Merrie Monarch Hula Festival started

Aloha to all our Hawaii lovers,
When publishing the April 2012 Big Island Events, the biggest Hawaii event was without any doubt the 2012 Annual Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in Hilo. The hula festival started officially yesterday April 8th Easter Sunday with a Ho'olaule'a at the auditorium behind the Stadium with lots of music, food and fun. Be aware that this was just the opening of a week-long festival of cultural events including Hawaii's most prestigious hula competition.

The Merrie Monarch Festival announced changes in the statewide coverage of its hula competition. The Merrie Monarch Hula Festival was first televised in 1981 on KITV (channel 4). That's where Keoki and I would always watch it. The high definition TV broadcast event is now moving to KFVE (channel 5). The 2012 Merrie Monarch Festival TV show will be a perfect way to internationally promote Hawaiian culture. When you are a hula fan like us, you can follow the show live via Internet streaming when are in Hawaii or thousands of miles away. It's a program which touches your heart and your soul and wants everybody to come back to Hawaii.

Merrie Monarch Hula Festival Miss Aloha Winner 2011

Enjoy the hula with Tori Hulali Canha



For all our current Hawaii visitors, the Merrie Monarch Festival offers lots of free events displaying Hawaii cultures and traditions like the crafts fair which starts on Wednesday, with incredible fresh Hawaiian leis and unique Hawaiian crafts in the building adjacent to the Stadium. The Wednesday hula performance is very special because it is a FREE hula exhibition night at the Stadium which begins at 6:30 pm. For the following Hula performances, tickets are needed. Normally, tickets are sold out way in advance but this year I could not find out from the Merrie Monarch website whether there are still tickets available.

Wishing you a unique experience with the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival 2012 in Hilo, live at home or at the Hilo location. Your Merrie Monarch Hula festival comments are most welcome. We' d love to hear from all our hula lover friends. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacation

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Tags: Merrie Monarch Hula Festival

Kahunas in Hawaii

E komo mai to all of our Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors!

Those of our Hawaii visitors who are coming back again and again to the Hawaiian Islands, respect the aina (land) and its people, make themselves knowledgeable about the Hawaiian culture and history, are familiar with the Hawaiian word 'kahuna'. Kahunas in Hawaii are experts in a certain field such as religion, health, crafts, science, psychology or magic.

In our days the word 'kahuna' is used in many ways. Sometimes it seems people without any traditional Hawaiian knowledge use the word 'kahuna' or claim 'kahuna' or 'big kahuna' for their legitimating that website and information is closely associated with the Hawaiian culture. The 'Kahunas in Hawaii' search results in Google reflect that more than anything else.

Keoki and myself consider a Hawaiian healer/expert health professional or a minister/priest a Hawaiian 'Kahuna', a person who is a recognized expert by their Hawaiian community in their field. There is no school or college which can grant the title 'Kahuna' to a healer because of his expertise in a given field. It is the joint recognition by his Hawaiian community which makes him or her a 'kahuna'. All the Hawaiian Islands have their 'kahunas', some times well-known all over the islands.

When you ask long time residents of Hawaii Big Island about the healer Papa Auwae, there is no doubt that they will refer to him as a 'Kahuna'. His expansive knowledge of Hawaiian herbs and treatments made him not only a well-known Kahuna in Hawaii but way beyond the islands. Honolulu Star Bulletin wrote "Papa Auwae was best known as a kahunala'aulapa'au, an herbalist, knowledge he learned from his 107-year-old great-great-grandmother'. He died in 2001 at age 94.

A big group of students who followed his teachings when he was still alive, are practicing today what they learned from him. When healer and kahuna Papa Auwae died in 2001, the Hawaiian Islands lost one of their most respected 'Kahunas'.

