On Hawai‘i Island, you’ll find some of the state’s oldest eateries, places preserved in amber, where the decor and menu have changed little over the decades. Many are helmed by the third or fourth generations of the founders, now feeding the third or fourth generation of customers. Here are four favorites that feel like a […]
We chat with former Miss Aloha Hulas Natalie Ai Kamauʻu (1990), TeHani Gonzado (2000), Malia Petersen Arakaki (2002), Māhealani Mika Hirao-Solem (2010) and Manalani (English) Souza (2013) as the 2021 Merrie Monarch Festival competition airs today through Sunday. When the 2020 Merrie Monarch Hula Festival was officially canceled last March, the impact on the
It’s a sunny Saturday morning in Hilo when my boyfriend and I drive up a rocky road to Lavaloha cacao farm, gazing at the clear, blue sky and empty fields along the way. At the top of the hill, we’re greeted by large palm trees swaying in the wind next to a quaint farmhouse overlooking Hilo Bay. We park the car and
When I first met Simply Sisters’ owner and designer, Regina “Lola” Miller in 2014 at the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo, we instantly bonded over our shared love of hula, the festival and supporting Hawaiʻi’s thriving creative community. It was Merrie Monarch, after all, and I was making the craft fair rounds for all my Hawaiian
Located in the heart of downtown Hilo, Kula Shave Ice is taking the beloved local treat to the next level with organic and fresh ingredients. Kula is committed to providing the highest quality shave ice on the island without using processed syrups and preservatives like the more “traditional” shave ice. “We make all our fruit
For years, Aloha Mondays didn’t even have a sign outside its unassuming kitchen in the heart of Hilo, on the corner of Lono Street and Kīlauea Avenue. And they still don’t have a set menu, but that’s on purpose. Known for its catering and food delivery services, Aloha Mondays also serves lunch and dinner, which are based entirely on
Shadi Faridi stands in front of a wall dedicated almost entirely to lauhala hats, ranging in style from fedoras to berets to the more iconic wide-brimmed pāpale design. “I think I’ve always done this,” she says, admiring the different styles of hats that were handwoven by her mother, Michele Zane-Faridi, sister of famed Hawai‘i Island designer Sig Zane. Faridi practically grew
It seems like everything grows on Hawai‘i Island, from coffee beans to sweet potatoes, and nowhere is that more apparent than in Hilo. Gorgeously lush, the town features a distinctly overgrown aesthetic with small businesses, shops and natural wonders around every corner. The store specializes in gorgeous hand-woves lau hala hats. Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino Hana Hou
Vote now in our 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards! Tell us which beaches, hiking trails, lūʻau, hotels, food trucks and surf spots are your favorites! The results will be printed in our March/April 2021 issue! People may argue about who’s got the best loco moco. But one thing is rarely disputed: the origin of the
The first time I ever tried Shaka Tea, a line of ice teas brewed with māmaki, a Hawaiian plant endemic to the Islands, was back in 2016. I was in the O‘ahu home of owners Bella Hughes and Harrison Rice, at the time a young couple with two very young kids who had, two years
Most of us know the story behind the name Diamond Head, the iconic volcanic crater on Oʻahu that was so named by British sailors, who, while exploring the beach below in 1825, found calcite crystals sparkling in the sand. They thought they were diamond fragments and called the mountain Diamond Hill. (It was later changed to Diamond
His name is Romeo and I’m in love. This gorgeous umbrella cockatoo locks eyes with me, then saunters over for a closer look. He squawks, I blush. Smitten. “You know he skateboards, too,” says another admirer, clearly a regular to this zoo. I’ve always been a sucker for skateboarders, so this all makes sense. The
