If you plan to vacation in Waikiki around the middle of November this year, be aware that during this time an important convention of world leaders is taking place. President Obama will be here and host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), a forum for 21 Pacific Rim countries that seeks to promote economic cooperation and free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

This is a big event and the local media as well as local businesses and residents have been talking about it for months. This mega event will bring about 20,000 business leaders, corporate CEOs, senior government officials, economists and journalists from the 21 member economies of APEC to Oahu. Hawaii beat out several other U.S. cities for the right to host this event. It is the first time the USA has hosted APEC since the original summit in 1993.

Most of the meetings and events will take place at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu from November 7-13, 2011. The two most important events will be hosted at two other locations. The APEC Leaders’ Meeting will take place on November 12, 2011, at the Hale Koa Hotel in Waikiki, and on November 13, 2011, APEC Leaders will meet at the J.W. Marriott Ihilani in Ko Olina.

A lot of effort has been made in the last weeks and months to make Oahu look as presentable as possible. Roads and sidewalks have been fixed, coconut palms have been planted along roads where APEC leaders will travel, the Honolulu International Airport has received a partial makeover, homeless people have been told to relocate, graffiti in important areas has been removed and businesses and residents have been warned to plan ahead for this upcoming event.

There will be road and sidewalk closures around these three hot spots (Hawaii Convention Center, Hale Koa Hotel and J.W. Marriott Ihilani). This event will also impact ordinary visitors to Oahu. The public bus, as well as other transportation providers will be rerouted, boat tours (snorkeling excursions, dinner cruises, catamaran tours, etc.) won’t be allowed to sail along a certain part of coastline, helicopter sightseeing tours won’t be able to fly and even Diamond Head will be closed on November 12-13, 2011, all due to security measures for APEC.

So plan ahead if you will be in Honolulu during this time and expect delays on some roads. For more information about these security zones and on which days they will be in effect, visit the links under the category “APEC Security Maps” on http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/category/222800/apec-hawaii-2011

Kipu Falls on Kauai is praised in many travel books and online media as a great place to cool off. The 20-foot waterfall cascades down a cliff and into a small pool. Even rope swings have been installed to double the fun and a ladder to climb back on land. Jumping into the green-blue water and playing under the waterfall may seem like a great idea. However, what many visitors don’t know is that Kipu Falls has claimed lives in the past, five visitors in the last five years to be precise. The latest death occurred just recently, on June 26, when a male visitor from California jumped into the pool and when trying to swim back to land went under water and never resurfaced.

Other people have suffered serious injuries, including a teenage girl who was paralyzed after leaping from the cliff into the pool. Chest injuries, broken bones, rope burns and perforated ear drums are also common injuries here. According to the Kauai Fire Department, rescue crews were sent to the waterfall 10 times last year and twice so far this year.

There are many speculations why healthy people who are able to swim would drown in such a small pool so quickly. Some say there could be strong underwater currents that suck people down. Others say that maybe an angry mo’o, a Hawaiian water spirit lizard, lives in the pool. Experts have analyzed the currents in the pool, but so far couldn’t find any logical explanation.

The thing about Kipu Falls is that people shouldn’t be there in the first place. Not only is it a dangerous place to swim, but the waterfall is surrounded by private land, so every person who goes there is trespassing. The trail to the waterfall crosses land that is owned by Grove Farm. According to the owner, it is a real dilemma on what to do about this issue with people trespassing and then getting hurt or killed.

Blocking access to the trail would be an expensive undertaking since the company is small and has limited resources. Furthermore, a fence could break and the company could then be held responsible for not maintaining the barrier. Should they decide to post warning signs, the company would acknowledge the hazards of the waterfall and thus exposing itself to liability. For these reasons nothing has been done yet and the daily stream of unknowing visitors looking for this “swimming hole extraordinaire” continues.

To-Hawaii.com has partnered with HomeAway, the world’s leading online marketplace of vacation rentals.

