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

How to watch a meteor shower in Hawaii

Dear Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors,

After celebrating our 5th Hawaii Blog birthday, we are happy to share another guest post with our Hawaii visitors. Hawaii will experience a special 'fireworks' in the night skies tomorrow, Friday night. Gerrit from BigIslandHawaiianVacation shares with you his Hawaii meteor shower guide:

Best Meteor Shower of the year in Hawaii

"Friday will be your best shot this year to see shooting stars burn in the Hawaiian night sky as the Delta Aquarids meteor shower reaches it peak.

Normally the mid-August Perseid meteor shower steals the show with on average up to 60 shooting stars per hour during its peak. This year however, the full moon will outshine all but the brightest of the Perseid Meteors, which forces those of us with a long wish list to turn to another shower.

Luckily, the Delta Aquarid meteor shower is a worthy contender. It may not be as active as the Perseids, but the peak of the Delta Aquarids coincides with the new moon coming Friday (July 29th). On top of that you will also be able to see the first of the Perseid meteors as the shower slowly starts building up to its (poorly visible) peak on August 13th. The combination of these two showers with the new moon make Friday the best night of 2011 to watch a meteor shower in Hawaii. Expect to see up to 15-30 shooting stars per hour against a clear and dark sky.

What are shooting stars or meteor showers

Meteor showers happen as Earth plows through the trail of debris that is left in the wake of a comet. Because our planet moves with the incredible speed of 90,000 miles/hour, all swept up particles quickly burn up in the atmosphere as a shooting star.

What is the best time to watch the meteor shower in Hawaii

You can see shooting stars during any time at night. However, you can see by far the most meteors after midnight. This has everything to do with the rotation of the Earth. Between midnight and sunrise Earth's rotation has brought you on the leading edge of our planet, and Earth can sweep up many more meteoroids!

How to watch a meteor shower in Hawaii

Comfortable meteor watching is best done with a reclining chair or a blanket to lie down on, because you will be looking up for a long time. Bring a pillow for your neck and find an as dark spot as possible. Once installed sit back, relax, and allow 15 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the darkness. As with all Meteor showers around the globe, the best time to watch the meteor shower in Hawaii is the early hours before dawn."

Much mahalo, Gerrit, for this guest post about meteor showers in Hawaii. Big Island visitors and everbody else who is preparing for watching the meteor shower tomorrow night in Hawaii, will find great tips on 'What to pack for watching the meteor shower in Hawaii' Don't forget your wish list when you are preparing for your long night out tomorrow. Make a wish or two or three...aloha, Pua HawaiiVacations
p.s.
Don't tell us your wishes but tell us when and where you watched a meteor shower in Hawaii.

Tags: Watch a meteor shower in Hawaii, Hawaii meteor showers

Dolphins in Hawaii - A Hawaii Big Island Dolphin Story

Dear Hawaii vacation lovers,

Remember the 'mantra' we have about our Best Hawaii Vacation blog? It's all about sharing our love with Hawaii and its people with Hawaii visitors. It's those unique Hawaii stories which we hope will awaken your curiosity about the Hawaiian Islands, ancient Hawaii culture of its people and flora and fauna.

So meet a new Best Hawaii Vacation blog guest author today: Lisa Weber! Lisa lived in Hawaii for 14 years, mostly in Puna and Hilo on the Big Island. She traveled extensively with her family to every island of Hawaii and talks about her trips on her site andHawaii.com, exploring every beach and waterfall and cool-sunset-viewing-spot she could find. Here is Lisa's story about her personal encounter with wild dolphins in Hawaii:

Kayaking with Dolphins, On Their Terms - A Big Island of Hawaii Story

"Let me tell you a story about one of the most awesome experiences of my life. It happened in 1998 or 1999 at a deserted cove on the Big Island of Hawaii.My husband and I were camping. We had a four wheel drive and we liked to explore the island, so we undertook a several mile trek over old lava from Highway 11 to the ocean on a lava road in the area of Manuka in Kau.

Now, when I say road, I actually mean crudely-beaten-down-path. Basically, there was a huge field of lava, and over several years, slightly-crazy people in lifted, beaten-up 4 wheel drives drove on this lava field to the ocean, taking the way that looked the easiest, and eventually a sort of path was visible to the eye. I know we contributed to the beating down of the path with the bottom of our jeep several times as we bounced and scraped.

So, at the bottom, we had the area all to ourselves. There was a rocky cove area that will probably be a nice beach in a few hundred years, a very large heiau (ancient Hawaiian temple), and a nice grove of Kiawe trees over to the left that made shade for a campsite. This is where we set up, but we had to be careful because Kiawe thorns on the ground were big enough and sharp enough to go through the sole of any tennis shoe or slipper.

Shortly after we set up the campground, we took down the kayak from the top of the jeep and launched it into the water. As soon as we were about 20 feet away from shore we were suddenly surrounded by dolphins. They came from nowhere and literally surrounded us. They were everywhere. My husband and I were actually a little scared, not because they were aggressive, but because they were sooo energetic, and most of their energy seemed focused right on us. This was our first close-up experience with dolphins in the ocean and we weren't sure what to expect.

Imagine ... there were 15 to 25 dolphins, and they were surrounding us. They were obviously Hawaiian Spinner dolphins because several of them jumped out of the water and spun straight up, 5 or 6 feet up in the air. They would dart beneath the kayak, then spin jump up on the other side, and splash us as they came down, then they would turn around and dart beneath us again, and do it again on the other side.

There were two babies in the group that we saw, and the babies would try to jump like the adults, but they didn't have the strength or ability yet, because they would only make it about a foot or two out of the water before splashing back down on their sides. They were very cute, and absolutely wonderful, these baby steps ... or baby jumps.

So, this went on for about 15 minutes, and then the pod made their way out of the cove. It's like they came cruising past the cove, saw us, and said to each other something like "let's go show off," or "let's go say hi." Sometimes I like to think that they were introducing the baby dolphins in the pod to humans, saying "these are humans, that's what they look like, they get all excited when they see us. They are mostly good and fine, just use good judgement about whether to get close to them or not.

We had a camera with us, but it was one of the first digital cameras ever, or maybe one of the first ones we could afford, so it didn't take very good pictures, and we forgot to take pictures for the first 10 to 15 minutes anyway. We just floated there with our mouth open saying "oh my gosh!" "look at that!" "Did you see that?!" "ooooooohhhhh!" "amazing!" and other more colorful things.

