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My Favorite Hawaii

By Judy Babcock Wylie

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.

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