This list could’ve run on for pages and pages. But on this extended holiday weekend, we’ll settle for our top 10 reasons to be thankful for living on Maui. Happy Thanksgiving! The people— People come from all over the world to live on and visit Maui....
1.) At just over 140 square miles, Lana’i is the sixth largest island of the Hawaiian island chain. During the 2010 census, Lana’i’s counted just 3,102 residents. Nearly all reside in the former pineapple plantation town of Lana’i City. 2.) One...
Unlike the Caribbean, there hasn’t been a long history of pirate activity in Hawaii. But there is one incident, one that many believe was the last large-scale pirate attack in the territories of the United States, which is truly unbelievable. So unbelievable, in...
Hurricane season in Hawaii usually falls between the months of June and November. However, as exemplified by Hurricane Lane, hurricanes, or tropical cyclones, rarely strike the Hawaiian islands directly. In fact, in nearly 150 years, only three hurricanes have reached...
“The Rock” becomes “The King” with his new starring role as Kamehameha I in Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema’s, The King. Robert Zemeckis is set to direct the movie which was written by Braveheart’s Randall Wallace. A little background on Kamehameha. In 1802, King...
Originating in Australia, the first macadamia tree was planted on the Big Island in 1881 by William Purvis. The Jordan brothers followed up with their own trees in 1892. Known for their sweet, rich flavor, macadamia nuts quickly became popular among sugar barons who...
The Hawaiian-style ukulele (“jumping flea”), pronounced in Hawaii as ooh (like boo)-koo-lele, as opposed to the more popular form you-ka-laylay, is a staple in Hawaiian music and culture. It is thought to have arrived here in the form of a Portuguese...
Sure, you may look like a tourist while sitting at a beach bar with an aloha shirt, sunglasses, a straw hat and big fruity drink with an umbrella or pineapple wedge hanging precariously off the rim of the glass, but damn… who cares? Tropical drinks can be served...
Though poke is now a “thing” on the mainland, here in Hawaii the plate lunch is still king. So what is a plate lunch? Simply, a plate lunch is a scoop of macaroni salad, two scoops or rice and some sort of protein. Popular proteins include chicken katsu...
Here in Hawaii, we don’t call them flip-flops, thongs, zoris or jandals. No, they’re slippers, or slippahs. We wear them at all times and for every occasion. Whether we’re headed out to a fancy dinner, around the corner to the grocery store, or to...
King Kamehameha I, also known as Kamehameha the Great, is the king who in 1795 united the Hawaiian islands, minus Kauai and Niihau, under one rule. By 1810, Kauai and Niihau peacefully agreed to join the kingdom and Kamehameha became the first king of Hawaii....
The banyan tree, the anchor of Banyan Tree Park on Front Street in Lahaina, might be the most iconic place on Maui. OK, the summit of Haleakala probably wins the prize, but the banyan tree rates a close second. As Front Street is a major tourist destination itself,...
While it’s been a live volcano for centuries, because of the current large-scale eruptions of Kilauea, Pelehonaumea, or Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes has been in the news. But who is Pele and what are her origins? Pele is the creator of the Hawaiian...
When you landed on Maui, it’s quite possible you received a lei. If not, you’re at least familiar with them, right? Why do people share leis in Hawaii? Where did they come from? Here is a quick history of the lei in Hawaii. In the Hawaiian language, the...
Maui is fortunate to have a bookmobile that reaches people who would otherwise have a difficult time visiting the library. We are also fortunate to have librarian Jessica Gleason running the program. In accepting the job as the bookmobile librarian, Gleason needed to...
According to legend, the demigod Maui set out to capture the sun and slow it down for his mother, Hina. She was a talented woman who created cloth out of pounded bark (Kapa), but lamented that the sun moved across the sky too quickly for her cloth to dry. So Maui...
If you’ve shopped in grocery stores or farmers markets around Maui, or visited assorted restaurants around town, you’ve probably come across purple sweet potatoes, also called Okinawan sweet potatoes. The potatoes have a long history in Hawaii, but lets...
Taro, once a staple of the Hawaiian diet, and still an integral part of the culture, is surprisingly not native to Hawaii. Instead, it is thought to have originated in southern India, before migrating east to China and as far south as New Zealand. From there,...
People often associate hula with men and women in short grass skirts, rapidly gyrating their hips and twirling fire. Unfortunately, that’s not hula dancing. That’s a Polynesian form of dance, popular at luaus. No, hula, authentic hula, is a slower, soulful...
T. Komoda Store and Bakery, or Komoda’s as it’s more commonly known, has been a Maui institution for over 100 years. Its cream puffs and stick donuts are famous throughout the state. In telling the story of Komoda’s, let’s start at the...