One of the best parts of the Hawaii vacation experience is planning the vacation itself. If you plan to stay at a vacation rental, To-Hawaii.com can help you find the best vacation home that will fit your budget. We provide links to one of the largest collections of Hawaii vacation rentals by the owners online.

Staying at a vacation rental has its benefits:

• Vacation rentals are usually larger than hotel rooms
• There are rentals all over Hawaii, including in remote areas where there are no hotels
• You can have more privacy and freedom
• Many vacation rentals offer conveniences, such as a washing machine, kitchen, etc.
• Read reviews about what previous guests are saying about this rental
• Establish an easy contact with the owner
• See photos and familiarize yourself about the condition of the rental

To start your journey, just click on the following island links: Oahu vacation rentals, Maui vacation rentals, Kauai vacation rentals, Big Island vacation rentals, Molokai vacation rentals and Lanai vacation rentals and browse through a large selection of affordable cottages and condos, to luxurious homes and villas.

To-Hawaii.com now helps you search the best travel sites at once to find the lowest hotel rates.

We are proud to announce to our site visitors that we now offer an easy and convenient way to search among all leading hotel reservation sites, such as Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, Travelocity, etc. With just one click you can now compare hotel rates on all the major booking sites at once and find the best hotel deals in Hawaii. What’s more, we compare full price data including taxes, fees and rebates.

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Visit our hotel search engine at hotels.to-hawaii.com. Enter your destination and vacation dates and click the Search button. After that our search engine will collect live data within seconds and display the best hotel rates available for your destination and selected dates.

Another way how you can access the best hotel deals in Hawaii is by visiting our island hotel pages: Oahu hotels, Maui hotels, Kauai hotels, Big Island hotels, Lanai hotels and Molokai hotels.  On these pages you will find some of the top hotels on the islands sorted by region. After selecting your favorite hotel, you can click the “Compare rates” link that will find the best rate for this hotel.

Plan your Hawaii vacation now and save money with To-Hawaii.com.

Next Saturday, on May 7, 2011, it’s time again for this year’s Maui Onion Festival, which takes place at Whalers Village in Ka’anapali on Maui’s west shore. This popular festival has been a signature event at the Whalers Village since 1990 and is dedicated to the cultivation and promotion of the world-famous Maui Kula onion. There will be recipe contests, live entertainment, food booths (including a beer garden), chef demonstrations, as well as games and prizes. Admission is free.

The annual Merrie Monarch Festival is one of Hawaii’s most popular events, taking place at the Edith Kanakaole Stadium in Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii from April 24 to April 30, 2011. The week-long event features an internationally acclaimed hula competition, an art show, a crafts fair and a parade through Hilo.

The festival is a non-profit organization that was established in honor of the legacy left by King David Kalakaua, who inspired the continuation of Hawaii’s traditions, arts and native language.

Most activities during the festival are free to the public. Tickets for the three-day hula competition can be purchased at merriemonarch.com (prices vary depending on seating section and the number of days attending the competition).

Flying over the Hawaiian Islands is very unique experience, especially if you fly from Oahu to the Big Island. Then you can see three or four islands within the span of 30 minutes. First you will see the beautiful coastline of south and east Oahu, the famous beaches Ala Moana, Waikiki Beach, Hanauma Bay, Sandy Beach and others. Then you will get the chance to fly over Molokai and see the long white sand beach Papohaku Beach, Molokai sea cliffs and even the Kalaupapa Peninsula. You may also see the island of Lanai. As your journey continues you will fly over Maui and get the chance to see Maui’s coastline and Mt. Haleakala. That will give you a very good overview of Haleakala’s cinder cones.

Since it is up to the airline and weather which route they fly, the route changes and you may not be able to see all these attractions or maybe you will be able to see others. Here is what I saw.

Kalaupapa Peninsula on Molokai

Molokai coastline

Maui

Flying over Haleakala on Maui

Hilo

Hilo Airport

Big Island Coastline

The summit of Mauna Kea

Flying over the ocean between Maui and Oahu

Oahu coastline

Oahu

The famous winds of Hawaii have yet again been harnessed to provide electricity to the residents of Oahu. A 30-megawatt facility, the island’s first large-scale wind farm, was inaugurated and put into action recently at Kahuku.

