Hawaii Places to Go

Ala Moana Shopping Center

1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, Big Island
808-955-9517

Want to take an afternoon away from the beach and do some shopping on your Hawaiian getaway? If you are looking for the ultimate one-stop shopping spot, it is for sure the Ala Moana Center in Honolulu. Not only is Ala Moana the largest shopping center in the islands, it was once the largest mall in the entire United States when it first opened in 1959. Today it remains one of the 15 largest malls in the U.S. With almost 300 shops and restaurants, a center stage for performances and open-air corridors lined with palm trees and tropical vegetation, it is easy to spend an entire day shopping and eating at Ala Moana.

Ala Moana has a myriad of different shops from beachwear and souvenirs to high fashion. The restaurants are just as varied, with everything from a casual food court to fine dining. The mall has all the major department stores, many local shops and designer stores like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Versace and Armani.

In addition to great shopping, Ala Moana also has a variety of different events and activities throughout the summer for tourists who want to be entertained while doing their shopping. The Royal Hawaiian Band (accompanied by hula dancers) frequently plays at Center Stage, which is one of the most popular amphitheatres in Hawaii.

Date: May 27th, 2008 | No Comments

Pololu Valley

Pololu Valley
End of Highway 270, Big Island

Pololu Valley is a pristine and beautiful valley once inhabited by early Hawaiians, but long since abandoned because of fear of Tsunamis. The valley, however, offers spectacular vistas of green sloping cliffs dropping into the ocean below. Pololu Beach, located at the bottom of the valley, is also a gorgeous black sand beach. Because of these areas inaccessibility to cars, the area remains calm and pristine and is a great out of the way destination.

To get to Pololu Valley, drive to the very end of Highway 270 on the big island. At the parking lot/trailhead at the end of the highway you can either enjoy the spectacular scenery from your car, or you can take the adventurous route and hike down into the valley and onto the black sand beach below. The hike is relatively short (about 25 minutes), but is rather steep and can be wet and treacherous. In fact, the trail was long closed due to earthquake damage, but has now re-opened to the public. The zigzagging dirt path will take you through beautiful ironwood trees, through marshland, lead you past the creek flowing through the valley and offer you stunning views of waterfalls and the cliffs dropping into the ocean.

Date: May 2nd, 2008 | No Comments

Garden of the Gods

Lanai,
approximately 7 miles outside of Lanai City

Lanai is the often forgotten and much more remote island in the Hawaiian archipelago. Consisting of a gigantic pineapple plantation for decades owned by Hawaii’s pineapple king James Dole, there is less development and fewer places to stay for visitors. But for tourists who want to get off the beaten path in Hawaii, Lanai offers a plethora of unique and interesting landscapes. One popular spot for tourists is the Garden of the Gods in North Central Lanai. The moon-like landscape of red and purple soil and interesting rock makes you feel like you are visiting another planet. The area got its name from the ancient Hawaiian people who thought the rock formations and boulders looked like they had been dropped from the sky by the gods tending their gardens. The unique formations were actually created by thousands of years or erosion, which created the rock pinnacles and buttes in the remote canyon area. The landscape gets an even more eerie feel by the dry wind the often blows through this area.

Date: March 26th, 2008 | No Comments

Molokini

When I first saw the name “Molokini” I assumed it was either a new kind of tiny swimsuit or a fruity but potent cocktail. Thankfully, I was wrong on both counts.

Molokini is a tiny crescent-shaped island off the coast of Maui, and it’s a great spot for snorkeling and diving. Its distinct shape is half of a volcanic crater being above water, although Hawaiian legend holds that the island is part of the body of the goddess Molokini. Regardless of the island’s origins, Molokini is a beautiful spot off the southern coast of Maui. The Molokini volcano underneath the water reportedly last erupted more than 200,000 years ago, so visitors shouldn’t worry too much about it.

The tiny island - an islet, really - of Molokini is a haven for diving and snorkeling, partly because of the abundance of sea life that just naturally exists around Hawaii and partly because the volcano’s crater means that waters in certain parts are only 35 feet deep. This makes it a great spot for beginners, although even experienced divers will appreciate what Molokini has to offer. For instance, there’s an underwater wall that goes down 70 feet, and around the back side of the crater the ocean floor drops down 350 feet. One of the charms of Molokini that makes it such a great spot for checking out what’s going on underwater is that the water around the island is stunningly clear most of the time.

Date: March 21st, 2008 | No Comments

Iolani Palace

The only official royal residence in the United States is not located in any of the continental states, but across the Pacific on the island of Oahu. Iolani Palace in Honolulu was the official residence of only the last two Hawaiian monarchs—King Kalakau (who built the palace in 1882) and his sister, successor and last ruling monarch of Hawaii, Queen Lili’uokalani. During the rule of these last two monarchs, Iolani Palace was at the center of social and political activity on the islands. After decades of neglect, however, the palace was in bad shape until restoration began in the 1970s and has continued until today.

As a National Historic Landmark, efforts have also been made to recollect many of the art pieces and furniture that originally decorated the palace. Most of these items were sold off and stolen after the fall of Queen Lili’uokalani at the turn of the twentieth century. Today the palace is a popular tourist destination and location for wedding receptions and other private events. The palace also provides a beautiful and dramatic backdrop for the free concerts by the National Hawaiian Band on palace grounds most Fridays. These concerts are held on Fridays from 12:00-1:00 p.m. and are a great (and free!) way to participate in the bands long tradition of sharing Hawaiian music with the world.

Date: March 12th, 2008 | No Comments