We are often asked when the best time to go to Hawaii might be and so we have decided to answer this question today. Of course, most people who get tired of cold, snowy winter weather want to come to Hawaii when it is cold where they live. While we are not “cold weather” fans ourselves and certainly understand that idea, the winter months are considered the “high season” in Hawaii. From December through April, hotels and airfare will be at their most pricy and you will compete with lots of other visitors to enjoy all that Hawaii has to offer. The busiest time of all is during the last two weeks of December through New Years. Prices are generally very high during this time and reservations must be made a long time in advance to get anything reasonable.
The “off-season” when prices are much lower and the crowds are lower is from the latter part of April through the first part of June and then again from around Labor Day to mid-December. Summer often brings families to Hawaii since the kids are on on summer vacation. Another factor to remember when choosing the time to come to Hawaii is the level of precipitation that you are likely to experience while you are in the islands. The island of Kauai generally is one of the wetter islands no matter what time of year you visit there. Each island has a unique climate so be sure to check out the specific island and parts of the island you intend to visit to see what the weather might be like.
The “dry” season is from April to October and the rainy season is from November to March. Even during the “dry” season, it can rain but you are less likely to experience gray days and constant showers during the dry season. Each island also has different levels of rain with the leeward sides (west and south) being the hot and drier areas and the windward sides (east and north) generally cooler but with frequent precipitation. The good thing about Hawaii is however that if it is raining in one location, it usually isn’t that far to drive to a place on the island where it is not raining and take advantage of the fun things that you can do and see there.
Imagine waking up one day in the home you have recently built to find hot molten lava quickly descending down the mountain straight for your home! That is exactly what happened to the residents of Royal Gardens on the south part of the Big Island of Hawaii in 1990. The lave has continued to creep slowly to the sea since the Kamoamoa fissure eruption in March 2011. Recently, rushing lava from the east rift zone of Kilauea volcano is once again coursing back through the same Royal Gardens area. This amazing footage can be seen in this dramatic video of the Kilauea lava flow.
If you are going to Kailua-Kona, be sure to visit the Pu’uhonua o Honaunau in south Kona. This is a traditional Hawaiian place of refuge sanctuary where those who broke laws could come to seek forgiveness and absolution. In a society where the punishment for breaking a law was death, law breakers had to elude capture and seek the safety of one of these refuge areas. This one is particularly well preserved and is a great place to learn about ancient Hawaiian life. The park is open from 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. daily. The Visitor Center is open from 8:45 A.M to 4:30 P.M. On weekends, the park often has presentations from locals who share crafts, explain Hawaiian customs and tell stories about the Hawaiian Culture. This is a great place for young and old to learn about ancient Hawaii. Since it is also a nesting ground for the Hawaiian Turtle, you may also see several of the wonderful creatures sunning themselves in the bay here as well.
For a time, the Pu’uhonua O Honaunau historical sanctuary was closed due to damage caused by the Tsunami of 3/11/2011. The park is now open again and receiving visitors.
Video – Historical Landmark reopens.
The recent earthquake and subsequent tsunami generated by this event hit the Kona side of the Big Island of Hawaii hard on Friday morning, March 11, 2011. The ground floor of the King Kamehameha Hotel and the Kona Village Resort as well as several shops along Ali’i Drive suffered extensive damage. There was no loss of life but one single family home was totally destroyed and another suffered damage in the Kailua-Kona area. Residents living near Kealakekua Bay further down the southern coastline received extensive damage in the coastline area with one house completing floating away. Fortunately, all residents in the area had been evacuated by the time the tsunami hit the Napo’opo’o area.
Video – West Hawaii Vacation Rental House Washes Away.
If you are visiting the island of Maui and have a bit of time to kill before heading off to the airport, a visit to the Alexander and Baldwin Sugar Plantation may be just the thing. Sugar cane is thought to originated in New Guinea and brought to the islands by Polynesian immigrants over 1,000 years ago. Sugar cane, once the mainstay of the Hawaiian economy, is largely gone in the islands. One of only two working sugar plantation still in operation in the islands, Maui’s sugar plantation is located in Puunene, Maui.
Today, the sugar mill is operated by the Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company and exports up to 200,000 tons of raw sugar to California where it is refined and sold to consumers. Next to the working sugar mill, is the Alexander and Baldwin Sugar Museum. The home, built in 1902, was occupied by the plantation superintendent. Here you can see video of cane processing in the neighboring plant and various pieces of sugar cane equipment and 6 rooms of exhibits telling the history of the sugar cane and the plantation era. The Museum, located just 10 minutes from the Kahului airport, is open daily from 9:30 a.m. with the last admission to the museum at 4:00 p.m. Admission for adults is $7.00 and $2.00 for children ages 6-12 with no charge for children 5 and under.
