Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon is a popular beach attraction located on Waikiki Beach, and it is part of the Hilton Hawaiian Village grounds. The lagoon was closed for renovation in 2006 and repopened in December 2007. The renovation cost was about $15 million!

The lagoon is is a great place beach relaxation. The water is warm, calm and azure blue, surrounded by fine white sand beach and green grassy area. The Hilton lagoon offers scenic view to Diamond Head, the popular Rainbow Tower at Hilton Hawaiian Hotel, the Hilton Harbor, and Waikiki Beach.

Even if you dont stay at Hilton Hotel or other nearby hotels you are welcome to visit. There is plenty here to do - from swimming and paddling in the water, to relaxing and enjoying the surrounding views.

There is not a public beach shower at the lagoon but there are plenty at Waikiki Beach.

Below are photos of the Hilton Lagoon. Enjoy!

This morning at 6 a.m., the sirens went on because of a Pacific-wide tsunami warning. The warning is in effect for all Hawaiian Islands. There was an 8.8 earthquake in Chile yesterday which triggered the tsunami. Currently it is not known yet how big the waves will be, but all people who live in an evacuation zone or near the shoreline are asked to evacuate. The tsunami is expected to arrive on the Big Island of Hawaii at 11:19 and Oahu at 11:25. It is also advised to stay off the roads and beaches.

Tsunami update (2:25 pm):

Luckily the tsunami did not cause any damage in Hawaii. There were no big destructive waves; only extreme tidal changes were visible, especially in the Hilo Bay area. A live camera is stationed there and the local TV channel KGMB broadcast a live shot of the bay. You can see some images below (shown by KGMB).

Even though most people took the tsunami warning seriously and many roads along the shorelines were closed, some surfers still ventured out into the ocean to surf. Another guy was playing in the water on Waikiki Beach right before the tsunami was expected to hit.

Even though the Kewalo Basin Park is conveniently located right next to Ala Moana Beach Park (west of it), it is still largely undiscovered and never crowded. The oceanfront park has many shady trees, grassy areas ideal for a picnic and great views to the entire length of Ala Moana Park, Magic Island and Diamond Head. There is no beach here, only rocks, but there is a nice promenade right on the ocean’s edge. The park also serves as an entry/exit point for surfers to get to the surf break offshore.

From here one can also view the ships that go in and out of the Kewalo Basin Harbor, which provides berthing for commercial as well as charter and excursion vessels. The only downside of Kewalo Basin Park is that it is also used by some homeless, who leave their garbage here.

Hawaii is sunny and warm year round, so whenever you decide to visit the islands, it is considered to be a good time. However, even warm year round, the weather here varies a bit during the seasons.

Hawaii is generally very humid and humidity could be feel most during the month of October, right before the winter starts, so if you don’t like humidity, that’s not the time to plan a Hawaii vacation.

The summer months May to August are usually busy on the islands. That’s the time when many tourists plan their Hawaii vacation. The most busy of all gets the island of Oahu and especially Waikiki. One evening in August while I was in Waikiki, I wanted to buy a bottle of water from an ABC store and I was shocked to see the store was entirely packed with people and I even was not able to get it. So if you would like to enjoy a Hawaii vacation in Waikiki between May and August be prepared to see many tourists. Often times you may also need to wait from 20 to 60 minutes to get sited in restaurant. The other islands of Maui, Kauai and the Big Island are overall not so busy, so you may want to consider them for your summer vacation.

Christmas time also gets pretty busy in Hawaii. Also flights to the islands are more expensive around the holidays.

June to November is the hurricane season in Hawaii. If you plan vacation during that time, don’t let this scare you off. Hurricanes hardly ever occur in Hawaii. And even if one hits Hawaii, the state is prepared to accommodate visitors and citizens.

Personally I would recommend February to April as a best time to visit. That’s the end of the winter in Hawaii and you can enjoy nice sunny weather and less humidity.

