Hawaii for Visitors - Hawaii Travel Web Site - by Kathie Fry

One Hawaii Event Dropped from LPGA Tour in 2009

2008-11-20T17:00:00.000-08:00

This week the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) announced their schedule for the 2009 LPGA Tour. The tour will include two events in Hawaii but one Hawaii ladies golf tournament was dropped from the LPGA Tour in 2009.

Disney Breaks Ground on New Hawaii Hotel

2008-11-20T16:26:00.000-08:00

The groundbreaking ceremony for Disney's new resort hotel in Hawaii took place on November 19 2008. The hotel is being built on the grounds of the Ko Olina Resort in West Oahu. When it is completed in 2011 it will have 350 hotel rooms and 480 timeshare units for Disney's Vacation Club. Disney's Hawaii resort will feature attractions and activities targeted at families with children but it will not include a theme park.

Photo of Mickey and Minnie at the Ground Breaking Ceremony

Photo of Disney Sharing Plans With Mayor Mufi Hanemann

Restaurant Week in Hawaii: November 16-22, 2008

2008-11-16T17:32:00.000-08:00

Dine at one of the restaurants participating in Hawaii's first annual "Restaurant Week in Hawaii" event and a portion of the proceeds will support the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head. Many of Hawaii's top restaurants are offering special dishes and prices this week. What a delicious way to support such a worthwhile project!

Restaurant Week in Hawaii - Official Web Site

Culinary Institute of the Pacific

New Introduction to Me and My Hawaii Web Sites

2008-11-16T14:33:00.000-08:00

FROM KATHIE FRY: I frequently (understandably) get asked the same questions over and over about my Hawaii Web sites: why did I create them, who am I, and what makes me such an expert on Hawaii (Just FYI, I would never claim to be any kind of an expert. I guess you could say I am just a big fan!). Here are a few resources to help you get to know me better and learn what I've been up to in the last few years. And just a reminder... I will be sending the first email version of my new Hawaii Travel Newsletter by the end of November, in case you want to subscribe.

Introduction to Me And My Hawaii Web Sites

$60-$100 Apartment Hotels in Waikiki

2008-11-04T08:49:00.000-08:00

I have several favorite hotels in Waikiki, and while some of them would never be considered budget options, a few of my favorites are among the least expensive hotels in Hawaii. Here are some of the best places to stay in Waikiki if you'd rather spend your Hawaii vacation dollars on activities and attractions instead of your hotel room. Most of the units at these hotels have either full kitchens or kitchenettes so if you wish, you can cook for yourself and save money on food too. The pink hotel pictured above is the Royal Grove Hotel, which even has a courtyard swimming pool. For more information and specific recommendations see our forum discussion:

Low Cost Apartment Hotels in Waikiki

Meet Me and the Roller Derby Girls in Hawaii Kai

2008-11-02T10:15:00.000-08:00

All-girl roller derby is sweeping the nation and Hawaii now has its very own female flat track roller derby league with two teams: the Pacific Roller Derby Girls on Oahu and the Maui Roller Girls on the island of Maui. Their very first tournament, will be called the Inter-Island Down and Derby and it will take place on Sunday, November 9, 2008 at Kamiloiki Community Park in Hawaii Kai, a few miles east of Waikiki. I wouldn't miss it for the world! For more information about the teams, their November 9 tournament, the old days of roller derby in Hawaii, and a roller derby legend who retired in Hawaii see our forum discussion:

Roller Derby is Alive and Well in Hawaii.

Where to Celebrate Halloween in Hawaii

2008-10-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

Where to find 2008 Halloween Events in Hawaii. Includes haunted houses, haunted lagoons, haunted hayrides, pumpkin patches, Halloween street festivals, costume contests, Halloween movies, scary storytelling sessions, ghost tours, and safe trick-or-treating events at local shopping malls. Most of the events listed in this article are on Oahu but a few events on Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island of Hawaii are also included.

Photos of Ancient Hawaiian Musical Instruments

2008-10-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

A recent discussion in our forum has photos of a man playing a Hawaiian nose flute and pictures from the Bishop Museum Collection of a dog's tooth ankle rattle, split bamboo dancing rattles, and feathered gourd hand rattles. I seem to remember reading there was one stringed musical instrument in Hawaii before the Spanish, Portuguese, Puerto Ricans, and Mexicans arrived, and it only had one string. Does anybody know anything more about that?

Forum Discussion About Old Hawaiian Musical Instruments.

