Hawaii Vacation Blog

Sea Life Park on Oahu, the beloved marine mammal park, bird sanctuary, and aquarium first opened in 1964. It has since evolved into an institution familiar to most residents of the island. It continues its nearly 60-year tradition of providing education and eliciting wonder in its visitors with the Limu Fest on Saturday, September 24, […]

There are 75 golf courses in Hawaii. We’ve written about a bunch of them here at the HAT Blog over the years. Not only because are we hopelessly (and haplessly) enamored and enervated by the game, but also because Hawaii is a golf paradise and the activity is a major contributor to Hawaii tourism revenue. […]

Since Hawaii’s tourism arrival numbers have rebounded to near pre-pandemic levels, various studies indicate an increase in visitor interest in learning about Native Hawaiian culture during their Hawaii vacation. Having an “authentic” Hawaiian experience is more important to Hawaii visitors than ever before. The HAT Blog was recently pondering suggestions for easy cultural connections to […]

The “Malama Hawaii” program to increase cultural awareness among Hawaii visitors is working. Various studies and surveys are bearing this out, as more and more visitors are expressing interest in experiences that highlight Native Hawaiian culture and Hawaii’s overall cultural diversity. Aside from in-flight videos and hotel/resort efforts at cultural education, places like the nonprofit […]

The HAT Blog has been informed that the home office will relocate to Maui for one week in September so it’s a perfect opportunity to share our Maui vacation planning. Honorable Wife Person (HWP) and I will join her parents, two sisters, and their husbands for dedicated mirth and merriment on the Valley Isle. That […]

For many hundreds of years, native Hawaiian fishponds (Loko I’a) have been a vital part of maintaining a balance between the natural resources that are at the heart of the ancient ahupua’a system. It is an approach to managing food and water that integrates resources from the mountains to the ocean. He’eia Fishpond on Oahu’s […]

The vast majority of neighborhoods and towns in Hawaii are known by their traditional native Hawaiian names. The literal translations of those Hawaii place names tend to reflect unique aspects of the areas they represent. We here at the HAT Blog have always found it unusual that Hawaii’s most popular visitor attraction, Pearl Harbor – […]

We don’t often write about restaurants here but very often we’re asked where to get locally sourced meat. This is mostly because we tend to eat farm-fresh at home, making most of our food purchases from local farmers, ranchers, and butchers whom my wife has come to know over years of shopping at a weekly […]

We’ve just had a major swell event on Hawaii’s southern shores, so I have to provide some Hawaii vacation safety tips. We’ve seen a series of rescues of imperiled hikers from popular trails. It seems like a good time to remind Hawaii visitors about some simple Hawaii vacation safety tips. Well, one tip, anyway: don’t […]

Summer is heating up, and so is the world of professional sports. While a Hawaii vacation is a chance to leave the everyday routine of home and work, vacationers bring along their sports fandom just as sure as they pack a swimsuit and clean underwear. There are plenty of Hawaii sports bars, some sprawling and […]

One of the wonderful things about entertaining visiting family and friends in Hawaii is that it will often lead to activities we might otherwise regard as “touristy” and take for granted. That is how we here at the HAT Blog found ourselves at the Honolulu Zoo recently, and it’s why we are still charmed by […]

The Kawainui Marsh State Wildlife Sanctuary in Kailua on Oahu comprises 830 acres. It is the largest freshwater wetland in all of Hawaii and home to several endangered native species. It is also home to the Ulupo Heiau, the largest ancient agricultural temple on the island. Kawainui Marsh is a natural wonder. Kailua is a […]