Go Visit Hawaii

This Monday must be ‘freebie day”.  Almost as soon as I published my list of top 10 free Oahu activities, I received notification of free island entertainment offered at the Waikiki Beach Walk.  The show is called Ku Ha’aheo, “To Cherish with Pride.”  This show includes adult and keiki (children) hula dancers.  It is described as follows:

A unique blending of contemporary and traditional elements focusing on island traditions, cultural beliefs, classic hapa haole tunes, and historical moments in Hawaii, all told through song and dance.

The show is held every Tuesday from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. on the plaza lawn at the Waikiki Beach Walk fountain stage on Lewers Street.  Informal lawn seating is available. 

The Waikiki Beach Walk offers several other complimentary Hawaiian cultural programs.  Click here to see the list of the current programs. 

Last week I shared my top free things to do on Maui, I continue the series with my top pick of free (or almost free) activities and sites on Oahu. If you are going to Oahu on a honeymoon or to celebrate an anniversary, many of these activities can be quite romantic. Then again, if you are going to Oahu with a friend, these activities can be enjoyed by anyone.

1. Visit the USS Arizona National Memorial in Pearl Harbor. The first time I saw the memorial, I was speechless for a while and then I was moved to tears. It is a solemn place and very much worth the time to visit it. (When you go be sure that you are prepared for the strict security rules. No bags of any kind are allowed at the visitors center.)
2. See Punchbowl National Cemetery. This is a another solemn, yet peaceful site. Where else would you find a cemetery in the crater of an extinct volcano? You will find tremendous views of Honolulu at lookouts here.
3. Take a walking tour of Waikiki. You can download a free guide with a map. (Note: it’s 21 pages long and the map is on page 21.)
4. See a free Polynesian dance and music show at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Friday nights. After the Polynesian show, you’ll be treated to fireworks. Check this link for show times.
5. See the free torch lighting ceremony and hula show at Kuhio Beach Park. The show begins at 6:30 p.m.. This show is provided every night except for Monday nights. Follow this link to learn more about the Kuhio Beach hula show.
6. Lace up your hiking shoes and hit the trails. Check out Backyard Oahu’s lists of hikes and advice as well Oahu hiking section of the Hawaii State Parks site.. Two very popular hikes are the 540-foot straight up climb to the top of Diamond Head crater and the easy two-mile round trip hike to Manoa Falls.
7. Admire the turtles at “Turtle Beach”. You’ll find this beach on the North Shore between Haleiwa and Waimea Bay off of Highway 83. The best landmark for finding this beach is to look for south end of Pohaku Loa Way and the cars parked off the mountain side of the road. This spot would make a nice place to have a picnic lunch.
8. Go snorkeling. Some of the best snorkeling spots on Oahu are Hanauma Bay around Honolulu and Shark’s Cove on the North Shore. For more information on snorkeling on Oahu, see this guide.
9. In the winter, watch those incredibly tall waves along the North Shore. A top spot for watching the winter surf is at Waimea Bay.
10. Watch the sun sink into the ocean with a sunset picnic. You can either pick up your own picnic supplies from a grocery store or restaurant. Alternatively, many resorts will offer to-go picnic baskets. Please note that alcoholic beverages are prohibited on Hawaii beaches.I’ll cover the best free things to do on Kauai next.

The Horizons Show at the Polynesian Cultural Center is phenomenal.  I have seen other Polynesian shows in Hawaii and Tahiti and this show was by far the best.  

We saw this evening show on our first full day of our recent trip to Oahu.  We had flown to Hawaii from the East Coast the day before and we were extremely jet lagged.  We had had a full day touring the islands of the center and taking part in the Ali’i Luau.  By the time the show started, it was well past our bedtime at home.  So, we were a little concerned that when the lights dimmed for the show, that we might end up watching the back of our eye lids instead of the show. Our concerns were not warranted because the show captured our attention the entire time.  Not only were we wide awake watching the show, but when we got back to our hotel at the Turtle Bay Resort, we kept awake for a while talking about how great the show was.

