Watch out for falling Coconuts at the Ali'i Fishpond on Molokai

Kauai Marriott Weather Station

Original Donkey Ball store on the Hawai'i The Big Island - incredible chocolate and more

Molokai  – Ali’i Fishpond - the Ka Honua Momona Organization is working to restore this historical fishpond, more information to follow in a future blog post

Hawai’i    The Big Island – Donkey Ball Factory – located at 79-7411 Mamalahoa Hwy, Kainaliu ,Hi 96750 – 8 miles south of Kona  – Same factory & store location for over 12 years ! Donkey Balls made-in-house  using only Guittard Chocolate -Handcrafted gourmet chocolates, Kona Coffee and Gifts !

Kauai -  the weather station  at the Kauai Marriott, more accurate  than  other weather reports for sure, it has always been correct during my visits to the resort.

Do you have  some personal favorites of your own ?

For more information  contact me:   Phone   828-256-1530  / Email   linda@honeymoonsinc.com  /  Facebook  www.facebook.com/linda.dancer

Technorati Tags: Hawaii gifts and products, Hawaii Honeymoons, Hawaii The Big Island, Hawaii weather, Kauai hotels, Molokai

Everytime I return to Hawaii, I am continually amazed by the new opportunities to explore a new farm to table experience . My most recent opportunity was on the Big Island of Hawaii at the Hawaii Vanilla Company.

From the moment  you drive up to the cozy yellow cottage which serves as the restaurant and gift shop , you know you have arrived at somewhere special.  A hand written message of aloha welcomes you and beckons you to come on in .

Vanilla Production  This family ran farm is owned by Jim and Tracy Reddekopp . Jim and his family grow the only commercial vanilla in the United States . From growing the Orchids that produce the vanilla , to producing a wide range of products that are sold in the gift shop , an incredible restaurant , afternoon tea , a farm tour and lunch experience , there are so many opportunities at Hawaiian VanillaCompany . 

Located on the lower slopes of Mauna Kea , the growing conditions  are perfect for growing the Vanilla Orchid, and they have found many wonderful opportunities to include vanilla  in cooking ingredients, teas,  body lotions, soaps and other products.

Unique Hawaii Weddings

In addition , Jim and Tracy now offer  the opportunity to have a small intimate  wedding ceremony  on the knoll overlooking the farm and the Pacific Ocean . A delightful farm fresh reception for up to 30 guest  can then be held at the Vanilla Kitchen , so for the   “Foodie”  bride and groom looking for something special for their wedding ceremony , Hawaiian Vanilla Company would be a perfect match .

If you have already planned to have your wedding somewhere else on the island, then consider Hawaiian Vanilla Company for your reception location ,regardless Jim and Tracy Reddekopp with exceed your expectations and look forward to hearing from you.

For more wedding information contact Tracy Reddekopp  (808) 776-1771 or email  at vanillakeikimama@aol.com

Technorati Tags: Activities, dining, Farm to Table, Food, Foodies, Honeymoon, Hotels, music, Resorts, Site Seeing, Weddings, zipline

For more information, visit www.maunalani.com or contact me to make your plans – linda@honeymoonsinc.com!

Technorati Tags: Hawaii Surf Film Festival, Hawaii The Big Island

Hawaii, The Big Island, wants you to know what makes it such a special place and unbeatable experience! Here’s more from the Hawaii Convention and Visitor’s Bureau:

WHAT’S BIG AND INSPIRING ABOUT HAWAII, THE BIG ISLAND?

Long before our island’s name, “Hawaii,” was given to our state, it was the name of a kingdom. Hawaii is the birthplace of the great warrior King Kamehameha I, who in 1810 first unified all the islands under one rule, creating the Kingdom of Hawaii. “Hawaii” – first an island, then a kingdom, now a state. But then and now, always an island.

BIG ISLAND Yes, there’s a very good reason why our nickname is “Big Island.” At 4,028 square miles, we are so big that all the other main Hawaiian Islands could fit inside us – almost twice. Real quick let’s do the math: Maui is 729 square miles; Oahu, 607; Kauai, 533; Molokai, 260; Lanai, 141; Niihau, 69 and Kahoolawe 45. Add up all our sister isles and you get 2,384 square miles, which would fit inside Hawaii Island 1.7 times. All that square mileage equals one big playground. Hiking, biking, driving, horseback riding, flightseeing – we have it all, and then some!

