Snorkeling in Maui offers some of the best opportunities for swimming with sea turtles. If you’re interested in a deeper understanding of the marine biology of Hawaii, join Ocean Ramsey’s research team in Oahu. Anini Beach on the island of Kauai provides snorkelers with access to the Rhe Honoiki reef, the largest coral reef in Hawaii. And if you want to walk away from your trip with a one-of-a-kind experience, swim at night with reef manta rays on Hawaii’s Big Island.

It doesn’t matter which island you choose. If you’re snorkeling in Hawaii, you are sure to enjoy your underwater adventure. Here are the best places for snorkeling around the Hawaiian Islands, plus the specific sea life you can expect to see below the surface.

Fringing Reef—Molokai

Get here by boat or kayak and prepare to be wowed by the longest fringing reef in Hawaii, which attracts everything from hawksbill turtles to spotted eagle rays. Plan your trip during whale-watching season (December-March) when thousands of whales show up and serenade each other (and you).

Where is it? South coast of Molokai

How to experience it? Let Snorkel Molokai take care of everything, from the boat ride and gear to special tips and instruction, if necessary.

Who is it suitable for? All levels

Turtle Town—Maui

On Maui’s southern coastline, a series of underwater lava formations, created by eruptions of submarine volcanoes, makes a cozy home for sea turtles. Just remember: look, but don’t touch; these guys are endangered. Angelfish, moray eels, and octopus are an added bonus.

Where is it? At Maluaka Beach, south of Kihei, near the Makena Beach and Golf Club.

How to experience it? A tour company like Maui Snorkeling will take visitors there for a 5-hour morning adventure. A heck of a way to start a day.

Who is it suitable for? All levels

Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park—Big Island

Hawaii’s Big Island offers numerous snorkeling spots. Kayak along the calm waters of Kealakekua Bay while keeping your eyes peeled for Hawaiian spinner dolphins; they like to put on a show. Once you reach the protected shoreline of Ka’awaloa, hop out and snorkel alongside turtles, eels, reef sharks, and rays.

Bring a picnic lunch and sit a spell near the monument of British explorer Captain James Cook; however, if you kayak on your own you are not allowed to dock on shore.

Where is it? 12-miles south of Historic Kailua Village (Kailua-Kona) in south Kona

How to experience it? Sign up for some “Morning Magic” with Kona Boys and enjoy a guided tour of this magical area at the best time of day.

Who is it suitable for? All levels

Night Manta Snorkel—Big Island

Tour operators set up waterproof spotlights on the ocean floor to attract plankton, a surefire way to bring giant Pacific manta rays galore. Even though they are closely related to sharks, have wingspans up to 20 feet, and can weigh a whopping 3,000 pounds, snorkeling with them is perfectly safe. Their underwater performance has all the theatrics of Cirque du Soleil—back flips and all.

Where is it? Fronting Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay; south of Historic Kailua Village (Kailua-Kona)

How to experience it? During lobster season, Shoreline Snorkel makes the nighttime tour even more exciting. And sometimes an octopus might even swim by.

Who is it suitable for? Intermediate

Poipu Beach Park—Kauai

Tikes will dig the shallow-water lagoon at Poipu Beach, not to mention the wildlife. Shoreside, you’ll often find lounging monk seals. Offshore, it’s common to see humpbacks during whale season. While snorkeling, look for blue parrotfish, sea cucumbers, and this tongue-twister: humuhumunukunukuapuaa, Hawaii’s state fish.

Where is it? 25 minutes west of Lihue on Kauai’s south shore

How to experience it? Visitors who feel like exploring on their own but didn’t bring the right gear can stop by Boss Frog’s for everything from masks to beach chairs.

Who is it suitable for? All levels

North Shore—Oahu

Oahu’s North Shore is one of the best places for snorkeling in Hawaii. Play marine biologist for the day by hanging out with Ocean Ramsey’s research team. Galapagos sharks, tiger sharks, sandbar sharks, hammerheads, and sometimes even whale sharks roams these parts. If you’re not a fan of the apex predator, this trip could certainly change your perspective. Humans aren’t really on the lunch list.

