kona hawaii hotel maui honolulu at ikonaedizioni.com

If you’re ever driving around the island of Oahu along its Eastern Shore, make sure you stop for a few minutes at the Halona Blow Hole for a spectacular natural sea show.

A Blow Hole is generally made up of a lava tube or fissure in the lava rock at the ocean’s edge. As the surf rushes toward the rock, the water is compressed as it moves upward, erupting into a spray of water, not unlike a small geyser. During windy, high tide periods, the Blow Hole can spray water up to 30 feet into the air, making for a fantastic natural show. Here’s some video footage of the Halona Blowhole in action:

That’s not all you can see, though. From the viewing point, you can also observe Humpback Whales cavorting in the ocean during the migration season, or view the Honu (Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles) swimming about. If you can, bring a good pair of binoculars with you when you visit.

Please keep your common sense about you, and don’t approach the blow hole beyond the barriers. This area is dangerous, and has resulted in deaths when unsuspecting onlookers were actually sucked into the hole and drowned.

The Blow Hole is located near Oahu’s Sandy Beach and Hanauma Bay, off of Kalanianaole Highway. You’ll see a lookout area on a rock outcropping and a parking lot on the ocean side of the highway, making it hard to miss. The best part? Access is FREE, making it a grand bargain for the largest of groups!

Note that the Honolulu City and County will embark upon a substantial upgrade to the lookout area beginning in 2008, to repair some of the wall areas and repace railing sections. In addition, wheelchair access will also be made available.

If you want to stay in Waikiki during your vacation, consider one of the grand landmarks of Waikiki Beach - the Moana Surfrider Hotel. The hotel is a true gem in Waikiki, one of the original Hotels in the area, and sitting on a prime area of Waikiki Beach.

The Moana Hotel was originally opened in 1901, by wealthy Honolulu landowner Walter Chamberlain Peacock. Constructed mainy of wood, with noteworthy Ionic columns in front, the Moana Hotel had 75 rooms, and was considered the most luxurious and fashionable hotel of its time. It even featured Hawaii’s first electric powered elevator!

From 1935 through 1975, the popular worldwide radio show “Hawaii Calls” was broadcast from the grounds of the Moana. Numerous celebrities also stayed at the Moana, including Shirley Temple, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Bing Crosby, Groucho Marx, Joe Dimaggio, Amelia Earhart and more.

In 1952 Matson built a hotel adjacent to the Moana Hotel’s east side, called the Surfrider Hotel. In 1959, the hotel was sold to Sheraton, and in 1969, a new hotel was built on the Moana Hotel’s west side, called the Sheraton Surfrider Hotel. The old Surfrider on the east side then became a wing of the Moana Hotel.

The hotel underwent a significant $50 million renovation in 1989, restoring the original 1901 appearance of the Moana Hotel. Much of the wood structure, trim, and architectural elements were carefully restored. As a result, the two wings of the hotel were joined with the Moana into one structure, with the main lobby in the central building - the new hotel was called the Sheraton Moana Surfrider Hotel.

The hotel was purchased by Japanese brothers Kenji Osano and Masakuni Osano, under their Kyo-Ya Company in 1974. Today, the hotel continues to be owned by the Osano family. However, in June of 2007, the hotel’s management and branding changed to Westin - now called the Westin Moana Surfrider Hotel.

The Westin Moana Surfrider includes 793 rooms, which include 46 suites, 2 restaurants, and a freshwater pool.

When booking rooms you can request rooms in the older area of the hotel, which tend to be smaller in size (by today’s standards), but are restored to their original 1900’s splendor. If you desire larger rooms, you can stay in one of the more recent wing areas. The main lobby area is remarkable, with expansive wooden floors and wooden structural elements (stairs, railings, trim).

Given its luxury roots and newly restored splendor, the Hotel is on the pricier side, both in room rates and in restaurant costs. However, being in the heart of Waikiki provides literally hundreds of dining alternatives for the visitor.

Even if you are not staying at the hotel, it is well worth walking through the lobby of the Moana, where you can once again experience the splendor of old Hawaii.

Humpback Whales are beautiful creatures and can be seen in the waters of Hawaii between the months of November and May. They travel thousands of miles south and west to the warmer waters of Hawaii, where they breed, give birth, and nurse their newborns. Newborns, or calves are about 10-15 feet in length and can weigh up to 3000 pounds.

The Humpbacks got their names due to their arching backs as they go partially airborne, just before taking on a deep dive into the ocean. Here’s a photo of a whale breaching the water just before diving:

If you are in Hawaii during their migratory period, chances are you will encounter more than one. The Humpback whale is currently an endangered species - from a population high of between 750,000 to 2 million, only 30- to 40,000 are now believed to exist.

Humpback whales produce a song that can last between fifteen to thrity minutes in length. No one really knows exactly why they sing this song, but that it is a sign of their social community and might be part of their navigation mechanism.

Whale watching boat tours are available on the islands of Kauai, Maui, Oahu, and the Big Island of Hawaii. The whales are visible from shore, but if you want a sigificantly closer experience, choose a boating tour. In either case, see them if you can while you are visiting Hawaii. You’ll be amazed with their sheer magnificence and grace!

One of the most popular spots for big-wave surfers in Hawaii is a surf spot called Jaws on the island Maui in Hawaii. Jaws is located in Peahi, which is about 3 miles north of Paia off the Hana highway. The spot is called Jaws because of the massive waves it can generate during the winter months, between November and February.

Some of the wave faces can go as high as fifty feet, travelling up to thirty-five miles per hour! The waves at Jaws are not only large, they are also of high quality. Many other surf spots boast fifty foot high waves, but at Jaws, the rocks and reefs are shaped so that incoming swell energy is magnified, and clean right and left waves are produced. Here’s a photo:

If you look carefully, the tiny speck near the wave crest in the photo above is a surfer - that gives you an idea of the wave’s scale.

