Friday, October 26, 2007

Best Halloween in Hawaii in Lahaina on Maui

    Ghosts, goblins and fairies in Hawaii for Halloween? Oh, yes, you bet. When you are staying at one of our Hawaii ocean front resorts for your Hawaii vacation, you might not get too 'haunted' - maybe just with a special Halloween dinner - but when staying at one of the many Hawaii vacation rental homes, which are much more part of Hawaiian communities, villages and towns, be prepared for the 'Trick and Treating' crowd!

    And with Hawaii weather being mostly nice and warm, get ready for a long Halloween evening starting to give out candy around 6pm and lasting till 9pm when the older kids are still roaming the streets of the neighborhood. We would always advise our vacation rental guests to take a break from the Halloween 'extravaganza' and enjoy a dinner at a local restaurant before getting challenged by more trick or treaters.

    Speaking of Hawaii Halloween extravaganza, there is one which has become famous over the years - Halloween in Lahaina on Maui! This Maui Halloween celebration has been a tradition since 1990, with each year attracting more spectators. Guys, this is not the regular trick or treating costume crowd for kids.

    Just like on the Mainland, Hawaii Halloween shows a trend to attract the adult crowd for partying in crazy, scary Halloween costumes. Between 20,000 and 30,000 Maui residents and visitors show up for Lahaina Halloween wearing their best costumes. You can still buy a scary Halloween costume at LahainaHalloween online for Maui's Front Street Halloween Celebration.

    Best Hawaii Halloween in Lahaina on MauiThe Lahaina Halloween fun starts at 4:30pm with the children's costume parade. Come early for getting a parking space not far from downtown Lahaina, where the Halloween Costume Contest begins at 7pm in Banyon Tree Park with lots of food and beverage booths (bring your designated driver or spend the night at a downtown hotel!) along with Halloween crafts and live musice on two stages.

    Want to see goblins, ghouls, fairies and Frankensteins dancing together in the streets, don't miss the Maui Halloween. Admission is free! Make sure to bring your camera and snap those fun photos of your Halloween party on your Maui vacation. IFlyGo.com offers for Hawaii visitors from other islands a Halloween flight special from Honolulu, Lehui and Kona to Maui for $19 one-way. Hurry before it's too late. Sale ends tonight.

    We would love to get some Hawaii vacation photos from your Lahaina Halloween party to show to our blog visitors. Your comments are welcome too. Have a great Halloween in Hawaii. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
    p.s.
    For more information about Halloween in Lahaina, call the visitor center at 808-667-9193 or the Lahaina Event Hotline at 808-667-9194, or go to VisitLahaina.

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Best Halloween in Hawaii in Lahaina on Maui


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Tuesday, October 23, 2007

When is the Best Weather for Hawaii Vacation?

    With fall weather taking over the mainland, winter is closing in, brrr, and makes everybody long for some warm weather in Hawaii. We can't blame you. When running our Hawaii vacation rental business, the most often asked questions were "Where are the best beaches?" and, equally important, "When is the best weather for our Hawaii vacation?" And guess what these are still the most asked questions by people who are planning their Hawaii vacation.

    When people finally make their dream of a Hawaii vacation come true, everybody wants to stay next to the beach, most favorably, to see the sun set over a splendid Pacific Ocean and going to sleep to the whisper of palm trees and the soothing sounds of the waves hitting the shore. And if the Hawaii ocean front resorts are beyond your budget, you want to be at least a short drive from your hotel or vacation rental to the beach. We do understand!

    Same applies to the the weather! You worked hard to make this special vacation in Hawaii happen. You deserve the best weather when you finally make it to the Hawaiian Islands and breathe the Hawaiian air, which is different all together to where you are coming from...full of sweet fragrances of tropical flowers, tender with warm breezes and caressing your 'white' body with warm sunshine. To enjoy all of that, you want to make sure that you visit Hawaii at a time or season which guarantees you the best weather for your Hawaii vacation.

    Let's talk about the weather some more. Here is what we Hawaii residents use to say when waking up in the morning to this gorgeous day of blue skies and beautiful sunshine "Another beautiful day in Paradise. We are soooo blessed!" And believe it or not, we say that all year round! BUT...as with everything in life, there are exceptions to the rules. However sorry we feel for those guests who experience the rare bad weather in Hawaii - and we do feel sorry - but at the same token, our plants and flowers need the rain to thrive and show their full beauty. Sprinkler systems are not the same as the rain from the sky!