All of the major Polynesian islands are represented in the show.  Over 100 dancers and musicians participate in the show. You won’t find this many performers at any other luau or Polynesian show in Hawaii. Some of the show’s highlights include a Samoan fire knife dancers and men who dance over a fire in grass skirts.  The following video is a montage of clips from the show that will just give you a small taste of the show.  (Click the image to play.)

Click To Play

The colorful costumes are beautiful.  One aspect that I appreciated was that the female dancers wore very attractive costumes that weren’t risque.  Some shows I’ve seen at other places, have costumes that might as well be found in a strip club.  So you can feel comfortable bringing the kids to see this show. 

The 90-minute show is held in a covered open air auditorium.  The stadium-style, wrapped seating arrangement insures everyone has a good view of the show.  The evening show is included in admission for several of the ticket packages.  If your time is limited, you can purchase a ticket to see the evening show only.  Ticket prices start at $55 for Adults and $40 for children up to 11 years old.  You can save 5% off your ticket price by completing a brief survey. 

The show is presented Monday through Saturday, normally at 7:30 p.m., but during peak seasons they may have one performance at 6:00 p.m. and another at 8:00 p.m.  There is an intermission that makes a great time and excuse to get an ice cream. 

Have you seen this show?  Please share your thoughts and tips in the comments. 

While staying at the Turtle Bay Resort on the North shore of Oahu,  I had the opportunity to try a couple of spa treatments at Spa Luana. The resort’s spa offers many services including, massages, facials, body treatments, manicures, pedicures, and salon services.  Several treatments use Hawaiian methods and products.

The spa is tucked away in a quiet area of the ground floor of the resort.  The spa is relatively small having only five indoor treatment rooms, plus an outdoor hut for massages. The spa also has a fitness center, a hair salon, locker room, and an al fresco relaxation area with ocean views. 

I was warmly greeted when I arrived at the spa.  One thing I particularly liked about Spa Luana is that everyone encountered was very welcoming and unpretentious.  Most spa employees seem to have an attitude of intimidating superiority, but that is certainly not the case at Spa Luana.  The staff at Spa Luana show the lovely spirit of aloha. 

After I signed in and completed a questionnaire, I was shown to the locker room.  I was issued spa slippers and a nice silky robe.  The locker rooms include saunas, so I took advantage of that to warm my muscles up for the lomi lomi massage.

The massage room had ocean views though when you are face up or face down, you really don’t get to enjoy the view that much, but still it was nice to know I was that close to the ocean.  I very much enjoyed the massage.  The therapist made me feel comfortable and asked questions so that he could better target the massage where I needed it the most. 

After the massage, I had a limu (seaweed) wrap that is supposed to remove toxins.  Though I quite liked the therapist who provided the treatment, I can’t really recommend that treatment.  I didn’t really feel less toxic. 

Tips to Know Before You Go

• To get the treatments that you want when you want them, you should book your treatments before you arrive.  You can schedule an appointment by calling 808.447.6868.
• A “service charge” of 18% is tacked onto your bill.
• Plan to get to your appointment about a half hour early so that you aren’t rush.  You’ll be able to sit in the sauna before your treatment and/or sip some cucumber or citrus water in the relaxation area.
• See this article for other

tips on making the most of your spa treatment in Hawaii.

If you are looking for the best beaches for snorkeling in Hawaii, then here is the online snorkeling guide for you.  The site gives insider tips from someone who was born and raised in Hawaii and knows the waters well.  The guide mainly focuses on the best snorkeling beaches on Maui, Oahu and the Big Island.  It includes interactive maps of each island.

Hawaii Snorkeling Guide offers very useful tips for choosing and using your snorkeling gear.  It also provides tips for being safe and how to find the best spots where to see the most fish.  It’s a great site and the photos are almost worth the visit alone. 

FYI - If you haven’t seen this article already, be sure and check out this Q&A with Hawaii Snorkeling and Diving Experts.

  If you are going to Hawaii on vacation, do yourself a favor and plan to snorkel or scuba dive in some of the best waters on earth.  I wanted to provide you with some tips to help you decide how to choose the best snorkeling or diving excursion.  So I went to a source that I trust, which is Trilogy out of Maui.  Mike Jones, the Head Dive Master, was kind enough to conduct a Q&A with me. 

