shark dive maui

the following adventure is for those of you who were not scarred for life by watching jaws as an impressionable youngster. and you also need to be a certified scuba diver (15 years + up). if you meet those requirements and have always wanted to swim with the sharks (by choice, not chance), you will definitely want to add a visit to the maui ocean center to your "to do" list.

$199 gets you into the shark tank so you can check out the sharks up close and personal. the price may sound steep but, on the flip side, you are practically guaranteed to get out of the tank in one piece. a nice bonus, don't you think?

shark dive maui is only available on mondays, wednesdays & fridays and is limited to 4 divers per day. and you can't just walk in with your scuba gear so don't forget to make a reservation before you arrive.

manuheali'i says aloha

kalo knit + spider lily

i'm not one for traditional aloha wear but a friend just turned me on to a cool line called manuheali'i. their clothing is very wearable and quite pretty with the added bonus of more modern cuts on pieces like the kalo boat knit top (shown above).

if you like what you see then hele over to their site (or stop by their shop in kailua or punahou) since manuheali'i is having a sale which means you can save 20% (or more).

{mahalo kym for the tip!}

speaking hawaiian

happy king kamehameha day! if you have always admired the beauty of the hawaiian language and wished you could learn to speak it fluently (not just a word here & there), you will be happy to learn about 'aha punana leo (especially if you live far from the islands).

the organization was started over 20 years ago by educators who were concerned about the potential extinction of the hawaiian language. in addition to offering hawaiian immersion instruction for native hawaiians, they also welcome anyone interested in learning the language to enroll in their online hawaiian classes.

the next semester starts on august 21st so check out the faq for more details.

{photo credit: hawaii tourism japan}

2 day interisland airfare sale

go!, the newest interisland airline, is going all out to celebrate their launch over the hawaiian skies this week. act fast to score a seat for only $19 one way and you can finally go on that weekend getaway you're always talking about.

of course, with the low fare comes many restrictions:

• book your tickets no later than 11:59pm on friday, june 9th 
• travel between june 9th and july 9th 
• seats are limited, etc.

available cities: honolulu to hilo *or* kahalui *or* kona *or* lihue

golden child jewelry

diana + hana

jewelry designer seems to be the job du jour these days but there's a lot to love from golden child, the line created by moanalua grad & now maui-based andrea akeo. handcrafted designs like the diana necklace have an inspired mix of kukui nuts, turquoise & mother of pearl yet are still super wearable.

i had more than a few déjà vu moments of rummaging through my mom's jewelry box circa 1979 (good times!) while checking out the earring collection (hana shown above). lucky for you, the designs from golden child have been updated so they are not only playful but have just enough sophistication to please any modern day island girl.