    Hawaiian FlowersWith the 'snowbirds' getting ready for their Hawaii vacation over Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, our busiest season lasting actually all the way into March, let's see what's the weather like over Christmas in Hawaii, generally! As summer can be really hot in Hawaii and the ocean has warmed up to bathtub temperatures, the summer crowd are the families with children who have to plan their Hawaii vacation around the kids' holidays from school. Fall and Spring weather in Hawaii promises nice warm temperatures, with probability of rain and sprinkles. Hey when it's raining where you are staying, drive a few miles up or down the coast, you will be amazed how different the weather can be there. The Hawaiian Islands have their own microclimates. Look for the sunshine, and in most cases you will find it.

    OK Christmas in Hawaii is soooooooo special, even more so when you left a state where it was freezing temperatures or nasty cold rainy Mainland weather. It's like a time travel. Christmas in Hawaii is like an ongoing dream. You see the same Christmas decorations with trees, and gingerbread houses or toy railroad tracks for the kids to watch but the temperatures are warm and pleasant. Early mornings might require a sweater but as soon as the sun is up, you want to just get in your bathing suit. Well, be aware that our winter months in Hawaii December - March are, meteorologically speaking, the ones with the highest probability of rain but who cares, not the vacationers, we noticed. The air is still warm and the rain will pass. Actually, tourists still keep sitting in the warm jacuzzi with drizzle rain on their heads talking about what the weather is like at home. They know, rain or not in Hawaii, they have their best Hawaii Christmas vacation. There is no place like Hawaii!!

    Mauna Kea Beach view from Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

    We are looking forward to your comments, residents or Hawaii visitors. Let us know what your experience about the Hawaii weather is. Our Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors appreciate your feedback. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Affordable Vacation Rentals
    p.s.
    Christmas weather brings high surf to all Hawaiian Islands, more so to the north shores. Be really cautious. Before going out snorkeling or diving, read first our Hawaii Diving Tips from a scuba diving expert!

    Hawaii Weather Related Articles

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Sunday, October 14, 2007

Tips for Snorkeling and Diving in Hawaii

    Aloha and welcome back to Best Hawaii Vacation blog,

    Since we got you all excited with our recent invitation to a Big Island vacation with beautiful photos of places to see when on vacation on the Big Island, we thought this guest post about one of the Best Things To do on Hawaii Vacation, snorkeling and diving in the Hawaiian waters, fits right in.

    We feel honored and grateful that one of the most experienced Hawaiian scuba divers, Bobbie Sullivan, is sharing her expertise and knowledge & love for the ocean and marine life with our blog visitors. Bobbie Sullivan has been diving for more than 30 years, and is a PADI certified Divemaster. She lives on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii and writes about the ocean and diving on her website The Right Blue. Her diving stories are touching and educational, and her ocean life photos magnificent, just like the marine life photos in this post, which were also taken by Bobbie. So let's take a Dive with Bobbie:

    "Tips for Snorkeling and Diving in Hawaii" by Bobbie Sullivan

    "I once saw a sticker in a souvenir shop that said “The best half of Hawaii is under water.” While that may be a little bit of an exaggeration in light of all the wonderful things to see and do in Hawaii, it is true that the reefs along Hawaii’s shorelines certainly are magical.

    Whether you are a veteran diver or a novice snorkeler, you are virtually guaranteed to see things in Hawaiian waters that you have never seen – and won’t see -- anywhere else in the world. Because the Hawaiian islands are geographically isolated, something in the neighborhood of 20% of the fish species and marine invertebrates in Hawaiian waters are unique to the islands.

    Lined Butterflyfish (species name: Chaetodon lineolatus) – the largest butterflyfish species found on reefs in HawaiiSince Hawaii has so many unique marine species, you might enjoy having a way to identify them. Dive shops, souvenir shops, drugstores and stores like WalMart and K-Mart sell full-color plastic fish and creature identification cards. They are inexpensive, and can be taken to the beach or into the water. They are a nice keepsake of your diving or snorkeling adventure in Hawaii, as well.