If you stay on the island of Lanai you can enjoy world-class golf, horseback riding, swimming and snorkeling and much more. Your could also take half day or one day private Lanai tour that will take you to some more most scenic and unique places on the islands.

We booked a half day tour with Neal Rabacca Tours. Our day began at 9 am when our tour guide Bruce met us in front of Koele Lodge (where we stayed at). After we introduced each other our tour began. On the way to our first stop The Garden of the Gods we were already impressed by the comprehensive knowledge Bruce had about the island of Lanai. We learned about Lanai’s pine trees, about Lanai’s pineapple fields, people, history and etc. When we arrived at the Garden of the Gods Bruce took us at a scenic point from where we could see the canyons of the garden all around and the islands of Lanai and Molokai at the distance. Our guide pointed some interesting rock formations resembling figures he gave us in-depth information about the stones and the area.

After our Gardens of the Gods visit we left for the north part of the island to visit Shipwreck Beach. On the way, while driving on Keeamoku road, we learned about dramatic historic events occurred at the area in 1778 when the king of the Big Island of Hawaii, Kalaniopu‘u, invaded Lanai and killed almost all of Lanai’s around 4,000 inhabitants.

As we approaches the Shipwreck Beach we could see the Au‘au Channel that stretches between the islands of Maui and Lanai. In clear days you could see the wind line. Once we got to Shipwreck Beach we walked on the beach and even saw a green sea turtle (honu). She did not seem shy and she let us took some pictures of her while sunbathing on the beach. We saw interesting lava rocks and stones on the beach as well.

After we enjoyed some time on Shipwreck Beach we headed to our third stop – Munro Trail. Our guide drove very slowly because the rough conditions on the dirt road on the trail and while driving he gave us detailed information about the plants and trees in the area.

Finally we ended our tour with a ride around Lanai City. We saw some city attractions and we were dropped off at our hotel around lunch time.

Even though the tour was only three and a half hours long, it felt much longer because we saw and learned so much! I myself have been working in the past five years in the Hawaii tours industry and have been to many tours and activities. The tour with Bruce on Lanai was one of the best tours I have ever taken! The service was very professional and we saw a lot! Just like Bruce said, many people may think there is not much to see on Lanai, besides the elaborately-manicured hotel gardens. But it depends on how you define the word “nothing.”

Here are some photos we took on our tour.

The Feast at Lele luau takes place in a beachfront setting right next to the Lahaina Shores. The luau starts with a traditional canoe ride, right before sunset, followed by traditional Hawaiian music, dances and food. Here are some images I took while I walked by.

Lahaina on Maui is a popular tourist destination. The small town in a way resembles Europe with its cute little cafés, restaurants, small boutique shops and colorful buildings, situated along its main street called Front Street.

The town has a couple of small beaches located along Front Street, one of which is located right in front of the Lahaina Shores resort and the other one is about half a mile south of it. The beach near the Lahaina Shores has some shade and it is also a home of the popular Feast at Lele luau. Right there is the popular oceanfront restaurant Pacific‘o as well.

Both Lahaina beaches offer beautiful views to the island of Lanai. Lahaina’s beaches are not the best on Maui for swimming, but their beautiful scenery makes them a good choice for a romantic walk.

I stayed for four nights at the Koele Lodge on Lanai in September 2009. The time there was the highlight of my Maui-Lanai vacation. In this review I will try to briefly review the pros and cons of the resort.

Location Pros

• Located on beautiful green grounds in the middle of the island of Lanai, overlooking Lanai mountains
• Because of its higher elevation, the air here is cooler than on the island’s beaches and it can get quite chilly at night. This is definitely a pro for a person who lives in tropical and humid Hawaii (or other hot location) year-round.
• Mixture of tropical gardens, pine trees, palm trees and other vegetation
• Very quiet resort, away from everything

Location Cons

• Not many airlines fly to Lanai. The airport is very small and only propeller planes fly here. Due to occasional bad weather conditions, such as fog, airplanes sometimes cannot land because the clouds are too low. Another way to get to Lanai is with the Expeditions Lanai ferry from Lahaina on Maui. The ride takes about 40 minutes. Sometimes it can get a little bumpy depending on the weather and ocean conditions. At the Manele Harbor on Lanai you will get picked up by a hotel shuttle for a 30-minutes ride to the Lodge at Koele.

