*This story was originally published on Sept. 12, 2017. The 2025 Nā Wāhine o Ke Kai will be held on Sunday, Sept. 28. For more information, visit nawahineokekai.com. Considered the pinnacle of long-distance Hawaiian outrigger canoe racing, the Kaiwi Channel is a grueling 41-mile stretch of open ocean separating the Hawaiian Islands of Molokaʻi […]
*This story was originally published on Aug. 2, 2016 and updated on Aug. 11, 2025. The next time you go to Kapaʻa, listen to the locals. The 8-mile drive from the Līhuʻe airport to the district’s historic center was the only set of directions I had upon arriving to Kauaʻi, and turns out it
While it may be located on one of the remote corners of Hawaii, the Four Seasons Resort Lanai proves itself to be the most wired-in resort in the Islands. Waterproof wristbands instead of key cards. Heated bidets with more controls than a television remote control. The bathroom features a TV seamlessly built into the mirrored
In this tried-and-true guide, we highlight the most memorable, the most special, the most aspirational resorts to stay this year. After a year’s worth of checking into everything from the shiny new thing on the block to the enduring turn-of-the-century classic, this collection of properties falls under a special class of accommodations: the 50 hotels,
For another side of Wailea—an experience further removed from the luxury resorts strung together like priceless pearls on Wailea Beach—Hotel Wailea, Relais & Châteaux is an oasis in the hills where you can stretch out with the same degree of splendor and sophistication. Aspen-level lodge vibes greet you the moment you step into its swoon-worthy
Considered the pinnacle of long-distance Hawaiian outrigger canoe racing, the Kaiwi Channel is a grueling 41-mile stretch of open ocean separating the Hawaiian Islands of Molokai and Oahu. In Hawaiian, ka iwi suitably means “the bone”—it takes every muscle and fiber of the human body to complete, a reminder that, when one’s physicality is stripped
Kalakaua Avenue may be the main thoroughfare electrifying the city, but Honolulu’s coolest circuit of hotels can currently be found a few blocks away from all the tourist action, hiding in plain sight. You won’t believe we’re saying this, but sometimes it’s not always about staying right on the beach (stick with us now!) and
There are luxury resorts—and then there are all-inclusive, five-star luxury resorts. At Travaasa Hana, a sprawling 70-acre destination interwoven into the remote East Maui countryside, not having to lift a muscle to pull out a credit card upon ordering a fresh-caught mahimahi sandwich at The Preserve Kitchen and Bar is a pampered sense of paradise
Nestled along the slopes of the dormant Hualalai volcano on Hawaii Island, a traditional stone forno (Portuguese for “oven”) burns with sweet anticipation. Master baker Laurie Westrich, her hair wrapped up in a palaka (checkered) bandana and wearing a matching apron dusted with white flour, rakes the hot kiawe coals heating up the forno’s domed
Along the southerly slopes of Kahoolawe, a sacred pohaku (rock) is poised dangerously at the edge. The flat boulder, about 12 feet in diameter and etched with petroglyphs, sweeping lines and 32 poho, or pecked man-made cupules, lies horizontal from the precipice of a fast-eroding ravine. Elevated 20 feet high, believed to be purposefully aligned
Are you even in Hawaii if you’re not eating shave ice? (Answer: No, you are not.) With the Islands’ warm weather, there’s rarely an hour when a shave ice cone, cup or bowl isn’t appropriate. Though they’re everywhere here and may appear a dime-a-dozen, remember that not all are hand-packed equal. For locals, shave ice (again,
This year’s Best of the Best for 2017 are in! From our fifth annual HAWAIʻI Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards, travelers across the spectrum—first-timers to the Islands, repeat visitors and local island-hoppers—sounded off in one of the most debated categories: What’s the best Hawaiian Island? 1. Maui Puamana Beach Park, Maui.Photo: Oskar Rist It is love at
