star gazing at sea

the thought of watching a meteor shower while floating on a boat is one of those things that has captured my fancy ever since i stumbled upon the wild side specialty tours website a few years ago. you have to head out to the west side to enjoy this overnight off the beaten path adventure which only sets sail when the stars are aligned and mother nature has chosen to cooperate.

tours head out in time to catch the sunset and, after dinner is served on board, it's time to be schooled in celestial navigation 101 while the crew shares voyaging tales and island legends as you snuggle down and wait for the star show to kick off in the wee hours of the night.

wild side's crew of marine biologists also take guests out for morning wildlife tours of the waianae coast and you can always opt for a sunset sailing if a meteor shower is not in the stars. the company operates on the not-just-for-profit philosophy with tour proceeds helping to fund their wild dolphin foundation which also offers volunteer opportunities for those who dream of the life aquatic and want to tap into their inner jacques cousteau.

{photo credit: tori cullins, wild dolphin foundation}

lava roy's ocean adventure

lava meets sea

my fella is totally fascinated with lava especially after we paid a visit to volcanoes national park on our honeymoon. since then he has talked about trekking into the park to camp and explore the lava fields (which is why i made him watch man vs. wild's survival guide to kilauea).

i know i am off the hook for that little adventure however i also know that he would dig watching the lava flow into the sea. a helicopter tour is out and, for safety reasons, you cannot get too close by land, however it is now possible to gaze at the plumes of smoke as the lava hits the pacific with lava roy's ocean adventure which operates a unique sizzling sunset tour.

the owner is a coast guard captain who pilots a ship aptly named the protector. tours take guests down the kalapana coast to a viewing point of the active lava flow where you can be mesmerized by the work of pele from the relative safety of the boat. tours are only available when weather permits so be sure to contact captain roy in advance to find out when the next sailing is scheduled.

{photo credit: hawaii tourism authority}

modern luxury hawaii

there is new lifestyle/travel glossie in town and its name is modern luxury hawaii. the quarterly magazine is aiming to fill a niche by targeting cosmopolitan kama'aina and jet setters who love food, fashion, good design & vacationing in the islands with style.

while i was home i tracked down a copy at borders and discovered an absolutely gorgeous magazine filled with editorials on what to do & where to go, handy dining/shopping/spa guides, features on notable locals (the premiere issue spotlighted momi from lily lotus!) and, my favorite part, the stunning photography. the hefty premiere issue weighs just a tad under three pounds since, instead of publishing separate editions, mlh
opted to print one side in english and the other side in japanese.

fyi - i did spot complimentary issues at pacific home (after i bought my copy. darn.) so keep your eyes peeled at shops catering to mlh's demographic (or you can always subscribe online).

mauka makai excursions

pu'u o mahuka heiau

locals know there is so much more to oahu than the postcard scenes depicting waikiki so if you are a traveler ready to discover the real hawaii (beyond the glossy brochures and package bus tours) you will definitely want to hook up with mauka makai excursions. the small native hawaiian owned eco-tour company offers intimate cultural walking tours taking guests off the beaten path to parts of the island many visitors never see.

while exploring the 'aina (land), guides share stories and legends of the people of old (ka po'e o kahiko), the history and rituals of the native hawaiians, and the cultural significance of the plants and flowers found on the island. tours are available to different parts of oahu and mauka makai also offers custom shoreline fishing tours for those who would like to learn how to throw a fishing net hawaiian style, spend an evening torch fishing, or go tide pooling with your keiki.

take a peek at the star-bulletin to learn more about the company's mission to protect the 'aina while preserving and sharing the culture of hawaii.

{update | jan 2010: company website has been taken down}

carbon neutral holiday

ke'e beach, kaua'i

overall, our little household does our best to be good little humans . . . we go organic when possible at the market, recycle everything our town will take, clean our home & laundry with eco-friendly products, and when we finally moved into an apartment with washer dryer hookups (yay!) we became the proud owners of an energy efficient w/d combo.

now we have our eye on becoming carbon neutral with the first step being to offset our need to fly home to visit our ohana. you know this idea is getting more mainstream when more and more corporations, fancy ski resorts, and even the nfl pro bowl are going green[er].

if you are intrigued and want to do a little carbon offsetting yourself, check out the carbon calculators at sustainable travel international or terrapass to determine how much impact your lifestyle and travels have on the earth. it's a small step everyone who can afford it should consider since carbon offset purchases go to fund sustainable projects from tree planting to clean energy around the world.

perhaps one day an enterprising soul will start a program in the islands but until then this will have to do.