Where is it? Haleiwa Boat Harbor

How to experience it? Book a private excursion with Hawaii Real Nature Tours to get the most from an experienced guide in this magical location.

Who is it suitable for? All levels

Tunnels (Makua) Beach—Kauai

Weird rock formations? Check. Large coral heads? Check. This spot in Kauai will keep you entertained with its caverns, channels, and tunnels. Look for goat fish, hogfish, filefish, green sea turtles, moray eels, trumpet fish, and wrasse. A word to the wise: Avoid winter when the waves can be gnarly.

Where is it? Kauai’s north shore; off Highway 560 about a mile west of Hanalei Colony Resort; near Haena Beach Park

How to experience it? Kauai Sea Tours is one of several companies that showcases the best of the island’s snorkeling with excursions that feature multiple stops. Might as well see it all!

Who is it suitable for? Different areas are good for different levels of experience, but everyone should remember to not step on the coral.

Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve—Oahu

This volcanic crater on Oahu’s east side is a marine life conservation area sheltered from ocean swells and packed full of fish. Needless to say, it’s wildly popular, so be prepared for crowds. Take a peek at crevices and caves while making friends with damsel fish, squirrel fish, porcupine fish, and trumpet fish.

Where is it? Oahu’s east side; from Waikiki take the H1 Freeway until it becomes Kalanianaole Highway, continue 10 miles. You’ll find the entrance at the top of the hill.

How to experience it? Hanauma Bay Snorkel Adventures runs tours every day except Mondays and Tuesdays, as well as most major holidays.

Who is it suitable for? All levels

Honolua Bay—Maui

Located on Maui’s northwest shore, Honolua Bay is a marine life conservation area, so your chances are good of tracking down diverse sea critters. Plus, you’ll be surrounded by rocky cliffs that help shelter the area from wind. Keep an eye out for butterflyfish, snapper, puffer fish, unicorn fish, and sea urchins. Afterward, watch the surfers to the right of the boat ramp. This spot happens to be one of the most epic surf breaks in Hawaii.

Where is it? 10 miles north of Lahaina along Hwy 30

How to experience it? Do it in style by boarding the luxury catamaran from PacWhale Eco-Adventures.

Who is it suitable for? Intermediate

Hulopoe Bay—Lanai

On the island’s south shore you’ll find this crescent-shaped bay dotted with shallow tide pools that house hermit crabs, sea stars, and small fish. Below the surface, you’re in for a treat. Spinner dolphins and sea turtles frolic here frequently. Plus, bandit angelfish, Hawaiian green sea turtles, and humpbacks (in the winter).

Where is it? Between the Four Seasons Resort Lanai and Manele Bay

How to experience it? Book Amstar’s incredible day tour from Maui to Lanai that takes visitors to Hulopoe Bay for exploring by land and sea.

Who is it suitable for? All levels

The post 10 of the Best Snorkeling Experiences in Hawaii appeared first on Islands.

Many travelers who head to Hawaii take part in the big three “S”s—sea, sand, and spa—and spend a bundle doing it. But for a truly healing experience, head to Molokai where the three “S”s are one in the same on the sunny, isolated north shore. Here, the waters are purported to have “pico,” the basic resource of life. Bury yourself in the sand, and your aching muscles will be soothed. Dive under the waves, and your sinuses will be cleared. Spend enough time in these mystical waters, and even depression, it’s said, will be lifted.

Although the water in Molokai is free to all, it’s not easy to reach. Actually, Molokai itself requires a bit of intrepidness; you must first make your way to the island of Maui, and then puddle hop by plane or ferry to the remote outer island. Once there, pico isn’t something you find in a guidebook, but something you find in the people, says island native Julie Bicoy. You’ll need the help of locals to find the sacred shore. But before long, you’ll be buried in healing sand, swimming in the soothing sea, and relaxing on a private beach of snowy sand – at possibly the best, and last spa, you’ll ever need.