Koele Lodge Pros

• Beautiful resort set in upcountry Lanai
• Two world-class golf courses in the area – in Koele and Manele
• Plenty of resort amenities – pools, game room, library, garden activities, mini golf, etc.
• Guests at the Four Seasons Lodge at Koele can also enjoy resort amenities, such as the pool, at the sister resort, the Four Seasons at Manele Bay. The resort at Manele is a typical Hawaiian tropical resort set among palm trees overlooking Hulopoe Bay. So no matter if you like tropical or mountain style, if you stay at one of the Four Seasons resorts on Lanai, you can have it both.
• Large clean rooms with private lanai
• Room service until 11 pm
• Fine dining restaurants
• Lobby entertainment and bar

Koele Lodge Cons

• You will get spoiled and pampered at the Koele Lodge, but you got to pay for that. Service rates are very expensive. For two noodle entrees and a couple of wine glasses, be prepared to pay over $100. Laundry service is also very expensive. If you have a few T-shirts that need to be washed, your bill can also top $100. If you prefer to save this money, you can go to downtown Lanai City and use the public Laundromat there (it’s a small building that has a few coin-operated washers and dryers).
• No facilities to prepare your own food in the room. You only have a small fridge and a coffee machine.
• No supermarket at the Koele Lodge. The closest one is in Lanai City. It takes about 20 minutes to walk to downtown Lanai City or you can take the hotel shuttle that runs every 30 to 60 minutes depending on the time of day.
• Tip is automatically included in the bill, and in some cases you may need to tip extra, such as for in-room service, maid, etc.

I stayed for a few days at the Old Lahaina House in September 2009. In this review I will try to briefly review the pros and cons of the guesthouse.

Location Pros

• Located in a quiet neighborhood
• Two minutes away from a beach
• It is near a popular Maui luau – Feast at Lele
• Near Pacific’o oceanfront restaurant located at the 505 Lahaina Shops

Location Cons

• The Old Lahaina House is quite far from the downtown area of Lahaina where all the action is. If you don’t have a car, you need to walk about 20 minutes to get to the downtown area. During daytime it is very hot and there is not much shade on the road. At night there are hardly any street lights and the sidewalk is very narrow so I had to take a flashlight with me to make sure drivers on the road could see me. If you want to stay late in downtown Lahaina, you better drive or take a taxi to get back to the guesthouse.

Old Lahaina House Pros

• Beautiful house with a pool near the beach
• Large furnished bedrooms
• Private seating area near the pool. Especially at night it was very beautiful when the pool lights were on and I could hear the ocean in the distance and the swaying palm tree leaves around the house.
• Owners respect your privacy
• One of the rooms has a private entrance.
• Free wireless internet.

Old Lahaina House Cons

• The owner’s office (living area) was very dirty. I was a bit shocked when I arrived
• The pool can be dirty because of falling leaves from the trees
• House pets (a dog and a pig) like to swim in the pool
• The furniture in the house looked old
• The shower cabin was dirty and a bit rusty on the bottom. In addition it was very small. I am a short and slender girl and I had trouble bending down to reach my feet when standing in it. For taller people this must be even more challenging.

The Gazebo is a small breakfast/lunch restaurant located at the Napili Shores resort hotel, overlooking the beautiful Napili Bay. Even though its location is idyllic, I personally don’t recommend the place. The Gazebo is the only breakfast and lunch restaurant in the whole area and it is very busy. I went early in the morning before the restaurant opened and I was surprised to see that there were already people standing in line.

