From ‘Iolani Palace to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park to Honolulu’s Street Art: Take a Virtual Tour Around the Islands

Ditch the next zoom meeting, step away from the puzzle, turn off Hulu and put down that baking tray: you deserve a little self-isolation vacation.

This story originally appeared on the website of our sister publication, HONOLULU Magazine.If you’ve always wanted to see a volcano from above …Hawai‘i Volcanoes National ParkThe National Parks Service teamed up with Google Arts & Culture to create multimedia tours of five of America’s difficult-to-get-to (even without stay-at-home orders) parks. And of course Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is featured in this virtual…

Hanauma Bay Has Never Looked So Good

Research shows the protected bay on Oʻahu has been recovering since the state shutdown in March.

If there was a silver lining to COVID-19 in Hawaiʻi, it’s Hanauma Bay. The protected marine bay in East Honolulu on Oʻahu closed to visitors on March 18 and still hasn’t reopened. (Other city beaches had reopened since, but the bay remained closed this whole time because visitors are required to watch an educational video before entering the park and…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Wagyu Burger

Celebrate National Burger Day today with this popular dish from Island Vintage Wine Bar on Oʻahu.

Photo: Courtesy of Island Vintage Wine BarYou might not expect a quality wagyu burger—or any burger, for that matter—from a place called Island Vintage Wine Bar. But it’s quickly become one of its most popular menu items. In fact, the Waikīkī restaurant—created by the owners of Island Vintage Coffee and Island Vintage Shave Ice—serves three different kinds of wagyu burgers…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Duke’s Coconut Shrimp

Get transported back to the Islands with Duke’s Waikīkī’s popular coconut shrimp.

Photo: Courtesy of Duke’s WaikīkīNeed a dinner idea for this weekend? And missing the Islands? Matt Young, executive chef of Duke’s Waikīkī, shows you how to make the restaurant’s signature dish—and it’s a lot easier than it seems. (To see more videos, follow us on Instagram @hawaiimagazine.) Here’s the recipe: Duke’s Coconut Shrimp Ingredients: 1 lb. large shrimp 4 eggs…

Watch: How To Make an Origami Aloha Shirt Box

Make this adorable Japanese candy box with step-by-step instructions by Honolulu crafting guru Joy Shimabukuro.

Photo: Courtesy of Joy ShimabukuroMany of us are stuck at home (again) and looking for crafty things to do. We asked our friend, Honolulu-based crafting guru Joy Shimabukuro (@thejoyofcrafting) of Ben Franklin Crafts, to come with something fun for us to make at home. SEE ALSO: Watch: Make This Simple Ribbon Lei for May Day Wherever You Are And BONUS: It’s…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Coffee & Kiawe Cocktail

What better way to celebrate National Rum Day with a cocktail made from artisanal rum by Kauaʻi’s Kōloa Rum Co.

Photo: Courtesy of Kōloa Rum Co.Who doesn’t love rum? It‘s a liquor distilled from sugar—pure cane sugar, syrup or molasses—that adds the sweetness to some of the most popular vacation cocktails. The mai tai, daiquiri and mojito—they all owe their iconic tiki status to rum. Sunday, Aug. 16 is National Rum Day. So we asked our friends at Kōloa Rum…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Macadamia Nut Bread Pudding

Executive chef Wesley Pumphrey of Stripsteak Waikīkī on Oʻahu walks you through the restaurant’s popular macadamia nut bread pudding.

Photo: Courtesy of Stripsteak WaikīkīBread pudding. It could be the ultimate comfort-food dessert. And it couldn’t be simpler: bread, eggs, sugar, milk. Executive chef Wesley Pumphrey of Stripsteak Waikīkī shows you how to take the humble bread pudding to the next (local) level with brown sugar, orange zest and macadamia nuts. He offers expert tips and step-by-step instruction on whipping up…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Garlic Shrimp Fried Rice

Recreate Bogart’s Café’s popular garlic shrimp fried rice at home.

Photo: Courtesy of Bogart’s CaféGarlic shrimp. Fried rice. These are two food favorites in Hawaiʻi—and Bogart’s Café in Kapahulu on Oʻahu found a delicious way to combine the two. SEE ALSO: Hidden Gems: Bogart’s Café on Oʻahu Mitchel Tomas, chef at the beloved café, shows you how to combine these two local staples—with really helpful tips—into a quick and easy meal…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: How to Grill the Perfect Smash Burger

Learn the secret behind the popular smash burger from The Daley in Downtown Honolulu.