During a big wave event, surfers must utilize a technique called “tow-in surfing”, whereby the surfer is towed into the area by jetski, or is dropped in above via helicopter. Needless to say, only the highest caliber professional surfers can even attempt to brave the high waves here.

Jaws actually became so popular at one point that the roads were blocked with debris. Many pro surfers complained that tourists, incompetent surfers, and others that were showing up were crowding the beach. Thus the area is easy to get to.

However, if you are a big wave spectator, and are in the right place at the right time, there may be no better big wave viewing than at Jaws on Maui.

If you’re in an artsy mood while in Hawaii, the Honolulu Academy of Arts is the place to visit. The Academy is over 80 years old, and has over 40,000 works of art from around the world. The Academy has been accredited by the American Association of Museums.

One of the really cool things about the Academy is the Antennae Audio Guide. For only $5, you can listen to the electronic guide discuss 40 different pieces of art from the Academy. If you want to take a guided tour, that isn’t a problem. There are four different tour times, Tuesday through Saturday. If you’re Japanese, do not worry. You can get a Japanese tour Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday at 1:00.

The building is also beautiful. In fact, it was once voted as Hawaii’s best building by the American Institute of Architecture. It is also very close to the Waikiki resort area if your hotel is located in the area. In addition, you can grab a quick meal in the Pavilion Cafe as well.

The Honolulu Academy of Arts is such a great attraction for tourists, you could spend an entire day there! Make sure to visit this wondrous place on your next visit to Hawaii.

For those who are looking to see some serious surfing or waves in Hawaii, Oahu’s North Shore is the place to visit. More specifically, you can see a great surf spot at the Banzai Pipeline.

The Banzai Pipeline name comes from a combination of the surf break - Pipeline - and the beach - Banzai Beach.

Only well experienced surfers should surf there. There are many jagged reef elements and lava spires that can cut you up if you fall.

Surfers have options when surfing the Banzai Pipeline, because there are four waves. The most common is the First Reef, also known as Pipeline. This is the wave that is most surfed, and is most photographed.

It is a sobering place for Surfers - many people have died there while trying to master the treacherous waves. The number of deaths at the Pipeline have earned it the nickname the world’s deadliest wave, since more people have died there than any other surf spot.

If you enjoy watching surfing competitions, you can watch the Pipe Masters, which is the final spot of the WCT (World Championship Tour Surfing). The Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic is also held there every winter. Don’t miss out on experiencing the Banzai Pipeline if you are a true surfing fan.

There they were, a podcast film crew shooting some surfing scenes on the North Shore of Oahu near Sunset Beach.

Then guess who comes walking by???

Yep, that would be Terry ‘O Quinn, who plays John Locke on the hit ABC Show, “LOST”. Some news reports had indicated that ‘O Quinn often walked the beaches of the North Shore, and that he often walked to the show’s “set” on the beach, in order to stay fit, and to achieve the scruffy castaway look.

That gesture he’s flashing is called a “Shaka” sign in Hawaii. The Shaka sign can mean many things in Hawaii, but most often means “Hello/Aloha”, or “Thank you”.

So, the next time you’re watching the waves at Sunset Beach or Banzai Pipeline, keep your eyes peeled! You never know who may be walking by!

Sometimes, you just want a good old fashioned breakfast - at 2am. Other times, you want to eat something new and exotic. Whatever you want, Ken’s House of Pancakes in Hilo, Hawaii will satisfy your cravings. This pancake house (with a diner-style atmosphere) has been around since 1971, and is very popular with not only tourists, but local residents as well.

Ken’s isn’t just another small breakfast place either. There are almost 180 breakfast choices at Ken’s. They have one of the largest menus in Hawaii. Aside from 180 delectable choices, you can visit this restaurant at any time in the day. That’s right, Ken’s House of Pancakes is open 24 hours a day. Many other restaurants in Hilo close later in the evening, but Ken’s is open whenever you get that craving for some great food.

The food is not priced out of reach either, so you won’t break your wallet. If you are ever in Hilo, vist Ken’s House of Pancakes at 1730 Kamehameha Avenue in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii. Your appetite will thank you!

If you spend time at some of the rural beaches in Hawaii, there is a good chance that you will be able to see the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle, called “Honu” in Hawaiian.

The Hawaiian Sea Turtle is a majestic creature, hunted nearly to extinction in modern Hawaii, until it was placed on the Threatened Species list in 1978.

Here is a shot of the turtle, in Hawaiian waters:

90% of the the nesting activity for the turtles takes place in the French Frigate Shoals, which is under the National Wildlife and Refuge System, which offers some protection for the species.

We’ve seen the turtles off the Blowhole near Sandy Beach on Oahu, Mokuleia Beach on Oahu’s North Shore, and at the Turtle Bay Resort in Kahuku, also on Oahu. They can also be seen off the Kohala Coast in North Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii.

If you do see them, please do not touch or harass them, as it is illegal…….allow them to enjoy their natural habitat, and you can enjoy them too!

Earlier, we talked about Kona Coffee in this post.

Here is a nice photo of a coffee plant (or tree, depending on your preference) growing on a Coffee plantation in Kona. Note that the beans are a deep red, and resemble cherries, don’t they?

The Coffee plant takes 5 years before the beans can be harvested for production. At about 25 years of age it is considered aged. However, there are coffee trees that are over 100 years old in existence!

Before they can be roasted, the coffee “berries” have to be defruited, dried, sorted, and sometimes aged. Only then can the roasting process begin.

As you can see, quite a lot takes place before your fine Kona brew reaches your morning table!