Go Visit Hawaii:  What makes the Hawaiian Islands a great destination for diving and snorkeling?  Are there any special fish or sea creatures that are unique to Hawaii?

Mike:  Hawaii has the second cleanest ocean water in the world, so we constantly experience crystal clear blue water on dives. We are a volcanic island chain so we have dramatic drop offs and underwater lava formations. Hawaii is the most isolated location on Earth so our marine organisms have evolved in isolation, 25% of our fish live no where else but Hawaii. We are blessed with a moderate water temperature range between 72F – 79F degrees, we are able to dive and snorkel all year without wetsuits.  

Go Visit Hawaii: What are the top 3 to 5 dive and snorkel spots on or around the Hawaiian Islands?

Mike:  The most famous by far is Molokini Crater, off the Southern coast of Maui. It is the most popular snorkel and dive location in the Pacific Ocean. The 2^nd most popular would be the Cathedrals off the south shore of Lanai. Also the manta ray night dive at Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii is very popular.  

Go Visit Hawaii: Do you have to know how to swim well in order to snorkel?

Mike:  You don’t have to be a good swimmer, but you need to be very comfortable in the water.

Go Visit Hawaii: What are the advantages of taking an organized excursion versus snorkeling on your own?

Mike:  When snorkeling on your own there are no directions, no safety orientation, no lifeguards, no naturalist information, and no site orientation.

Go Visit Hawaii: What sort of questions, specifications, qualifications, and safety questions should you ask or look for when choosing a snorkeling/scuba tour?

Mike:  Does the company provide:
In water lifeguards? Flotation devices provided? On board naturalist? Environmentally aware? How old is snorkel/scuba equipment? Ratio of snorkelers/divers to guides?

Go Visit Hawaii: What do you tell people who are afraid to snorkel or dive because of sharks?

Mike:  People are more likely to be killed by a bee or struck by lighting than to be bitten by a shark.

Go Visit Hawaii: What kind of camera should someone bring on a snorkel trip and/or dive excursion?   (FYI – we’re rarely had any good photos results from those disposable underwater cameras.)

Mike:  The disposable cameras are cheap and readily available at any store. If someone wishes to get a quality underwater camera they can purchase one before vacation online or at a camera store. With the digital revolution camera makers are now making underwater housing for most digital cameras now. If you have digital cameras check online to see if someone makes a underwater housing for your existing camera.

Mahalo to Trilogy for participating as the expert advisors for this Q&A!

Over the past few months, I’ve written about several free online hiking guides here at Go Visit Hawaii. Since those guides were scatter through the site, I thought it would be useful to consolidate all the hiking resources in one post. I plan to keep this post updated as I hear of new guides and helpful information. So, if you know of any new resources, please add them in a comment. (Note: The photo on the left was taken from a hike into the Waimea Canyon on Kauai.)

Na Ala Hele

Let’s start this list with the official state of Hawaii’s hiking trail guide, Na Ala Hele. This guide covers hikes from all the islands, including Lanai and Molokai. It gives you basic trail information such as distance, difficulty, elevation, and approximate time to allow for the hike. The web site provides directions to the trail head and an overview of what you will see. The guide also includes free basic trail maps, which is useful, but lacking in details.

Kauai Explorer

The Kauai Explorer online hiking guide is awesome. The only thing they can do to improve the site is to add more hikes and I think they are working on it. In fact their web site says they are expanding statewide. This guide covers all the basics, plus has hike reviews and virtual tours of the hikes. I look forward to seeing this site expand.

Backyard Oahu

This online hiking guide focused on Oahu’s trails lists over 80 different trails. In addition to the basics like directions to the trail head, distances, difficulties, this site also provides detailed descriptions of the trails and lets you know what to expect. It appears that this great guide is frequently updated.

Additional Hawaii Hiking Resources

• Maui’s Haleakala National Park online hiking information provides some overviews of hikes, but you will need to contact the park for more details.
• Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park has quite a bit of hiking information including journals written by park visitors. They have this list that includes miles of great day hikes.
• Article about hiking the Big Island’s Waipio Valley rim. This trail is on private land, so you have to pay for the guided tour.
• Go Visit Hawaii’s advice for hiking Kauai’s Kalalau trail, arguably Hawaii’s top hike.
• Go Visit Hawaii’s recommendation for a great hike in the Hawaii Volcanoes Park - Kilauea Iki.
• Go Visit Hawaii’s tips for hiking to the active volcano lava flow.
• Hawaii State Parks hiking website with maps and advice.
• And finally, don’t forget the mosquito repellant.