It takes a very long time to gain knowledge and healing expertise as Papa Auwae had accumulated over a life time. The title 'kahuna' was well in place for him. Keoki and I are very proud of having known him and having experienced his healing first hand. For all those who'd like to learn more about those who continue Papa Auwae's teachings, please, read the journey of inheritance or about Kahuna, Kumu and Kapuna in Hawaii read Hawaii Relationship Healing

So when coming to Hawaii on a search for a Hawaiian kahuna healer, take your time to talk to the Hawaiian people and communities, they will direct you to the right 'kanuna'. If you already know of 'Kahunas in Hawaii', we would love to hear from you about your personal experience.
A hui hou. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Tags: Hawaii culture Kahunas

Best Hawaii Vacation Articles Updated

Dear Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors,
It's about time to update our Hawaii blog data regards our Best Hawaii Vacation articles. Our main purpose to do so, is making it easier for our blog visitors to find on the blog the Hawaii vacation information they are looking for. Don't forget the CATEGORIES in the bottom of the side bar and the GOOGLE SEARCH BAR ( in very bottom of each blog page) for searches within our Hawaii vacation blog, will always be your biggest help.

Here is our update on 'Best Hawaii Vacation Articles' according to page visitors:

How to have a great Hawaii vacation and Save Money

Hawaii Summer Vacation Special 2012
10 Best Hawaii Vacation Tips

What you need to know about your Best Hawaii Vacation

Hawaii Weather Today
Best Sun Glasses for Hawaii Vacation
Which Hawaiian Island is your Favorite
Best Time to Visit Hawaii

Things to do in Hawaii

8 Best Maui Vacation Tips
Best Oahu Activities
5 Best Hawaii Ironman Tips
3 Best Tips for getting married in Hawaii

Places to stay in Hawaii

Best Hawaii Sunset Photos
Is it a good time to buy a Maui Condo?

Hawaii Island Life

4th of July in Hawaii
How to move to Hawaii with Pets
Christmas in Hawaii
Is Hawaii a Good Place to live?

Tags: Best Hawaii Vacation articles, By Best Hawaii Vacation Blog

What is next on the Kohala Coast?

If your mind is set on visiting the Kohala Coast after reading about our Hawaii vacation Summer Special 2012, today's guest post by our good friend Bill N. Jardine, from Big Island Buyers' Brokers will be more than intriguing to you.

Bill has been living and working as a realtor on the Kohala Coast on the Big Island for many decades and has frequently shared his valuable knowledge about the Hawaii real estate market. Hawaii's housing market, prospects and developments of the future are of interest to all of us. Today Bill looks at the huge potential the Waikoloa plains area (see Bill's photo) has for further big changes on the Kohala Coast. So what is next on the Kohala Coast?

Will the Waikoloa plain area be the next big housing growth development on the Kohala Coast?

"The advent of February in Waimea means that the winter is half over and we should be seeing some Kona rains moving up the parched slopes of the vast Waikoloa plain that stretches from the Kawaihae Road on the north to the lovely Hualalai Ranch many miles to the south. This great sweep of pasture lands, pictured above, lies stretched over the surface of the greatest collection of fresh water in the Hawaiian archipelago. For hundreds of thousands of years the freshest water on earth has wended its way deep into the geological labyrinth created by successive layers of hard and soft lavas as the astonishing bulk of Mauna Kea grew like a geological onion until well above the clouds!

Mauna Kea may be the most spectacular volcanic structure known to man. The dry pasture lands of Waikoloa actually are the open door to Hawaii’s future. This vast open area with spectacular weather and drop-dead sunsets was designated over 50 years ago by the Governor Burns Administration as the only place where Hawaii can grow freely and well without the constrictions of water and energy scarcity. It is quite remarkable!


At the southern end of the Waikoloa pastures the steep slopes of Mount Hualalai reach into the clouds, yet not far below the mountain’s wrinkled skin a great, pulsing engine of magma throbs! Now that we need a safer source of geothermal electricity, Hualalai is a natural choice. Additionally, Hualalai is closer to an ideal jumping off place for an inter-island power cable as well. I expect we will be hearing much more about geothermal energy and Hualalai in the future.

We are now facing the retirement of the Baby Boomers, and of course you have all read about that phenomenon. However, it is a good thing to think about the impact it may have on the State of Hawaii. If just one-percent (1%) of the Boomers retire to Hawaii we will need to build new retirement housing for 70,000 people! That is right … 1% equals 70,000 people. Yikes! There is only one place in the State that can handle that pressure, and it is Waikoloa. In fact, there are over 2000 homes already approved for construction, waiting in the wings for demand to rise.