For more information or to plan your trip, see our Molokai Travel Guide »

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Footsteps. Through my heavy breathing, I hear them. KRUMP. KRUMP. My own footsteps have never sounded so loud, so urgent. A ragged uphill jog has so far taken me halfway up the Kalaupapa Trail, a two-mile trek of 26 switchbacks reaching from the Pacific Ocean to “Topside,” the 1,700-foot-high plateau on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. My shirt is drenched in sweat, my hair soaked from a steady drizzle. I have to press on because I hear footsteps again, and this time they are not mine. It’s the mules. They’re gaining on me.

I’d made a bet. One born of my being stubborn and cheap. I could make it up to Topside on my own two feet, and I could do it faster than the mules. It seems everyone uses mules to reach the world’s highest sea cliffs. You start in Kalaupapa, the isolated village at the base that served as an infamous leper colony for more than 100 years. Richard Marks didn’t use mules. He hated being stuck in Kalaupapa, so as a youth in the 1950s, he’d try to escape up this same trail. After leprosy (or Hansen’s disease) was shown to be curable, the banishment policy was lifted, and before his death in 2008 Richard founded Damien Tours to bring tourists to the trail.

There are 15 mule riders in today’s group, and then there’s me. I stretch. I hydrate. And then, after telling one more person what I’m doing, I charge to the trail. Forget that the mules are still being mounted in the corral. I am g-o-n-e.

I know I’ll have to make good time in the first crucial minutes. Otherwise, I’ll have to hike on dirt chewed up by the mules’ hooves and also decorated with their fresh mounds. All on a path that narrows to 12 inches and sometimes teeters on a precipitous drop-off.

I start out whistling and exchanging a “good day” with an older Australian hiker. Feeling strong. Ten minutes later the heat has me gasping. A couple walking behind me stagger to a halt. My head is down, so I’m not sure what happened to the Aussie, but I figure he gave up a while back. I press on.

Then, 30 minutes into my climb, I’m ready to quit, especially when I see that I’ve only reached switchback 13, the halfway point. A horseshoe hangs from the marker, perhaps for good luck, but to me it feels like mockery. I can’t tell how far back the mules are, but I know they’re coming fast.

“They speed up on the way to the top and usually make it in an hour,” said “Uncle Buzzy,” the mule master of Molokai, when I talked to him earlier this morning. The 73-year-old stable owner has run mule trains for more than 30 years. He greeted me at daybreak with an iron grip of a handshake and spoke with shoeing nails in his teeth.

“The mules are sure-footed and smarter than horses.” He looked up at me. “And smarter than a lot of people too.”

Now, three-quarters of the way up the mountain, I drive myself like a farm animal, actually grabbing my legs to yank them over the concrete crossties supporting the trail. I’m 45 minutes in. Buzzy’s warnings about the mules echo in my head: “They speed up. They make it in an hour.”

I trudge through hundreds of old hoofprints, the soggy ruts almost sucking the sandals off my feet. For a moment I stop to scrape mud from my sandals, losing precious seconds. There’s a faint clip-clopping behind me. I look for the mules, but the steep slope changes direction too often to see more than 100 feet. They could be anywhere, so I move onward.

I stop again to catch my breath and drain the last bit of water from my bottle. With hands on knees, I look up ahead and see a hint of blue sky above the next set of trees — the end of the trail. With one last shot of adrenaline, I pull myself toward the clearing. At 55 minutes I can feel the trail starting to flatten and then it winds, mercifully, through a shaded path and into the parking lot. This is Topside.

From here, half gloating and half recovering, I can see when the mules emerge from the trees. They’re about 90 seconds behind me. A cab driver arrives to pick up a hiker who has yet to arrive. He looks at me and, impressed, says, “Under an hour, huh?” I nod, feigning humility. And then I see the older Australian guy, the one who started on the trail near me and then mysteriously disappeared. He’s leaning against a tree, bored.

“Where you been, mate?” he asks, clearly fresh. “Taking snappies?”