Photo: Courtesy of The DaleyThe smash burger is the ultimate summer barbecue burger. It’s a thin patty, “smashed” on a hot griddle (with clarified butter) until the edges are crispy. Then it’s topped with American cheese, sliced onions and a special mayo-based sauce. It’s one of those easy-to-eat burgers that’s perfect with an ice-cold (preferably local) beer at the beach. We asked the…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Grand Marnier Mango Colada

Make this local twist on the sweet cocktail, courtesy of the Chart House Waikīkī, on National Piña Colada Day.

Michael Sye, a bartender at the Chart House Waikīkī shows you how to make a mango colada. Melissa ChangFriday is National National Piña Colada Day, a day to celebrate the sweet cocktail that originated in Puerto Rico and can now be found at just about any beachfront bar. One of the world’s most popular cocktails, the piña colada is made with a…

Podcast Show Notes: Have Aloha Will Travel EP35

This week on the “Have Aloha Will Travel” podcast, Cat and Kevin talk story with Hawaiʻi-based artist Nick Kuchar.

The Have Aloha Will Travel podcast is back again this week, with Cat and Kevin being joined by a very special guest, artist and designer Nick Kuchar! Nick, who has been an artist for his entire life and made a name for himself in the Islands with his retro-inspired art style, has actually spoken to the magazine twice in the…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Classic Kōloa Tai

Whip up this special version of a mai tai on National Mai Tai Day today.

Photo: Courtesy of Kōloa Rum Co.The mai tai is one of those quintessential Hawaiʻi cocktails. It’s that perfect blend of tropical flavors, orgeat and rum that’s best enjoyed on the beach—preferably at sunset. And there’s no better day to celebrate this drink than today, National Mai Tai Day. Photo: Courtesy of Kōloa Rum Co. Its history is often disputed: Some claim…

How to Have the Perfect Hawaiʻi Vacation at Home

Travelers who can’t make it to the Islands just yet will love this hour-by-hour guide on how to have the perfect Hawaiʻi vacation day from the comforts of your own home.

Photo: Getty ImagesDo you actually have to be in Hawaiʻi to enjoy mai tais, Hawaiian music, Island cuisine and culture? Not necessarily. Sure, nothing beats leaving your hotel room, stepping across the street—towel in hand—to the beach and chillaxing Island-style, however with this comprehensive itinerary, you will be able to bring some of that Hawaiʻi magic into your own hale…

Podcast Show Notes: Have Aloha Will Travel EP34

This week on the “Have Aloha Will Travel” podcast, Cat and Kevin answer your questions about Hawai‘i.

Photo: Getty ImagesCat and Kevin are back answering your Hawai‘i questions on this week’s episode of “Have Aloha Will Travel.” If you have questions you would like us to answer, feel free to email us at media@hawaiimagazine.com or tag us on social media and use #HaveAlohaWillTravel. Also, have you seen our new Editor’s Guide digital issue? Download the Hawai‘i Magazine…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Honey Macadamia Baked Brie

Whendi Grad of Big Island Bees whips up this simple, delicious pūpū made with local honey.

Photo: Courtesy of Big Island BeesNot all honey is created equally. Three times a year, millions of bees from Big Island Bees on Hawaiʻi Island feast on the nectar of a single type of flower that blooms in a particular ecosystem in this part of the island. This results are flavors that are unique to the Islands. Like theʻōhiʻa lehua honey,…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Hawaiian-Style Bananas Foster

David Viviano, executive chef at the Fairmont Orchid, puts a local twist on the classic bananas foster dessert.

Photo: Courtesy of David VivianoCreated in New Orleans in 1951, this classic dessert features ripe bananas sautéed in a rum-infused caramel sauce, then flambéed tableside and served over vanilla ice cream. Can it get any better? Well, David Viviano, executive chef at the Fairmont Orchid on Hawaiʻi Island, has reinvented bananas foster with local ingredients. It’s deceptively easy—and even easier to eat….

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Fluffy Pancakes and Hearty Omelets

Bryson Bryson Carvalho of Eggs ’n’ Things in Ko ʻOlina on Oʻahu gets creative with the restaurant’s pancake mix and shows you how to make an easy French-style omelet.