The Alii Luau is a “royal feast” that has been awarded the Kahili Award for being the most authentic Hawaiian luau. This luau is held on the grounds of the Polynesian Cultural Center.  A tall lava rock wall with waterfalls and tropical plants make for the backdrop for the luau performances.  The open air seating arrangement is covered by a pavilion, which would be quite useful when it rains. 

The luau started with a welcoming fresh flower lei greeting.  A hostess directed us to our table.  We were there in June on a particularly crowded day.  I was at the Hale Aloha luau venue that seats 700 people and I believe it was at capacity.  Even though the venue is rather large, all the tables appeared to offer a nice view of the festivities.

The luau featured live music and traditional Hawaiian song and dance.  A “royal” Hawaiian court was presented to add to the feel of being at a royal feast.   The delightful host, “Cousin Benny”, explained all the songs and traditions. 

The luau included an imu ceremony which involves removing the pig from the underground oven.  One nice feature of the Ali’i Luau is that everyone has a clear view of this process.  Other luaus that I’ve been to don’t have the tiered seating arrangement that allows you to see the process like the Polynesian Cultural Center does.

Dinner was served buffet style, which is quite common at luaus.  The food includes a wide selection of Hawaiian specialties such as kalua puaa (pig cooked in the underground oven), island fish, poke (marinated raw fish), lomilomi salmon, and pipi kaula (seasoned beef).  Of course, taro is represented on the buffet with traditional poi and my favorite, taro rolls.  The buffet also included fresh tropical fruits, and a salad bar.  For kids who prefer foods that are more familiar, there are hot dogs, potato wedges, and chicken fingers.  A delicious assortment of desserts were available.  I particularly liked the coconut cake. 

Overall, the luau was quite interesting and fun.  If you are looking for a luau in Oahu, the Ali’i Luau is a wise choice for an authentic Hawaiian experience. 

Tips for Enjoying the Alii Luau

• You can save 5% off your Polynesian Cultural Center package by completing an online survey. 
• Most seats are first come first serve, so the earlier you arrive, the more likely you’ll have good seats.  The luau starts at 5 p.m.
• Be aware of that busiest times are January, June, July, August, and December, so book ahead for those months.  I was told that all Polynesian Cultural Center luaus were sold out the day I was there in mid-June.
• Be prepared that luau food may have different flavors than you are accustomed, so make a point to try and enjoy new foods and preparations.
• See my review of the Polynesian Cultural Center for more information about the cultural center and watch for a review of their superb evening show. 

I love the TV series Lost. Not only is the plot captivating, but the scenery is fantastic. So while my husband and I were recently on Oahu, we wanted to find some of the key spots where scenes from Lost are filmed. It was really an adventure finding some of the places, almost like a treasure hunt. I thought I’d share some of the sites we found in case you would like to see them online or find them for yourself.

The Survivor’s Camp at Police Beach

Once we found this spot, we didn’t want to leave it. (For Google satellite view of this beach, click here.) We saw the survivor’s kitchen and Mr. Eko’s church structures. Filming had been stopped for the summer, so not many props were up, but it was still amazing to just stand there and soak it all in.

There was a very nice security guard at the camp, Tony, who pointed out where Sawyer’s, Claire’s, and Hurley’s tents are set up. He also pointed out the graves sites of Shannon, Paulo, and Nikki. (There may have been more character’s buried there, but those characters were the only ones I could remember for sure and there were only three distinct graves in the sand.)

If you go…

How to Get There: First try to see if you can find the public beach access from off of Papailoa Road just off of Hwy 83. Take the public access to the beach and walk south along the shore. It appears that this way is the shortest distance to the camp site. We looked for this public access off of Papailoa Beach, but couldn’t find it. There are several private homes here and they don’t make you feel welcomed by the plethora of “no trespassing” signs.