Waikiki is a Marine Life Conservation District

2008-10-25T17:07:00.001-07:00

Many of Hawaii's visitors are familiar with the Hanauma Bay Marine Life Conservation District but most don't realize the east end of Waikiki is also a state-designated marine protected area. The Waikiki Marine Life Conservation District was established by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources in 1988. It is about 76 acres in size and it is bounded by the west by the Kapahulu Groin and on the east by the western-most wall of the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium. The protected area extends from the highwater mark on the beach to about 500 yards out to sea. Fishing or collecting any type of sealife is prohibited in this area. Swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, and underwater photography are allowed but great care must be taken not to disturb the coral and underwater geological features in this area.

Oahu Marine Life Conservation Districts

Marine Life Conservation Districts on Other Islands.

Why Did the Hawaii Aloha Festival Shrink?

2008-10-21T16:42:00.000-07:00

Does anybody what happened with the Hawaii Aloha Festivals in 2008? This year all of the events were on Oahu Island and as far as I can tell... [Read More].

Lanai Is No Longer the Pineapple Isle

2008-10-21T16:36:00.000-07:00

The tiny island of Lanai has been known as the "Pineapple Isle" since Hawaiian Pineapple Company president James Dole bought the entire island in 1922. A large portion of Lanai was devoted to growing pineapple until... [Read More].

Hilo Hattie Went Bankupt!

2008-10-21T16:24:00.000-07:00

Hawaii retail giant Hilo Hattie filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy this month, but the news isn't all bad [Here's Why].

Results of the 2008 Ironman Triathlon

2008-10-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Craig Alexander of Australia who crossed the finish line in first place at the 2008 Ironman Hawaii Triathlon on Saturday, October 11, 2008. Craig finished the event in second place in 2007. Congratulations also to Chrissie Wellington of the United Kingdom for finishing first in the women's divsion. Chrissy was able to defend her 2007 world championship title by finishing more than ten minutes ahead of her fellow competitors in spite of experiencing a flat tire during the cycling portion of the race.

Top 10 Male and Female Results

Photo of Swimmers at the Start Line.

Lyon Arboretum in Honolulu Adds Saturday Tours

2008-10-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

The Lyon Arboretum in Honolulu's lush and beautiful Manoa Valley is now offering guided tours on Saturday mornings, in addition to the previously available Monday through Friday tours. The 1.5 hour tours begin at 10:00 a.m. and space can be reserved by calling 808-988-0461 at least twenty-four hours in advance. The Lyon Arboretum is a 193-acre botanical garden and research center owned and operated by the University of Hawaii. The arboretum was reopened on June 14, 2008 following a badly needed, two year, $3.1 million improvement and repair project.

Introduction to the Lyon Arboretum

Photos of the Lyon Arboretum.

Photos of the 2007 Ironman Triathlon

2008-09-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

The 32nd annual Hawaii Ironman Triathlon will take place October 11, 2008 in Kona on the West Coast of Hawaii Island. The Hawaii Triathlon is the world championship event for the 2008 International Ironman Triathlon Series and it includes a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bicycle ride, followed by a 26.2 mile run. Will 2007 world champions Chris MacCormack of Australia and Christine Wellington of the United Kingdom be able to defend their titles? I can't wait to find out! (pictured above is double amputee Scott Rigsby finishing the 2007 Ironman Triathlon on two prosthetic legs)

Photos of the 2007 Ironman Triathlon

Past Ironman World Champions by Year

2008 Ironman Triathlon - Official Web Site

Beautiful Bronze Statue of Princess Kaiulani

2008-07-10T17:11:00.000-07:00

This lovely statue of Princess Victoria Kaiulani Cleghorn feeding her beloved peacocks is located in a small triangle park at the corner of Kuhio and Kanekapolei Avenues in Waikiki. It was dedicated on October 16, 1999, the 124th anniversary of Princess Kaiulani's birth.

Picture of the Waikiki Princess Kaiulani Statue

More About Hawaiian Crown Princess Kaiulani.

Hawaii Travel Web Site To Be Split Into 3 Sites

2008-07-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

We are in the process of splitting the Hawaii Travel Newsletter Web site into three separate sites: Hawaii for Visitors will feature articles, photos, news, and information about traveling in Hawaii, Hawaiian Music History will feature bios and photos of Hawaii's top singers and musicians plus information about Hawaiian music events, awards, and venues. After all of the information has been moved off the newsletter site, the Hawaii Travel Newsletter Web site will be an archive site for online copies of the monthly email newsletters we plan to send in November of 2008.