It was truly an amazing and awe-inspiring experience that I will never, ever forget. We talked about it long into the night, trying to sustain that feeling of awe and wonder for as long as possible."

Much mahalo, Lisa, for this wonderful Hawaii dolphin story. To everybody of our Hawaii visitors who is wondering whether they can still experience such an encounter with the dolphins today, we say 'Yes, you can'! Maybe not with the first try but with the right preparation, patience, commitment and the right place, our unique Hawaii nature is at your finger tips. Hawaii is full of wonders, like our wild dolphins, waiting to be discovered by you on your Hawaii vacation! Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
We invite everybody who wants to read more unique articles about Hawaii to visit this month's Carnival of Aloha put together by Evelyn from HomespunHonolulu.com: from 'A Love Letter to Lanai' to 'President Obama's vacation home at Kailua Beach on Oahu and much more.

Tags: Best of Hawaii, Hawaii stories, Hawaii dolphin story, Wild Dolphin encounter in Hawaii

Which island is your favorite Hawaiian Island?

E komo mai and welcome Hawaii visitors,
Today, we are back to the same old question which Hawaiian island is your favorite - this is where you can find what other Hawaii visitors have to say about their favorite Hawaiian island - or in other words 'Which Hawaiian island should you visit for your best Hawaii vacation?'

I actually answered that question in detail in Yahoo answers some two years ago. Here is an updated version of 'Favorite Hawaiian Island':

Most everybody who visits Hawaii for the first time is getting overwhelmed and confused, yes confused too, by figuring out which Hawaiian island they should visit first. When you limited your Hawaii visit choices to 2 islands, you are already a step closer to your final destination in Hawaii. That makes things a little bit easier.

Here is what I recommend you to do before making your final decision. Think about and determine what it is you expect from this 'first Hawaii visit or vacation'! It's all about your expectations what to want to see and to do in Hawaii and how much money you can spend for your Hawaii vacation.

When asking fellow Hawaii travelers for their favorite island, you will hear all kinds of different answers and reasons. It's good to hear those but it does not help you solve your problem, unless they love exactly the same things you do. So 'word-of-mouth' is not necessarily working in your situation.If somebody gave you advice to make yourself knowledgeable about those 2 Hawaiian Islands for your best Hawaii vacation. I agree. That will help. However, here are my suggestions for choosing your Hawaii vacation island.

Book your Maui Hawaii vacation when/if

1. your are a surfer - Maui is a surfer's paradise
2. like lots of white sand beaches
3. are young + like nightlife + don't mind crowds
4. prefer ocean view rental and don't mind a condo

Book your Big Island Hawaii vacation when/if

1. you love adventure - 'live' volcano, snow in Hawaii (Mauna Kea summit)
2. love laid back Hawaii with quiet beaches: white or black or green
3. like a peaceful Hawaii vacation Big Island Vacation Guide
4. love healing vacations: spas, alternative healing vacation

Book your Kauai Hawaii vacation when/if

1. you like laid back Hawaiian atmosphere - not too touristy
2. you love green tropical scenery - Kauai is the Garden Island
3. you don't mind some rain from time to time
4. you look for affordable ocean front or view condos

Book your Oahu Hawaii Vacation when/if

1. you have to switch planes in Honolulu anyways
2. you have never been to legendary Waikiki Beach
3. you want to see the crazy surfers on North Shore
4. you want to discover the old laid back Hawaii
5. you want to learn more about Pearl Harbor

Be aware that I am totally generalizing. Best you complete my lists with finding pros and cons which apply exclusively to you. All those who went through this process before are invited to share their favorite Hawaiian island with our first-time Hawaii visitors.

Hope this gets you on the right track. Have fun contemplating your options. Have a great Hawaii vacation. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacation

Tags: Favorite Hawaiian Island, best Hawaii island, visit Hawaii

Secrets of Hawaii - Hawaii Blow Hole Diver

Aloha to all our Hawaii visitors,

Yes, the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon is special, unique and fascinating but wait till you have watched our today's you tube video. It will take your breath away, just like the surfing of Hawaii monster wave video, which we posted recently on 'Hawaii Special Tweets'.

Twitter is still a big secret to me with all the possibilities to connect with like-minded bloggers and twitterers. I am on the steady alert for those Hawaii tweets, which our Best Hawaii vacation visitors might love to read or see. Here is one youtube Hawaii tweet which I came across from @Aimforawesome just last week on Twitter. To tell you the least, it is more than aweome. It's about Hawaii blow holes, a secret not many Hawaii visitors know about, unless they visit the special area and location where the blowhole location is.

However, this is not 'just' one of the many blow hole videos from the Hawaiian islands. It's about a blow hole diver. Yes, you read right. Blow hole Diver it is! Somebody diving into this narrow blow hole with the strongest ocean current you can imagine. Here is what the guy who posted the blow hole diver video on youtube said with it. This makes it even more mysterious, spectacular and absolutely unique:

"I walked up to look over the edge of a blow hole, forty plus feet deep. The ocean comes in and out of it through a keyhole cut into the cliff side. A local guy sees me, walks up and out on a rock ledge-claps his hands twice, makes a prayer, and times his jump with an incoming wave. At first I'm not sure where he's at and then he shows up on the ocean side of the sea cave, swims back in and waits for a surge to catch a rock to climb up and out like a spider man."

The video was taken at the blow hole at South Point of Hawaii Big Island in June 2009. To tell you the truth Keoki and I have never been there in all our many years of living in Hawaii. My online research also showed that each year people even die for their curiosity to see the blow hole action close-by. As ocean surf on a beach is not predictable, the same applies to the blow activity, which can easily blow as high as 30ft at winter surf and get visitors by surprise. We recommend for your safety to view the Hawaiian blow holes from a safe distance or lookout.

If our youtube blow hole diver video does not satisfy your fascination with Hawaii blow hole videos, I found 25 video clips of Hawaii blow holes on Maui, Kauai and the Big Island on Ocean Footage like the famous Halona Blowhole on Oahu, Sandy Beach blow hole on Maui, Spouting Horn on Kauai or South Point Blow Hole on the Big Island. BTW, blow holes developed on the volcanic Hawaii islands by lava tubes running into the ocean and at high surf ocean water is forced through the tube and pushing it out to the top with great pressure, sometimes up to thirty feet high. I found an interesting article about Hawaii blow holes on this Hawaii website.

