Kohala Falls, Island of Hawaii
As one of the most aspirational destinations in North America, and with a 90% repeat traveller rate, almost everyone who travels to Hawaii falls in love with the islands and returns home with a calm sense of "aloha", inspiring you to live better, to live with love, kindness and generosity.
I was fortunate enough to be invited to further my Hawaii Destination Specialist designation with an exclusive opportunity to attend an in destination Master Island Certification training experience to the Island of Hawaii, hosted by Hawaii Tourism Canada and the Island of Hawaii Visitor's Bureau. With this trip, we were able to experience the best of the Island of Hawaii offers, many of which are likely bucket list experiences so it was a huge privilege and opportunity for me to overcome many of my own fears!
Since the eruption of the Kilauea volcano in May, the island has been forever changed in a way that people may not understand until you visit and see it for yourself. As the youngest of the Hawaiian islands, the island of Hawaii is still growing and changing because of the activity of the active volcanoes.
Kilauea Volcano
A visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the number one tourist attraction to the island of Hawaii. But since the eruption of the volcano, the park was closed for safety reasons and only reopened to the public in November. Though some parts of the park remain closed, different areas are slowly reopening so guests can see up close the changes from the lava flow and volcano eruption.
We had the exclusive experience to view the Kilauea Caldera and the Halema'uma'u crater from different angles, and see the impact and changes since the eruption in May.
I was fortunate enough to be invited to further my Hawaii Destination Specialist designation with an exclusive opportunity to attend an in destination Master Island Certification training experience to the Island of Hawaii, hosted by Hawaii Tourism Canada and the Island of Hawaii Visitor's Bureau. With this trip, we were able to experience the best of the Island of Hawaii offers, many of which are likely bucket list experiences so it was a huge privilege and opportunity for me to overcome many of my own fears!
Since the eruption of the Kilauea volcano in May, the island has been forever changed in a way that people may not understand until you visit and see it for yourself. As the youngest of the Hawaiian islands, the island of Hawaii is still growing and changing because of the activity of the active volcanoes.
Kilauea Volcano
A visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the number one tourist attraction to the island of Hawaii. But since the eruption of the volcano, the park was closed for safety reasons and only reopened to the public in November. Though some parts of the park remain closed, different areas are slowly reopening so guests can see up close the changes from the lava flow and volcano eruption.
We had the exclusive experience to view the Kilauea Caldera and the Halema'uma'u crater from different angles, and see the impact and changes since the eruption in May.
Kilaeua Caldera, view from Volcano House Hotel, December 5, 2018
Volcano House Hotel, located in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Volcano House Hotel, only reopened to the public last month and the restaurant just reopened for full service a week before our visit. The hotel is located in the Halema'uma'u Crater, with up close and personal views of the the crater. I have to admit that it is quite mesmerizing being there. It is a quiet and intimate lodge with a very cosy atmosphere. Where the glow used to be visible and constant, the sky has now changed to a darkness in the area. The food at the restaurant, both dinner and breakfast, were amazing fine dining cuisine options and high quality service. Our Volcano House experience is highly recommended and a great place to stay if you want to really explore the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
 | Start your morning off with Kona coffee and beautiful crater views! |
Helicopter Ride
The best way to view the landscape of the island is with a helicopter ride to see things from above. We enjoyed the helicopter ride with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. The Circle of Fire and Waterfalls Adventure gave us up close and personal views of the beautiful landscape of the island.
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Hiking and Waterfalls
Exploring the landscape in a private nature reserve, Hawaii Forest and Trail took us in an offroad adventure for us to experience the Kohala coast, enjoy a quick swim in the waterfalls, and completed with a private picnic with the most amazing views!
Snorkel Cruise
Exploring Kona coast with Fairwinds Cruise aboard the Hula Kai, gave us a luxury snorkel cruise experience with two snorkelling locations. The smaller ship moves faster in the water, which allowed us to go deeper along the South Kona coast. FairWinds offers several different boats, both for all ages, beginners to advanced snorkelers. They also offer snuba diving experiences (combination of snorkelling and scuba diving) for those looking for an entry dive experience without diving.
The Hula Kai, Fairwinds Cruise, a smaller and speedier boat to go deeper south along the Kona coast
Exploring the Kona coastline
Hawaii has the magic to inspire you to conquer your fears! And yay for me for conquering my fears here!
Yes, I did go snorkelling! Twice....in the ocean!! Because if you know me.....I know what you're thinking...."What??!!"
