Around the time the sun turned the sky an orange sherbet hue, everyone pulled out their smartphones and began taking rapid-fire photos of the technicolor sky. I was on the island of Lanai watching a Hawaii sunset in one of the best ways: from a catamaran in the evening. There’s only six of us aboard […]
In Hawaii, you’ll often hear locals use the words mauka (toward the mountain) or makai (toward the ocean) when it comes to giving directions. In the case of Mauka Makai, the signature restaurant at the Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, it’s located makai of Honoapiilani Highway on Maui, and its menu concept is more inclusive. The restaurant
It was bigger than my Honolulu apartment. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living-dining room, kitchen and a lanai (patio). This is the Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, located in Maui’s beautiful and luxurious Kaanapali. There’s room to relax everywhere at Westin Nanea, from the rooms to the swimming pool and wandering the manicured grounds that lead
Each decade brings forth a new crop of talented Hawaii musicians. In the 1970s, Gabby Pahinui, the Sons of Hawaii and Sunday Manoa gave voice to the Hawaiian Renaissance, the movement sparking a revival of cultural identity for Native Hawaiians. The ’80s and ’90s were the Golden Age of contemporary Hawaiian music. Artists such as
Moku Nui and Moku Iki. Off in the distance, they sharply rise in a serene sea of aquamarine. Collectively known as Nā Mokulua (“two islands”), they’re Oʻahu’s most popular offshore islets and protected seabird sanctuaries and it’s the bird’s-eye view of them that entices most people to hike the Kaʻiwa Ridge Trail—a roughly 1-mile hike
*Editor’s note: Koa Table has closed as of April 2018. Philip “Ippy” Aiona was raised in a foodie household. His Hawaiian father had a local plate lunch joint in Waimea and his mother had an Italian restaurant in Waikoloa. It was common to find a young Aiona doing homework at an empty table in
Florida native Nick Kuchar grew up drawing and surfing. When he moved to Oahu with his wife more than a decade ago, he found instant inspiration in the Island’s natural beauty, plus, killer surf breaks. Kuchar started illustrating vintage-looking pieces for his home, but quickly realized it could be more than a hobby. Today, you
Outside of the cozy takeout-style eatery, there’s a line. It’s 1:45 p.m., 15 minutes before chef and owner Sheldon Simeon closes for the day, but there’s still a strong demand for a bowl of his ‘ono comfort-food grinds. Tin Roof is nestled between an art gallery and a payday loan store in Dairy Center, a nondescript
You know the phrase: Lucky we live Hawaii. Here are a number of things that make us feel blessed to call any of the Hawaiian Islands home. 1. Nearly 365-days of amazing weather The Windward Oahu coast.Photo: David Croxford/HAWAIʻI Magazine How’s the weather gonna be tomorrow? A beautiful 81 degrees, as per usual. 2. Surfing
Watching the sun set is one of life’s simple pleasures, especially here in the Islands, where the skies put on a Technicolor show as the sun slowly dips below the horizon. But watching the sun rise is, perhaps more rewarding. It’s the start to a new day, full of possibility, and unless you don’t mind
You can hear the crunch of Hawaii singer Kimie Miner’s steps as she walks over the simultaneously smooth and jagged lava of Kilauea. The local musician sits down next to you, as a traditionally dressed halau hula (hula group) starts chanting and dancing. It feels like an impromptu performance, just for you, on top of
The last week of August 2016, a new three-story shopping center opened, replacing the iconic International Market Place in the heart of the city. It’s still called the International Market Place, but gone are the ticky-tacky kiosks, vendors hawking honu pendants, aloha shirts and tikis—and all for cut-rate costs if you had serious price negotiating
