. Panda Travel is a full service Travel Agency that is Hawaii owned and operated for 30 years, they will book flights for you to and from any of the Hawaiian Islands, as well as inter-island flights. Their flights are consistently about $100 Read More
The Anahola Granola company has a new bar called MacaMania, and man, I am hooked! All handmade, fresh ingredients, no preservatives and full of exotic flavors. They use a healthy portion of nuts and seeds, the best unsulphered tropical fruits available, canola oil and Hawaiian honey. The special flavoring is pure vanilla made from Madagascar beans. MacaMania bars come in Original, Chocolate Chip, Mango Ginger and Tropical Read More