The wind farm has been developed by a Boston-based company, First Wind, and has 12 wind turbines of 2.5-megawatt each, expected to generate electricity to power up about 7,700 homes. Spread over 575 acres, the steel blade turbines are mounted on top of 260 feet high steel towers. Real time information about the amount of electricity being generated will be transmitted via microwave signals to the offices of HECO, the Hawaiian Electric Co. According to the terms of the deal, HECO is buying the wind generated electricity from First Wind at a rate of 19.9 cents per kilowatt-hour.

While the 30-megawatt Kahuku project is small in capacity compared to the islandwide peak load requirement of 1,250 megawatts, it is a small but significant step towards reducing the dependence on oil to generate electricity in Hawaii.

Hula Cove is a beautiful getaway located in Kapoho on the Big Island of Hawaii. We spent a week here and we really enjoyed the cottage and the surroundings. The cottage itself was very comfortable and perfect for two people. There was all the necessary equipment to cook, do laundry and go snorkeling. The house is one of the better ones in the area. If you take a walk through the neighborhood you will see that some houses are not so nice compared to Hula Cove. But there are others that are also nice.

Hula Cove is located at the Waiopae tide pools, and right in front of your lanai you can see the crystal clear water and fish and eels swimming in it. It is interesting to observe the tides as well.

At night it was nice to sit on the lanai and look at the stars and listen to the songs of the coqui frogs, which are common in the area. Below I post many pictures I took at the Hula Cove vacation rental and the surrounding area. Also there are two videos showing the road to the house, Kapoho Kai Drive, and the view to the tide pool on a sunny day (that video concludes with rain). This is how it can also be like here - very sunny or very rainy. We had both

Kapoho-Kalapana Road 137 is a narrow and winding, but very scenic road that will take you on an unforgettable journey through tropical rainforests and lava fields. The road is also known as the “Red Road” because of its unique red cinder pavement. However, this pavement only remains in one area of the road (at its northern end). The rest of the road has been resurfaced with black asphalt in 2000.  There are a few attractions on the way that are worth visiting – Ahalanui Pond (a volcanically heated pond), MacKenzie State Park (a large park with many trees from where you can watch the waves crash into steep sea cliffs) and Kehena Black Sand Beach (one of the few nude beaches in Hawaii). At the end of the road you will find another unique attraction, the Kaimu Beach Eco-Path (it is an easy hike across a lava field that will take you to a scenic black-sand beach).

Here is a video and photos from Kapoho-Kalapana Road 137. Enjoy!

Ahalanui Pond

MacKenzie State Park

Kehena Black Sand Beach

Kaimu Beach Eco-Path

The oldest known wild bird in the United States, a Laysan albatross named Wisdom, recently became a new mother. A biologist from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spotted the bird in a remote wildlife refuge on Midway Atoll, which is part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, located about 1,300 miles northwest of Honolulu.

The albatross is at least 60 years old. Scientists are able to tell the age of the seabird because they first banded it when she incubated an egg in 1956. At that time the bird was estimated to be at least 5 years old. Since then it has worn out five bands.

Wisdom is the oldest wild bird documented by the North American Bird Banding Program. Scientists estimate that Wisdom has raised at least 30 to 35 chicks in her lifetime. And it is amazing that at such an age she is still able to become a new mother and raise a chick.

Albatross lay just a single egg a year. It takes a full year to incubate and raise it, and after this parenting period, many albatross take a year off before mating again.

The humpback whales, once on the brink of extinction due to unrestricted commercial whaling practices, have slowly grown back in numbers thanks to the untiring efforts of conservationists and international protection.

The main breeding ground of the whales in the North Pacific region has been the main Hawaiian Islands. But research conducted by scientists at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that these grounds extend throughout the Hawaiian archipelago and into the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, also known as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI).

Dr. Marc Lammers, lead scientist of the project and a researcher at HIMB explains “these findings are exciting because they force us to re-evaluate what we know about humpback whale migration and the importance of the NWHI to the population.”