Any Hawaii blow hole adventure to share with our blog visitors? We'd love to hear from you. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Tags: Secrets of Hawaii, Hawaii vacation, blog holes Hawaii

Hawaiian Island Hopping

Aloha everybody,

As you might remember, from time to time we answer questions about travel to Hawaii on Yahoo answers, especially when we feel a Hawaii traveler is looking desperately for knowledgeable assistance and not just the blabla answers which often happen in online forums. So our most recent participation was about somebody's question about island Hawaii hopping.

The answers how to do island hopping when on Hawaii vacation were basically the following: 1. island hopping in Hawaii is only feasible through becoming a Hawaiian Airline employee, 2. booking a Hawaiian cruise or 3. just don't do island hopping and stay on Kauai for your vacation.

We did not want to leave this person or other Hawaii travelers in a lurch, especially since many visitors to the Hawaiian Islands consider 'hopping' to the Big Island for a visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to watch a live volcano. Here is what we recommended for Hawaiian island hopping:

"Here is the good news. Island hopping has become affordable again. Mokulele Airlines offers some decent flight rates and Hawaiian Airlines - their recent rates were beyond reasonable - just followed suit and lowered their interisland rates to $61 one-way between Honolulu and all major Hawaiian airports. New Interisland rates started 11/19/2008.

However, don't now get carried away and try to island 'hop' 3 or 4 islands. I always recommend to start with two and visit the other two on your next vacation. After that, you will have fallen in love with one of the islands and return to that one on future Hawaii visits.

As a lot of flight specials are currently offered for flying from the Mainland to Honolulu, why not take advantage of those special deals and stay for 3 - 4 days in Honolulu. Visit famous Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head, Hamauma Bay Beach, Pearl Harbor and watch surfers tackling the crazy winter surf on north Shore. You might even be able to get around without having to rent a car, as Honolulu has a very well developed public bus transportation service at an affordable price.

Then take off to the Big Island for a 4-day visit. Stay north of Kona on the sunny Kohala Coast where the best white sand beaches, Hapuna and Mauna Kea beach are. Relax and enjoy. Then take time for adventure. Plan carefully so it does not become a chore: Mauna Kea summit stargazing, visit to Waipio Valley on your way to Volcano, stop at Akaka Waterfalls, get a glimpse of Hilo and make it to your final destination, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Ever since January 2008, our live volcano Kilauea has been more active than ever and Big Island visitors cannot get enough of the spectacle. Bring video camera, camera and appropriate clothing - for Park at over 3000ft elevation warm clothing, for sea level firm shoes and lighter clothing - and don't forget lots of water and sunscreen.

How does that sound for your Hawaii island hopping plans? Hope this sounds like a good idea to you. Have fun in Hawaii. Aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

p.s.

Last but not least, Volcano vacation rental owners offer you great discounts when visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park beginning December, before the high season starts.

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Sailing the Hawaiian Islands

Aloha to all our Best Hawaii Vacation visitors,
When we noticed that there is quite a number of visitors who want to get away to sunny Hawaii from rainy November weather on the Mainland, we decided to give these guys some help with our post 'Fly to Hawaii in November'. A few of our 'Best Places Hawaii Thanksgiving 2008' are still available. But remember restaurants and beaches are really busy during Thanksgiving week in Hawaii. But hey choose the other November weeks, and you will be king on the beach and other Hawaiian activities which book fast in advance like Whale watch or snorkel tours!

Today we welcome a new author to our Hawaii blog writers' guild of Hawaii lovers. It's Captain Howard from Kona 'Sail Holy Grail'. Everybody who loves sailing, whether himself being the sailing captain or going on a sailing cruise, might want to book a sailing charter boat after reading his 'Sailing the Hawaiian Islands' article.


Just a few words about Howard before going sailing with him. Sailing has been Captain Howard's passion since he was a teenager. Reading all the classic stories about crossing oceans in small boats inflamed his desire to do the same thing. Over the years, Howard has crossed the oceans a number of times. He holds a U.S. Merchant Marine Officer Master license for 50 tons, sail and power. I guess we've found us the expert about sailing in Hawaii:

"Ahoy Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors,
It has happened! The first humpback whales of the season were spotted a little earlier than normal on October 9. The excitement took place in the afternoon offshore of Honokohau Harbor when sailing aboard Holy Grail, on our gentle and steady Kona breezes gliding through our calm waters.


Sailing is ideal for Whale Watching as the gentle giants are not frightened by our approach. Kona is especially well suited for sailing as the waters are so protected from Hawaii’s sometimes boisterous trade winds, which generally blow from the northeast. Kona and Kohala are on the West side of the Big Island, so you can see that the fetch of ocean swells that roll across the pacific onto Hawaii’s shores break mainly onto the Hamakua (east) Coast, creating spectacular shoreline views.

During Whale season, which varies from as early as October to as late as April a whale encounter might occur at any time of the day. It is calmer in the mornings, though, which makes it a little easier to see whales in the water. They have a characteristic "footprint" on the water, as their great mass causes sort of a slick when they rest just below the surface. They may "breach," or hurtle nearly out of the water, or slap their tails one or more times, or you may just see the hump or a pectoral fin come up. Whatever you see, it is a great thrill as they are 50 feet or longer, about the length of our sailing boat.

We are often asked, “what if there are no whales that day. What will we see?” Kona has quite a bit of nature on view. Today, I dove right in the harbor to check our mooring chain and was greeted by a huge green sea "Honu," Hawaiian for turtle, visible right from the deck. You might see any of several varieties of dolphin, or pilot whales, or jumping schools of "Aku," skipjack tuna feeding on schools of small fish. You can be certain that the view of our island from just offshore will inspire and delight. Aloha and good sailing in Hawaii, Captain Howard and Admiral Stephanie, Sail Holy Grail"

Much mahalo Howard and Stephanie for sharing the fun of Hawaii whale watch from a sailing ship. A sailing charter seems like a great idea for a private family outing on a unique vacation in Hawaii. As usually we'd love to hear from visitors who sailed the Hawaiian Islands. Have you ever booked a Hawaiian sailing charter and how was it? Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

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Tags: Hawaii, Hawaii sailing, best of Hawaii, Whale watch, Hawaii whale watch, sailing charter

Kayaking in Hawaii

It was our pleasure to publish all our Best Hawaii Vacation Blog guest authors recently. We hope to hear from more Hawaii blogs and Hawaii tourists with their exciting articles about vacation in Hawaii. Thanks for checking back what our Monday Hawaii photo of the week is all about. Our Hawaii photographer Jennifer Crites from the island of Hawaii and renowned travel writer - read here one of her recent articles for the University of Hawaii magazine 'Malamalama', quite a different outdoors experience compared to Hawaii - chose a photo showing an outrigger canoe and its crew paddling along Oahu's shore.

