hualalai
Activities, Hawai‘i Island

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai has a Big Island adventure tour that costs $39,500

Spoiler alert: It’s probably the best, most epic, most personalized Big Island tour ever.
Spencer Kealamakia,

Let’s just get this out of the way now: $39,500 is a lot of money. For the majority of us, it’s an impossible amount to spend on travel and leisure. But if you have the means, and you fancy yourself being whisked away by helicopter to the most stunning and remote locations on Hawaii Island—think late-in-the-season, final-three, one-on-one dates on…

keahou hawaiian musicians
Culture

5 young Hawaii musicians we know you’ll love

These talented Hawaii artists need to be on your playlist.
Tiffany Hill,

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 The Manao Company, Kapena, Israel…

napali
Kauaʻi, Watch, Watch & Listen

Watch: Safari Helicopters Shows You Kauai’s Hidden Gems from Above

This view is one that's hard to forget.
Have Aloha Will Travel,

Ready for a stunning perspective on the Island of Kauai? In this video, we take you up above Waimea Canyon’s waterfalls and the breathtaking Napali Coast on Safari Helicopters for a ride you’ll never forget.Have Aloha Will Travel, powered by HAWAII Magazine, creates micro-documentaries and short films about the Islands. Our storytellers and videographers travel throughout Hawaii to discover the untold,…

kauaicoffee
Kauaʻi, Watch, Watch & Listen

Watch: Tour Kauai Coffee Estate, the Largest Coffee Farm in the United States

The farm grows, harvests, roasts and processes its different brews on site.
Have Aloha Will Travel,

Kauai Coffee, the largest coffee farm in the United States, grows, harvests, roasts and processes its different brews at the Kauai Coffee Estate. Come with us as we take a look behind the scenes at how they do things on the farm.  Have Aloha Will Travel, powered by HAWAII Magazine, creates micro-documentaries and short films about the Islands. Our storytellers and videographers…

hana
Island Dispatch

Why flying out of Hana was the best $35 I spent

You'll see a helicopter tour's view while also escaping that long drive back.
Christine Hitt,

At least once in your lifetime, take the Road to Hana. The waterfalls, those valleys, a stunning black-sand beach, a jaw-dropping red-sand beach, banana bread stands every other mile and the charming small town of Hana itself, are well worth the few minutes of wooziness you feel after a day’s worth of turns—620 of them, each way. But on my…

manaola
Culture, Shopping

Hawaii runway collection to be showcased at New York Fashion Week

Fashion designer Manaola Yap becomes the first Native Hawaiian to present a runway collection at an international fashion event.
Spencer Kealamakia,

Manaola Yap makes history this week as the first Native Hawaiian fashion designer to present an entire runway line at New York Fashion Week (NYFW). Getting the chance to take part in the world-renowned event is remarkable on its own, never mind that Yap’s company and brand, Manaola, is only 2 years old. A post shared by Manaola Hawaii (@manaolahawaii) on…

stonedam
Kauaʻi, Watch, Watch & Listen

Watch: Kauai’s Hidden Swimming Hole You Absolutely Must Find

The Kilauea Stone Dam, built in 1880, is the crown jewel of the Wai Koa Loop Trail.
Have Aloha Will Travel,

The Wai Koa Loop Trail, located on the north shore of the island of Kauai, takes you past a mahogany forest to a secluding swimming hole at the historic Kilauea Stone Dam, where visitors can picnic, meditate or jump in.Read our full story on this hike, here.Have Aloha Will Travel, powered by HAWAII Magazine, creates micro-documentaries and short films about the…

rap reiplinger
Culture

Top 5 comedy routines from the 1982 TV special, “Rap’s Hawaii”

Why Rap Reiplinger was, is, and will always be super freakin’ funny.
Spencer Kealamakia,

The Emmy award-winning special, “Rap’s Hawaii,” was produced for KGMB way back in 1982, but still cracks up Hawaii folks more than 30 years later.At the time of broadcast, Reiplinger was already a name in Hawaii. He’d made his bones in the ’70s, performing with James Grant Benton and Edward Kaahea as Booga Booga at the Territorial Tavern, a Honolulu…

Napali Coast of Kauai
Kauaʻi

This video will make you fall in love with the Napali Coast all over again

The views from the Kalalau Trail and Hanakapiai Valley are unlike anything else.
Have Aloha Will Travel,