“Nah,” I say, and trying not to shame him, casually add, “Just made it up. Took about 58 minutes. You?”

He hands me some water. “I’ve been here for half an hour.”

The post Travel Tales: Man vs. Mule appeared first on Islands.

The post Where to See the Best Real Hula in Hawaii appeared first on Islands.

SERVES 1

– 3/4-oz. Baileys Irish Cream
– 3/4-oz. Grand Marnier
– 3/4-oz. Kahana Royale Macadamia Nut Liqueur
– 3 oz. fresh-brewed Kona coffee, chilled
– raw sugar

Coat the rim of a 12-oz. double old-fashioned glass with one of the liqueurs and dip the glass into a plate of raw washed sugar. Fill the sugar-rimmed glass with ice and pour in all ingredients. Stir the mixture with a stick of Hawaiian sugarcane and serve with the stick left in the glass.

The post Tropical Drink Recipe: Kona Express appeared first on Islands.

What happened when you arrived at the Merrie Monarch festival?

I was in shock. People were speaking Hawaiian. Not just a few words – full conversations. I was designated a halau’s (hula school) photographer, but I wasn’t given a seat and was limited to this one little spot near the stage when they performed. Worse, there were hundreds of Hawaiian formalities in place at an event like this. Don’t make eye contact. Take off your shoes and align them on the floor just so. Don’t point your camera there. Don’t put your butt where it doesn’t belong. I was breaking rules without knowing it among leaders of the Hawaiian community. Thankfully, Lynn Cook, one of the veteran members of the halau helped me. But any fears I had entering this shoot only escalated once there.

But isn’t hula the dance that welcomes outsiders?

The hula you see in hotels is for tourists. The Merrie Monarch Festival showcases authentic hula in its purest form. It isn’t tainted by tourism. Preserving this type of hula was a big concern. So I set out to show what makes this type of hula special – not by documenting the festival itself, but by telling the story of one halau (hula troop). I figured that’s a side of Hula not many people ever get access to seeing. My goal was to get behind the scenes and reveal the intimate relationships between the girls, their halau and their kumu (teacher).

How were you introduced to the halau?

It was like, “By the way there’s this photographer. You’ll see her here and there.” That was it, and that was a problem. I didn’t want this photo essay to simply showcase the event. My challenge was getting the halau’s kumu (teacher), named Mapuana de Silva, to let me shoot the dancers off stage. But after day one, I realized what I wanted was going to be extremely difficult to get. Mapu didn’t want me shooting the girls out of context, which meant I was limited to that two-foot space next to the stage. So I had to come up with a plan.

What’d you do?

I set up a photo booth under the concrete bleachers where the girls prep. This area was closed off with drapes, and initially I wasn’t even allowed to peek my head in. So I set up a photo booth just outside to catch the girls as they came off the stage. But Mapu saw my booth, and with one look to Lynn, I knew it wasn’t going to happen and I took it down.

Why was everyone so guarded?

Most of the fears are based on how hula has been portrayed by tourism. Also, Lynn called the Merrie Monarch Festival the Olympics of hula, stating you can’t just get in the face of an athlete and snap photos as they prepare for competition. Halaus from all the Hawaiian Islands prepare all year for the event. It’s an intense process. Every dress and lei must be identical so a group moves as one. A single lei leaf falling on the dance floor deducts points. So everything is crafted with staggering detail, and culminates with a final dress check from Mapu just before going onstage. If a dancer meets her approval, Mapu ties a lei around her neck, and whispers a personal message. It feels a bit like a coronation, and while I couldn’t hear what Mapu whispered, I could tell this was a deeply personal moment between a student and teacher.

How did you get access to photograph all this?

I think that because I was honest, followed the rules, and asked appropriate questions, Mapu eventually opened up. Every day Lynn was allowed to grant me a little more access. Each day another barrier came down – especially as they all began to understand the story I was trying to tell.

What were some of the other surprises?