Outrigger canoes have been proved to be a stable and save transportation means between the Hawaiian islands in the history of the Hawaiians. These days, the outrigger canoes are used for recreation, sports or races. No wonder that most of the coastal areas and marinas have their own canoe club like the Kawaihae Canoe Club or Waikoloa Canoe Club on the Kohala Coast dedicated to promoting the art and sport of Hawaiian canoe paddling. The Hawaiian canoe clubs are definitely for Hawaii residents who live close to the the ocean and love to engage in ocean sports on a social level. That's why many prefer the 4-seater or even the 8-seater canoes.

Our Big Island neighbors Sammy (paddler) and Ed (coach) have been and still are such dedicated paddlers. This is how we first heard about the challenging paddling canoe race 'The Molokai Hoe' which is a 41-mile open ocean race that launches from Hale O Lono Harbor on Molokai and ends at Duke Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, Oahu. In addition to all the Hawaii outrigger canoe club teams, there are more than 1,000 canoe paddlers from Tahiti, Japan, Singapore, Italy, Australia and California.

Moloka'i Hoe (read a book about the race), begun in 1952 for men and Na Wahine O Ke Kai, in 1979 for women. Listening to our neighbors' stories each year, we have the deepest respect for those who accomplish this race through the unpredictable Moloka‘i (Kaiwi) Channel that has a well-deserved reputation as one of the roughest interisland channels in existence!

Believe us paddling the Molokai channel takes lots of practice, skills and strong physique. When you visit Hawaii and love the ocean and kayaking, we recommend to book a Guided Kayaking Tour. The kayak guides know the special area where they take you out and are CPR, First Aid and Lifeguard certified. The ocean condition can change in an instant. Always wear a life vest, no matter what a great swimmer you are.

The fun part of a Guided Kayak Tour is that tours combine a regular kayak tour with Snorkel, Whale Watch or Turtle encounters and help you encounter the rich wildlife and beauty of Hawaii. We have put together a list of a few Kayak companies for the different islands. We are not claiming the are the best Hawaii Kayak Tour companies. We've found them just through the appropriate search. Please, make sure when using their service that they are providing Kayak tours which are safe and exciting:

Maui Eco Tours provides kayak and snorkel, whales and snorkel, easy fun for kids, encounter with sea turtles. Another Maui Kayak company is Maui Kayaks which offers guided kayak tours to small groups by experienced and enthusiastic certified kayak guides.

Big Island Kayak Their guided trips are all inclusive: guides, instruction, snacks, drinks, gear and transportation . Another Big Island kayak tour company is Aloha Kayak in Kona They also provide kayak & snorkel instruction, gear, guide, & drinks & snacks.

Kayak Kauai offers a special Kayak Tour to the Na Pali Coast to the experienced kayaker. Encounter dolphins, tropical birds and if lucky, Monk Seals. The kayak tour includes lunch and rest at Miloli'i beach, you can swim, beach comb, and visit an old Hawaiian fishing heiau.

Too bad that the Hawaii YouTube video about the 2007 Molokai Hoe race has too many blackouts. But the following video about another outrigger canoe shows the challenges of ocean canoe racing very impressively. Have fun paddling in Hawaii! Aloha Pua Hawaii Vacations

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Tags: Best, Travel, Hawaii, Hawaii video, Best of Hawaii, Hawaii Kayak

Horseback Riding in Hawaii on the Big Island

Aloha Hawaii lovers,
Good news everybody! Some more Big Island adventure is coming your way, beyond Humpback Whale Encounters in Hawaii and Big Island Hula Festival. Joanne, one of our dedicated blog visitors, is back with another great story about her Hawaii vacation. Last time, she told you all about her Oahu Vacation and what she recommends visitors to see and to do on Oahu. Today it's quite an entertaining story about her horseback riding experience in Hawaii. OK here is what Joanne Sala from California has to say about Horseback Riding in Waipio Valley of the Big Island.

"One of the things I love about going on vacation is experiencing new adventures that are outside my comfort zone. I don’t know about you, but I get caught up in my day-to-day life. My work days are long and my weekends tend to be filled with social obligations with family and friends. I rarely make time to go for a hike, or God forbid, do anything really wild like scuba diving or whitewater rafting. So when the opportunity arose to go horseback riding in the Waipi’o Valley while we were on the Big Island, I jumped at the chance.

The Waipi’o Valley is tucked into the northeast side of the island along the Kohala Mountain chain. A mile wide at the coastline and nearly six miles deep, the valley has soaring cliffs reaching almost 2,000 feet with dozens of waterfalls cascading over them. Seeing this magnificent place for yourself is one of those oooh-ahhhh moments.

My husband and I booked a tour with Naalapa Stables. They have an office about 10 miles outside of Honoka’a where you pay for the tour and ride in their van to reach the horses in the valley below. As we were driven past the magnificent Waipi’o Valley overlook, then down the hill’s steep, twenty-five percent grade, I couldn’t help but notice all the warning signs absolutely forbidding anyone to drive down the road unless you were in a 4-wheel drive vehicle.

A twenty-five percent grade doesn’t sound like much on paper, but when you’re the passenger in the shotgun seat of an ancient, creaking workhorse of a truck, you’d get a little freaked out too. I tried to distract myself by looking out the window at the blue, blue water below as we pitched ourselves deep into the valley floor. A sign inside the van read, “tips appreciated,” and right then I knew our driver handsomely deserved one each time he down-shifted those groaning gears and navigated his way through the steep hairpin turns.

Once we arrived at the stables we were assigned horses according to our skill level. It was then that I realized, I don’t even like horses! I’m a neurotic city girl with allergies to everything. Now I was going to have to sit atop this massive beast and actually try to get it to obey me. As I swung my leg over the saddle and grabbed the reins, it dawned on me I was hoping for a gentle Disneyland-type ride where I didn’t have to do much, except sit back and enjoy the scenery. Thankfully, two experienced guides led our group. With just a bit of prompting, my horse somewhat obeyed my tentative commands, though she did stop to eat grass and drink water from the flowing streams we crossed whenever she felt like it.