Molokai Ranch Abruptly Shut Down Everything

2008-07-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

There have never been many hotels or other visitor accommodations on the "most Hawaiian" island of Molokai and now there are even fewer. Molokai Properties, more commonly known as Molokai Ranch, abruptly shut down all of its Molokai operations as of April 1, 2008, including the 22-room Lodge at Molokai Ranch, the 40-tentalow Kaupoa Beach Village Tent Cabin Resort, the Kaluakoi Golf Course, the Maunaloa Town Cinemas movie theater, the Maunaloa Gas Station, and all of the Molokai Ranch cattle farming operations. Some Molokai residents believe the shut-down is a strategic move to force Hawaii officials to let them build a 500 acre luxury residential development at Molokai's Laau Point. For more information see the Honolulu Star Bulletin articles.

Molokai Ranch Quit Molokai Island (March 2008)

Battle for Survival on Molokai (January 2007)

Farewell to Aloha Airlines - We Will Miss You!

2008-03-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

On March 30, 2008 all employees of Aloha Airlines received the following letter from company Chief Executive Officer David Banmiller: "It is with a heavy heart that, inspite of everyone's gallant efforts, time has run out. Because of our fiduciary responsibility to creditors and the traveling public, we have no choice but to announce today the shutdown of our passenger business. Effective immediately, we will no longer sell tickets for travel beyond Monday, March 31, 2008..." [Read Full Letter]

And the 2008 Hawaiian Music Grammy Goes To...

2008-02-10T21:26:00.000-08:00

The winner of the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Hawaiian Music Album released between October 1, 2006 and September 30, 2007 was announced today during an awards ceremony at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The winner of the 2008 Hawaiian Music Grammy Award was the album "Treasures of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar", produced by Daniel Ho, George Kahumoku Jr, Paul Konwiser and Wayne Wong. This is the fourth year in a row the Hawaiian Music Grammy was awarded to a slack key guitar album. The Hawaiian music category was first added to the Grammys in 2005..

How to Celebrate Valentine's Day in Hawaii

2008-01-27T23:27:00.000-08:00

February 14 is Valentine's Day but it's not too early to start making plans if you will be celebrating Valentine's Day in Hawaii. Here are some ideas for making Valentine's Day 2008 extra special, including how to order a singing Valentine in Honolulu, where to buy Valentine's Day balloons, special events on Valentine's Day, fine dining restaurants on several islands, dinner cruises, romantic inns, luxury spas, and gift ideas with a romantic Hawaii theme. If you know about a Hawaii Valentine's Day event or gift idea not included in this article please send a message to editor@hawaiitravelnewsletter.com.

Celebrating Valentine's Day in Hawaii

Other Holidays in Hawaii

Kauai Wildlife Refuge May Be Doubled in Size

2007-05-15T06:04:00.000-07:00

This week the United States Fish and Wildlife Service is holding a public meeting to discuss the possibility of adding 55, 179, or 202 acres to the already 203 acre Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on the north coast of Kauai. The U.S. Congress approved expanding the refuge in 2004 but there has been some resistance by locals who fear access to beaches and other recreational areas in the refuge will be restricted. A decision is expected to be made in July of 2007.

Photo of the Kilauea Point Wildlife Refuge

Photo of the Historic Kilauea Lighthouse

Photo of Kilauea Point

Other Attractions on Kauai Island

Big Island Festival: November 17-19

2006-11-08T08:49:00.000-08:00

The 5th annual Big Island Festival will take place November 17-19, 2006 at the huge Hilton Waikoloa Village resort on the northwest coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. The festival will feature a "Best of the Big Island" celebration with live entertainment and local products, a paniolo barbeque, a tour and luncheon at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii, and gourmet food and wine tastings and demonstrations throughout the weekend.

Other Events on the Big Island

Aqua Bamboo Spa Hotel in Waikiki

2006-11-07T08:11:00.000-08:00

The things I like most about the Aqua Bamboo Spa Hotel on Kuhio Avenue in Waikiki are its central location two blocks from the beach, its tastefully decorated rooms, its moderate prices, its spa on the hotel grounds, and most of all, its lovely and secluded swimming pool and patio area.

Introduction to the Aqua Bamboo Hotel

Photos of the Aqua Bamboo Hotel

Aloha Windsurfing Classic on Maui

2006-11-06T07:58:00.000-08:00

The Aloha Classic Wave Championships was created in 1984 and it is the
final event of the pro Windsurfing World Tour. This year's event is taking place November 6-17, 2006 at Hookipa Beach Park on the island of
Maui.

More About Windsurfing on Maui

Windsurfing on Other Islands