    Basic snorkeling gear can either be rented from dive shops, or purchased inexpensively on every island. Scuba equipment is available for rental to certified divers. Be sure to bring your certification card with you!

    Dive shops and tour operators throughout the islands offer organized diving and snorkeling adventures by boat. Snorkeling or diving with an organized group offers several advantages. You will be taken to prime sites where you are most likely to see the best variety of marine life, and you will be supervised to ensure your safety. Most of these operations offer basic instruction to beginners as well. The price for such an excursion usually includes gear rental and a snack or lunch.
    Red Pencil Urchin (species name: Heterocentrotus mammilatus) – colorful urchin commonly seen in shallow waters on Hawaii’s coastlinesIf you choose to venture into the water on your own from shore, it’s a good idea to stop by the nearest dive shop first to chat, to learn which places are the safest and most interesting for snorkelers and divers. Some dive shops even provide free maps showing the best locations for shore diving or snorkeling.

    When you arrive at the shoreline, take some time to just watch before you enter the ocean. Note where other people are entering and exiting the water, especially if there is any surf. Many visitors to Hawaii have little experience with the ocean, and do not understand how powerful even small-looking waves can be. They can knock you down or push you into rocks or coral. It’s always safest to enter the water in areas where there is little or no surf.

    We always recommend that snorkelers and divers cover up when they enter the water. If you don’t have a dive suit, wear a long-sleeved tee shirt over your bathing suit. It will protect you from sunburn while snorkeling, as well as from scrapes and cuts should you accidentally brush against some coral or a sharp rock – something that happens more often than you might think! Wear a high ‘SPF’ waterproof sunscreen on the beach, on the boat, and in the water.

    When you dive or snorkel in Hawaii, please do your part to help preserve this unique marine environment. Remember this slogan: Take only pictures, and leave only bubbles. Don’t stand or walk on the coral. Don’t take any coral or shells as a souvenir. Don’t feed the wildlife. Don’t chase, touch, or try to pet the critters. Not only do they bite, many species are protected by law and penalties for harassing them can be stiff. And please do pick up all of your trash when you leave the shoreline: If it doesn’t grow there naturally, take it with you when you leave.

    Have a wonderful time in the ocean in Hawaii, and stay safe."

    Much mahalos again Bobbie for these great tips for diving in Hawaii. We hope you can come back another time with one of your exciting dive stories. Allow me to to share with our blog visitors just one of my favorite posts on your blog about Myrtle, the turtle. Divers-to-be, have fun reading!

    Til next time. Aloha, Pua Kohala Coast Vacation Guide

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Monday, October 8, 2007

Hawaii Photos from Best Hawaii Vacation

    Best Hawaii Vacation blog invites Hawaii visitors to get a glimpse of all Hawaiian Islands with our Hawaii photos taken by renowned Honolulu based Hawaii stock photographer Jennifer Crites.

    After the big success of our article 'Get a Tour of Hawaii with Hawaii Photos' we decided this is the way to go. We did not want to squeeze a few Hawaii photos in the blog sidebar. In order to show you the beauty of each Hawaiian Island with all the fun places to see on your Hawaii trip, we have to make up individual photo pages for Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai and the Big Island. A photo speaks 1000 words.

    The first step is taken. Get a Taste of your Big Island Vacation with Big Island photos.

    Get a Taste of your Oahu vacation with Oahu photos.
    Get a Taste of your Maui vacation with Maui photos.
    Get a Taste of your Kauai vacation with Kauai photos.

    Coming soon. So bookmark our Hawaii Blog or subscribe to our feed or email for getting the information about the upcoming Hawaiian Islands photo tours. Mahalo and aloha, Pua
    Hawaii Vacations

    1/2/08
    FYI: The complete Hawaii photo posts for all the islands are still on Best Hawaii Vacation agenda. As those posts are quite time consuming and take special dedication, we decided in the meantime to introduce Hawaii photos in our Hawaii photo of the week, which you can find under the following categories:

    Oahu Photos
    Kauai Photos
    Hawaii Big Island Photos
    Maui Photos

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Hawaii Photos from Best Hawaii Vacation


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Sunday, October 7, 2007

Get a Taste of your Big Island vacation with Big Island photos

    This blog post is sponsored by Big Island Vacation

    Dear Best Hawaii Vacation Blog visitors,
    It's so great to see you guys coming back to our Hawaii vacation blog for getting some ideas for your next vacation on the Hawaiian Islands. For those, who even consider moving to Hawaii for good, we hope our guest article from Hawaii realtor Bill Jardine was of interest for you making your decision to buy a home or condo in Hawaii now or later.