This startling revelation came to light when researchers deployed instruments known as Ecological Acoustic Recorders (EARs) in both the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and Main Hawaiian Islands to record the occurrence of humpback whale song as an indicator of winter breeding activity. Song is produced by male humpback whales during the breeding season in winter. Researchers are unsure why male humpbacks produce song, but many believe that it is a display to other males.

Approximately 8,500 to 10,000 whales migrate to Hawaii each winter. The rest of the population migrates to the Philippines, Taiwan, the Mariana Islands, Mexico, Baja California and other Pacific locations.

A new vent opened Saturday at Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island, in a remote location at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The Pu’o O’o crater floor collapsed by at least 377 feet, generating a huge ash cloud and a lava fountain that shot lava up to 100 feet into the air. The fissure is located about a mile southwest of Pu’o O’o crater and grew to 1.4 miles on Sunday.

This latest eruption resembles one in 1997 when the Pu’o O’o crater floor collapsed and a fissure eruption started. The eruption back then lasted less than 24 hours, while Saturday’s eruption is already taking longer. According to scientists, it takes about one or two days to see if the lava supply has been cut off by the fissure eruption.

Trails near the current eruption are closed because the area near the vent can erupt or collapse without warning. Rocks and lava can fly several hundred yards and ash and potentially lethal sulfur-laden volcanic smog can travel about half-mile downwind. The popular Chain of Craters Road and all east rift zone and coastal trails have been closed until further notice.

Hawaii moved a step closer to becoming the home of the world’s largest telescope when the state Board of Land and Natural Resources unanimously approved the plan this weekend.

The thirty-meter telescope, which is scheduled to be completed in 2018, will have a single primary mirror that measures 30 meters across and is made up of 492 segments. This will give the telescope nine times more collecting surface than the biggest telescopes on Earth today. This astronomical giant will even surpass the Hubble telescope in many ways, as it will be able to give scientists a completely new view of some of the oldest galaxies and stars that are our neighbors in space.

Mauna Kea, which is already home to world-class telescopes including the Keck and Subaru, was selected as the venue from among five locations across the world based on assessments of climate and atmosphere. According to Edward Stone, Caltech physicist and vice chairman of the TMT board, “In the final analysis, the board selected Mauna Kea as the site for TMT. The atmospheric conditions, low average temperatures, and very low humidity will open an exciting new discovery space using adaptive optics and infrared observations.”

There has been some opposition to the project with native Hawaiians saying that such construction would defile Mauna Kea’s sacred summit. Environmental bodies are also against the project claiming that it would harm the rare Wekiu bug.

The state Board of Land and Natural Resources has granted a request by opponents for a case hearing on the telescope.

188 years ago, in the night on February 11, 1823, the whaling ship Two Brothers was cruising in the waters of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands when it suddenly slammed into a shallow reef. The boat’s hull split open and the vessel sank quickly.

Today, on February 11, 2011, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the discovery of the Two Brothers shipwreck in waters surrounding the French Frigate Shoals, which is the first confirmed find worldwide of a sunken whaling ship.

Researchers were able to recover multiple artifacts from the ocean floor, including a cooking pot, a ginger jar and a grinding stone. Some of the artifacts will be temporarily displayed in Hilo, but since there is no maritime center in Hawaii, they will probably be taken to a museum in Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Picture credit: Courtesy Grec McFall / NOAA

Map: Courtesy of USGS

The Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus semotus) is considered to be Hawaii’s only native (endemic) land mammal, meaning that it can’t be found anywhere else in the world. The Senate Hawaiian Affairs Committee passed a bill 7-0 on February 8, 2011, that recognizes the endangered bat. It could become the official land mammal for the state of Hawaii.

While the Hawaiian monk seal is Hawaii’s state mammal and looks a lot cuter to many people., the Hawaiian hoary bat is receiving support because of its rarity and uniqueness. The proposal will next go to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Hawaiian hoary bat is a subspecies of the North American hoary bat. Hoary means frosted, and the bat is called like that because of its white-tipped body hairs. Native Hawaiians called the bat Opeapea, referring to the hoary bats’ half-taro leaf outline. The bat can be seen mainly on Kauai, Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii, but only rarely on Oahu.