During the course of my lifetime I have seen the shift in economic attention from the smaller Islands to the Big Island. Think of the great things that are going to happen in Hawaii over the next few decades. West Hawaii will be the center for all of that, and you or your kids may want to be a part of it all. A hui hou, Bill N. Jardine, Big Island Buyers' Brokers"

Much mahalo Bill for your thoughts and knowledgeable insights regards the future of our beloved Kohala Coast. If the future of the Kohala Coast and Hawaii is in your hearts and on your minds, please leave a comment. Mahalo and aloha, Pua & Keoki Hawaii Vacations

Tags: Hawaii housing development on Kohala Coast, Kohala Coast future projects

Hawaii summer vacation Special 2012

The New Year 2012 is here and plans are made everywhere for a Hawaii Summer vacation. A Hawaii summer vacation Special in January? you ask. Yes, yes, just wait what we at 'Best Hawaii Vacation blog' have to offer this time.

When we heard a few days ago from one of our Kohala Coast Vacation Guide hosts with his plan to offer his luxury Kohala Coast vacation home located in prestigious gated Kohala Ranch of the Big Island NOW in January for the unbelievable rate of $375/nt. (regular $605/nt.) - 38% off the regular rate -we decided this Hawaii Summer Special is too good to keep it a secret.


Please, be aware that this Hawaii summer vacation Special on the Kohala Coast is an EXCLUSIVE OFFER on Kohala Coast Vacation Guide ONLY!


This designer furnished 3 Bd/4.5 Ba Kohala Coast vacation rental home with solar heated salt water swimming pool is located north of Kailua Kona Hawaii on 5 acres in the gate protected four-thousand acre Kohala Ranch. The home and property provides absolute privacy with an amazing unobstructed ocean view. The Kohala and Kona coasts of the Big Island of Hawaii offer some of the finest beaches, golfing, deep sea fishing and scuba diving in the world. This Kohala Ranch vacation home is minutes from one of the Conde Nast Traveler top ten beaches in the world.


The world famous Mauna Kea Beach and Hapuna Beach resorts and four world-class golf courses are within 10 minutes drive of the home. The house is situated on a bluff with an unobstructed ocean view, the coastline, Mauna Kea mountain and Maui. Whale watching in Hawaii is one of the most popular Hawaii activities. The expansive views from the Kohala Coast vacation home offer prime viewing in the winter months for spectacular sightings of the migrating whales.


The Kohala Coast home is 35 minutes from the Keahole-Kona airport with direct flights to Kona from San Francisco and Los Angeles or with many other flights per day via Honolulu Airport. If you are interested in this Hawaii vacation summer special on the Kohala Coast, please, send us an email with 'Summer Special' in subject line. Include your travel details + your phone number. Our Kohala Ranch host is looking forward to hearing from you and so are we. A Hawaii vacation summer special in January? Priceless! Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacation


p.s.
Current vacancies as of 4/15/12 for 3 Bd/4.5 Ba Kohala Coast Luxury Home which apply for Hawaii Summer Special at 38% OFF:
5/1 - 5/28/2012
7/1 - 7/8/2012
8/21 - 8/24/2012
September 2012
October 2012

Tags: Hawaii Summer Special Kohala Coast, Kohala Coast 2012 Summer Special

Hawaii Christmas 2011 Last Minute

Jack Frost has a tight hold of most of the Mainland in December, no wonder you are dreaming of a warm Hawaii Christmas 2011. A last minute Hawaii visit would be the way to go, you think. Last minute Hawaii vacations have happened in the past. I have seen them but its not in the sense of a last minute "Special" or "Deal". There are no Hawaii last minute Christmas deals for the budget traveler who is waiting for them.


The term "last minute" relating to Hawaii Christmas only relates to somebody making up their mind to make it to the Hawaiian islands late notice for Christmas. OK, you definitely have a chance to find a nice Hawaii vacation rental or even a Hawaii hotel over Christmas - cancellations happen all the time - but the biggest issue is getting a Hawaii plane reservation last minute. Even at the much higher holiday airfare rates, planes bound for Hawaii for Christmas are filled to the last seat. It will be like winning the lottery to make it on a plane to Hawaii.