    For all those who have never been to Hawaii and plan a Hawaii vacation sooner or later, we are excited to introduce our new blog project about introducing all the Hawaiian Islands to you with a special Hawaii photo tour of the island. We had this great response to the general Hawaii photo tour. Everybody enjoyed that.

    Now, Best Hawaii Vacations joined forces again with renowned Hawaii photographer Jennifer Crites from Honolulu to introduce each island with island specific photos. We hope our Hawaii Islands photo tours will help you make your decision which Hawaiian island is your favorite to visit. Let's get the show started with our Big Island vacation photos:Visit Hilo, Hawaii Big Island
    Hilo is the second largest city in the State of Hawaii according to census figures, but to most visitors, it’s a charming country town fronting a pretty bay ringed with many parks. Best known of these is Liliuokalani Gardens, with its arched bridges, gazebos, statuary, bamboo grove and beautiful ponds.
    Rainbow Waterfalls in Hilo
    Hilo is also known for its rain, which feeds Hilo’s Wailuku River and Rainbow Falls, a popular destination just above the town off Waianuenue (‘anuenue’ is Hawaiian for ‘rainbow’) Avenue.

    Akaka Waterfalls, Hilo, Hawaii Big Island
    A few miles above Hilo on Highway 19, a four-mile scenic route takes you to Onomea Bay and lush Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens, where walking paths lead you past waterfalls, an orchid garden and a cornucopia of tropical plants.

    Nearby you’ll also find Akaka Falls State Park. Traversing the wooden walkways is half the fun, but when you reach Akaka Falls, you’ll be mesmerized watching the 442-foot waterfall cascade into a rainforest pool of mist and mystery.


    Parker Ranch, Waimea, Big islandFollowing Highway 19 inland will take you to the cowboy town of Waimea where horses and cows graze on green pastures carpeting gently rolling hillsides, rodeos are common, and the Parker Ranch Shopping Center sports Stop signs that say ‘Whoa.’

    On the dryer side of Hawaii’s Big Island, where famous King Kamehameha was born and spent much of his time, are two heiau, or temples, made notable by this powerful man. Puukohola (meaning Hill of the Whale) at Kawaihae was built by Kamehameha. He was told that if he built this human-sacrificial temple in honor of his war god Ku, he would be victorious over all the Hawaiian Islands. A promise that proved true.

    Heading north, you’ll have to search to find the road that leads to Mookini Heiau, another temple important to Kamehameha the Great. Unless you’re in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, when you reach the end of the road at the ocean, you’ll need to make a 3-mile roundtrip walk to the temple.
    North Kohala, Pololu Valley, Hawaii Big IslandThe Big Island’s most northern point is Pololu Valley where the road ends. Most visitors just enjoy the view from the lookout, but it is possible to walk down the steep trail to the valley floor.

    Mauna Lani Beach Resort, Kohala Coast, Big IslandMany visitors spend a great deal of their vacation at one of the luxurious resorts along the sunny Kona and Kohala Coast of the Big Island. And why not. These resorts offer every comfort and a host of activities. There are wide golden-sand beaches like the one at the Mauna Lani Resort.
    Waikoloa Beach Resort, Hilton Waikoloa Wedding, Kohala Coast, Hawaii Big Island
    The Hilton Waikoloa offers an inviting swimming and boating lagoon capped off with a stunning waterfall. You can even walk under the waterfall to, say, have your wedding photo taken.

