The lure of Hawaii,
the paradise that Mark Twain knew as the
Sandwich Islands, draws all kinds of visitors, from
honeymooners and families to seniors and single tourists, and they all seem to come
back with their own favorite Hawaii travel secrets, whether their experiences were
of inexpensive vacation packages available in Honolulu, the small-town
atmosphere of the Big Island or the lush waterfalls of Kauai. I recently talked
to four sets of travelers, one a family with adult children, another family
with young children, a honeymooning couple
and a single traveler and asked them to share their favorite places and best memories of travel in Hawaii.
The only rule: they had to tell me about
the best value, the best memory and the best souvenir of their trip.
Honeymoon on the Big Island.
When medical professionals Tom
and Irene Halderman planned their honeymoon last year, they wanted a quiet
place near the ocean with a sense of community, far from the big resorts. They
found it by renting the "Treehouse," a studio cottage in Puako along
the coast north of Kona on the Big Island. It was very close to a beach where
locals surf.
"The trade winds blew and
the surf pounded all night," Tom remembers. "It was in a residential
area, a place I could imagine living so we didn’t feel like tourists,"
Irene said. "Every morning we swam in the ocean, then ate fresh papayas we
bought at an organic fruit stand." Best
Value: "On the road to the City of Refuge park we drove by a small
sign near the driveway, advertising homemade leis on the honor system. There
were $1.50 each and you put your money in a box nailed to a tree. So we bought
one each time we went by! Their lovely smell perfumed the car," said
Irene. Best Memory : "We got into the car soaking wet from a swim,
wearing sarongs and drove as the tropical wind blew our hair and bodies dry,
with Hawaiian music playing.
Later we watch the tropical sunset and suddenly saw the Green Flash on the
horizon for the first time, as we held hands."
Best Souvenir: "A second -hand thrift shop was having a 40
percent -off sale, and we bought several vintage Hawaiian shirts with wooden
buttons for $8 and $10."
Family Stay on Kauai
When Scott Carter and Deborah
Wylie took their children Morgan, Lauren and Derryl to Kauai,
they decided to stay in a setting right out of old Hawaii. The Waimea
Plantation Cottages are located on an old sugar plantation along the east coast
of Kauai, not far from Waimea. Tucked into a coconut grove, the cottages were once
home to sugar plantation workers.
"It reminded me of the old South Pacific," says Scott,
who had spent time in Fiji and other South Pacific sites more than 20 years
ago. "The palms, the wooden shutters, hardwood floors, the ceiling fans
and the simple pace were wonderful. We bought a CD of Hawaiian songs and played
them the whole time. The children played in the large grassy area under the
palms and we sat on the enormous terrace enjoying the tropical air."
Best Value: “The secluded Majors Beach, which is accessed through the
Barking Sands Missle Range Facility. There’s a great day pass. The children built sand castles, swam from
the almost deserted beach and surfed with short boards.” Best
Memory: “Renting a kayak in the warm, misty rain and kayaking up the Waimea
River with the kids.” Best Souvenir: CD
of Hawaiian music.
Single Stay on the Big Island
When single professional Ann
Parker needed a break from real
life, she booked a stay at Kalani Honua
Oceanside Eco- Resort and Institute for
Culture and Wellness in Pahoa, on the big Island of Hawaii. Located away from
everything, Ann found it "Very quiet and peaceful." People are kind, but also leave you alone if you
like," she explained. You can go it alone like I did, and take a class or
organized retreat such as a meditation retreat or yoga workshop. I met
singles, families, and groups of friends."
"A recurrent theme when I
chatted with other guests at the retreat was the power of the volcano spirit
named Pele. I also heard that the nearby volcano (and Pele) were very active at
the moment." "So I booked a
reservation on a Blue Hawaii sightseeing helicopter to feel Pele’s presence up close. And I did!" “As we flew
over one of the areas where the volcano was shooting cascades of fire and lava
into the air, the pilot played ancient chants on the headphones. I felt put
back in touch with a kind of primitive power."
Ann paid off-season rates of $45
a night for a shared room and bath but ended up staying in the room alone.
Guests can eat the mostly vegetarian meals offered by the resort for $25 a day,
or bring in food and make meals in the fully-equipped guest kitchen in each
cottage. Best Value: Room at Kalani. Best Memory: “Swimming off
Punalu’u’s black sand beach and suddenly being surrounded by giant sea turtles,
some ‘as big as a coffee table’!" Best
Souvenir: “Bread from the Punalu’u Bake Shop, where they sell taro, guava,
cinnamon, raisin and macadamia nut breads.”