The Napali Coast of Kauai holds some of the most breathtaking views in Hawaii, and the Kalalau Trail to Hanakapiai Beach and Waterfall is a popular day trip for hikers. Have Aloha Will Travel, powered by HAWAII Magazine, creates micro-documentaries and short films about the Islands. Our storytellers and videographers travel throughout Hawaii to discover the untold, the overlooked, the authentic and…

duke kahanamoku
Culture

Watch rare video clips of Duke Kahanamoku you’ve never seen

Film footage of The Duke are few and far between, which makes this peek into his life so special.
Christine Hitt,

While you may already be familiar with the many photos of legendary waterman, five-time Olympic gold medalist and father of surfing, Duke Kahanamoku, film clips of him are few and far between. That’s what makes these black-and-white peeks into pivotal periods of his life so incredibly special. 1. See Duke break his own record in the 1920 Olympics.Look at him go. 2. Here he…

Tyler1
Oʻahu

Watch one of the youngest surfers in the world shred waves in Waikiki

At 5 years old, Tyler Purcell is already sponsored.
Spencer Kealamakia,

At 5 years old, Tyler Purcell is one of the youngest sponsored surfers in the world. The kindergartener started surfing when he was 18 months old, at first sharing a board with his father, and then graduating to his own board. His father still helps him with duck diving and pushing off, but the shredding is all Tyler. Next time…

Ho_3388
Culture, Oʻahu

A statue of Don Ho is now on view at the International Market Place in Waikiki

Don Ho’s family, friends and fans celebrated the legendary Hawaiian entertainer’s 87th birthday with stories, songs and plenty of aloha.
Spencer Kealamakia,

On August 13, hundreds of fans and onlookers packed all three levels of the main atrium at the International Market Place to watch the unveiling of a statue honoring the late Hawaiian musician Don Ho. The unveiling coincided with the legendary entertainer’s 87th birthday and the shopping center’s one-year anniversary.The placing of the statue at the foot of the International…

jurassic world
Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Travel Tips

Top 5 movies filmed in Hawaii since 2010

With over a hundred years of history, Hawaii and Hollywood still can’t get enough of each other.
Kevin Allen,

In 1913, Universal Studios filmed “Hawaiian Love” and “The Shark God” in Honolulu, marking the first Hollywood productions recorded in the Aloha State. Since then we’ve seen everything from cult classics, such as “North Shore,” to box-office flops, like “The Big Bounce,” set on our sunny shores. To celebrate Hollywood’s continued fixation with Hawaii, we’ve compiled a list of our…

Hanalei Bay
Adventure, Beaches, Kaua'i What To Do, Kauaʻi, Watch

This Video of Hanalei Bay Will Have You Packing Your Bags for Kauai

Some would say it's the most beautiful place on earth.
Have Aloha Will Travel,

On the north shore of Kauai, Hanalei Bay’s beauty attracts countless visitors to its 2-mile-long beach and gorgeous waterfalls plummeting off its green mountain peaks. Take a walk down the pier and the views only get better and better. Video length 1:12 Have Aloha Will Travel, powered by HAWAII Magazine, creates micro-documentaries and short films about the Islands. Our storytellers and videographers travel…

jasonmomoa
Oʻahu

‘Aquaman’ star Jason Momoa used to be on ‘Baywatch Hawaii,’ and here are the videos to prove it

Yeah, he was hot back then, too.
Christine Hitt,

Did you know, before becoming the fierce Khal Drogo of the Dothraki or hunky King of the Seven Seas, Jason Momoa sported red trunks as a lifeguard on “Baywatch Hawaii”? It’s okay, neither did his “Justice League” co-stars, who were caught laughing about it at last week’s Comic-Con convention in San Diego. Don’t sweat it Momoa, we got your back!At the baby-faced age of…

aulani
Oʻahu, Travel Tips

Disney Aulani Resort’s hidden treasures

From Laniwai, the first-ever spa created by Disney, to the elevator music with Disney classics sung in Hawaiian, there are unique features to find peeking around every corner.
T. Ilihia Gionson,

Sure, there are other family-friendly resorts in Hawaii. And sure, there are other places around the world to experience Disney’s legendary immersive storytelling. But nowhere else in the world do these things come together like at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina on Oahu’s west side. Here are some of the resort’s most unique features:Navigating Aulani prepares…

cazimeros
Culture

Remembering Roland Cazimero

The legendary musician has passed away, but his music will live on.
Spencer Kealamakia,

The passing of Roland Cazimero on July 16, 2017 at the age of 66 makes an already difficult year in Hawaiian music that much more so. Having lost folks like Mahi Beamer, Martin Pahinui and Eddie Kamae, among others, 2017 shows no signs of letting up. But we’ll always have the tunes to remember each one of them by.Cazimero and…

kailua pillbox oahu kaiwa ridge lanikai hike
Activities, Adventure, Adventure, First-Time, Hiking, Oʻahu, O‘ahu What To Do, Solo

