Hawaii Tourism Blog

Tropical Farms is a country home that was transformed into a lovely store. Hundreds of visitors stop each day either by car or motor coach on their way to the Polynesian Cultural Center or on a circle island tour around Oahu. It is an ideal place to stretch and use the restroom since it is almost the half-way point around the island. As visitors approach the entrance, they are warmly greeted by Tropical Farm’s friendly staff and invited to try free samples of their coffee and macadamia nuts. The unsalted macadamia nuts are my favorite.

Original art such as watercolor paintings by local artists is featured. The decor inside the store reminds visitors of Hawaii’s old plantation days. The mementos from the ’40′s and ’50′s posted on the walls of the store give the atmosphere a personal touch.

The owner of Tropical Farms, Mr. Paty, has been able to fulfill what visitors read about in Hawaiian travel brochures. He and his helpful staff and authentic offerings truly deliver and radiate the spirit of aloha which makes everyone feel comfortable and secure. He takes visitors out of their hurried pace and lets the natural surroundings of Hawaii making shopping fun and memorable.

Tropical Farms is a refreshing stop that gives visitors a glimpse of Hawaii is supposed to look and feel like. Even as a small store, Tropical Farms weave scenes together into an unfolding story of Hawaii — a story that make each item in the store seem especially valuable. All other shopping on the island just offer a boring, ‘big-box’ experience.

Address: 49-227 Kamehameha Hwy Kaneohe, HI 96744

Map: https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&cid=11079200092898020051&q=Tropical+Farms&iwloc=A&gl=US&hl=en

Phone: 808-237-1960

Website: macnutfarm.com

Hours: Open Daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Even the most ardent followers of Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign to promote healthier food are going to buckle if they pass Angel’s Ice Cream store located in the Laie Village Shopping Center on the island of Oahu. Angel’s Ice Cream is always busy with locals and tourists, even during the dead of winter, from 10 am until 10 pm each night (except Sunday).

She has a top team of ice cream specialists on hand creating the most delectable treats known to mankind to satisfy everyone’s cravings. Angel Ho has been perfecting her signature desserts since 1996. Matsumoto’s, Oahu’s oldest shave ice store is located 30 minutes away in Haleiwa, is famous for its shave ice, but I prefer Angel’s slightly more because of the texture of the ice and the shave ice flavors. Plus at Angel’s, I like the fact I don’t have to stand 20-30 minutes outside to wait in Haleiwa where there is little or no parking available.

She and her energetic staff are always happy to be of service to their customers and care about the quality of their products. They feel rewarded as they watch them enjoy every ounce of their desserts.

You may think that all ice cream desserts may be unhealthy. Angel also serves wonderful Acai cups and smoothies that provide a safe and tasty boost of energy to surfers, busy moms and workaholics.

After Michelle Obama visited the Ice Cream store last month in January, Angel was inspired to start developing a special healthy smoothie using the top 20 nutrient dense foods in the world mixed with her standard smoothie adapted from Dr. Schlacter’s (a local physician’s) and Dr. Fuhrman’s (an expert nutritionist) food pyramids.

Her healthy smoothie contains spirulina, kale, chia seeds, baby spinach, broccoli, kiwi fruit, pear, bananas, peach, pineapple, soy milk, apple juice, cinnamon, organic honey, blueberries, strawberries, unsweetened cocoa, Kona Red super juice, and ice. Future ingredients may include the following super juices from brazilbotanicals.com: Hawaiian noni juice, Tibetan goji juice, Thai mangosteen juice, Brazilian acai juice, South American camu camu juice and Red Nopal juice. One her customers is on her “healthy smoothie only” regimen for 2 weeks and has lost over 30 pounds. He plans to lose 90 pounds in 60 days. Who would have thought that an ice cream store would be the best place to lose weight and get healthy?

If you are one your way back to the White House or if you want a treat to reward yourself for braving Oahu’s North Shore’s Shark Adventure Tour, Angel’s is the place to go. They offer plenty of free parking and welcome people of all ages. There are 3 tables inside the store and plenty of dining tables just outside the store. There are no restrooms inside but there is one available at the Laie Village Shopping Center at L & L’s family restaurant.

55-510 Kamehameha Highway
Laie, HI 96762
Laie Shopping Center‎
(808) 232-2233

Video clip of Angel's Ice Cream

Map

Tours that we are thankful for in Hawaii

The Polynesian Cultural Center:  http://hawaiitours.com/search.php?Island=Oahu&Medium=Polynesian+Cultural+Center&Price=&x=55&y=13

To truly experience the Polynesian culture and learn about the different islands of Polynesia, this is the one stop experience that you will be glad that you took the time to see.

The Shark Adventure http://hawaiitours.com/north-shore-shark-adventure.onss-01.tour

If you want adventure, this is an amazing tour to come face to face with sharks. The tour guides are knowledgeable, and very safe. Everyone loves the rush that they get from such an exciting adventure.

Lots of beautiful hiking: http://hawaiitours.com/manoa-waterfall-hiking-adventure.oont-06.tour, http://hawaiitours.com/explore-diamond-head-crater.oont-37.tour,

If you love the outdoors and love to see nature and like to take advantage of hiking, there are lots of beautiful hikes and gorgeous views to take advantage of. Not only on Oahu, But on the other islands as well.

Luau’s and Polynesian Entetrtainment:  Paradise Cove http://hawaiitours.com/paradise-cove-deluxe-luau.opcl-03.tour  is one of the incredible luau’s that we offer on Oahu. There is also Germaine’s Luau: http://hawaiitours.com/germaines-luau.ogrm-ogrm01.tour and Chief’s Luau: http://hawaiitours.com/chief’s-luau-at-makapu’u-standard-package.hse-01.tour.  There are different price ranges for each individual’s financial situation. They all have amazing food and entertainment. When you come to Hawaii, you have to make sure to experience a Hawaiian Luau.

Pearl Harbor Tours: http://hawaiitours.com/pearl-harbor-arizona-memorial-and-honolulu-city-tour.gac-01.tour  The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor is “ground zero” where World War II began for the United States. We recommend this tour for the entire family. You will learn much and appreciate the sacrifice made that early Sunday morning, December 7, 1941.

These are just a few tours in Hawaii that we are thankful for during this month of Thanksgiving. We are also thankful for the natural beauty of the island, and the ALOHA SPIRIT of the people.  No matter which tours you chose, you will always feel that ALOHA SPIRIT from the wonderful people on the islands.

Mahalo

 

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT GETTING INTO A CAGE TO SEE SHARKS UP CLOSE?  Check out this amazing tour~

North Shore Shark Adventures is Hawaii’s original shark cage tour. With 8 years of experience we have taken thousands of visitors and locals to enjoy and observe Hawaii’s sharks in their natural environment. Watch as these majestic creatures rise from 500 feet of water to greet you. This life-changing experience will alter the way you think about sharks as you observe their behavior, dramatically different as portrayed in popular media. This thrilling adventure is perfect for naturalists and thrill seekers alike.

Safety and comfort are our primary concerns. Our shark tours ensure you have the most comfortable experience and plenty of room in the safety cage. We will not go out in weather that is dangerous. We are Coast Guard compliant and have a spotless safety record. Our experienced Captains and knowledgeable crew members make sure that you have the best possible experience on your shark dive. We guarantee shark sightings!

North Shore Shark Adventures works closely with the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Marine research organizations in tagging and monitoring sharks and shark behavior. We have hosted dozens of media outlets including The Discovery Channel, BBC, National Geographic, ESPN and a variety of local and foreign stations and magazines.