Hawaii Tourism Blog

Hawaiian cuisine represents a fusion of the many cooking styles that immigrants brought to the islands. When you eat at a local restaurant, you will detect culinary influences from the United States, China, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Polynesia and Portugal. While fish and pork dishes receive most of the publicity, visitors with the proverbial sweet tooth will feel like kids in a candy factory.

Chocolate
Hawaii is the only U.S. State where cacao can grow. In fact, it has been growing on the Big Island since the 1850s, but only gained popularity in the late 20^th century. Still, the state has less than 200 acres of cacao growing land, which makes Hawaiian chocolate a rare commodity.

At the Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory in Kona, the owners grow, harvest, ferment, dry and roast their own beans and process it into chocolate. All of the work takes place on their own farm. Waialua Estate on the North Shore of Oahu boasts the largest cacao farm in Hawaii, with 25 productive acres. The workers carefully harvest the cacao pods, ferment the nibs and allow them to dry in the warm Hawaiian sun. Talented chocolate artisans transform the nibs into enticing chocolate.

Liliha Bakery Honolulu
Chocolate is one of the key ingredients in the Coco Puff, made famous at the Liliha Bakery in Honolulu. Chocolate pudding fills this cream puff pastry. A buttery macadamia nut and Chantilly frosting tops it off.

The bakery, which opened in 1950, was located in a tiny retail outlet at 1703 Liliha Street. When their baked goods gained popularity, they moved to a bigger store, but kept the same name. Liliha Bakery became a local tradition. Children would stop on their way home from school and enjoy a glazed doughnut. Friends would chat over coffee, and aunties would pick up cakes for the family potluck dinner. Some of the staff members have served the company for as long as 40 years. Open 24 hours, Liliha Bakery also serves meals.

Coconuts
Although coconuts are not indigenous to Hawaii, they are deeply integrated into Hawaiian traditions and culture. When the Polynesian introduced Hawaii to the coconut tree,  the created a match made in heaven.Since the coconut thrives in tropical climates, the trees were at right at home in Hawaii.

While relishing its nutritional benefits, the Ancient Hawaiians also used coconut fibers to cover their canoes and coconut shells to help create the drums used in spiritual rituals. Coconut also served as construction material, and as a beauty product.

If you love coconuts, plan to visit in July for the Niu Festival at Grand Wailea Maui. If you can’t make the festival, be sure to try Haupia, a traditional coconut milk-based Hawaiian dessert, which often graces the tables at luaus and other Hawaiian celebrations. Although technically a pudding, its consistency resembles a gelatin dessert. Haupia is served at the luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center. If you happen to be at Sunset Beach on the North Shore in Haleiwa, drop into Ted’s Bakery and try the Original Chocolate Haupia Pie.

Ted’s Bakery
In 1906,  after obtaining a five-year contract to work on a sugar plantation, Torojiro Nakamura immigrated to Maui from Japan. He was eventually transferred to a plantation on Oahu. When his contract ended, he decided to lease the land.

In 1950, he bought land in Sunset Beach, on the North Shore of Oahu, and opened a small grocery store. His grandson, Ted, eventually joined the business, and added a bakery. The bakery also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Malasada
During the late 19^th century, Portuguese laborers from came to Hawaii to work in the plantations. With them came their traditional foods with them, which included a fried dough pastry called the “malasada.”  These confections are comprised of egg-sized balls of yeast dough that are deep-fried in oil, then coated with granulated sugar.

Tex Drive In
Tex Drive-In is a landmark on the Honokaa-Hamakua coastline. Their bakers elevate the malasada to an art form. Perhaps that’s why they sell almost 70,000 a month. In addition to their regular malasadas, they offer varieties filled with a fruits, Bavarian cream or chocolate.

Guri Guri
Guri-guri is a Hawaiian frozen dessert which is a cross between sherbet and ice cream. Supposedly, its ingredients include fruit juices, soda and condensed milk, but nobody knows for sure. The Tasaka family of Maui has been selling this beloved desert for 90 years, but the recipe is a family secret. Their shop at the Maui Mall in Kahului opened in 1973. Before that, they sold their product at their candy store.

These are just a few of the tasty sweets you will find in Hawaii. They add a whole new meaning to the words “sweet vacation.”

Nothing says “Hawaii” like the melodious rhythms of the ukelele. If you visit between March and October, you will enjoy free annual ukulele festivals on Oahu, the Big Island of Hawaii, Kauai and Maui. Past guest artists have included Grammy Award pop singer, James Ingram, jazz saxophonist Gabe Baltazar, Santana’s bass player Benny Rietveld, and drummer Noel Okimoto.  Amidst the spectacular Technicolor of the Hawaiian islands, local food, dance and craftsmanship blends with the music and creates an unparalleled experience. Some festivals even feature ukulele lessons and valuable door prizes, while others sell authentic, handcrafted instruments.