Photo: Courtesy of Eggs ’n’ ThingsThere are two things Eggs ‘n‘ Things on Oʻahu is known for, even to local diners: pancakes and omelets. The popular Waikikī eatery, which first opened in 1974 on ʻEna Road, has always specialized in classic, local-style breakfast fare, from Hawaiian sweet bread French toast to Spam and eggs. But the pancakes—fluffy and loaded with fresh…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Colin’s Garlic ʻKorean Style’ Fried Chicken

Oʻahu-born Colin Hazama, executive chef at The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort in Waikīkī, shares his take on an Island favorite: garlic fried chicken.

Photo: Courtesy of Colin HazamaGarlic fried chicken is as much a potluck staple in Hawaiʻi as poke and mac salad. Bite-size chicken pieces, fried to golden and drenched in a slightly spicy and very garlicky sauce—it’s one seductive dish! Colin Hazama (@chefcolinhazama), the Oʻahu-born executive chef at The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort in Waikīkī, shares his take on…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Jook

Neil Murphy of Merriman’s Hawaiʻi shows you how easy it is to make a simple but tasty Chinese rice porridge.

Photo: Courtesy of Neil MurphyJook is a popular rice porridge, or congee, found in many parts of Asia. The humble dish was introduced to Hawaiʻi by Chinese immigrants during the plantation era, and it’s become a local staple, especially after Thanksgiving. (Turkey jook is no joke!) You most often see gai jook, congee made with chicken, which is the Asian…

Beloved Hawaiʻi Musician Willie K Dies at 59

William Awihilima Kahaialiʻi, known by his fans as Willie K, lost a lengthy battle with lung cancer.

Over his storied career, Willie K has performed countless shows at venues across the Islands. Photo: Courtesy of Blue Note HawaiʻiWith a heavy heart, those close to William Awihilima Kahaialiʻi, better known as Willie K among his fans and just “Uncle Willie” to friends and family, announced that the beloved musician lost his lengthy battle with lung cancer. The Lahaina-born Maui…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Classic Loco Moco

David Viviano, executive chef at the Fairmont Orchid, shows you his quick and easy way to make this local favorite at home.

Photo: Courtesy of David VivianoThe loco moco is about as iconic a Hawaiʻi dish as they come. Invented in Hilo in the late 1940s—reputedly at the old Lincoln Grill at the request of hungry teenagers—the loco moco is one of the simplest local dishes: white rice topped with a hamburger patty and a sunny egg, smothered in brown gravy. SEE…

This Kailua Chocolate Company Launches New Hawaiʻi Flavors This Month

Mānoa Chocolate on Oʻahu may be temporarily closed, but you can order all of its bean-to-bar chocolates online and even take a virtual tour.

Mānoa Chocolate launches three new Hawaiʻi-inspired flavors this month. The packaging is by Honolulu artist Shar Tuiasoa. Photo: Courtesy of Mānoa ChocolateThis is part of our “Shop With Aloha” series. It’s been about two months since Mānoa Chocolate temporarily closed its retail space in Kailua on Oʻahu due to the spread of COVID-19 in the Islands. The artisan chocolate maker, which…

HAWAIʻI in the Kitchen: Island Quarantini

This quarantine-inspired cocktail gets an Island twist by TikTok superstar bartender Ashley Hupp.

Photo: Courtesy of Ashley HuppIt didn’t take long for the COVID-19 pandemic to get its own cocktail. It’s called the Quarantini, an easy lemon-honey martini with Emergen-C vitamin drink mix. Could this get even better? Of course! Bartender and TikTok superstar Ashley Hupp (@theparadise.bartender) upgraded the right-now cocktail into something vacay-worthy. To see more videos, follow us on Instagram @hawaiimagazine.com. Here’s the…

Get Your Tiki On With These 3 Iconic Hawaiʻi Cocktails

Who says you need to be in the Islands to enjoy these tiki drinks?

The signature mai tai from Duke’s Waikīkī. Photo: Aaron K. YoshinoNothing says vacation like a tiki cocktail—preferably poolside in Waikīkī. But you don’t have to be in the Islands to enjoy one. Here are recipes for three iconic Hawaiʻi drinks sure to make you feel like you’re on vacation wherever you are. The Duke’s Mai Tai The mai tai is…