In its broadest sense, a luau is a traditional Hawaiian party mixing local food and lots of entertainment. Luaus are used to celebrate the many of stages of life. People often don’t remember their first luau. No, it’s not because they drank too many mai...
The shaka sign, made with the thumb and pinkie up, and the three middle fingers curled into a fist, then lightly shaken, is ubiquitous in Hawaii. Locals use it as a sign of solidarity and friendship. It can be used to say “howzit? (how’s it going?)”...
Among a large number of marine life, some of the oldest (over 300-years-old) coral in the state of Hawaii finds its home right here in Maui. Olowalu reef, spanning over 1,000 acres, is reportedly the largest and most developed of the Valley Isle. At the heart of the...
The annual Halloween celebration in Lahaina has been called the “Mardi Gras of the Pacific.” When day turns to night, with traffic blocked off, Front Street is transformed into Maui’s biggest adult party of they year. But, lets go back to the...
Sam Choy, Beverly Gannon, Peter Merriman, Alan Wong and Roy Yamaguchi, five of the original 12 members of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement, all have signature cookbooks. Like their restaurants, the books still hold up today. For many people, it isn’t a trip...
Poke (pronounced poh-kay, rhymes with okay) literally means “to cut crosswise into pieces.” It’s a simple dish made of chopped seafood, generally tuna, marinated in soy sauce and sesame oil, and mixed with onion. But, you’ll find many...
The Hawaiian islands represent one of the most biologically diverse locations on the planet. The marine life throughout our archipelago is spectacular, as you’ll find on our Lanai and Molokini snorkel tours. But a lot of the most fascinating and mysterious...
The #luckywelivehawaii hashtag exists for a reason. Whether you live in Hawaii or are just visiting, here are 10 reasons happiness happens in Hawaii. The weather— It never really gets too hot or too cold. When it does get too hot, the trade winds come in to save...
As you may or may not know, our Maui ocean tours operate out of Lahaina Harbor, just a block from Front Street with all its shops, restaurants, and art galleries. Then there are the museums, and many historic sites that you might walk past without even noticing. But...
As a Maui ocean tour company, it’s not every day that we blog about an animal that’s not aquatic. Then again, it’s not every day that an animal’s lost Hawaiian name is found, but that’s exactly what happened to the Hawai’i Creeper...
One of the most unique geographic features in Maui County is Molokini, the tiny crescent island just fifteen miles off the coast of South Maui. This picturesque little islet has graced many a stunning ocean sunset photo, its diminutive size in stark contrast to the...
If you’ve had a chance to read our recent posts, you’ll know that we participated in Whale Tales 2017, which we are pleased to say was a smashing success. The four-day event was educational, stimulating, and a whole lot of fun. There were some terrific...
Over the past few years, observers have witnessed a mysterious new behavior among humpback whales. Unlike many other cetaceans, humpbacks are known as solitary creatures who only tend to congregate temporarily during mating season, or to travel in pairs or small...
If you’re crazy about Maui ocean tours and you’re looking for conveniently located and affordable accommodations, you may want to try the Pioneer Inn. This remarkable establishment is no less than 115 years old, and as such, has recently been added to the...
Intrepid explorers from the University of Hawaii and the nonprofit group Conservation International have recently been to Cook seamount, a previously unexplored extinct volcano located at a depth of 3,000 feet about 100 miles southwest of the Big Island. They found...
Nine of fourteen humpback whale populations have been removed from the endangered species list, according to a recent report from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This triumph is being celebrated by conservationists and nature lovers...
New species of deep-water algae, Umbraulva kuaweuweu, photographed by diver at 277 feet off Lisianski Island in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Credit: Brian Hauk/NOAA Earlier this month, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)...
Whether you’ve been on one of our cruises in the past or you’re considering booking a Maui ocean tour with us, we’d like to give a little background about how the Hawaii Ocean Project came to be. To start, it’s part of the Lahaina Cruise...
Support for the Molokai Ferry is gaining momentum as news agencies inform the public on the unrealistic mandates of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Currently, the ferry is operating twice as often as it can afford to, thanks to near empty ridership on certain...
During the last week of March the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) made a proposal to expand the scope and focus of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary . The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary was...
Imagine living your life trying to find someone who speaks your language but for decades finding no one to communicate with; this is the life that 52-Hertz lives. 52-Hertz, named for the unconventional frequency of his voice, has spent his life thus far calling out to...
Many visitors participate in some sort of boat tour while on their Maui vacation. When searching for a boat tour company, what things do you look for? Most visitors decide based on price, location, and/or reviews. What about the company history? By learning more...