A Brief History of Ukelele in Hawaii

Historians speculate that the first ukeleles were made by Portuguese cabinet makers and sugar cane workers from the Madeira Islands, who arrived in the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1879. The music of these immigrants made a lasting impression on the people of Honolulu. In August of 1879, the Hawaiian Gazette reported that Madeira islanders have been entertaining people with nightly street concerts, played on instruments that were a cross between the guitar and the banjo.  The instrument was the small, four-string Madeira guitar. Once called the machete, it eventually evolved into the Hawaiian ukulele.

After they fulfilled their obligations to the sugar cane industry, many of the Madeira immigrants relocated from the plantations to Honolulu, where they could practice their former professions in a cosmopolitan setting. While most were cabinet makers by trade, they also used their woodworking skills to craft stringed instruments.

Several stories explain how the ukulele got it’s name. Some say that  Queen Lili’uokalani thought it came from the Hawaiian words for “the gift that came here”, or “uku, ” meaning gift or reward, and “lele,” which means “to come.”  Other historians suggest that the instrument was originally called “ukeke lele” or “dancing ukeke,” with “uke” being the name of a Hawaiian three stringed musical bow.

Another legend recounts a story about Gabriel Davian and Judge W. L. Wilcox, who was a member of a well-known Hawaiian family. Apparently, the two men attended a housewarming party at the Wilcox home in Kahili. Davian entertained guests with a ukulele he had made himself. When one of the guests asked the name of the instrument, Davion joked that, judging from the way one “scratched at it,” it was a “jumping flea.” The guest asked Judge Wilcox, who was fluent in the Hawaiian language, to translate, and Wilcox supposedly answered “ukulele.”

Ukulele in Modern Music

Perhaps you never had a particular interest in ukulele music, but one day, you turned on the radio, and heard an enticing cover of Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Or perhaps it was a haunting rendition of Wonderful World.

The singer and ukulele player was Israel Ka’ano’i Kamakawiwo’ole.  In Hawaiian his last name means “the fearless eye, the bold face.”  At age 10, he performed at Steamboats in Waikiki – where his father was a bouncer and his mother was the manager – and as a teenager, he formed a band called the Mãkaha Sons of Ni’ihau.  In 1993, he decided to go off on his own.  It was the best decision of his musical career. After signing with Mountain Apple Company, his music graced the soundtracks of films such as Meet Joe Black, Finding Forrester and 50 First Dates.

Save the Date for These 2013 Ukulele Festivals

In Oahu, the 43^rd Annual Ukulele Festival will take place on Sunday, July 21, 2013, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at Kapiolani Park, Waikiki, Oahu.

The 13th Annual Waikoloa Ukulele Festival will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2013, from 1:00 to 7:00 pm at the Kings’ Shops and Queens’ MarketPlace in Waikoloa Beach Resort.

The 8th Annual Maui Ukulele Festival takes place on Sunday, October 13, 2013, from 1:00 t 6:00 pm at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului, Maui.

Kauai has not yet announced the date of its 9^th Annual Kauai Ukulele Festival, but it will take place at the Kukui Grove Center in Lihue, Kauai. The center sits in the Ha`upu mountain range, which is one of  the most  spectacular mountains on Kauai.

Eventually, most people would have discovered the wonders of Hawaii as a vacation destination, but the film industry certainly expedited the process. When filmmakers come here, they find tropical locations that they can use in a secure and professional production environment. Hawaii houses 11 climatic zones where skilled directors can magically transform and create cinematic simulations of Africa, Asia, Central and South America and the South Pacific.

The First Film Made in Hawaii

In 1933, Lois Weber, one of Hollywood’s few female film directors, sailed to the island of Kauai with Cecil B. DeMille to film White Heat. The controversial filmed dealt with miscegenation and racism on a sugar plantation. James Bodrero, the writer, had spent his childhood summers on his grandfather’s sugar plantation, which was one of the plantations used in the film.

White Heat Synopsis

William Hawks is the foreman for the Cheney sugar plantation in Hawaii. His attraction to Leilani, a local woman, inspires him to take her into his home as his housekeeper and native “wife.” When his boss calls him back to San Francisco, Hawks meets and falls in love with Cheney’s daughter, Lucille. They marry and return to the plantation, but Lucille soon grows weary of her crude surroundings and persistent tropical rainstorms.

The arrival of her former fiancé, Chandler Morris, puts a smile back on her face. Hawks notices this attraction and picks a fight with Morris. To rescue Morris from Hawk’s brutal beating, Lucille starts a fire in the plantation. While battling the flames, Hawks falls from his horse and rolls into the inferno. Fortunately, the still-devoted Leilani is there to rescue him.