As our knowledgeable paniolos led us around the valley and shared the area’s history and ancient Hawaiian lore with us, we crossed several streams and meandered down verdant trails for nearly two hours. The air was warm and loamy and reminded me of the fishing trips I used to take with my dad when I was a child. Despite my fear of having to “steer” the horse, there was plenty of time to sit back in the saddle and just appreciate the beauty of the taro fields and gaze at the breadfruit, orange and lime trees surrounding us.

As our tour was coming to an end, one of the guides, who was riding atop a young, energetic horse, decided to move quickly ahead and take a short cut through the trees and over a narrow stream. My horse, not caring what I wanted, quickly followed and ran us through the trees at a fast gallop. She was about to jump over the stream when I felt my seat rise out of the saddle. Suddenly my whole body was in forward motion. I was seconds away from being thrown head first off my horse. I stood up in the stirrups and quickly pulled back on the reins before she made the leap. Whoa! The horse stopped suddenly and I plopped back down in the saddle. Whew. Disaster averted. It scared the hell out of me, but that’s what I came for, wasn’t it? A little adventure."

Joanne, much mahalo for sharing your Big Island horseback riding adventure with our blog visitors! We loved your story and are sure our blog audience will love it too. Furthermore, we hope that this is an incentive for other Hawaii visitors to tell us about their vacation adventures. We can't wait to hear from you. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Hawaii Vacations

Tags: hawaii vacation, hawaii, big island, big island vacation

Visit Hawaii Aloha Festival Events on your Hawaii Vacation

This Hawaii blog post is sponsored by Affordable Hawaii Vacation

Aloha and welcome back at our Best Hawaii Vacation blog,
With the overwhelming response on our post interview about Hawaii photos with Honolulu based Hawaii photographer and Hawaiian travel writer Jennifer Crites, we are well aware that you are waiting for Jennifer's photo tips when on Hawaii vacation. Photo tips will be coming soon!!!

Today, we feel there is one huge Hawaii event which deserves the attention of our Best Hawaii vacation blog and all the visitors to Hawaii during the months of September and October...the Aloha Festivals have started! When speaking about best Hawaii events, the Aloha Festivals take center stage, more so because it's not a one island but Hawaii statewide event. Read more about the Aloha festival on our Aloha Festival post from last year.

So be prepared, even though September are generally low season months, you might run into some increased traffic depending on what Hawaiian island you vacation and at what location. As Aloha Festivals is Hawaii's premier cultural showcase, a celebration of Hawaii's music, dance and history intended to preserve the unique island traditions, it usually attracts a big crowd of visitors. Attending Aloha Festival events in Hawaii is not just big fun but also very educational to learn more about Hawaiian culture and heritage beyond the Hawaiian hula and luau traditions. Aloha Festivals is proudly presented by the Hawaii Tourism Authority & Hawaiian Airlines. We invite you to explore Aloha Festivals. Find out more on the Aloha Festival Events of the island where you are staying.

The island of Oahu started this year's Aloha Festival on August 24th when the Aloha Festivals king, queen, prince and princess assumed their place on the royal court. There are so many more Aloha Festival events going on on the island of Oahu at the moment. Best you visit our list of Oahu Aloha Festival Events to choose which event you would like to attend on your Oahua Vacation.

Aloha Festival on the Big Island get started at the end of August at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. So if you missed this year's opening event at Volcano Art Center's with the Hula Kahiko performance atop the stone hula platform overlooking Ka'auea Caldera in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, there will be another one next year. Big Island Aloha Festival events for September are too numerous, of huge variety and at different Big Island locations like Kona, the Kohala Coast Resorts and Hotels, Hilo and Volcano. We are certain you find an event close to your Big Island vacation rental.

If you are visiting Kauai, you still have a chance to attend the Kauai Aloha Festival opening at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa on September 06, 2007 at 4 p.m. Admission is free. You can buy tickets for the luaau which follows the ceremony.

For all Hawaii vacationers who have booked their trip to Maui or Molokai, those Aloha Festival events are taking place in October. View the events ahead of your island arrival to make plans what Aloha Festival event to attend Maui Aloha Festival Events October and Molokai Aloha Festival Events October

We decided to include a few of the upcoming Aloha festival events

Aloha Festivals Opening Ceremony & Lu`au - Kaua'i
Aloha Festivals Opening Ceremony & Lu`au - Kaua'iThursday, September 06, 2007 4 p.m.Grand Hyatt Kaua'i Resort & Spa - Seaview Terrace Opening Ho`okupu Ceremony
Song, dance and luau.

http://alohafestivals.com/v3/pages/events/event_detail.jsp?section=kauai&docid=191
Friday, September 07, 2007 7:00PMHilton Kaua'i Beach Kauai's best falsetto singers vie for a recording contract with Hula Records. Admission fee of $20.00; $15.00 with 2007 Aloha Festivals ribbon.

16th Annual Aloha Festivals Kindy Sproat Falsetto and Storytelling Contest-Hawai`i
Saturday, September 08, 2007. Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel at Mauna Kea ResortIn this Hawaiian musical art form, performers throw their voices into the upper registers of the musical scale, while combining the art of Hawaiian storytelling.

Annual Aloha Festivals Poke Contest - Hawai'i
Annual Aloha Festivals Poke Contest - Hawai'iSaturday, September 08, 2007 11:00am - 2pmHapuna Beach Prince Hotel at Mauna Kea Resort Celebrate "Hawaii's Soul Food". The contest includes amateur and professional chefs to bring their best poke dishes to the competition. After the judging, the public is invited to taste the creations. Admission is $5 with a 2007 Aloha Festivals ribbon ($5

Aloha Festivals Kaua'i Ho'olaule'a at Kukui Grove Shopping Center-Kaua`i
Saturday, September 08, 2007 10:00 AM - 3:00 PMKukui Grove Shopping Center Come and enjoy a wide variety of ethnic food booths, Makahiki games, and entertainment!

Lu'au Feast - Smith's Paradise Lu'au - Kaua'i
Wednesday, September 12, 2007 5pm Gardens Open and 6pm Imu CeremonySmith's Paradise Lu'au Gardens Special appearance by Kauai's 2007 Aloha Festivals Royal Court 6pm. Admission is $70.00; $65.00 with Aloha Festivals 2007 Ribbon.

