Hawaiian Island Cruise Tips And An Incredibly Fun Thing To See In Hilo: Show 37

09/17/13 • 38 min

The Hawaii Travel Podcast Show 37 for Tuesday September 17th 2013. On this episode we’ll talk about a fun Hawaiian Island Cruising adventure, and a super cool place where Hawaiian culture, history, and astronomy overlap. All that and more, on this episode of the Hawaii Travel Podcast.

Bonnie wrote in...

I just discovered and love listening to your Hawaiian podcasts.

My husband and I will be celebrating our 31st wedding anniversary with a Hawaiian Island Hopping Cruise.

I was hoping you can recommend a “not to miss” highlight at each location. We will have a rental car:

Hilo

Kona

Maui – Kahului

Kauai

There are two overnights, and we will rent a car one day – hoping you can recommend a beach where we can chill and snorkel on the other days. (We will have our own gear)

Overnight:

Maui – Kahului

Kauai

2 extra days in Honolulu (no car)

Hilton Alana Waikiki Hotel

Thanks so much

Bonnie

Our “must sees” for:

Hilo

Richardson Beach Park. Sheltered from heavy surf, this is a great snorkeling black sand beach with lots of turtles. Black sand beach.
Hilo Farmers Market. Open every day of the week Awesome venue right in downtown Hilo with local food, art, and crafts.

Kona

Alii Drive. There are many famous sights to see as you make your way down from one end of the Drive to the other (make sure to stop and enjoy a nice dinner on the drive as you watch the sun set into the ocean)

Maui – Kahului (overnight)

Io Valley State Park. The Io Needle and a hike through the park is an absolute must for Kahului.
Hookipa Paka right near Kahului is a wonderful place to chill and take in the surf/watch windsurfers. A snack at Paea is also ideal after a nice day on the beach.

Kuai (overnight)

Tunnels Beach is probably the best spot for snorkeling.
Dan recommends checking out, Kilauea Lighthouse, also on the north end of the island.
And, we couldn’t help this, but take a walk on the beach and see Hanalei by moonlight

Honolulu/Waikiki

Diamond Head hike and Waikiki Beach. For only two days and no car, we recommend enjoying Waikiki and Diamond Head, both are not to be missed on Oahu. They are iconic for a reason!

IMILOA

600 Imiloa Pl
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 969-9700

A unique place where Hawaiian culture, history and astronomy collide. This place is great for everyone. Imiloa features exhibits on the Hawaiian creation myths, historical explorations, a Planetarium, and a Native Garden. Definitely a great introduction to Hawaii and will give you a deeper appreciation for the place.

IF YOU LIKED THIS, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!

CREDITS:

Hawaiian Cruise photo by rengel134
Richardson Beach Park photo by michaelwfreem
Alii Drive photo by kahunapulej
Kilauea Lighthouse photo by Scott Ingram Photography
Imiloa photo by hawaii
Hanalei Moon song courtesy of Dennis Pavao

Bonnie wrote in...

I just discovered and love listening to your Hawaiian podcasts.

My husband and I will be celebrating our 31st wedding anniversary with a Hawaiian Island Hopping Cruise.

I was hoping you can recommend a “not to miss” highlight at each location. We will have a rental car:

Hilo

Kona

Maui – Kahului

Kauai

There are two overnights, and we will rent a car one day – hoping you can recommend a beach where we can chill and snorkel on the other days. (We will have our own gear)

Overnight:

Maui – Kahului

Kauai

2 extra days in Honolulu (no car)

Hilton Alana Waikiki Hotel

Thanks so much

Bonnie

Our “must sees” for:

Hilo

Richardson Beach Park. Sheltered from heavy surf, this is a great snorkeling black sand beach with lots of turtles. Black sand beach.
Hilo Farmers Market. Open every day of the week Awesome venue right in downtown Hilo with local food, art, and crafts.

Kona

Alii Drive. There are many famous sights to see as you make your way down from one end of the Drive to the other (make sure to stop and enjoy a nice dinner on the drive as you watch the sun set into the ocean)

Maui – Kahului (overnight)

Io Valley State Park. The Io Needle and a hike through the park is an absolute must for Kahului.
Hookipa Paka right near Kahului is a wonderful place to chill and take in the surf/watch windsurfers. A snack at Paea is also ideal after a nice day on the beach.