The reason I decided to go to the Gazebo was because everybody recommended it to me and especially their specialty dish – macadamia nut pancakes. So I went and I waited in line until I was seated. I got a good table with a view to Napili Bay. I ordered the famed pancakes and coffee. Unfortunately, their taste was nothing what I expected. The pancakes were way too sweet and had a sugary cream on top. I am a person who is very health conscious and try to eat healthy and I really did not like the artificial flavors in the cream and the pancakes themselves. The maple syrup wasn’t 100 percent pure maple syrup either, but one of the cheap ones that are made with corn syrup. Finally I did not like the coffee at all either. It didn’t taste like coffee. Basically I hardly ate and drink anything, but still felt slightly sick on my stomach.

I don’t like to be so negative in the reviews I write on my website, but this place is really not worth it – from the long wait to get seated to the food.

See the long wait at 8 am in the morning yourself in the photos I post here.

I stayed for a few days at Napili Point resort hotel in September 2009. The resort is located at one of the most beautiful and tropical oceanfront areas I have seen in Hawaii (and I have been in Hawaii for the past 5 years).

I will try to briefly review the pros and cons of the resort in this article.

Location Pros

• Beautiful location with ocean and sunset views
• Close to some of the finest Maui beaches – Napili Bay, Kapalua Bay, Namalu Bay, Kaanapali Beach
• Many Hawaii activities are available in the area – snorkeling, luaus, shows, etc.

Location Cons

• There isn’t a big choice of bars and restaurants in the Napili Point area. There is a restaurant at the nearby Napili Shores resort that opens at 4 pm and a breakfast and lunch place called Gazebo that has a long wait until you get seated. If you want good food you need to drive to Kaanapali or Lahaina.
• There aren’t any supermarkets at Napili Point. The closest supermarket is about a 15-minute walk form the resort. If you don’t have a car, it is best to take the public bus to the shopping center (the bus stops right in front the Napili Shores resort and it takes about 5 minutes to go). You may need to wait for the bus for 30 to 60 minutes (depending on what time of the day it is). It is not good to walk on the road because it is curvy and there is no sidewalk. As an alternative, you can call a taxi or rent a car.

Napili Point Resort Pros

• Beautiful setting with stunning ocean views
• Large one- and two-bedroom furnished suites
• Every room has a lanai
• Fully equipped kitchen
• Two swimming pools
• Daily maid service

Napili Point Resort Cons

• No in-room service
• You have to pay $9.95 per day to use the Internet in your room
• The air in the rooms may feel a little sticky because of the tropical humidity

By David Lichtenstein

The pali (cliff) trail on Molokai’s north shore descends almost 2,000 feet over three miles and 26 switchbacks. While the trail and its cinder block steps are carefully maintained by the National Park Service, it still takes its toll on aging knees and ankles. The trail’s steepness and the lack of accommodations once you reach the bottom, account for the popularity of the mule ride, one of the few alternatives for visitors to the mysterious and tragic peninsula of Kalaupapa.

On this, my third trip to Kalaupapa down the pali trail, my feet felt fine and my step was particularly light in anticipation of the day’s activities. I was excited to witness a truly historical event. Hawaii State Senator J. Kalani English, who represents Molokai and Makawao County where Kalaupapa lies, would attend the August 2008 monthly town meeting for the settlement to issue a formal apology from the state.

“We’re sorry. We’re sorry for the treatment, we’re sorry for the suffering,” said English to a packed crowd at McVeigh Hall. “You know you are special to the state and to me personally and it is time we recognize that.”

Sen. English admitted that the apology was long overdue. To be exact, 39 years overdue. Between 1866 and 1969, those who contracted leprosy, now known as Hansen’s disease, were forced into exile on five square miles of windswept land jutting into the Pacific. In the 19th century, infected people were so feared and reviled that when the boat from Oahu sailed past the peninsula they were forced overboard right into the wild currents and waves. Many of these patients drowned before reaching the shore, weighed down by the layers of clothes and valuables they bore. Those who survived the swim to shore were often the poor who carried fewer worldly possessions to weigh them down.