    Waikoloa Beach Resort, A-Bay BeachOn the beach side of the Marriott Resort, there are trails laced with ancient Hawaiian artifacts and a once-royal Hawaiian fishpond fringed with stately palm trees. It’s the perfect place to photograph one of the Big Island’s stunning sunsets.
    Kona Coffee, Kailua Kona Coffee Farm,Big IslandIn South Kona, on narrow winding roads, you’ll pass through the region known for producing delicious Kona coffee. There are a number of coffee farms here. Most offer tours and coffee tasting, so enjoy.
    Punaluu Black Sand Beach, East Coast, Hawaii Big IslandHeading further south, as trees get shorter and the road passes through fields of lava, you’ll know you’re in Volcano Country. Punaluu black sand beach was formed from lava that reached the ocean, cooled and then broke into tiny fragments over the years. It’s the most accessible of all of Hawaii’s black sand beaches, and if you’re lucky, you’ll see Hawaiian green sea turtles frolicking in the waves just offshore. It’s also a great place to cool off on a warm Hawaiian day.
    Puna Tidepools, Big Island
    Rather than cooling off, if you’d like to take a dip in a fresh-mixed-with-saltwater pool that has been heated by volcanic activity, head for Ahalanui, a very popular thermal pool in Puna, on the Big Island’s South shore.
    Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
    Most visitors to the Big Island look forward to seeing the world’s only drive-by volcano at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The park is full of many interesting activities including a volcano museum, sulfur pits, lava watching (if the park guards say it’s safe), the Thurston Lava Tube, and Kilauea Caldera, where some people leave flowers wrapped in ti leaves as offerings to the fiery volcano goddess Madame Pele.

    Devastation Trail, Hiking Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Big IslandDon’t miss a walk on Devastation Trail where, even though plants are growing back around the edges, the desolate area testifies to the power of an immense volcanic lava flow.

    Hope the Big Island photos by Hawaii photographer Jennifer Crites awakened your interest in a Big Island vacation. If you have any questions, we are here to answer. Please, stay tuned for our upcoming photos for your vacation on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Molokai.

    A hui hou. Pua Best Hawaii Vacations

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Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Visit Hawaii through Hawaii Blog Carnival

    Visit Kona Kohala Coast luau on your Hawaii VacationDear Best Hawaii Vacation blog readers,
    Today we are happy to report that our Hawaii Blog ohana is steadily growing. Remember when we invited you to visit our First Hawaii Blog Carnival of Best Hawaii Vacation where we introduced other Hawaii blogs. It was fun to show you what other bloggers have to say about Hawaii, events, things to do to make your visit your best Hawaii vacation. We all have a different approach, which makes blogs much more exciting and entertaining than a regular website.

    Well, here we go. Evelyn from Homespun Honolulu took for the second time the challenge to host her Aloha Blog Carnival. It is amazing how many new Hawaii blogs developed in the meantime. More impressive though is the huge variety of blog posts you can find there related to Hawaii, life, culture and heritage. Let's name a few blog article topics:

    Unique McDonalds food in Hawaii, Photos from the Aloha Festival Events 2007, Blog Post about the wonderful Maile Lei, Highway Inn in Waipahu, Where to eat on Kauai, Renting a 4-wheel drive on Lanai, Puako Shorelines, Tidepools and Turtles and much more like our post about the upcoming Hawaii Ironman 2007.

    I had a great time reading this Hawaii Blog Carnival. My favorite article was the Kalalau Trip Report, a hike to the Napali Coast on Kauai with fascinating photos. Sorry guys I did not include a link here because I would like you to read and choose your own favorite stories about Hawaii. Go visit Hawaii and get a glimpse of it with the Aloha Blog Carnival NOW.

    A hui hou. Aloha Pua Best Hawaii Vacations

    Check our FALL SPECIALS for your trip to Hawaii for Thanksgiving vacation. Thanksgiving week is high season in Hawaii. Don't wait, book now.
    p.s.
    If you are currently contemplates buying a home or condo in Hawaii you got to read our most recent blog about 'Will falling prices of Hawaii Real Estate attract new home buyers?' Admitted, our Hawaii real estate market analysis was written by an experienced Hawaii realtor and yes, his advice sounds common sense and right on but in the end you got to make the decision what feels right for. So, watch the Hawaii real estate market closely. What sells (and at what price) and what doesn't. Wishing you good luck for making the right move at the right time. To buy or not to buy that is the question.

    Related Articles

    First Hawaii Blog Carnival from Best Hawaii Vacations
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