Kuai (overnight)

Tunnels Beach is probably the best spot for snorkeling.
Dan recommends checking out, Kilauea Lighthouse, also on the north end of the island.
And, we couldn’t help this, but take a walk on the beach and see Hanalei by moonlight

Honolulu/Waikiki

Diamond Head hike and Waikiki Beach. For only two days and no car, we recommend enjoying Waikiki and Diamond Head, both are not to be missed on Oahu. They are iconic for a reason!

IMILOA

600 Imiloa Pl
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 969-9700

IF YOU LIKED THIS, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!

CREDITS:

Hawaiian Cruise photo by rengel134
Richardson Beach Park photo by michaelwfreem
Alii Drive photo by kahunapulej
Kilauea Lighthouse photo by Scott Ingram Photography
Imiloa photo by hawaii
Hanalei Moon song courtesy of Dennis Pavao

Previous Episode

Big Island Honeymoon Ideas: Show 36

The Hawaii Travel Podcast Show 36 for Tuesday September 10th 2013. On this episode we’ll talk about Big Island Honeymoon ideas, and Nina wrote back with an update on her excellent Oahu water adventures. All that and more, on this episode of the Hawaii Travel Podcast.

OAHU SNORKELING

Listener Nina wrote in with an update on her trip...

Hey guys I just got back from my trip and I had a great time! What ended up happening is we went to Kailua for 3 nights then 3 nights in Laie then 4 nights in diamond head. Thank you for giving me advice and I took it! I went snorkeling at Hanauma bay and that was so awesome and almost magical! I even got to see a turtle up close! And since I was staying on the San Suci beach I went snorkeling there too! Another place I went was more on the north shore while we were staying in Laie, called sharks cove. I highly recommend it! What I think is unique about it is that it is so deep and is thick with fish! I think I like sharks cove best because at Hanauma bay we went at low tide and was constantly scraping my belly. What I like about sharks cove is that it is so deep u won’t be stepping on the coral. And remember the podcast where you talked about the humuhumunukunukuapua’a grunting if you cornered it? I heard it! There was even a tall rock that me and my cousins jumped off of! That was about the extent of snorkeling that I did! I did get a chance to see the aquarium and saw the monk seals! And when I was in Laie there was one right outside in the water by my house! So that was cool! Sadly I didn’t get to do the water jet pack thing but if I did get the chance to I am not sure I would have so Dan good job!! And thanks so much!

-Nina

We talked about how beautiful Shark’s Cove is and shared a link to an in-depth website about Shark’s Cove. http://www.hawaiisnorkelingguide.com/sharks_cove.html

SEA TURTLE ABUSE

We wanted again to share the telephone numbers for Sea Turtle and other sea life to report abuse.

To report an injured, stranded, or entangled marine mammal (i.e. whale, dolphin, seal) in trouble, please call the NOAA Marine Mammal Hotline: 1-888-256-9840
To report marine mammal or sea turtle disturbance or legal violation, please call the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement Hotline: 1-800-853-1974 and then call DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) statewide hotline: 643-DLNR (3567)

BIG ISLAND HONEYMOON IDEAS

Listener Bill sent the following email...

We have an upcoming honeymoon to the Big Island (spending 7 days in Kona and 3 days in Hilo). I have been listening to older podcast and taking notes (as well as reading several travel guides). Do you have any specific tips or recommendations?
Thanks,
-Bill

STARGAZING ON MAUNA KEA

Nothing says romance more than star gazing. Jennifer shared a unique idea – Stargazing On Mauna Kea...

Watching the sunset at the summit then stargazing at the Visitor Information Station of Mauna Kea is an amazing, once in a lifetime experience. The skies are dark and the stars are visually stunning. As much as stargazing on Mauna Kea is an special experience, but you need to be prepared. First, take a look at your rental car agreement- most companies say not to drive on Saddle Road (the road that goes to the mountain), so keep that in mind. The road is steep, windy, and rough. So even if you are allowed you may feel nervous driving yourself. There are some licensed tour operations that will take you, which is another option. If you want to go to the actual summit, you will need a 4X4 vehicle and keep in mind- again- the road is treacherous in places- so you may want to skip this part and just do the stargazing from the Visitor Station unless you research and get a solid plan in place.