Once on shore, the survivors were provided almost no medicine or other supplies. A complete lack of building materials made it difficult for the early residents to find shelter from the winter storms that barrel through Molokai’s unprotected north shore. Lacking basic services, Kalaupapa became known as a lawless and miserable destiny. Many died those first years and were buried in unmarked cemeteries along the shore.

The Story of Blessed Father Damien

Then in 1873, Father Damien de Veuster arrived. A Belgian missionary priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Father Damien truly became a gift from God for those suffering under the inhumane conditions.

Father Damien had been ordained in Honolulu and then spent almost ten years on the Big Island of Hawaii beginning in 1864, learning the Hawaiian customs and language. When Father Damien was sent to Kalaupapa at the age of 33, he brought hope and Christian love to a neglected community dealing with despair, drunkenness, licentiousness and abuse. He also brought a strong back that helped build churches and homes. Serving as doctor, nurse, carpenter, engineer, farmer, legal advocate and much more, Damien became a hero to the outside world almost instantly.

Incurable at the time, Hansen’s disease was believed to have been brought to Hawaii from China by migrant workers. Ravages of the disease include losses of limbs and horrible disfigurement. Although repulsed by the infection, Damien visited the sick and every house in the settlement at least once a week. Disregarding medical precautions, Damien ate with his people, touched them and welcomed them to his house.

By 1884, Father Damien had contracted the disease. Five years later he passed away and his body was buried beside St. Philomena Church that he had built. In 1936, his body was exhumed and taken to Belgium to be laid to rest. Today, Father Damien’s statue stands in front of the Hawaii State Capitol and a duplicate sculpture is in the National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington, D.C.

The Apology

In the 1940s, sulfide drugs were discovered to stop the spread of Hansen’s disease. Yet the patients of Kalaupapa were still forced to remain isolated until 1969. Said Sen. English to the community of Kalaupapa: “Sometimes we act irrationally and the government has done that. From 1948 to 1969, there was no real reason to keep you isolated; it was the government being afraid, people not understanding.”

In April of 2008, Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 208 was passed. This two-and-a-half page resolution offered a sincere apology for the actions of the state through the Department of Health. Kalaupapa resident Elroy “Makia” Malo asked Sen. English to read the full resolution at the meeting and in front of his brother Paul Harada’s grave. English happily obliged. Harada, who passed away in January of 2008, had been a long-time advocate for patients’ rights in Kalaupapa and had sought a state apology for years.

“We are very grateful for you to come here and give us this resolution,” said Kalaupapa resident Gloria Marks, who was sister-in-law to Harada. “I’d just like to say this is way overdue and thank you.”

Mrs. Marks and her husband Richard Marks started Damien Tours in 1966, which is still the only way for outsiders to visit Kalaupapa. In December of 2008, Richard Marks succumbed to a long illness and passed away at the age of 79.

Shortly after Marks’ passing, Maui County Council chairman Danny Mateo called him “an ambassador, not just for Kalaupapa but for all of Molokai.” Besides being a tireless advocate for patients’ rights in Kalaupapa, Marks was also the last sheriff of Kalawao County and was the driving force in establishing the Kalaupapa National Historic Park in 1980. Jennifer Cerny, chief of cultural resources for the Kalaupapa National Historic Park, said that if it was not for Richard Marks, the National Park Service would never have come to Molokai.

The settlement sustained another loss in April 2009 when Henry Nalaielu died at the age of 83 in Kalaupapa. First brought there in 1941, Nalaielu was something of a Renaissance man, known as a poet, composer, genealogist, storyteller, guitarist, singer, craftsman and painter; a scholar and philosopher. He also helped organize Na Pu’uwai, the Native Hawaiian Health Care System for Molokai and Lanai. In 2006, Nalaielua published his autobiography “No Footprints in the Sand,” an insightful, sad, yet often humorous portrait of life in Kalaupapa. The National Park Service had recently hired Nalaielua to help identify people and events recorded in old archived photographs.

In April 2009, a bill was signed into law establishing a memorial within Kalaupapa National Historical Park to honor and remember Hansen’s disease patients. Of approximately 8,000 patients buried at Kalaupapa, only about 1,300 have marked graves.

