Let’s face it: Pools matter! In fact, some travelers base their hotel choice on this one amenity. Hawaiʻi Island hotels have pools as varied as the island’s landscapes. Here are your five favorites, as voted in the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards. 1. Royal Kona Resort View this post on Instagram A post shared […]
The mo‘olelo (stories) of storied Kahuwai Bay on the Kona Coast stretch back nearly a millennium, with its pre-contact history told through petroglyphs and features left behind at 21 archaeological sites. And the area’s newest chapter has just begun with the reimagining of Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort, Hawai‘i Island’s newest luxury hotel located right
While hula is the main attraction at the annual Merrie Monarch Festival, the gorgeous flowers used in lei and other adornment are show-shoppers, too. Many of these flowers are native to the Islands and have cultural significance to Native Hawaiians. Here are some flowers you might see on stage this year. Read More: 6 Iconic Tropical
The 61st annual Merrie Monarch Festival runs from March 31 to April 6, with the competition held at the Edith Kanakaʻole Multipurpose Stadium in Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island. One of the largest events of the year, the festival features three straight days of competition—the Miss Aloha Hula competition on April 4, the kahiko division on
Hana Hou Hilo bustles with energy. Once an antiques and collectibles store focused on Hawaiiana and Oceania art and accessories, the boutique in sleepy Hilo town now sells an assortment of locally made goods, curated jewelry and apparel, as well as zero-waste, sustainably made products. And it all started with a wahine (woman) and her
“You’ve never been to Two Ladies Kitchen?” I couldn’t hide my shock. My co-worker had been to Hawaiʻi Island several times, and she had never once stopped at the famous mochi-ya on Kīlauea Avenue in Downtown Hilo. I didn’t think that was possible. I can’t recall a single trip to Hilo, the sleepy town on
In 2018 an eruption of Kīlauea volcano on Hawaiʻi Island caused major damage the island, destroying more than 700 homes and devastating residential areas in Puna. It also damaged the summit area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Halemaʻumaʻu crater grew from 280 feet deep to about 1,600 feet deep, and its diameter more than doubled.
We’re back in Hilo—this time with digital media specialist Emily Smith. This sleepy town on Hawaiʻi Island is one of our favorites. (We did an entire podcast about it back in EP89.) This time we visit Honomū Goat Dairy—and play with baby goats—and grab mochi from Two Ladies Kitchen. We also dined at the award-winning
The light rain, the cozy gray mornings, the old buildings and shops that haven’t changed in decades. Everything in Hilo is a little slower, a little quieter, a little more relaxed. The sleepy town on Hawai‘i Island’s east side isn’t on the top of most travel itineraries, with visitors only flying in for the hourlong
During my exciting three days attending the opening weekend of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival (KCCF) on Hawai‘i Island, it was finally time to drive out for a farm tour or two. With the purchase of a $5 festival button, KCCF offers free tours for attendees at multiple coffee farms around the island, so attendees
The Donkey Mill Art Center partners with the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival (KCCF) each year, providing free workshops with the purchase of a $5 festival button. Attendees can check out cultural activities that make Hawai‘i unique: natural dye, lauhala weaving, lei making and live demos. Thanks to an invitation by KCCF organizers, I had the
The menu at the Manago Hotel restaurant rarely changes. The papaya at breakfast is usually from someone’s backyard and, if they’re available, the ono (wahoo) and ‘ōpelu (mackerel scad) on the lunch and dinner menus are caught off the Kona Coast. Here, you can order liver and onions—a rarity!—and pickled ogo (seaweed). The main attraction,