Another thing to keep in mind is the weather. It is cold on top of the mountain! Bring a coat and extra clothing you can put on if you get cold. You can find the official forecast here: http://mkwc.ifa.hawaii.edu/forecast/mko/index.cgi

IF YOU LIKED THIS, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!

CREDITS:
Stargazing On Mauna Kea photo by LoveBigIsland

Sharks Cove photo by wallyg

Next Episode

Oahu Photography Tours And Nude Beaches On Hawaii: Show 38

The Hawaii Travel Podcast Show 38 for Tuesday September 24th 2013. On this episode we’ll talk about Oahu Photography Tours, and we’ll play an interesting voicemail question that came in . Plus we’ll discuss our fun new contest. All that and more, on this episode of the Hawaii Travel Podcast.

HAWAII NUDE BEACHES

Listener Cy called our voicemail with the following question:

Hey guys, this is Cy in Levittown, New York and I will love listening to your show every week, and I and a bunch of my buddies are all planning a visit to go to Maui and the Big Island sometime next year, maybe February or March, and we’re going “au natural” as you would say, and we would really love to get a list from you of your ranking of the best nude beaches on both of those islands. My friends and I have a saying “no prudes, just nudes”. Any suggestions you have there Dan would be helpful. And also, while you’re at it, Dan we saw that you’ve done this really neat thing with the water jet pack. And we’re just wondering if they have anything like that down and on the big time. So, thanks from side of it sounded your work and hopefully we’ll, get the here you here ourselves on your podcast. Thanks. Bye.

Being nude at a Hawaii beach is illegal, or maybe legal. In other words, the law seems murky and unclear.

http://nudistnaturistamerica.org/nudity-laws-by-state

Also, here is a link to the top nude beaches in hawaii at Huffington Post.

LUAU CONTEST

Win Two Free Passes To Germaine’s Luau!

The too good to miss luau, Germaine’s Luau on Oahu has teamed up with The Hawaii Travel Podcast to give some lucky listeners some complimentary passes to the ultimate in Hawaiian style fun, the famous all all inclusive Germaine’s Luau.

Regular listeners know how much we love Germaine’s Luau, and we are excited to share it with two lucky listeners right now.

That’s right. Two listeners will enjoy escorted transportation from Waikiki in air-conditioned buses.

They’ll each receive 3 beverage coupons and you’ll be able to enjoy Mai Tais, Blue Hawaii’s Pina Colada, ChiChis, Lava Flows and more.

After drinks you’ll be able to enjoy a true all you can eat feast featuring Kalua Pig, Chicken with long rice, Deep Fried Island Fish, Teriyaki Beef, Lomi Lomi salmon, Fried Chicken, Poi, and honestly, even more stuff we don’t have time to mention, but it is all good and its all you can eat!

And then you’ll enjoy a spectacular Polynesian Revue with the thrilling Fireknife dance.

This is a great time, and is always a highlight, and we are so thankful Germaine’s asked us to be part of this give away.

Absolutely! So let’s get into the contest, right now we’ll give away two complimentary passes for Germaine’s Luau to a random person who can answer the following trivia question.

According to Hawaiian mythology, who is the goddess of snow, who lives high atop Mauna Kea and is the arch enemy of Pele?

We’ll pick a random winner from all the correct responses emailed to [email protected]. Your answers and entries must be received no later than 12PM EST October 7, 2013. Winners will be announced after the drawing.

Sorry, no employees of The Hawaii Travel Podcast, or any of its global subsidiaries, divisions or sub-corporations are eligible.

OAHU PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS

Mara and Jonathan sent us a great email...

Hi guys, we just came home from Oahu and had the best time. My husband and I wanted to share one thing we did that turned out to be the highlight of our trip. The Oahu Photography Tours. You can read more about them at http://www.oahuphotographytours.com/

They have several tours. The one we ended up doing was the Sunrise Tour. Our next visit we will do The Full Moon Tour.

Our guide, Alex, was a professional photographer himself and was helpful in pointing out the best angles and knew the best spots to take pictures that we would never have found on our own.

I am a good photographer but my husband is not the best and his pictures usually turn out blurry. But, we were pleased that we each were given a tripod to use. His pictures turned out great.

My hubby and I each picked out our favorite pictures and are going to CostCo to have them enlarged and framed.

-Mara and Jonathan from Santa Rosa, California

Contact them at 808-679-1938. GREAT IDEA!