This has been a cold winter so far across the United States. According to national news sources today, it is currently snowing in 49 states, including Hawaii! Snow has fallen on the Big Island’s Mauna Kea. The volcano’s summit is at an altitude of 13,796 feet (4,205 m). The temperature up there currently hovers around 26 F (-3 C). Florida is the only state without any recent snowfall.

Whale season is here! Beginning this month, Hawaii will see its faithful winter visitors once again, the Pacific humpback whales. More than 10,000 of these majestic mammals migrate here each year all the way from the waters off southeastern Alaska, a two-month journey of more than 3,000 miles.

The whales swim to the Hawaiian Islands to breed, birth and raise their young. There are a few lookout points on all the islands from where one can observe the whales. On Oahu, for example, the Diamond Head lookout is a great spot to see whales, as well as the lookout at Hanauma Bay. On Maui, anywhere along the island’s south shore is good.

The ‘Au’au Channel between Maui and Lanai is actually the favorite hangout spot for the whales. They feel the most protected here because the channel is framed by four islands – Maui to the east, Lanai to the west, Molokai to the north and Kahoolawe to the south. The channel is also not too deep, reaching around 108 feet (33 m). In the Hawaiian language, “’Au’au” means “to take a bath.” This name refers to the channel’s usually calm conditions.

Besides observing the whales from one of the many lookout points, whale watching boat tours are being offered, beginning now until the end of the whale season in mid-April.

Wow! What a gray and rainy day it has been today on Oahu! If you just now arrived on the island of Oahu and you were hoping to escape the winter weather at home you may now be thinking that your pilot landed on the wrong island.

Today Oahu is covered by one big rain cloud and the entire island is actually under a flash flood warning. Hawaii is usually sunny even in the winter, but rainfall in the winter months are Hawaii’s “snow.” Local residents welcome it because the island is dry for most of the year and a weather change is exciting.

If you are here on vacation right now and you are little upset of the weather, don’t be. Hawaii offers plenty of activities that don’t need sunshine - you can go shopping, try local foods at one of the island’s many restaurants, take a tour, visit an evening show, a museum or a historic attraction, such as Pearl Harbor.

This is how Hawaii can look like

Which Hawaiian island should I visit? This is a question I get asked very frequently from friends, acquaintances and people visiting my website. And my answer always begins with “depends what you want to do and see.”

The activities and things to do and see, the scenery and even the climate is different on each island. In other words, each island is quite unique.

Visiting Oahu

The majority of Hawaii travelers visit Oahu and particularly Waikiki – the most touristy area of the island. Even though Waikiki does have its charm, it is certainly not for everybody. So don’t jump to the conclusion that if everybody goes there you should too.

Waikiki offers plenty of entertainment options, such as restaurants, bars, shops, night shows and other cultural performances, Hawaiian luaus, and a tropical beach with nice views to Diamond Head (a popular landmark). Also, many tours are being offered that head out from Waikiki, including sailing, catamaran and dinner cruises. Waikiki certainly is one of the most photographed locations in Hawaii. It has been featured in many popular movies, as well as on wall calendars and postcards.

Since Waikiki is so popular, it is a bustling place and quite noisy and crowded. You will see visitors, local residents and homeless people all over the place. So if you a looking for tranquility in Hawaii, you will have a hard time finding it here. Also, hotels and resorts have relatively small grounds; many are in high-rise buildings with small or no outside areas. 

If you enjoy the hustle and bustle of Waikiki with its many entertainment options and lively atmosphere, but would still like to visit some quieter areas of the island, the east or north shore is the place to go. You can take the public bus or rent a car and explore these areas, or you can also look for accommodation outside of Waikiki. There are not many hotels on the east and north shore of Oahu, but there are many vacation rentals located on pristine beaches that are suitable for a relaxing vacation.