The most reliable way to find the survivor’s beach camp, is to park at the northern most corner of the Hale’iwa Beach Park and walk north along the beach until you get to the area taped off by yellow tape. It will take you about 30 to 45 minutes to walk there.

Advice:

• Always stay on the beach or beach access. Anywhere beyond that without invitation is considered trespassing.
• You will be walking in sand and over rocks, so bring shoes that are easy to slip on and off.
• Watch for turtles. We saw this guy sunning and taking a nap on the beach, plus we saw a bunch more body surfing. If you see one, look, but don’t touch.
• Bring water.
• The area is guarded 24/7, so obey all signs and be respectful of the security guards.

The Submarine Dock & Jin’s Father’s Fishing Pier at Moli’i Fish Ponds

When I saw this area on Lost, I was blown away at how beautiful it was, so I really wanted to see it in person. It was a bit confusing trying to find it. We were told by a local to go the the Macadamia Nut Factory off of Hwy 83 just south of the Kualoa Beach Park. Unfortunately, the people at the store were grumpy and very unhelpful. So we tried walking along the shore line from the Kualoa Beach Park. We found a clearing from the beach and could see glimpses of the fish pond, so we followed the clearing where we were met by the magical view in the photo to the left. For a satellite view of this area, click here.

If you go…

How to Get There: We accidentally trespassed (sorry!) by following the clearing from Kualoa Beach, so don’t do what we did. We’ve since found an much easier (and legal :-)) way to see it. The Kualoa Ranch offers a $19 tour called “Hawaiian Fishpond and Garden Tour” (scroll towards the bottom of this link to find the tour and booking instructions.) I wish we had taken that tour. You can also book this tour in person at the Kualoa Ranch visitor’s center off Hwy 83 on the east side of Oahu.

Hurley’s Golf Course and Van Starting Scenes

The Ka’a'awa Valley on the Kualoa Ranch was where Hurley made his golf course and found the old VW van. This was also the scene where Ben killed his father. This valley has been the backdrop for other movies like Jurassic Park and 50 First Dates. You can see these sites on a one hour Movie Sites and Ranch tour offered by Kualoa Ranch. Check out our review of the tour for more information.

Other Sites We Found

The mustard yellow houses of the Other’s community is at the YMCA Camp Erdman off Hwy 930 on the northwest side of Oahu. Several scenes including the crash site from the first episode were filmed at Mokule’ia Beach. This beach is right next to the YMCA camp.

We also found a banyan tree that has been used in some scenes. This banyan tree is located between Turtle Bay hotel and Kawela Bay on the very northern tip of Oahu. If you stay at Turtle Bay Resort, you will receive a site map that will show the path to the banyan tree. If you are not staying at the resort, you may be able to ask for directions from the guard at the gate near the entrance next to the Turtle Bay Resort parking lot.

Resources

You could probably spend weeks looking for Lost sites. I’m glad I found the ones I wanted to see most. If you want to find your favorite Lost scenes, you will find a wealth of information at Lost Virtual Tour. I also suggest purchasing a good map of the island. Have fun finding your favorite Lost scenes!

Steve Hendrix has written an article giving advice on family friendly activities to do on Oahu.  His ideas are intended to entertain the adults and children, while trying to help you prevent sunburns.  I’ll organize his tried and true sun diversions by area below:  

Honolulu Area

• The Science Adventure Center at the Bishop Museum 
• Get a lunch at Chinatown
• Take a tour of the USS Bowfin Submarine

Beyond Honolulu

• Dole Plantation Gardens in Wahiawa
• Matsumoto’s Shave Ice in Haleiwa (See our review here)
• Watch for Honu (Sea Turtles) at the Lanaikea Beach on the North Shore.  Be sure that you don’t approach them as they are a protected species. 
• Horseback riding with Happy Trails Stables on the North Shore

A few more ideas that I’d like to add to the list are:

• Spend the whole day at the Polynesian Cultural Center.  (See my review of the Polynesian Cultural Center with photos, videos, and money savings ideas)
• Check out the new Pacific Aviation Museum where you can test your skills as a pilot in one of the interactive flight simulators. 
• See the Byodo Temple near Kaneohe