What`s New in the Hawaiian Islands – January/February 2013 Page

What’s New in the Hawaiian Islands – January/February 2013
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January/February 2013
WHAT’S NEW IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
EVENTS AND ATTRACTIONS
♦ On January 3, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (Hawai‘i Island)
celebrated the 30th anniversary of Kïlauea volcano’s ongoing East Rift
Zone eruption. Since 1983, Kïlauea has produced approximately 500 acres
of new land and is the only volcano in the world to have a continuous lava
flow over the past 30 years. For more information, visit NPS.gov/HAVO.
♦ Hawai‘i’s diverse cultural community will be on full display at the
Honolulu Festival (O‘ahu) from March 1-3. The event will feature several
exhibits and performances showcasing Asia-Pacific culture, including the
first-ever Honolulu Rainbow Ekiden relay race. The festival will
conclude with the Waikiki Grand Parade and Nagaoka Fireworks Show.
For more information, visit HonoluluFestival.com.
♦ Visitors to Hawai‘i Island can now see South Kona from a new
perspective. Kona Eco Adventures, a sister company Big Island Eco
Adventures, launched a zipline tour of the Ka‘awaloa area. Guests get a
rare bird’s eye view of koa and ‘öhia trees and other native vegetation. For
more information, visit KonaZip.com.
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♦ In the spirit of aloha (love), lökahi (unity), laulima (cooperation), the 21st
annual East Maui Taro Festival celebrates the local community of Häna
and the historical and cultural significance of kalo (taro). The festival will
be held on April 20-21. Guests enjoy Hawaiian entertainment and hula,
food booths and several interactive demonstrations. For more
information, visit TaroFestival.org.
♦ Experience a taste of the paniolo (cowboy) lifestyle in the heart of Mäkaha
Valley (O‘ahu) at the Historic Makaha Valley Riding Stables (MVRS).
Guests will embark on an exclusive horseback journey through the lush,
peaceful valley with experienced and knowledgeable guides sharing the
area’s rich history and culture. Portions of the proceeds from MVRS are
used to fund the Makaha Cultural Learning Center – a non-profit
organization that educates visitors and the local community about
sustainable farming and Hawaiian history and culture. For more
information, visit MakahaStables.com.
♦ Thousands will gather in the spirit of working together and mälama ‘äina
(respecting the land) for the 18th annual Kona Brewers Festival on March
9. The festival will take place at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel
and will feature over 70 types of ales and lagers, island-style cuisine
served up by Hawai‘i chefs and live music and entertainment. For more
information, visit KonaBrewersFestival.com.
♦ Hawaii Duck Tours is returning to this month as “Duck Tours 2.0.” The
relaunch will take guests on a Pearl Harbor adventure in a fully restored
authentic World War II amphibious vehicle called the duck. The 32-foot
long antique is capable of driving on roads and floating through the
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ocean. The tour runs four times a day and pickup is available at most
Waikïkï hotels. Plans for a Hawai‘i Kai tour are also in the works. For
more information, visit HawaiiDuckTours.com.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS
♦ Four Seasons Resort Lana‘i at Manele Bay and Four Seasons Resort
Lana‘i, The Lodge at Koele recently completed several property
enhancements, refining the overall design aesthetic of the resorts to
capture a distinct sense of place synonymous with Hawai‘i. The most
notable enhancements include new décor and furniture, the debut of a
private fine art collection showcasing local Hawaiian artists, Hawaiian
themed tropical gardens and landscaping, and new restaurants and
lounges, including the highly anticipated debut of Nobu Lana‘i. For more
information, visit FourSeasons.com/ManeleBay.
♦ The luxury hotel operator, Ritz-Carlton has made plans for its first O‘ahu
property in Waikïkï. Formerly 2121 Kuhio, The Ritz-Carlton Residences
Waikiki Beach will begin construction this year, with the completion of
the tower is scheduled for early 2016. The property will be Ritz-Carlton’s
second presence in Hawai‘i along with The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua (Maui).
For more information, visit RitzCarlton.com.
♦ The Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows will undergo a $38 million
renovation in 2013, showcasing the resorts cultural connection to the bay’s
aquacultural past. The area is home to several ancient Hawaiian
fishponds, which were greatly admired by King Kamehameha, the royal
monarch who established the Hawaiian Kingdom. The fishponds are a
key inspiration to the remodel and several new swimming pools on the
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resort property will be designed to resemble the ancient landmarks. For
more information, visit MaunaLani.com.