BIG, NOT BUSY Hawaii, the Big Island is not Oahu. Although the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom was once located on our island in historic Kailua Village, today’s state capital is Honolulu on the most populous Hawaiian Island, Oahu. We do not have Waikiki Beach. Instead, we have beaches where sea turtles sometimes outnumber the humans. According to the 2008 census, Hawaii County, (the Big Island) had less than 200,000 residents spread out among 4,028 square miles. Compare that to Oahu at 905,034 in 607 square miles.

INSPIRING ACTIVE VOLCANO A volcanic eruption is one of nature’s magnificent spectacles. Kilauea volcano has been erupting almost continuously since 1983, providing a stunning show for visitors, with fiery, periodic ocean entries creating the newest land on Earth, and a steaming, glowing fissure in the summit crater – home of the tempestuous volcano goddess Pele. No wonder that visitors gape in awe at the dramatic beauty of it all from an oceanside viewing area and several overlooks within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

BIG MOUNTAINS No, sorry Mt. Everest, but at 29,029 feet you’re not the tallest mountain on the planet. Maunakea, measured from its base on the seafloor is some 33,000 feet tall. Our broad shield volcano Maunaloa, is Earth’s most massive volcano. Maunaloa is also the planet’s second tallest mountain, topping 30,077 feet from its sea floor base.

INSPIRING NATIONAL PARKS Hawaii Island’s powerful natural, cultural and historical importance within the state of Hawai‘i is reflected in the fact that, of the nine U.S. National Park Service sites within the state, five of them are on Hawaii Island. Sprawling Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (333,086 acres) is an unparalleled natural display of volcanic forces, endemic plants and rare birds. Three other national sites – Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park, Puukohol Heiau National Historic Site and Kaloko-Honokohau National Historic Park – make ancient Hawaiian history come alive. And the 175-mile Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail is easily one of the most dazzling beautiful hikes you’ll ever take.

BIG SKY There are several reasons why some of the world’s most powerful astronomical telescopes have been built atop 13,796-foot Maunakea – its isolation in the middle of the Pacific Ocean means exceptionally clear, dry air and low light impact. There’s also the good fortune to be at an optimal geographic position on the planet. Poised at 19.5 degrees north latitude means that we can see the entire Northern Hemisphere and 90 percent of the Southern Hemisphere. Lucky visitors can see the North Star and Southern Cross in the same evening. No wonder Maunakea is one of the world’s foremost sites for astronomy.

INSPIRING MARINE PRESERVES Hawaii Island has about double or more of the shoreline of any other Hawaiian Island. So it’s no big surprise that we have more marine conservation districts than any other island: Kealakekua Bay, Old Kona Airport, Waialea Bay, Lapakahi and Waiopae Tidepools. And that’s just to get your feet wet. You can put on your mask and snorkel or scuba gear at lots of places all around the island, and depending on where you dive in, it’s not unusual to spot sea turtles, dolphins, manta rays, colorful reef fish, and multitudes of other sealife.

BIG ENVIRONMENT We don’t blame you for being skeptical, but yes, it’s true: Hawaii Island has all but two of the world’s main climate zones. What we don’t have, we’re happy to say, is Ice Cap (think Arctic and Antarctic), and continental/microthermal climate (think Siberia). What we do have: Humid Tropical (Hilo), Arid and Semi Arid (Kohala Coast), Temperate (upcountry Holualoa) and Ice Climate/periglacial (summits of Maunakea and Maunaloa), plus several subcategories.

INSPIRING HERITAGE A rich, diverse heritage is nearly everywhere you turn on Hawaii Island: primeval petroglyphs carved into lava; paniolo (cowboys) galloping across historic working ranches; nimble fingers strumming ukulele and slack key guitars, or weaving lau hala (pandanus leaves) into pieces of practical art. And of course, hula. It’s hard to match the combination of grace, fearsome power, beauty, history, myth and cultural depth of Hawaiian hula. And nothing can match the “Olympics” of hula, the Merrie Monarch Festival, which takes place each spring in Hilo on Hawaii Island.