Ka ‘Ohana O Kalaupapa, a group of Hansen’s disease patients, relatives and friends, will cover the memorial’s cost. But the interior secretary would have final approval of the monument’s design, size, inscriptions and location. A location has not yet been chosen.

As of July 2009, about 15-20 patients remain in Kalaupapa where they still receive food, housing and medical care from the Hawaii Department of Health. Of course they are free to leave anytime, but patients choose to stay since it is the only home they know. Another 100 to 130 state and park service employees live in Kalaupapa on either a full- or part-time basis.

The National Park Service recently held twelve public scoping workshops across Hawaii to develop a long-term management plan for Kalaupapa. Input from these meetings will guide the park’s preservation and use over the next 15-20 years.

Damien Becomes a Saint

In July of 2008, Pope Benedict XVI approved the second miracle attributed to Father Damien involving the cure from cancer for Audrey Toguchi, a former high school teacher on Oahu. This marked the fulfillment of a rigorous process that began 100 years ago with the overnight healing of a French nun. It was this miracle that beatified Damien, giving him the title of “Blessed.” Now that two confirmed miracles have been attributed to Damien’s intervention, the road to his canonization as a saint of the Catholic Church has been cleared. Damien will be the first saint with a Hawaii connection.

When Damien becomes a saint on October 11 at a ceremony at the Vatican, the pope will give a relic of Damien, thought to be a bone, to Bishop Larry Silva, Bishop of Honolulu. The relic has a world tour planned that includes a visit to Molokai topside and Kalaupapa before finding its resting place at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu. A fundraiser at the Sheraton Waikiki in July raised over $100,000 to help send eleven Kalaupapa patients to Rome for the ceremony.

Mother Marianne Cope, who followed Damien at Kalaupapa and who died there in 1918, is also a candidate for sainthood. She was beatified in Rome in 2005. Blessed Marianne was a Sister of St. Francis and an American citizen who grew up in upstate New York.

Visiting Kalaupapa

Kalaupapa was chosen as the site to quarantine Hansen’s disease patients because it is difficult to get to and leave. Today, it can only be reached by small boat, small plane, or down the pali trail by foot or mule. Outside visitors are limited to 100 per day. There is no lodging or food for visitors.

To visit, a person must either be hosted by a Kalaupapa resident or join Damien Tours, which can accommodate about 40 people a day. Tours are Monday through Friday, approximately four hours long, and include a drive through the settlement in a yellow school bus. The cost is $40 per person. For reservations call (808) 567-6171.

Pacific Wings is the only airline serving Kalaupapa with rates recently increased to $492 round-trip from topside Molokai on a nine-seat prop plane. For approximately $175 you can take a mule ride down that includes the Father Damien Tour and lunch. For reservations, call Molokai Mule Ride at (800) 567-7550 (toll free) or (808) 567-6088. It is recommended to make reservations at least two weeks in advance.

David Lichtenstein is the News Director for KMKK radio. He can be reached at molokainews@live.com.

Coconut Island, also known as Moku o Lo‘e, is located on Oahu’s windward (east) coast. This little offshore island is the location where part of the popular TV series Gilligan’s Island was filmed. It’s the island that you see during the opening theme of the second and third season of the series.

The Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) has a research base on Coconut Island. Students and scientists from around the world come here to study the ocean, coral reefs and marine organisms. The island is surrounded by a large, 64-acre coral reef, which was designated as the Hawaii Marine Laboratory Refuge by the state of Hawaii.

The Akaka Falls State Park on the Big Island’s northeastern Hamakua Coast is home to two of the island’s most popular waterfalls – Akaka Falls and Kahuna Falls. A beautiful 0.4-mile loop trail leads through the park, through a lush rainforest filled with bamboo groves, tropical flowers and ferns to the two waterfalls.