♦ The rooftop of the Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort (Maui) is
buzzing with a “bee-utiful” secret. Working with a local beekeeper, the
resort has created the first rooftop bee colony on Maui. From the
surrounding white, sweet scented keawe flowers, the seven hives each
produce a gallon of honey every month. The honey is incorporated in all
of the resort’s restaurant menus, featuring decadent dishes like black lavasalted prawns with rooftop honey spaghetti squash and sake buerre
rouge, and chocolate buttermilk panna cotta with walnut lace tuille and
rooftop honey and cracked pepper macerated berries. The honey is also
used in Spa Grande’s Ali‘i Honey Steam Cocoon treatment. For more
information, visit GrandWailea.com.
♦ Visitors to Hawai‘i Island in search of a good old-fashioned steak house
are in for a treat. A new family casual restaurant, Kona Beach Steak
House opened its doors in November 2012. The restaurant features a
spectacular view of Kailua Bay and classic menu items, including New
York steak, deluxe hamburgers, grilled lobster, and linguine cachico. For
more information, visit KonaBeachSteakHouse.com.
TRANSPORTATION
♦ Hawaiian Airlines is adding three weekly seasonal flights between
Honolulu (O‘ahu) and Sydney, Australia in spring 2013. The airline will
use the 294-seat Airbus A330-200 aircraft to operate the new flights from
April 3 to June 1, 2013. Hawaiian originally launched service to Sydney in
December 2011. For more information, visit HawaiianAirlines.com.
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♦ Allegiant Air continues its expansion into the Hawai‘i market with the
recent announcement of a new flight between Phoenix and Honolulu
(O‘ahu). The new flight will operate three times a week starting on Feb. 8,
2013. For more information, visit AllegiantAir.com.
♦ Alaska Airlines will bring San Diego its first nonstop flight to Lihue
(Kaua‘i). The new seasonal service will begin on June 7, 2013. For more
information, visit AlaskaAir.com.
ACCOLADES
♦ Four Seasons Resort Hualälai at Historic Ka‘üpülehu (Hawai‘i Island)
won TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice awards for Top Hotel in the United
States and World, and Top Luxury Hotel in the United States and
World. Several other Hawai’i Hotels were also recognized, including Four
Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea (Top Hotels in the United States 2), Four
Seasons Resort Lana‘i, the Lodge at Koele (Top Hotels in the
United States 6). For more information, visit TripAdvisor.com.
♦ Three Hawai‘i beaches were recognized in Travel + Leisure’s first ever, Best
Beaches survey including:
o Polihale Beach (Kaua‘i) – Best for Seclusion
o Wailea Beach (Maui) – Best for Activities
o Black Sand Beach, Wai‘änapanapa State Park (Maui) – Best for
Dramatic Landscapes
The three Hawai‘i beaches are displayed in a slideshow on the magazine’s
website amongst a total of 30 beaches that made the list. For more
information, visit TravelAndLeisure.com.
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♦ The Kahala Hotel & Resort (O‘ahu) has been recognized as a 2012
Fodor’s Choice Hotel. Having hosted presidents and royalty, the hotel is
one of the first luxury resorts in Hawai‘i. The Kahala recently completed a
renovation of The Veranda lounge, with plans to open a new Napoli-style
Italian restaurant, Arancino at The Kahala later this year. For more
information, visit Fodors.com.
♦ For the second consecutive year, Mama’s Fish House (Maui) was named
to OpenTable’s 2012 Diner’s Choice list on the Top 100 Best Restaurants
in the United States. The list was generated from over 5 million reviews
of more than 15,000 restaurants in the nation. The popular Pä‘ia restaurant
is renowned for its fresh fish and nestled on a secluded white sand beach
in a converted beach house. For more information,
visit OpenTable.com.
-pauSpecial note to media: The Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB)
recognizes the use of the ‘okina [‘] or glottal stop, one of the eight consonants of
the (modern) Hawaiian language; and the kahakö [ä] or macron (e.g., in place
names of Hawai‘i such as Läna‘i). However, HVCB respects the individual use of
these markings for names of organizations and businesses.
The Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau is contracted by the Hawai‘i
Tourism Authority (HTA), the state of Hawai‘i’s tourism agency, for marketing
management services in North America. The HTA was established in 1998 to
ensure a successful visitor industry well into the future. Its mission is to
strategically manage Hawai‘i tourism in a sustainable manner consistent with the
state of Hawai‘i’s economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural
resources, community desires, and visitor industry needs.
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Media Contacts:
Darlene Morikawa
Director, PR/Communications
Hawai’i Visitors and Convention Bureau
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 808-924-0259
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Nathan Kam
Vice President
McNeil Wilson Communications
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 808-539-3471