BIG GOLF Hawaii Island is the state’s acknowledged “Golf Capital,” with more oceanfront golf holes than any other island in the Pacific. Here you can play golf amid some of the most stunning scenery anywhere – lush fairways between dramatic black lava fields, sand traps in a tropical rainforest, and those famous oceanside greens where a gallery of whales may politely watch you three-putt. And there’s nothing like a 19th hole where you can kick off your golf shoes and dig your toes in the sand as you sip delicious tropical umbrella drinks with names like … lava flow.

INSPIRING MENU With our cultural and ethnic diversity and our diverse climates that nurture a wide variety of farm produce and ranching, Hawaii Island is a big mixed plate of all kinds of delicious local foods. Enjoy the bounty at our Hawaii Regional Cuisine restaurants, neighborhood bistros, side street cafés, roadside lunch wagons, farmers markets, and at more than 100 festivals and events throughout the island each year.

IN A (MAC)NUT SHELL With our incredible diversity of natural landscapes and seascapes, agriculture, science, history, culture and places for visitors to call home while here, Hawaii Island is clearly BIG and Inspiring.

For more information on Hawaii Island, please visit www.bigisland.org.

Technorati Tags: Hawaii The Big Island

The Fairmont Orchid is also one of the exclusive Hawaiian luxury hotels used for the “Final Rose Ceremony” on ABC’s The Bachelor!

The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii

Resort Highlights:

• Enjoy the wonders of Hawaii’s Big Island – from Mauna Kea’s winter snow-capped mountaintop to the sizzling Kilauea Volcano of Madame Pele’s flowing lava to tropical rainforests and a teeming undersea world.
• Romance and wedding planning specialists to cater to your every need with our exquisite service and personal attention.
• 32-acre luxury resort with a sugar-white sandy lagoon and aquamarine waters.
• Year-round children’s program.
• Four restaurants and three lounges and the exclusive Fairmont Gold.
• Authentic Hawaiian outdoor Spa Without Walls with both waterfall massage hale (huts) and breathtaking oceanfront massage cabanas that draw from our island’s natural healing mana (power).
• 10 plexipave tennis courts surrounded by lush gardens and cool ocean breezes.
• Beachside, be sure and meet the native Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles that bask on our shoreline every afternoon.
• Paddle an outrigger canoe, hike through the largest petroglyph field in the Pacific, learn to weave a coconut leaf basket and more guided by our Orchid Beachboys.

This picturesque resort not only offers luxury accomodations and breathtaking views, but also intimate, unique settings for the Hawaiian wedding of your dreams!

Weddings at the Fairmont Orchid

Most popular wedding locations at The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii:

• Turtle Pointe – grassy knoll overlooking the blue Pacific
• Coconut Grove where you are tickled by the sand and caressed with warm ocean breezes
• Our signature dining location Kilohana room which is enriched by the beautiful koa wood surroundings and sweeping sunset views.

Turtle Pointe

Coconut Grove

Kilohana Room and Garden

Wedding Packages: a note from the wedding planning specialists at the Fairmont Orchid:

The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii is a perfect setting for your Hawaiian wedding. The spectacular resort scenery, including gorgeous waterfalls and sweeping oceanfront views, provides an unforgettable backdrop to any special event or celebration. A sense of magic and romance surrounds you as you spend time enjoying the sunsets, experiencing luxury service and exploring this breathtaking island paradise.

To assist in creating the perfect experience, the wedding planners at The Fairmont Orchid will ensure that every aspect of your wedding is a success, down to the last orchid petal. Together, you will create a tailored event that combines all the essential components to exceed your expectations and stay within your budget.

Multiple Packages are Available for any Budget. Various packages include:

• A choice of six picturesque locations
• Flowers
• Ceremony setup and decoration
• Ceremony official
• Ceremony refreshments
• Reception catering and planning
• Spa accomodations
• Guest room accomodations
• Wedding party boquets
• Custom cakes
• Orchid petal walk for the bride
• Personal attention for all of your needs and special requests!

Contact me today – linda@honeymoonsinc.com – to plan your Hawaii wedding, book your Hawaii honeymoon or make reservations at The Fairmont Orchid for your next dream Hawaii getaway!

Technorati Tags: Best of the Big Island Hawaii, Big Island Hawaii Hotels, The Fairmont Orchid