Category: Hawaii Animals & Nature

Want to see the best botanical gardens Kauai offers? This lush island is home to some of the most beautiful plant life in the world. If you want to see it in all its glory, a botanical garden tour will give you a front-row seat to the many flowers, trees, and fruits that make Hawaii […]

There Is So Much More Than Meets the Eye, As I Learned Honolulu hosts an annual Koi show, usually in conjunction with the Japan Nishikigoi Expo, which I imagine must make it a best of the best’ type of show for Koi owners, breeders, enthusiast, or people like me who just like to look at […]

You’ll likely see the beautiful Bird of Paradise in Hawaii. This vibrant, unique flower appears in gardens, farmer’s markets, and artwork. We’ve got some interesting info to help you appreciate this intriguing plant even more! Bird of Paradise in Hawaii and in Science The strikingly beautiful Bird of Paradise flower is famous beyond Hawaii. In […]

It may be difficult for the casual observer to identify trees by their appearance (it’s easier if they grow fruit.) But in the case of the Sausage Tree in Hawaii, it’s hard to be mistaken. Once you notice this unique tree, you’ll be spotting it again and again. Want to learn all about it? Read […]

It’s one of the prettiest sights you may see during your vacation: Hawaii lava rocks of all shapes and sizes, standing out against the green of the landscape and blue of the water. But these are more than just rocks, and they carry with them deeply rooted significance — and possibly a curse.  The Curse […]

A large tree welcomes visitors to the University of Hawaii campus, providing cool shade and the smell of – skunk. Yep, that’s its name: the Skunk Tree, or Java Olive. I have smelled actual skunks and the tree isn’t quite as pungent, but it’s h3 and unpleasant enough that I hold my breath when passing. […]

As with flowers, the variety of birds in Hawaii must be experienced first hand. Seeing a bloom does not convey its aroma, and a picture of this little, tiny bird does not show you how it hides amid blades of grass to ambush me as I cross the lawn. At first, it looks like the […]

When they become aware of Hawaii’s petroglyphs during their vacations, visitors often ask us if petroglyphs are “like hieroglyphics.” Well, not exactly. The difference is really basic. Hieroglyphics comprised a means of communication, a language; petroglyphs are art, or if you prefer, graffiti. And while hieroglyphics were rendered in several media, petroglyphs were always carved […]

Calling all bird enthusiasts! Birds of Hawaii Oahu are a sight to see, whether it’s the common birds you’ll see throughout town or the rare ones hidden in remote locales.  Birds of Hawaii Oahu A lot of people who come to Hawaii expect to see rare, tropical birds cruising the malls, hovering in the trees […]

Dolphins are represented everywhere in Hawaii. You’ll see them in murals, paintings and sculptures. They’re on the holding ends of swizzle sticks in bars, forming the bases of lamps in hotel rooms and decorating the walls of lobbies and cocktail lounges. It’s more than likely that you’ll see real live dolphins on your Hawaii vacation. […]

If you like to ride horseback and think you will have few, if any, opportunities to indulge while you’re in Hawaii on vacation, you are mistaken. Those of us who live in the islands like to ride, too. (In our vernacular, we like to “ride horse.”) Our kids start riding early and take lessons from […]

What is it where you live? Pigeons that deface statuary, buildings and the occasional human head? Squirrels? Locusts? Mice or rats? Here in Hawaii, the pest of choice has been the mongoose. And we brought the pestilence on ourselves. The 1800s were big for sugar cane. Sugar plantations shot up on a lot of tropical […]