Opening Ceremonies at ‘Iolani Palace
Friday, September 14, 2007 5:00pm'Iolani Palace
This officially marks the beginning of the Aloha Festivals events on Oahu. Traditional hula and chants introduce our O'ahu Royal Court on the grounds of the beautiful 'Iolani Palace. Free admission.

5th Annual E Hula Mai Kaua-Hawai`i
Friday, September 14, 2007 5pm - 9pmOutrigger Keauhou Beach Resorts Luau Garden Hula Palua, Couples Hula Competition: This unique hula event debuts at the Big Island's "E Hula Mai Kaua" hula competition.

14th Annual Ms. Aloha Nui Pageant-Hawai`i
Saturday, September 15, 2007 7:00 PMWaikoloa Beach Marriott
Marriott hosts the 14th Annual Ms. Aloha Nui Pageant at 7PM. The official search for the "Hostess with the Mostess" a gal with graciousness, beauty and talent, is a one-of-a-kind beauty contest featuring plus-sized women of 200 pounds or more.

We hope this post on our Aloha Festival intrigued your interest in Hawaii culture and heritage and will contribute to your Best Hawaii Vacation. Mahalo for visiting. Aloha, Pua
Kohala Coast Vacation Guide

Aloha Festival Related Articles
Aloha Festival 2006
Visit Hawaii for Hawaii Festivals

Tags: Best of Hawaii, Aloha Festival

Best Time to watch the Green Flash in Hawaii

Hawaii Vacation Recommendation Visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Dear Best Hawaii Vacation blog visitors,
Let's get back to some more fun themes for their Hawaii vacation. When you visit Hawaii, the time of the sunset is always a very special moment. You are finally relaxing with some nice Hawaiian music and a beautiful hula dancer gracefully moving to Hawaiian tunes and a so much 'needed' Maitai. The Hawaiian sunset starts to change the skies to the most amazing colors. Let it sink in. You are on vacation in Hawaii. You are in Paradise!

Now, the moment of truth is here...will there be a 'green flash' or not? What, you have never heard about a green flash in Hawaii? I must admit, you are not alone. Most of our guests at our Hawaii vacation rentals have never heard about it and most of them left the island without having seen the green flash, even after we made them aware of this Hawaiian sunset miracle moment. I kept record of the green flashes I have seen during 15 years in Hawaii: 7 green flashes but each of it was Wow!!!! You won't forget it and talk about this tenth (or hundredth?) of a second moment for a long time.

Here is what I've experienced and learnt. The 'Green Flash' can be glimpsed when the last portion of the sun disappears under the horizon. It requires a very clear horizon. Even the smallest cloud or a little haze will interfere. Hawaii is actually one of the rare places where the Green Flash is quite common. However, still one has to be extremely lucky to see this splash of intense emerald light appearing on the horizon in the blink of an eye at the final moment of sunset. Don't be fooled by the 'Fool's Flash' the greenish after-image by looking directly into the sun, which can be very dangerous anyways and should be avoided. Best Places Hawaii has written a nice article on the question: Is the green flash is a symptom of too much sun or too many Maitais?

How can you watch the green flash best? Look away until only the very top of the sun's disk is about to disappear below the horizon. I'd always put dark glasses on and keep the sunsetting motion in peripheral vision till the last second (better hundredth of a second), when the sun disappears under the horizon. The Green Flash is an experience you could blink and miss. We have seen that happen to our friends who have been living in Hawaii for over 20 years.

The ocean was totally calm, the horizon was perfect and we all waited lined up on the beach. And...it was one of the most perfect green flashes we have ever seen! Up to this day, our friends don't know what we have seen. So stay alert but don't stare in the sun, you will get your chance of the Green Flash. It's not a mirage or a legend. I found this amazing Green Flash photo to prove it.

Sorry no green flash photo in my Hawaii photo album. To take a photo of the green flash is more than a challenge. I would not want to know how many attempts it took this experienced photographer to get this great shot of the green flash. Last but not least, I would not want to try to explain the physical reason for this special phenomenon, but if you are interested, visit this site for reading up on green flash terminology.

As usual, we cannot resist to ask you 'Have you ever seen a green flash?' and if so, what do you think of it? Can't wait to hear from you about your Green Flash experiences in Hawaii.

Mahalo and aloha, Pua Kohala Coast Vacation Guide

p.s.

Our Best Hawaii Vacation blog post girl today is Kai from WahineStyle.com.

Tags: Hawaii, Green flash

5 Best Things to Do in Hawaii on Hawaii Vacation

Blog post is sponsored by Hawaii Ironman Kona Rentals

Aloha Best Hawaii Vacation visitors,
From our blog posts and About us you know by now that we, Keoki and Pua, are in love with Hawaii, the islands and its people. For so many people, having a Hawaii vacation is just a dream like dreaming of winning the lottery. The ones who can return year after year to their favorite Hawaii oceanfront hotel are the more privileged.

For the majority of Hawaii visitors, their Hawaii vacation is a-once-in-a-lifetime dream come true. That's the people we are here for, telling them about favorite things to do in Hawaii and everything else about Hawaii which makes their trip to Hawaii their Best Hawaii Vacation. So all of you lucky ones, please, join our efforts.

Today, we made a list of '5 Best Things to do in Hawaii'. You can approve or turn them around or choose some other ones. To make it easy on your voting. Tell us and our blog readers what you think is 'The Best Thing To Do On Your Hawaii Vacation'. We will show you some link love and include your Vote with Link to your Blog or Site right here in this post '5 Best Things to Do On Your Hawaii Vacation'

We hope to hear from many Hawaii visitors, not just Hawaii business owners, what activity they like or liked best on their Hawaii vacation. We are well aware that this list varies from island to island. So, please, when voting, let us know on which Hawaiian island you stayed or are planning to stay.

5 Best Things to Do on your Hawaii Vacation

1. Sunbathing on a white sand beach & Swimming in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean.

2. Snorkeling or scuba diving to see the Hawaiian Sea Life & tropical fish. Whale Watching.

3. Helicopter flight over the Hawaiian islands.

4. Attending a Hawaiian luai with Polynesian Show

5. Getting a Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage or Swedish or Shiatsu, main thing...get rubbed.

What do you think? Mahalo and aloha, Pua Kohala Coast Vacation Guide
p.s.
Thanks to WahineStyle.com for our today's blog post girl Vanessa.