Shocking....I KNOW! Huge wins for me here on all those accounts.
My previous attempts at snorkelling in the past did not go over very well so I wasn't initially very keen on the idea of snorkelling in the ocean. First of all, I'm not a very strong swimmer and have issues with treading water so I don't like the feeling of my feet not touching anything solid. Second, I'm much more of a pool person (because I can see the bottom, and also the edges of the pool are never too far away) rather that the vast ocean of nothingness. Swimming in the middle of the ocean has never been on my list of things "to do"!
I also get motion sickness sometimes so the bobbing up and down in the ocean isn't something that sits well with me. And of course I allowed myself to enjoy the experience, to forget that I was in the water and just enjoy the moment for what it was. And it was beautiful! (We won't talk about the rest of the experience as the motion sickness malady did hit me for the rest of the excursion). But I was so proud of myself for doing it anyway in spite of my fears!
Yes, I did go snorkelling! Twice....in the ocean!! Because if you know me.....I know what you're thinking...."What??!!"
Shocking....I KNOW! Huge wins for me here on all those accounts.
My previous attempts at snorkelling in the past did not go over very well so I wasn't initially very keen on the idea of snorkelling in the ocean. First of all, I'm not a very strong swimmer and have issues with treading water so I don't like the feeling of my feet not touching anything solid. Second, I'm much more of a pool person (because I can see the bottom, and also the edges of the pool are never too far away) rather that the vast ocean of nothingness. Swimming in the middle of the ocean has never been on my list of things "to do"!
I also get motion sickness sometimes so the bobbing up and down in the ocean isn't something that sits well with me. And of course I allowed myself to enjoy the experience, to forget that I was in the water and just enjoy the moment for what it was. And it was beautiful! (We won't talk about the rest of the experience as the motion sickness malady did hit me for the rest of the excursion). But I was so proud of myself for doing it anyway in spite of my fears!
Black Sand Beaches
Black sand beaches are a MUST to see when in Hawaii! The black sand is so different than other types of sand. Generally, the colour of the sand is based on the age of the beach. The lighter the colour, the older the beach. So you can imagine how old some of the gorgeous white sandy beaches might be!
But the black sand, created from volcanic and lava minerals creates this equally gorgeous sand that is shiny and feels amazing! Punalu'u Beach is the most famous black sand beach on the Island of Hawaii, but there are others you can enjoy. We were also fortunate enough to see 9 green sea turtles lounging around during our visit!
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White Sandy Beaches
Just as gorgeous as the black sand beaches is the white sandy beaches of Hapuna Beach, the largest and favourite beach on the island and consistently ranked as one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world!
Just as gorgeous as the black sand beaches is the white sandy beaches of Hapuna Beach, the largest and favourite beach on the island and consistently ranked as one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world!
Hapuna Beach
Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Park
The second most popular tourist attraction on the island (following the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park) is the Pu'uhonua o Honoaunau National Park, a place of refuge for ancient Hawaiians who broke the law, or for defeated warriors to visit and seek refuge in times of battle. Now you can wander around, enjoy the peace and serenity, and step back in time to honour the land.
The second most popular tourist attraction on the island (following the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park) is the Pu'uhonua o Honoaunau National Park, a place of refuge for ancient Hawaiians who broke the law, or for defeated warriors to visit and seek refuge in times of battle. Now you can wander around, enjoy the peace and serenity, and step back in time to honour the land.
Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Park
Kona Coffee
You can't NOT visit a coffee farm or something coffee related when visiting Kona! It's Kona coffee and it's one of the most expensive coffees in the world, as is cultivated in the North and South Districts of Kona on the Island of Hawaii. Be wary of the "Kona blends" coffee as these coffee blends contain only the minimum amount of Kona coffee (10%) with other coffee beans. 100% Kona coffee is a really treat and perfect for the coffee lovers.
We visited the Ueshima Coffee Company to roast our very own Kona Coffee blend!
View from the Ueshima Coffee Company roasting tour
We learned about the coffee beans, the roasting process and then had the opportunity to roast our own beans to package as a souvenir of the experience!
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Paniolo Life
Did you know that Hawaii has cowboys?? In fact, the paniolo (cowboy) culture is very strong in Hawaii and most people do not think about cowboys in Hawaii! Up in the town of Waimea is the famous Parker Ranch, one of the largest cattle ranches in America. We toured Anna Ranch Heritage Center, the former home of Anna Lindsay Perry-Fiske, the original Hawaiian Cowgirl & the First lady of Ranching whose legacy to the history and community of ranching helped shape paniolo life as it is today.
