Hawaii Best Travels

A secluded but gorgeous spot to visit while you are in the south-east Maui area is Venus Pool or Waikoa Pond as it is known to the locals. This beautiful fresh water pool is located between the town of Hana and Oheo Gulch pools. The water is spring-fed but is slightly salty from the ocean feed over the rocks. To get to the pools, park near mile marker 48 just before the bridge and look for a well-worn path to the ocean. Stay on left side of the gulch as you go down the path and avoid the path on Hana Ranch’s property. The walk will take you about 15 minutes or so from the road. It is a somewhat difficult hike so be sure you are wearing walking shoes and not flip flops to make this journey. Swimming in the pond is great but be sure to stay away from the surf zone near the ocean end as there are always strong undertoes near river mouths in Hawaii. Before you jump from any rocks, be sure you know the depth of the pool and what is below as Hawaiian pools can be rocky beneath the surface. Also, rocks can be slippery with the salty air and surf spray so be careful in this area. Lava rocks can give nasty cuts if you fall on them.

Being avid travelers, we always visit the Travel section of our local bookstore whenever we go there. I was interested to see a new book by Arthur Frommer called Frommer’s 500 Places to See Before They Disappear.  As I thumbed through the book, a couple of references to some Big Island Treasures that Frommer has put on the list caught my eye. One was the majestic Mauna Kea with it’s pristine landscape and plentiful observatories but another is the Puako Petroglyphs.

If you are interested in ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs, there are two large Petroglyph Trails that you might want to explore. Located in Kohala off of the Mauna Lani Resort road between mile marker 73-74, a .7 mile trail leads across a lava rock field and into a dry wood forest near Holoholakai Beach. A 10-15 minute walk will take you to the large Puako/Malama petroglyph field. If you enjoyed this, you might be interested in taking in the Pu’u Loa Petroglyph field when you visit the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park area. A larger, more impressive petroglyph field is the Pu’u Loa field located just past mile marker 15 near Kilauea. Here you can take the one and one half mile round-trip walk to see thousands of petroglyphs on the large lava rocks in this area. If you are limited on time and don’t intend to make the trip to the other side of the island, then be sure to stop by the Puako/Malama field because it is definitely a taste of old Hawaii worth taking in. As Frommer points out, perhaps it might not last forever…

If you would like to learn more about endangered places that you might want to visit before they disappear, you might want to pick up this book. We found it fascinating.

Many people ask: “Where are the famous “north shore” beaches on Oahu?”  Technically, the “north shore” on Oahu is the coastline from Sunset Point all the way to the tip of the island at Ka’ena Point. But for surf fanatics, the famous “north shore” is the wonderful 7 miles of beach that extend from Sunset Point to Pua’ena Point near the town of Hale’iwa. It is along this seacoast that you will find the world-famous Banzai Pipeline with its barrel shaped waves that surfers love! Past Ehukai Beach is Shark’s Cove, one of the best snorkeling as well as surfing beaches on the island. The beach has a protected cove that can be mild enough for children and large sea turtles are often found frolicking in the shallow waters or sunbathing on the warm sands. Another surfer’s paradise when the waves top 20 to 30 feet or more is Waimea Bay. If you go to this beach, be sure to arrive early as parking is limited and fills early. In calmer seasons, cliff diving from the large rocks at the water’s edge is a great sport. If you are not a strong and experienced surfer, don’t go into the water during winter’s high surf time as this part of the island can contain some of the most treacherous waters in the world. Instead, enjoy the north coast and the surfer’s skill from the water’s edge with your camera.

This is a great time to book travel to Hawaii since prices are down approximately 20%.  Many hotels are now offering free nights when you book a specific amount of nights or are providing other amenities to attract your business. Flights are cheaper than they have been for several months and many carriers have good deals being promoted. Even if you don’t plan on traveling until after the holidays, this is a great time to book your travel to save a substantial amount. If the economy continues to show signs of improvement, you may be able to secure a great deal now that you might not be able to get after the new year.

Costs for cruises are also down so if you prefer to see the islands via a cruise, you can also pick up a great deal on Hawaiian cruises. Many cruise lines are offering ship board credit or cabin upgrades to get your reservations. Don’t delay in checking out and reserving your dream vacation since prices this low may not last if the economy continues to improve.