Sadly, during the 1930s, US citizens were not yet ready to hear the messages expressed in White Heat. The film was a box office failure. The New York Times panned the film, but praised the beauty of the Hawaiian setting. This put Hawaii on the map as a major film location.

Bali Hai Will Call You

History has a way of repeating itself and 25 years later, when Joshua Logan brought his cast and crew to Kaui to film Rogers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, it did, on a grand scale. The theme of miscegenation was back – this time with a vengeance. The story was based on a musical from James Michener’s collection of short stories, Tales of the South Pacific, which had nothing whatsoever to do with Hawaii. The Kauai setting, however, was easily believable as Polynesia.

Synopsis

A blond-haired blue-eyed sweetheart awaits Lieutenant Joe Cable back home, but under the enchantment of Bali Hai, he has fallen in love with a Tonkinese girl. While she makes “joy invade his arms and fill his heart,” he refuses marry her, because he knows that his family will never accept her.

Nellie Forbush, of Arkansas, is as corny as Kansas in August and in love with a wonderful guy, who she will not marry, because he has two mixed-race children with a Polynesian woman who has died. The song, Carefully Taught, describes how these prejudices develop. It latter became a theme song of the civil rights movement.

A Controversial Success

The splendid score combined with the enchanted scenery of Kauai seduced audiences, but just like White Heat, South Pacific stirred controversy in certain parts of the country.

Four years prior to the making of South Pacific, the United States Supreme Court had declared school segregation unconstitutional. For the next four years, racial tensions ran high – so high, that some government officials tried to convince Josh Logan to remove the song Carefully Taught, claiming that it advocated a communist philosophy. The director and producers refused to give in. In fact, Internet Movie Data Base points out an interesting blooper. Two of the sailors in South Pacific were black. The United States Armed Forces were not desegregated until 1948, three years after the end of World War II. Whether this was a legitimate mistake, or whether Logan was trying to make a subtle statement, we will never know.

The Technicolor Beauty of Kauai

When Logan and his crew arrived in Kauai, they found a colorful, lush, tropical setting that was almost surreal. Surrealism, however, was not what the director was after. Concerned that the bright colors of Kauai would appear unnatural in Technicolor, he tried to soften the effect by filming several scenes through the newly available colored filters. Logan would latter consider this as his biggest mistake. While he wanted a subtler effect, the film-processing lab apparently created too much subtlety for Logan´s liking.

Exploring South Pacific Filming Locations

Most of South Pacific’s outdoor scenes were filmed on Kauai’s north shore. Many of the places remain unchanged to this day, and fans take delight in visiting the landmark film locations. These include:

Lumahai Beach, where Nellie Forbush went and washed that man right out of her hair. This beach is also famous for its native hala trees, which line the water’s edge.
The green twin peaks of Mount Makanaís in Ha’ena, inspired the mystical island called Bali Hai.
The garden where Emille de Bercue romanced Nellie Forbush while singing Some Enchanted Evening is now home to the Princeville at Hanalei resort.
On Hanalei Bay, the sailors bemoaned the fact that there is nothing like a dame.
Body Mary sat near the Kilauea River and talked some happy talk.

If you are curious about filmmaking in Hawaii, take our Ali’i Movie Excursion and Scenic Hanalei Tour to learn more.

Aloha!

On the North Shore, near Laie and Turtle Bay there is an amazing little restaurant called Tita’s Grill that has been spotlighted on the Hawaii’s Channel 2 news and voted #1 by Trip Advisor and Yelp in that area. The owner are local’s, Junior & Almira and their son, Kingsley AhYou who have grown up and raised their children right there in Laie. They are one of the most prominent members of the community there in Laie and on the North Shore. The locals love the food and the portions. Everyone that stops by, always mentions about the owner and he, Junior AhYou coming out visit with the customers and bring them their famous Hawaiian bread out for free. When there, you truly feel the ALOHA SPIRIT there at Tita’s Grill. It’s worth the drive from town or if you are planning on going to the Polynesian Cultural Center, have lunch at Tita’s Grill

http://www.titasgrill.com/

June 11 in Hawaii is King Kamehameha Day in Hawaii. The day honors the king who united all of the main Hawaiian islands under one rule. Over the past three days lei draping ceremonies have taken place at the identical statues of Kamehameha I in Honolulu on Oahu and Hilo and North Kohala on Hawaii Island.Although the King Kamehameha the Great Statue isn’t an exact representation of how Kamehameha I looked—the sculptor gave him Roman-like facial features instead of Polynesian. At 8 1/2 feet tall, King Kamehameha holds a spear in his left hand to represent the kingdom’s will to keep harm at bay. His right hand is extended as a warm gesture of aloha. Located in front of the Ali’iolani Hale, the statue is one of many sacred structures located in historic Downtown Honolulu. Nearby is the Iolani Palace and Kawaiahao Church, so spend some time walking around the area!

