It doesn’t matter where I’m visiting—Kenosha, Wisconsin or Kyoto, Japan—I seek out independent bookstores. I love browsing the shelves, running my fingers along tattered spines or finding something unexpected in the not-always-organized rows of books. And you can learn a lot about the place you’re visiting from these locally own shops, too, which often showcase staff […]
It’s not just honu (Hawaiian green sea turtles), fish and reef in the waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands. The ocean around Hawaii also serves as the final resting place for ships and even planes, each with its own fascinating history and tale of untimely demise. And for scuba divers, it’s even possible to see these
*This story was updated in January 2026. I had never hugged a tree before. But there I was, on a recent Saturday morning at Lyon Arboretum in Mānoa Valley on Oʻahu, 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
We know the appeal of those colorful food trucks along Kamehameha Highway en route to Oahu’s fabled North Shore that serve plates with mounds of shrimp deliciously drowning in garlic and butter. We stop, too. But don’t skip these small local eateries along the way. You may wind up eating your fill before you even hit
Kailua, the once-sleepy community on Oahu’s Windward Side, is most often associated with its beaches. And we get it. Kailua and Lanikai beaches are world-renowned, luring thousands of visitors every year with their golden sands and aquamarine waters. But the appeal of this beachy town, flanked by the dramatic cliffs of the Koolau Mountains and
“Come closer,” my guide says. My eyes widen—I’m already mere steps away from the action—but I do as I’m told. Just a foot in front of me, I watch as a woman deftly peels and folds look funn, Cantonese steamed rice noodles, into long translucent rolls. In under a minute, the stack of slippery sheets
I like to think that I’m in pretty good physical shape. I surf daily, go to yoga a few times a week and watch what I eat. But as I’m about 20 minutes into my kayaking journey to Na Mokulua, the two picturesque islands off the coast of Lanikai, I’ve come to realize that paddling a
There was a time when I spent a lot of time in Kailua. I’d meet up with friends on Kailua Beach in the late afternoon, all of us leaning back in beach chairs, strumming guitars and dishing about the guys we (OK, they) were dating. We’d get up before sunrise to hike to the pillboxes
I do not have a green thumb. In fact, I pretty much have whatever is the opposite of a green thumb. I once tried planting basic herbs like basil and mint and failed miserably. I even killed a succulent my sister bought for me, in record time. So I was pleasantly surprised to find Waiahole
Debora Driscoll hadn’t set out to become a soap-maker. But after receiving a holiday basket containing handcrafted soaps nearly 20 years ago, Driscoll and her business partner—and then-husband—Jerry altered course. They decided to make soap. But not just any kind. Their soap would be good for the skin and safe for the environment, too. In
Pools in Hawaii serve as a great alternative to the beach, nobody can deny that. However, one of the only downsides is that you can’t interact with the countless species of marine life that inhabit the waters around our Islands. Fortunately, a few cool pools in the state of Hawaii actually allow guests to swim with
Instagram: It’s the new frontier, especially in Hawaiʻi, where many eateries, like the ever-inventive Black Sheep Cream Co. in Waipahu and Wahiawā, ditch websites and use Instagram as their primary way to advertise. The photo-sharing social media site is where you can learn the menus and flavors of the day—as long as you’re in the