To our blogger fellows: Don't forget to submit your post to our first Hawaii Blog Carnival about 'Best Hawaii Vacation Hot Picks'. Everything goes from a Hawaii luau you attended, a snorkel cruise you took on the islands, whale watch photo, some adventurous heliopter ride over remote Hawaii valleys or just any other Hawaii vacation story!

If you like our blog, please, use the "Subscribe to our Feed" or "Subscribe By Email" in the top of side bar. Mahalo!

Related Hawaii Vacation Articles

Best Hawaii Helicopter Tours
Visit Hawaii for Aloha Festivals
Humpback Whales are Back
Best Hawaii YouTube Videos
What It Takes to be an Ironman

Tags: Best of Hawaii, Hawaii

First Hawaii Blog Carnival from Best Hawaii Vacations Blog

***LET'S HAVE SOME FUN IN THE SUN!***

Best Hawaii Vacation blog will be hosting its first Hawaii blog carnival in 2 weeks. We invite all Hawaii blog owners or vacation or travel blogs to join the fun! As we are no big corporate blog but just a blog created by two Hawaii loving people, there is no form to fill out and 'rules' (if any) for your blog submission are very easy to follow.

Our First Hawaii blog carnival will be under the theme 'Best Hawaii Vacations Hot Picks'. So, if you have an exciting Hawaii article you want to share with everyone, this is the place and the time you can do it. It doesn’t matter what the topic is, as long as it’s about or related to Hawaii Vacations. We want to share it with the Hawaii vacation loving folks! Believe me there are lots who can't wait to visit Hawaii. We are sure you have some fantastic stories to tell them. So, come join our first Hawaii blog carnival and let's discover Hawaii together with our readers!

Deadline for your submission is 8/22/07. Our Hawaii vacation Blog carnival will be live on August 24. Check back here to see who has joined our virtual Hawaii carnival to share stories about their Best Hawaii Vacation Hot Picks.

Hawaii Article Submission Guidelines

- This is a 'blog only' carnival. Please, don't submit sites.
- Sorry but no advertisements articles will be accepted
- Any blog post that features aspects if Hawaii Vacations is welcome.
- One entry per blog. Pick your best article for Hawaii Vacation Hot Picks!
- Enticing articles have a better chance to be listed in the top of 'Hawaii Hot Picks'.
- More recent articles are preferred but not a must.
- Family friendly posts, please.
- Please, post about the carnival to send your blog readers to visit our Hawaii blog carnival.

If you agree with our Hawaii Carnival Guidelines, let's do things the easy way: Click the 'Post a Comment', write the blog post URL you want to submit to our Hawaii blog carnival + a short description (makes it easier for us when including it) in the comment window, sign in 'Other' with name and blog URL. Done! And don't forget to visit here again on 8/24/07.

Much mahalo for sharing this invitation with your blogger friends. We are looking forward to hearing from you. Mahalo and aloha, Pua and Keoki from Best Hawaii Vacations
p.s.
Almost forgot URLs for HawaiiYouTube videos are welcome too.

Tags: Best of Hawaii, Hawaii Blog Carnival

How to Save Money on your Hawaii Vacation

Aloha and welcome back to Best Hawaii Vacation Blog,

where you find unique Hawaii vacation and travel tips to make your trip to Hawaii your Best Hawaii Vacation. Today, we start a series with links to Hawaii blogs and sites which we find a great resource for your travel plan. Vacation in Hawaii like Donald Trump but cheap! This one is a mix for everything...from saving big money on Hawaii hotel rooms, going camping on Maui, save money on Hawaii activities with gocard, Hawaiian Air fare Fall Specials, Discount Golf Hawaii Card and Hawaii Cruise package. See what we picked for your Best Hawaii Vacation but please, use your own judgement when booking with these companies.

How to save money on Hawaii Vacation Accommodation

When cruising Joe's blog, who frequently includes travel posts with tips where to stay, I came across a post about his stay at a Days Inn for $49. Regular rate at the Days Inn website was $141 but the Roomsaver Coupon made the rate $49.00! That was an impressive saving. So I went ahead and checked what Roomsaver has to offer for Hawaii. Roomsaver Travel Coupons are available for Honolulu, Kapaa and Lahaina. Good luck!

Did you notice that nobody talks about camping anymore, especially not in association with a Hawaii vacation? Here is a site which does. If you look for lodging on your Maui Hawaii vacation that are cheap, inexpensive, moderate, discount or economical, you've come to the right place! Maui for the Financially Challenged written by a former Maui resident trying to help you find inexpensive Maui, Hawaii Vacations, lodging, and activities. It never hurts to look.

You consider a trip to Hawaii Big Island but don't want to spend tons of money on your accommodation, Hawaii Affordable lists over 100 Big Island vacation rental homes from beach front condo rental to ocean view homes & cottages for your Big Island vacation with homes, cottages, condos in Kona, South Kona, Captain Cook, Puako, Volcano, Kapoho, Puna, Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hilo, Waimea, Waikoloa, Hamakua Coast, Kohala Coast & North Kohala. Save money on your Hawaii vacation accommodation with your next trip to Hawaii!

How to save money on Hawaii activities

When you finally made it to Hawaii you want to have some fun and enjoy those unique Hawaii activities which you only can in Hawaii. If you have never heard about the HawaiiGoCards, here is an article by Luxury Resort Travel on 'How to save money on your Maui and Oahu vacation' with GoCard. GoCardOahu offers a multi activity pass for your Oahu Vacation with admission to over 25 of the best attractions, activities, and tours. There is even a GoMauiCard which offers Admission to over 20 of the best attractions, activities, and tours are included with your Go Maui Card. Do as much as you like each day for one low, affordable price. So start saving money on your Hawaii vacation on Maui and Oahu.

How to save money on your flight to Hawaii and Hawaii Vacation Packages

We found this great Hawaiian Airline fall sale: Free nights and Hawaii hotels room upgrades. Plus, save on Hawaiian Air flights to Maui, Oahu, Kauai & Big Island and island activities. Find more information on Hawaiian Air fare sale, exclusive on Expedia.
Have your best Hawaii vacation during beautiful fall weather in Hawaii. Book early on Expedia for the best fares, flights, and hotel rooms. Savings on Hawaii car rentals and Hawaiian island activities with 2-for-1 admission to local attractions. Book by August 10, travel to Hawaii August 25 - December 15, 2007.