First up on this short hike will be the 100-foot Kahuna Falls, which will already make you curious to see the much larger, 442-foot Akaka Falls around the corner, which plummets from a cliff down into a pool of water below. You won’t be able to reach the top of the waterfall or the bottom pool area. But it’s nice enough to view it from a distance and the pictures that you can take of it will look gorgeous.

Akaka Falls is a popular attraction probably because it’s easy to reach and because the hike is easy, shady and takes less than an hour (it’s a half-mile circular paved path). The state park is located just a 20-minute drive (17.6 miles) north of Hilo.

I noticed about an hour ago that there’s a power outage in Honolulu, in the Ala Moana area. My neighborhood still has power, but other parts in Ala Moana don’t have power. Police are out right now directing traffic. I tried to find information about this power outage online, but there’s no news about it on any news site.

The Kaneohe Sandbar, also known as Ahu o Laka, is a popular picnicking spot among local Oahu residents, particularly among those who have a boat or access to a boat or kayak. It’s the only sandbar of this kind in Hawaii. The sandbar is located in Kaneohe Bay. During low tide, it emerges and forms a shallow and temporary land. During high tide, the water is about hip-deep and deeper towards the edges of the sandbar. There is a steep drop-off at the edge. Most boaters anchor in the shallow sand and let their boats float in the deep waters at the edge.

The size of the sandbar varies depending on if it’s low or high tide. People come here to picnic, swim, snorkel, dive, play ball games, or to just relax. The water is usually calm and clear and the views are great. From here one can see the entire Kaneohe Bay from an ocean vantage point, the Koolau Mountains and the small offshore islands of Chinaman’s Hat, Coconut Island and Kekepa (Turtleback Island).

From Heeia Pier, where many people keep their boats, it takes about 15-20 minutes to get to the sandbar with a small sail or motor boat. The pier and harbor itself is a gathering spot as well, particularly among local fishermen, who practice off-the-pier fishing here.

Check the tide table before heading out to the Kaneohe Sandbar so you know in advance if it’s high or low tide. The activities that you can do on the sandbar vary slightly during these different ocean conditions. You can take out your chairs and put them on the sandbar only during low tide, for example. Beach volleyball is also easier then. However, swimming in shallow water is more fun during high tide.

Today union workers at the Ilikai voted to ratify an agreement that will enable the hotel to reopen soon. The owner, iStar Financial LLC, had closed the Ilikai’s 203 hotel units last week to cut operating losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars a month. The Ilikai’s 806 condominium and timeshare units were not directly affected by the closure.

Under the new contract, 50 out of the 75 workers that were laid off will be rehired. Their wages and benefits will remain intact. The majority of the 25 workers who will not be rehired were employed in the food and beverage department. They will not be rehired because the owner said it will no longer be operating food and beverage services.

The Ilikai hotel in Waikiki is closing tomorrow, July 9, 2009, due to operating losses of several hundred thousands of dollars a month. The 806 condo and time-share units and the common areas, including the pool, will not be affected by the hotel closure. However, 65 full-time workers will be laid off.

The Ilikai was built in 1964 and is part residential condominium and part hotel. It has long been a landmark hotel in Hawaii, made popular in the 1960s in the television series “Hawaii Five-O,” which featured the Ilikai in its opening credits.

The 203 hotel units will be closed for an indefinite period of time, according to New York-based iStar Financial, who will take over the Ilikai on Friday, July 10, 2009.

Hotel guests who had reservations will be notified and accommodated at other hotels in the area. Future reservations will be rebooked at other hotels as well.

Downtown Honolulu is a busy business center. Many Hawaii business offices are located here. Downtown Honolulu is busy during the week and calm on the weekend, when almost all businesses and public restaurants are closed.

The downtown area is definitely worth a visit. You can see many architectural buildings here, nestled in pretty tropical landscaping. Take a stroll in the Bishop Square, then walk by the historic Iolani Palace and the Hawaii State Capitol. Visit the Hawaii State Library and Honolulu Hale and much more.

Below are some photos of Downtown Honolulu. Enjoy!