Breathtaking Views Await Atop Kailua’s Lanikai Pillbox Trail

The Kaiwa Ridge Trail, better known as the Pillbox trail, rewards hikers with a 360-degree view of Lanikai and the Windward Side. 
Tiffany Hill,

Photo: Mike KarasMoku Nui and Moku Iki. Off in the distance, they sharply rise in a serene sea of aquamarine. Collectively known as Na Mokulua (“two islands”), they’re Oahu’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 Kaiwa Ridge Trail—a roughly 1-mile hike better known by…

ukulele festival
Culture, Oʻahu

Win a summer trip to Oahu for the world’s largest ukulele festival

The prize package from HAWAII Magazine includes travel, lodging, dinner and your very own Hawaiian instrument to pluck.
HAWAI'I Magazine,

Ukulele Festival Hawaii. Jason Tanega Photograhy Courtesy Ukulele Festival HawaiiFew sounds bring back memories of the Islands like the mellow strings of the ukulele.Hawaii’s most celebrated instrument is the star of the 47th Annual Ukulele Festival on Sunday, July 16, 2017 from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Kapiolani Park. We’re awarding a lucky winner a complete prize package (see…

Hale Motuapuaka
Culture, Oʻahu

Q&A: 17-year-old World Fireknife champ Hale Motuapuaka talks fireknife dancing

A six-time champion in the junior division, Motuapuaka has been fireknife dancing since he was 3 years old.
Tracy Chan,

Hale Motuapuaka is an overachiever. Not only does the teenager, of Tongan descent (with Samoan ties, he says), play football for Punahou High School as a defensive tackle, he also plays the drums, ukulele, guitar and bass. But his primary passion—something he’s been doing since he was just 3 years old—is fireknife dancing.A six-time World Fireknife Champion in the junior division,…

hokulea 1976
Arts + Culture, Culture, Watch

Watch This Video of Hokulea’s 1976 Voyage

Travel back to May 1, 1976, the day the Hawaiian long-distance voyaging canoe launched and the journey that followed.
Matthew Dekneef,

Today marks the maiden voyage of the Hokulea, the first double-hulled Hawaiian voyaging canoe to set sail since the time of Kamehameha the Great, from the Hawaiian Islands to Tahiti. It was a major achievement that sparked a thriving interest, awareness and perpetuation of traditional, non-instrument Polynesian navigation to this day. Adjacent to the current mission of Hokulea’s worldwide Malama…

alex aiono
Oʻahu

Q&A: YouTube star Alex Aiono talks music, Radio Disney and Hawaii

Recently signed, Aiono's viral mashup of Drake's "One Dance" and Nicky Jam's "Hasta el Amanecer" drew mass attention to his musical abilities.
Christine Hitt,

Alex Aiono, the 21-year-old singer-songwriter and Radio Disney show host, who’s amassed 4.6 million YouTube subscribers and 2.1 million Instagram followers, just wrapped “The Changes Tour” in Hawaii with Australian-based singer-songwriter William Singe. Recently, Aiono talked with HAWAII Magazine about his debut single with Interscope Records, the upcoming Radio Disney Music Awards he’s co-hosting, and how he first learned to play the ukulele.Is this…

miss aloha hula merrie monarch
Culture

Q&A: Kaiulani Carr reflects on her year as Miss Aloha Hula

Approaching the final week of her reign, the dancer reflects on the journey of carrying hula's most prestigious crown.
Matthew Dekneef,

When Kayli Kaiulani Carr took the stage at last year’s Merrie Monarch Festival, the world’s most respected hula competition, she left spectators speechless.Her award-winning performances during Miss Aloha Hula, the contest for its prestigious solo title, brought a powerful duality to the stage (her oli, a rapid-fire and intense Hawaiian chant alone, was must-see television) that emphasized not just the…

sunset ranch north shore oahu
Oʻahu

Inside North Shore’s Sunset Ranch: Cultural tours, weddings and dreamy views

A historic ranch house preserves and perpetuates this beautiful landscape.
Matthew Dekneef,

You could call it untouched today, tomorrow and forever. On the North Shore of Oahu, quietly looming at 900 feet above sea level over Pupukea, an illustrious ranch house has helped tell the stories of natural conservation, Hawaiian culture, local farming practices and modern day weddings, and will in perpetuity.This is Sunset Ranch, a sprawling 30-acre property, which has a…