I’ve been visiting Choco leʻa, a charming chocolate boutique in Mānoa on Oʻahu, since it first opened 10 years ago. Its artisanal chocolates make perfect gifts for my kid’s teachers, my neighbors and, well, myself. I’m there a lot. In its 10th year—a milestone for a small business!—the shop has launched a new hands-on tour […]
Many first timers to Hawaiʻi set their sights on Oʻahu, thanks to its visitor-friendly activities and locales known around the world. The island is home to the state’s capital city, Honolulu, and sites including Waikīkī Beach, Diamond Head (the Hawaiian place name is Lēʻahi), Pearl Harbor and the North Shore. While travelers should certainly include
Most visitors to Oʻahu end up staying in Waikīkī—and for good reason. The beachside neighborhood offers a wide variety of accommodations—from high-end oceanfront resorts to cozy boutique hotels to cheap hostels—and tons of things to do. But if you’re looking to ditch the crowds—and you should!—get in a car (or hop on the city bus)
Growing up on Oʻahu, I spend a lot of time in Mānoa, a sleepy neighborhood a few miles mauka (upland) of Waikīkī. I take my son to play at Mānoa Valley District Park, hike the trails in the area, grab lunch at Andy’s Sandwiches & Smoothies and meet friends at quaint coffee shops. It’s easily
Just in time for National Trails Day on June 5, the popular Mānoa Falls Trail will reopen on Saturday after being closed for nearly two years for safety improvements. The 0.8-mile trail in lush Mānoa Valley on Oʻahu was closed in July 2019 for the installation of a fence next to the waterfall to prevent
Gardening is an unforgiving, but rewarding, pursuit. Plants are fickle, their lives fragile. One missed day of watering, too much sunlight, not enough weeding. There are endless ways to lose months of effort. So why do we garden? To grow produce to feed ourselves and loved ones? To learn a new skill? Maybe to clear
It’s almost 11 a.m. and my friend and I don’t have much time to find out way back to the entrance of the Harold L. Lyon Arboretum in Mānoa. This 200-acre botanical garden, founded in 1918 and run by the University of Hawaiʻi, recently reopened to the public for two-hour visits. And we’re getting really
I had never hugged a tree before. But there I was, on a recent Saturday morning at Lyon Arboretum in Manoa Valley on Oahu, doing just that—well, actually, stroking a tree’s weathered trunk and marveling at how tall and straight it was. There was something calming and gratifying about that simple act, as was lingering
I got the last cranberry cream cheese scones, and I actually felt horrible about it. The couple at the table next to me started sneaking looks at my plate, crowded with four hefty cranberry-studded disks, shimmering with a sugary glaze. I overheard that they were hoping to snag one—or two—before they left. They had met
Chocolate just may be the perfect gift—and not just for Valentine’s Day. And if you’re going to buy chocolate in Hawaii, you should find a chocolatier that sources locally. (Yes, we grow cacao trees in the Islands!) Choco lea, a charming chocolate boutique—with a white picket fence!—in lush Manoa Valley, crafts artisanal chocolates using a
Nestled amid old monkeypod trees and lush greenery in Manoa Valley on Oahu, the historic Waioli Tea Room, which opened in 1922, had been serving finger sandwiches and fragrant teas in pretty china until it closed four years ago. The beautiful restaurant, with its lava-rock fireplace and garden views, sat empty. But, late last November,
A short and easy hike for people of all ages, Manoa Falls Trail, just outside Honolulu, is known for its lush vegetation and dramatic 100-foot waterfall. It’s a view that’s definitely worth the trip. Have Aloha Will Travel, powered by HAWAII Magazine, creates micro-documentaries and short films about the Islands. Our storytellers and videographers travel throughout Hawaii