Adult Getaway on Kauai
Michael and Madeline Kauffman,
their adult son Joel and his girlfriend
stayed in a condo owned by a friend in Princeville on Kauai. "I loved the natural beauty, the incredible
soft air." Says Michael. "It would rain but it didn’t matter. We
liked snorkeling, strolling through public gardens, swimming and riding in
a helicopter with no doors as it
swooped up the Na Pali Coast!" Best
Value: “Dinner at the Hanalei Bay Resort was expensive, but the food and
great view overlooking Hanalei Bay at
sunset made it a good value anyway.” Best
Memory: Swimming in the Queen’s Bath, a hollowed-out pool in the ocean on a
lava plateau, found off an unmarked trail outside Princeville. "You walk
over rough lava rocks, then slip into the smooth 20-foot pool and swim in peace
as waves crash all around you." Best
Souvenir: Some very reasonably-priced fabric with South Sea Island scenes
purchased from a fabric store in Lihue.
Hawaii Vacation Rentals
on the Big Island (808/882-7000) rents the Treehouse at $805 per week. They
have other properties on the Big Island in all price ranges.
Waimea Plantation Cottages
on Kauai (800/ 992-4632) rents one-bedroom cottages for $170-$220 a night, two-bedrooms from
$220-$280, and three bedrooms from $260-$310.
Kalani Honua Oceanside Eco-Resort and Institute for
Culture and Wellmess on the Big Island (800/ 880-6896) offers rooms
starting at $45 a night in the off-season from May1 to December 14; and $55 a
night from Dec. 15 to April 30.
TM
The lure of Hawaii,
the paradise that Mark Twain knew as the
Sandwich Islands, draws all kinds of visitors, from
honeymooners and families to seniors and single tourists, and they all seem to come
back with their own favorite Hawaii travel secrets, whether their experiences were
of inexpensive vacation packages available in Honolulu, the small-town
atmosphere of the Big Island or the lush waterfalls of Kauai. I recently talked
to four sets of travelers, one a family with adult children, another family
with young children, a honeymooning couple
and a single traveler and asked them to share their favorite places and best memories of travel in Hawaii.
The only rule: they had to tell me about
the best value, the best memory and the best souvenir of their trip. 
"The trade winds blew and
the surf pounded all night," Tom remembers. "It was in a residential
area, a place I could imagine living so we didn’t feel like tourists,"
Irene said. "Every morning we swam in the ocean, then ate fresh papayas we
bought at an organic fruit stand." Best
Value: "On the road to the City of Refuge park we drove by a small
sign near the driveway, advertising homemade leis on the honor system. There
were $1.50 each and you put your money in a box nailed to a tree. So we bought
one each time we went by! Their lovely smell perfumed the car," said
Irene. Best Memory : "We got into the car soaking wet from a swim,
wearing sarongs and drove as the tropical wind blew our hair and bodies dry,
with Hawaiian music playing.
Later we watch the tropical sunset and suddenly saw the Green Flash on the
horizon for the first time, as we held hands." 
When Scott Carter and Deborah
Wylie took their children Morgan, Lauren and Derryl to Kauai,
they decided to stay in a setting right out of old Hawaii. The Waimea
Plantation Cottages are located on an old sugar plantation along the east coast
of Kauai, not far from Waimea. Tucked into a coconut grove, the cottages were once
home to sugar plantation workers.
"It reminded me of the old South Pacific," says Scott,
who had spent time in Fiji and other South Pacific sites more than 20 years
ago. "The palms, the wooden shutters, hardwood floors, the ceiling fans
and the simple pace were wonderful. We bought a CD of Hawaiian songs and played
them the whole time. The children played in the large grassy area under the
palms and we sat on the enormous terrace enjoying the tropical air." 
"A recurrent theme when I
chatted with other guests at the retreat was the power of the volcano spirit
named Pele. I also heard that the nearby volcano (and Pele) were very active at
the moment." "So I booked a
reservation on a Blue Hawaii sightseeing helicopter to feel Pele’s presence up close. And I did!" “As we flew
over one of the areas where the volcano was shooting cascades of fire and lava
into the air, the pilot played ancient chants on the headphones. I felt put
back in touch with a kind of primitive power." 
Michael and Madeline Kauffman,
their adult son Joel and his girlfriend
stayed in a condo owned by a friend in Princeville on Kauai. "I loved the natural beauty, the incredible
soft air." Says Michael. "It would rain but it didn’t matter. We
liked snorkeling, strolling through public gardens, swimming and riding in
a helicopter with no doors as it
swooped up the Na Pali Coast!" Best
Value: “Dinner at the Hanalei Bay Resort was expensive, but the food and
great view overlooking Hanalei Bay at
sunset made it a good value anyway.” Best
Memory: Swimming in the Queen’s Bath, a hollowed-out pool in the ocean on a
lava plateau, found off an unmarked trail outside Princeville. "You walk
over rough lava rocks, then slip into the smooth 20-foot pool and swim in peace
as waves crash all around you." Best
Souvenir: Some very reasonably-priced fabric with South Sea Island scenes
purchased from a fabric store in Lihue.