“Paddle, paddle, paddle!” Dustin Tester shouts to Elena, who digs her hands swiftly into the warm Maui waters. With a gentle push from Tester, the board Elena is lying atop gets picked up by the oncoming wave’s momentum, and now she’s coasting. Slow, but steady to her feet, Elena stands on her large, foam surfboard— […]
I’ve heard the stories: whispered tales of blind turns, perilous cliffs and precarious one-lane roads, all told to me by unlucky souls who’ve had to experience this treacherous stretch of gravel firsthand. So as I take the wheel on the Road to Hana, prepping to drive it for the first time in my life, I
The Road to Hana is a long and arduous journey, packed with twists and turns and plenty of stops. Around the 10-mile marker, when the waterfall hikes have got you feeling tired and hungry, take a break from the road and turn into the Garden of Eden. Here, you’ll find the Garden Café, a bright
Did you know, the Haleiwa signs you see when driving to the town aren’t the originals? Actually, far from it. In 1996, Californian artist Carole Beller was paid $15,000 to erect three signs that would draw attention to the North Shore’s iconic surf town, Haleiwa. These signs ended up featuring red boardshort-clad surfers in the
A visit to these Islands isn’t complete without a stop at one of these hole-in-the-wall restaurants that every local swears by. OʻAHU Ethel’s Grill, a cramped 20-seat eatery on the ground floor of a walk-up apartment building, is one of Honolulu’s best hole-in-the-wall spots. It’s an ode to sumo wrestling—photos of wrestlers cover the walls—that
I wasn’t even there yet, but already I was more relaxed. I was driving east in my compact rental car to Upcountry Maui. The area, hugging the slopes of Haleakala, is known for its agriculture and has been farmed since early times. Today, Upcountry has cultivated a reputation for harvesting strawberries, onions, protea and lavender and
No one is allowed to visit Hawaii’s Forbidden Isle—the 70-square-mile island, which on a clear day can be spied from Kauai’s west coast—unless they are invited by Niihau owners the Robinson family, or by one of its 70 full-time Native Hawaiian residents. The one exception is reserved for those who book a tour through the
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,
Oahu’s west side gets a bad rap: Parents tell their kids to leave their valuables at home if they’re heading in that direction, and its town names, such as Waianae and Nanakuli, strike fear into the hearts of some visitors and locals. However, much of that is unwarranted and the rugged beauty of the island’s
Everyone loves spotting Hawaiian monk seals along Hawaii’s shores. They’re an adorable reminder why Hawaii adopted the animal as its state mammal. Known primarily for its plump figure and lounging attitude, here’s some extracurricular information on our favorite beach-goers. They have many names Although referred to in English as the Hawaiian monk seal for its
The iconic Pink Palace of the Pacific is as beautiful as I imagined it would be. Fashioned in a Spanish-Moorish style with a pink stucco finish, it stands out in the crowd of hotels that have taken up residence all around it in Waikiki. Ninety years have gone by since The Royal Hawaiian’s grand opening
Day One Wake up with the sun at the summit of Leahi (aka Diamond Head). Its moderate, 1.6-mile jaunt up the famous summit will give you a bird’s-eye view of Waikiki, Honolulu and West Oahu. Skip the food vendors at the park, and drive to local favorite Waiola Shave Ice for your reward—a round of