Did you know that Hawaii has cowboys?? In fact, the paniolo (cowboy) culture is very strong in Hawaii and most people do not think about cowboys in Hawaii! Up in the town of Waimea is the famous Parker Ranch, one of the largest cattle ranches in America. We toured Anna Ranch Heritage Center, the former home of Anna Lindsay Perry-Fiske, the original Hawaiian Cowgirl & the First lady of Ranching whose legacy to the history and community of ranching helped shape paniolo life as it is today.
Hawaiian Culture - Do the Hula!
"Hula is the language of the heart, therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people"
- King David Kalakaua
- King David Kalakaua
The Island of Hawaii is also home to the largest hula competition in the world, the Merrie Monarch Festival, held each year in Hilo starting on Easter Sunday for one week. Three of those nights are the signature hula competitions, where teams from all over the world are invited to participate and compete. The Merrie Monarch Festival is held in honour of King David Kalakaua, whose love for music and the arts inspired the Hawaiian people to honour his legacy and commit to upholding traditional Hawaiian arts and culture.
Over at the Four Season Hualalai, we were introduced to the hula and walked away with our own little hula dance!
Over at the Four Season Hualalai, we were introduced to the hula and walked away with our own little hula dance!
Luau - The Story of Haleo - The Voice of Life
A luau experience in Hawaii is the best way to experience Hawaiian culture, food and entertainment. And it doesn't matter if it is your first luau, or if you have been to one before, the experience is always entertaining! On our first full night in Hawaii, we enjoyed the Haleo Luau at the Sheraton Kona, with stories unique to the Keauhou Bay Area under a gorgeous Kona sunset.
A luau experience in Hawaii is the best way to experience Hawaiian culture, food and entertainment. And it doesn't matter if it is your first luau, or if you have been to one before, the experience is always entertaining! On our first full night in Hawaii, we enjoyed the Haleo Luau at the Sheraton Kona, with stories unique to the Keauhou Bay Area under a gorgeous Kona sunset.
Nightlife
The nightlife in Hawaii is not your typical nightlife scene. When someone mentions nightlife in Hawaii, they are usually referring to one of two experiences: Stargazing or Night Snorkelling with the Manta Rays.
Star Gazing
The Island of Hawaii is the best place in the world to watch the stars with or without a telescope. The location of the island provides dazzling views of the Northern Hemisphere skies and most of the Southern hemisphere skies.
We had a land star gazing experience with Star Gaze Hawaii, where they brought the telescopes and the equipment to set up a private/semi-private small group tour to explain the night sky to us in detail. We alternated between two telescopes and were able to see comets, stars and constellations. It was a very educational and eye-opening experience to see the beautiful stars, from our hotel.
Night Snorkelling with the Manta Rays
This was one of the other highly anticipated excursions of our trip, but sadly, the tides were very strong so the manta ray snorkelling tours were cancelled for safety reasons. We still attended the talk to learn more about the "gentle giants" of the ocean and watched them swim from land. The Manta Ray Moonlight Swim Experience is a bit different than other night snorkelling experiences in that this one is good for kids ages 10 and above, and starts from land. So anyone who has hesitation about swimming in the ocean....and in the dark (hands up here!) can put some anxiety to rest as the guests are walked into the water and swim a short distance where the manta rays come to you.
We'll just have to save that experience for next time!
Hard to believe that we were able to experience all these bucket list experiences, as well as hidden gems of the island in our week! The Island of Hawaii truly has something for everyone and the spirit of aloha stays with you long after you leave.
Aloha aku no, aloha mai no. I give my love to you, you give your love to me. 💞
Hawaii....you had me at aloha! I am so honoured and privileged to experience this week, to have the opportunity to continue my Hawaiian Destination specialty to become 1 of 7 Island of Hawaii Master Certified travel agents in Canada through Hawaii Tourism Canada and the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau.
Aloha aku no, aloha mai no. I give my love to you, you give your love to me. 💞
Hawaii....you had me at aloha! I am so honoured and privileged to experience this week, to have the opportunity to continue my Hawaiian Destination specialty to become 1 of 7 Island of Hawaii Master Certified travel agents in Canada through Hawaii Tourism Canada and the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau.
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