Another challenge will be finding an available car rental on the islands. The car rental supply on the Hawaiian islands is limited. However, if you are totally committed to a Hawaiian Christmas vacation last minute then Honolulu may be your best choice, with more rental cars available and a great bus system for getting around the island.

Mele Kalikimaka from Pua and Keoki Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
Toshua from Wahine Style Girls in Hawaii wishes all our blog visitors Mele Kalikimaka.

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Tags: Hawaii Christmas, Christmas Hawaii last minute

3 Reasons for Star Watching in Hawaii in December

Do you love to watch the stars in Hawaii? Hawaii star watching has some astronomical fireworks ready for you this December. We are warmly welcoming back Gerrit, our expert on watching the stars in Hawaii who first attracted your attention when writing his guest post about how to 'Watch a meteor shower in Hawaii'. So please, keep reading Gerrit's 3 reasons for star watching, when you will be visiting Hawaii next month.

3 Reasons for Star Watching in Hawaii in December

"Stargazing is often the best excuse if you don't want to go to sleep at night, but venture out on a memorable adventure. The Big Island of Hawaii is especially well suited for stargazing adventures because of its clear and dark skies. The best optical observatories of the world are built on the Big Island for a reason. Here are 3 reasons for you to go out and stargaze at night on your Hawaii vacation. Don't forget to take some pupus (pupu: typical Hawaiian picnic snacks) and picnic blanket + pillow or beach chair to recline in.

Watch total lunar eclipse in Hawaii December 10th

Lunar eclipses are not as rare as most people think. There are 2 to 4 lunar eclipses every year, but these eclipses are not visible from every location and are not always 'total' ('total' means that the complete moon becomes eclipsed). The December 10th 2011 lunar eclipse is a total eclipse and is perfectly visible from Hawaii (as well as from most of the United States)! The total lunar eclipse of December 10th 2011 will be visible from Hawaii during the early morning hours, as the moon sets in the western sky. The eclipse duration is 51 minutes, with the moment of greatest eclipse at 04:31 Hawaiian time. Because the moon will be low on the western sky the best place to watch this event is on the west coast of the Big Island.

For more information on this lunar eclipse, watch this two minute lunar eclipse video with a great lunar eclipse song ("moon dance" by Jim Morrison)



Watch Geminids Meteor Shower in Hawaii December 14th

Meteor showers are a spectacular event to watch, with dozens of shooting stars visible each hour during their peak. Regular readers of Best Hawaii Vacation Blog probably remember the meteor shower article on the delta aquarids meteor shower of July 2011. I also recommend the lovebigisland meteor shower guide for and trivia good background information on meteor showers.

December 14th you have another chance to watch a meteor shower. This time the Geminids will light up the sky and give you a chance to make some wishes. Unfortunately, the moon is still almost full on the 14th (full moon is December 10th, during the lunar eclipse). The way around this is to avoid the moon and watch the meteor shower before the moon rises above the horizon. This happens on 21:59 on December 14th, which means that any stargazing that night is best done after sunset but before 10p.m.

December 21st: Southern Solstice - midwinter night

Last but not least there is the southern solstice. A solstice happens twice a year, and marks the time when the sun reaches the lowest (southern solstice from Hawaii) or highest (northern solstice from Hawaii) point on the sky. This also means that the shortest day and longest night in 2011 on Hawaii fall on December 21st. Solstices get really interesting on the polar circle, where the sun never rises during the solstice in wintertime, and never sets during the solstice in summertime! This won't happen on Hawaii but you can celebrate the fact that from December 21st on and for 6 months, the days will get longer again and the sun will keep getting higher on the sky (which means she will get stronger and warmer). What is a better reason for a celebration!"

Again mahalo Gerrit for this great information on star watching in Hawaii. Gerrit is an often returning visitor to the Big Island and writes for lovebigisland and the lovebigisland blog. Lovebigisland.com promotes sustainable tourism and has a special focus on astronomical events on Hawaii.

We love to hear from you and your Hawaii star watching adventures. Hope this Hawaii star watch post will trigger your curiosity for a Hawaii star watching outing this December. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Tags: Best Hawaii Events, Hawaii Star watching