Oahu has some great white-sand beaches with excellent swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, bodyboarding and surfing conditions. So if you are into watersports, you will find plenty of opportunities on Oahu.

Visiting Maui

Looking for some relaxation mixed with a little action in a tropical setting? If the answer is yes, it sounds like you should plan a trip to Maui!

Kaanapali on Maui is what I consider Maui’s Waikiki – here you will find many restaurants and shops, night entertainment, a pristine beach, tropical surroundings and many accommodation options. Even though Kaanapali is the most popular tourist area on Maui and it reminds me it a way of Waikiki, it is still different from Waikiki in many ways. Hotels in Kaanapali are bigger with larger and lusher grounds. It is a typical resort community, while Waikiki on Oahu is a mixture of a big city and hotels.

If you stay in Kaanapali, you can easily get to Lahaina, which is located a few miles south, which has even more restaurants and shops. Also, you can take a ferry and visit two other Hawaiian islands – Molokai (1.5 hours one way) and Lanai (40 minutes one way). Taking a ferry to visit another Hawaiian island is possible only from Maui. Both ferries to Molokai and Lanai depart from Lahaina Harbor, which is located 10-15 minutes from Kaanapali.

Lahaina is also a very attractive boutique town with plenty of restaurants and shops, many of which are located oceanfront. However, the accommodation options here are rather limited, and there is no good swimming beach. Lahaina is one of the best places in Hawaii to see whales in the winter.

Other good areas on Maui to stay at are Kapalua, Wailea and Makena. Many hotels and resorts in these towns offer luxurious accommodations and services to their guests. Kihei has affordable and moderately priced accommodations, and Hana has one luxurious resort in a very isolated and remote location.

Visiting Kauai

Kauai’s natural beauty attracts visitors from around the world. Many consider Kauai the most beautiful island because of its lush vegetation. Kauai is a great vacation destination for travelers who want to spend most of their time doing outdoor adventures, such as hiking, biking, sailing, zip lining, etc.

Kauai’s north shore (Hanalei and Princeville) is ideal for nature lovers. This is the lushest and greenest part of the island, where you can enjoy beautiful beaches, world-class golf, tropical flora and fauna and spectacular views to mountains with cascading waterfalls. The shopping and dining options are limited here, so if that’s important for you, you may want to consider the east or south shore as your destination.

The most dining and shopping opportunities on Kauai can be found in Kapaa and Wailua. There are many hotels and condos (from budget to luxurious) in the area as well.

The most popular vacation destination on Kauai is along the south shore (Poipu and Koloa). Accommodations here are more expensive compared to the east and north shore.

There are a few good accommodation options on the west coast of Kauai (Waimea), but I would not recommend this area as a first Hawaii vacation choice unless you want to spend most of your time hiking Waimea Canyon. The west coast is also rather barren, a complete contrast to the island’s north shore.

Visiting the Big Island

The Big Island of Hawaii is a home to one of the most popular Hawaii attractions – Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. This is where you can see active lava flows and volcanic craters.

The most popular tourist area on the Big Island is the west shore – Kailua-Kona, Waikoloa and the Kohala Coast. Most of the hotel and resort accommodations here are upscale. There are a few good swimming and snorkeling beaches here, as well as many other scenic black sand beaches. This side of the island offers a nice mixture of outdoor adventures and activities and a tranquil vacation.

Visiting Lanai

Looking for a really relaxing vacation in Hawaii, away from all kinds of city noise and crowds? You can find that on Lanai. This small Hawaiian island is home to two 5-star luxury resorts and one moderately priced hotel (and a handful of vacation rentals). Outdoor activities that are being offered here include golf and horseback riding.

Visiting Molokai

Just like on Lanai, you can enjoy a peaceful and relaxing vacation on Molokai, with no noise and disturbances surrounding you. Molokai has one hotel and a few vacation rental options. Few people choose Molokai as their first-time Hawaii vacation destination because shopping and services here are very limited. But if you don’t plan on doing much besides hiking and exploring in peaceful surroundings, then this island is a good place to visit.