What better way is there to get to know the Hawaiian Islands than a cruise? Have a hassle free all-inclusive Hawaii Vacation. Cruise Deals offers great Deals like this one 10 nights in Hawaii! Cruise from Honolulu for 10 incredible nights this fall. CruiseDeals.com rates start at just $499 pp! Personally, I am not a cruise person but if I'd not get seasick, I think a Hawaii cruise is a great way to have a relaxing vacation in the sun.

How to save money on Hawaii Golf

What is Hawaii without Golf? With beautiful, sunny weather all-year round Hawaii has become one of the top vacation destinations for golf players. Golf Hawaii with Hawaii Golf Deals. Their Golf Hawaii Card has been named by GOLF Magazine as one of the five best golf value cards in the nation! It is definitely the Hawaii golf discount leader. If you golf, give them a try and get access to Hawaii championship golf courses at discounted rates!

That's #1 of our 'How to save money on Hawaii Vacation' series. We try to keep our Hawaii blog posts as unique, challenging and informative as possible. Please, share your thoughts and ideas on Best Hawaii Vacation with our visitors. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Kohala Coast Vacation Guide

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How to get free vacation brochures for Hawaii

Tags: Best of Hawaii, Hawaii

Best Hawaii Helicopter Tours

Dear Best Hawaii Vacation visitors,
It's time to get the excitement going for your vacation in Hawaii. Hawaii helicopter tours will just do that. Additionally, they are a way to see those hidden waterfalls, remote Hawaiian valleys, rough cliff coasts like the Napali Coast on Kauai or flying over a lava oozing Volcano (sorry guys Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island is taking a break at the moment but it's still exciting).

We've put together a number of Hawaiian helicopter companies which cover most of the Hawaiian Islands with their tours.

Here is what National Geographic says about Blue Hawaiian Helicopters in 'The Ten Best of Everything' (Hawaii section): "Blue Hawaiian is the premier helicopter tour company in Hawaii, with a great safety record, flown by the best and most experienced hilicopter pilots. The tour is a unique blend of cultura; excursions to some of Hawaii's most remote and breathtaking beautiful places."

Sunshine Helicopters offers aerial tours of Maui, Molokai and Hawaii (Big Island). Over 90% of the State of Hawaii is accessible only by helicopter. Take a tour in the blue skies above the Hawaiian Islands aboard their "Black Beauty" state-of-the-art helicopters. Hawaii air tours by Sunshine Helicopters offer spectacular aerial views of erupting and dormant volcanoes including Haleakala National Park on the island of Maui and Volcano National Park on the island of Hawaii. Tours include Molokai's world's tallest sea cliffs, Maui's Kapalua, Kaanapali coast & Upcountry Maui, and Big island tours cover Kilauea Volcano, Hamakua Coast, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.

When enjoying a vacation on Hawaii Big Island, you might want to take one of the helicopter tours by Tropical Helicopters which offers a Volcano Adventure and Hilo Fire and Falls Adventure Tour.

Kauai Helicopter Tours are offered by Safari Helicopters. A helicopter tour of Kauai will take you on a tour of Kauai’s dramatic wilderness areas which are only accessible by air. Safari Helicopters leaves from the Lihue Heliport. They also offer Big Island helicopter tours which leave from Hilo Heliport.

For your island fun and entertainment we have included another Hawaii youtube video. It's a helicopter video about a Kauai helicopter ride on the Napali coast. Enjoy! Aloha Pua Hawaii Affordable and Kohala Coast Web

Tags: Best of Hawaii, Helicopter tours in Hawaii

Best Hawaii Vacation Articles

Here is our current list of best Hawaii articles from our Hawaii blog chosen according to traffic to the blog post, comment responses and last but not least page rank of the blog post. This is not a permanent list but a project of Love and Aloha in progress.

How to have a great Hawaii vacation and Save Money

3 Reasons to Visit Hawaii this Summer
How to have a great Maui Vacation and Save Money
How to have a great Kauai Vacation and Save Money
How to have a great Oahu Vacation and Save Money
How to have a great Big Island Vacation and Save Money
How to get free vacation brochures for Hawaii

What you need to know about your best Hawaii vacation

Hawaii Vacation with Kids
Your best Hawaii vacation
Which Hawaiian island is your favorite?
Do I need to rent a car for my Hawaii vacation?
When is the best weather for your Hawaii vacation?
How to find best Hawaii car rental
5 best secrets for your Hawaii spa vacation
5 Hawaii Myths you should know about
How safe are Hawaii Beaches - A Life and Death Story
Best Beach Big Island

Get a Taste of Hawaii now

Where can I find Hawaiian music
Hawaiian gifts from the Aloha State
Learn how to hula
Hawaii Lei greetings with Hawaian flower leis
Best Hawaii Photos
Hawaiian Calendar Girls

Things to do in Hawaii

Biggest Waves on North Shore Oahu
Horseback Riding in Hawaii
Best Hawaii Helicopter Tours
Hawaii Humpback Whale Encounters
Surfing in Hawaii
Best Hawaiian luau show
Hawaii Hula Festival
Poipu Kauai Vacation YouTube video
Ever wanted to be an Ironman?
Getting married in Hawaii
Visit Aloha Festival Events on your Hawaii Vacation

Places to stay in Hawaii

Where to Stay in Hawaii This Summer?
Hilton Waikoloa Village Big Island
Hawaii Vacation Packages for Fall Vacation
Best Hawaii Vacation Destination
Kohala Coast Hotels & Resorts
Kohala Coast Vacation Rentals & Vacation Homes

Hawaii and Celebrities

Celebrities in Hawaii
Donald Trump in Hawaii

Best Hawaii Vacation Resources and Vacation Tips

Best Time to Visit Hawaii
Hawaii Weather Today and Island Forecasts
How much Does a Hawaii Vacation Cost
Best Hawaii Guidebooks for Vacation
How to get free Hawaii Vacation Planners
Big Island Vacation Trip Report 1
Maui Vacation Trip Report 1
Molokai Vacation Trip Report
Moving to Hawaii - Vacation For Ever

Hawaii Island Life

Best Price Hawaii Home for Sale

Feel free to let us know, which Hawaii blog post should be included in the list and why. Looking forward to hearing from you. Mahalo and aloha, Pua Kohala Coast Vacation Guide

Tags: Best of Hawaii, Hawaii, Save money in Hawaii