Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
reddish lava beds, reminds every-
one who sees it of Arizona's Grand
Canyon. Kauai's version is bursting
with ever-changing color, just like
its namesake, but it's smaller—only
a mile wide, 3,567 feet deep, and
12 miles long. This grandeur was
created by a massive earthquake
that sent streams flowing into a sin-
gle river, which then carved this
picturesque canyon. You can stop
by the road and look at it, hike
down into it, or swoop through it
by helicopter. See p. 373.
2 The Best Ways to Enjoy Hawaiian Culture
•
Experiencing the Hula:
For a
real, authentic hula experience on
Oahu, check out the
Bishop
Museum
(p. 111), which has
excellent performances on week-
days. The first week after Easter
brings Hawaii's biggest and most
prestigious hula extravaganza, the
Merrie Monarch Hula Festival
(p. 231), at Hilo on the Big
Island; tickets sell out by January
30, so reserve early. In May, there's
the
Molokai Ka Hula Piko
(p. 25), at Molokai's Papohaku
Beach Park, a wonderful daylong
festival that celebrates the hula on
the island where it was born.
•
Buying a Lei in Chinatown
(Oahu): There's actually a host of
cultural sights and experiences to
be had in Honolulu's Chinatown.
Wander through this several-
square-block area with its jumble
of exotic shops offering herbs,
Chinese groceries, and acupunc-
ture services. Before you leave, be
sure to check out the lei sellers on
Maunakea Street (near N. Hotel
St.), where Hawaii's finest leis go
for as little as $4. If you'd like a lit-
tle guidance, follow the recom-
mendations in “Shopping with
Your Kids” in chapter 3.
•
Listening to Old-Fashioned
“Talk Story” with Hawaiian
Song and Dance
(Big Island):
Once a month, under a full moon,
“Twilight at Kalahuipua'a,” a cele-
bration of the Hawaiian culture
that includes storytelling, singing,
and dancing, takes place oceanside
at Mauna Lani Bay Resort
(
&
808/885-6622;
www.mauna
laniculture.org/twilight). It hear-
kens back to another time in
Hawaii, when family and neigh-
bors would gather on back
porches to sing, dance, and “talk
story.” See “Old-Style Hawaiian
Entertainment” on p. 230.
•
Visiting Ancient Hawaii's Most
Sacred Temple
(Big Island): On
the Kohala coast, where King
Kamehameha the Great was born,
stands Hawaii's oldest, largest, and
most sacred religious site: the
1,500-year-old Mookini Heiau,
used by kings to pray and offer
human sacrifices. This massive
three-story stone temple, dedi-
cated to Ku, the Hawaiian god of
war, was erected in
A
.
D
. 480. It's
said that each stone was passed
from hand to hand from Pololu
Valley, 14 miles away, by 18,000
men who worked from sunset to
sunrise. The best way to see this
sacred site is to help out with the
monthly cleanups when the
Kahuna Nui, Momi Mo'okini
Lum, is on-site. See p. 199.
•
Exploring Puuhonua O Honau-
nau National Historical Park
(Big Island): This sacred site on
the south Kona coast was once a
place of refuge and a revered place
of rejuvenation. You can walk the
same consecrated grounds where
priests once conducted holy cere-
monies, and glimpse the ancient