The King Kamehameha Statue stands proudly in front of Aliiolani Hale in downtown Honolulu on the island of Oahu. It is one of four statues of King Kamehameha I. The other three are located in Kohala on the Big Island of Hawaii, near downtown Hilo (which is a replica of the Kohala statue) and another one stands in Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. The statue was cast in Paris from a model made by American artist T.R. Gould.

Parades are held to honor the great King

http://hawaiitours.com/grand-circle-island-tour.orbh-05.tour

Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned vacationer, this is the perfect way to experience Oahu’s most scenic sights. From Diamond Head Crater along the southern coast to the famous surfing beaches of the North Shore, you’ll take in a landscape that includes lush mountains and sparkling, turquoise waters. You’ll also learn about the unique culture and history of Oahu through tour narration and along the way you’ll stop at some fascinating locales.At an altitude of 1,186 feet, the Nuuanu Pali Lookout offers unparalleled views of Oahu’s southern coast. On a clear day you might see Diamond Head Crater and Chinaman’s Hat off in the distance. You’ll also have the opportunity to view these natural landmarks from a closer vantage point along with the Halona “Blow Hole” and other breathtaking scenery along your journey

In early 1928 writer and poet Don Blanding wrote an article in a local paper suggesting that a holiday be created centered around the Hawaiian custom of MAKING AND WEARING LEI’s. It was fellow writer Grace Tower Warren who came up with the idea of a holiday on May 1 in conjunction with May Day. She is also responsible for the phrase, “May Day is Lei Day.” If you are ever on Oahu on May 1, you’ll get to experience this Hawaiian holiday first-hand for yourself.

The first Lei Day was held on May 1, 1928, and everyone in Honolulu was encouraged to wear lei. Festivities were held downtown with hula, music, lei making demonstrations and exhibits and lei making contests.

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported, “lei blossomed on straw and felt hats, lei decorated automobiles, men and women and children wore them draped about their shoulders. To the city Kamehameha’s statue extended a garland of maile and plumeria, which fluttered in the wind from its extended hand. Lei recaptured the old spirit of the islands (a love of color and flowers, fragrance, laughter and aloha).”

In 1929, Lei Day was made an official holiday in the territory, a tradition which was interrupted only during the years of World War II, and which continues today.

On O`ahu, Lei Day festivities are centered in Queen Kapi`olani Park in Waikiki. As is tradition, the dozens of entries in the annual contest are placed at the Royal Mausoleum in Nuuanu the next morning.

Have you ever wondered what makes the Black Sand Beaches BLACK?

Well, the material that forms the black beaches is basalt. There are two types of black sand beaches; one where the grains are very sharp and one where the edges have been rounded over.
It’s how the lava enters the water that causes the different beach types. When it flows directly into the water it is still very hot (anywhere from 750 to 1,250 degrees Celsius). Contact with the cold water shatters it into small shards. These pieces are either deposited right there, or are carried, for a short distance, along shore by the currents and then deposited. In this case the grains will be very sharp.
If a stream cuts through an older lava bed it will break down the lava into smaller pieces but these will be more rounded since the water action is bumping them around against each other and the ground. That action is like sandpaper grinding off the sharp corners. Also, if the lava pieces are transported by the ocean currents for a long distance (kilometers) any sharp edges will be worn off in the same manner.

So…you have lava, hot or otherwise, entering the water, either being beaten up by the currents or being immediately deposited to form a beach.
This picture is to show the contrast of the beaches against the black sand beaches. Both very beautiful and relaxing!!!

Just 20 minutes away from Waikiki, discover unique treasures at Hawaii’s largest open air flea market where the locals shop for the best deals in town.

We are Hawaii’s premiere discount warehouse outlet. Open three days a week, we offer endless rows of over 700 local merchants offering the best value on imported merchandise, hand made items, eclectic art pieces, popular local snacks, and other made in Hawaii products. This is sure to be your one stop destination to find that special gift or souvenir for everyone on your list.

HOURS: Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday
(8:00am – 3:00pm)

Personally, I would shop there first for all of my souvenirs and then if I find something else, that I didn’t find there, I wouldn’t feel guilty spending more money.

Wear comfortable, flat shoes/flip flops. It’s a large swap meet and there is ALOT of walking.

This delicate flower can be found ALL over the island. Is gives off the most wonderful fragrance that brings your thoughts back to the island. They are very delicate flowers that don’t last long after they have been picked from the tree. But the good thing about it is, that they can be found all over the island, growing everywhere, that you can easily pick another and put it in your ear.