If you want to see opposite sides of the Big Island (which you really must experience to appreciate the differences), the best way is to rent a car and drive.
River kayaking on Kauai
June 10, 2011 by
After sightseeing around the Kauai by car, our muscles needed stretching: it was time for an excursion on the Wailua River. We rented a tandem kayak early one morning, launched, and paddled through flat water toward the Fern Grotto, a natural lava rock amphitheater used for musical shows. We arrived before anyone else, including the performers, docked, and went ashore to explore. Thick tropical ferns kept the setting dark, almost gloomy, but it wasn’t hard to imagine a performance enlivened with music, dance, and colorful costumes among the verdant vegetation.
Parasailing above the sea on Maui
June 3, 2011 by
Dangling 800 feet above the ocean in a sling chair didn’t appeal to my husband, but after learning we could go tandem, he agreed to try parasailing.
Ride a bike down Maui’s dormant volcano
May 31, 2011 by
The van arrived at our resort at 2:00 a.m. to take our questionably sane group of 14 to the top of Mt. Haleakala, the highest peak on Maui and the world’s largest dormant volcano.
Walking through paradise in Hawaii
January 19, 2011 by
Shuffling bare feet on the sands of Waikiki Beach and eating Polynesian food at luaus was fine relaxation for a day or two, but it wasn’t long before my husband and I needed to challenge our bodies a little more—not to mention escape ever-present crowds around popular attractions. Fortunately, the weather is perfect most days year round, and hiking trails are abundant on Oahu.
Spa Helani – a little bit of heaven in West Maui at Ka’anapali
November 27, 2010 by
Located at the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas, Spa Helani, or Heavenly Spa, is exactly that – a little bit of heaven placed on earth for no other reasons than for pleasure, relaxation and to forget the outside world and worries. On a recent trip to Maui, my husband and I were each treated to a spa experience at Spa Helani. He received the Lomilomi Massage, a Hawaiian style massage where hands and arms are used in a rhythmic fashion over the body, while I was blessed with a 50 minute Heavenly Mango Nectar Wrap with Opio Facial Enhancement.