Well, the big wake up that Hawaii is very much its own nation. The island locals are embracing their culture and traditional ways more than ever, and this event reflects that movement. It’s beautiful. People come from all over the world. Hotels sell out. The event is a big deal. It even employs the island’s local motorcycle club (KOA) for security. They wore leather jackets. They had tattoos. It was quite a contrast to see all these girls and their flowery dresses next to these hardcore security guards, who were actually quite nice.

What makes this form of hula different?

The dancers move as one on stage, floating from one movement to the next in a ghostly levitation. The hotel hulas I’ve seen look like a series of individual poses. Strangely, the hula competition itself wasn’t the highlight for the dancers at the event. They seemed more motivated by the happenings afterward, dancing at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to pay their respects to Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes. They danced through the rain and bursts of sunshine that seem scripted to their movements. If you happened to be in the park that day, you could witness it all.

Any tips for travelers who want to see real hula for themselves?

Get tickets to the Merrie Monarch Festival, which is held April 8-14, 2012. Also, check out what my new friend and freelance writer Lynn Cook offers on hula, and the halau that I followed (here). There’s a lot to appreciate about this tradition that goes far beyond the hula we think we know.

The post Hawaii’s Real Hula appeared first on Islands.

SERVES 1

– 1 oz. guava juice
– 1 and 1/2 oz. 151 proof rum
– 1/2-oz. DeKuyper Tropical Pineapple Schnapps
– 1/2-oz. Kahana Royale Macadamia Nut liqueur
– 2 oz. pineapple juice
– 1 oz. grenadine

Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass fillde with ice and shake lightly. Pour entire mixture into a 14-oz. hurriane glass, garnish with a fresh pineapple spear or maraschino cherry, and serve!

The post Tropical Drink Recipe: The Hawaiian Hurricane appeared first on Islands.

Hawaii

The Hawaiian Islands – specifically Maui and Kauai – were the resounding favorites for romance among readers who responded. As ISLANDS fan Jeneka Ossa explains, “Kauai is hard to beat with it’s crescent moon shaped beaches, stunning beauty and true aloha spirit.”

Jamaica

Jamaica – specifically Negril – was a close second for romantic island destinations, according to readers who responded to our Facebook question. Reader Shelley Wessels says she chose the island because of “the music, the laid back atmosphere, the night sounds, the flowers – it’s heaven!”

Tahiti

The Tahitian Islands – and primarily Bora Bora – have stolen the hearts of our readers. But one in particular who chose the destination, Daisy Carnitas, makes a good point: “Then again, it really doesn’t matter; When you’re in love, you can make anywhere be as romantic as you’d like!”

Greece

Who could forget about the Greek Isles – specifically Santorini – when it comes to romantic island escapes? Our readers, who responded on Facebook, voted the islands into the top 4.

The U.S. Virgin Islands

When it comes to romance, our readers love the USVI – especially St. Thomas and St. John.

St. Martin

From the Dutch St. Maarten to the French St. Martin, this island is a favorite for romance with our readers and Facebook fans.

The Maldives

Why is the Maldives an ISLANDS reader favorite for romantic island destinations? As Facebook fan Nouannapha Hehir explains, “There is nothing like an Island plotted in the middle of the Indian Ocean.”

St. Lucia

Who could forget about St. Lucia when it comes to island romance? Our Facebook fans voted it into the top 8 islands.

Fiji

The islands of Fiji were bound to make the list of top 10 islands for romance. Why? As Facebook fan Anne-Marie Gillard explains of Turtle Island, “It’s so lush and beautiful – an incredible island of romance, relaxation, adventure, and legend.”

Grenada

Rounding out the Reader’s Choice list of the most romantic islands around the world, our Facebook fans weighed in and selected Grenada, the Isle of Spice. Disagree with the list chosen by our social media community? Leave us a comment!

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The post Molokai, Hawaii 2009 appeared first on Islands.

Once the training ground for Hawaiian spiritual leaders as well as the home of hula, exiled law breakers and those with incurable afflictions, Molokai is now a road tripper’s delight. From pines that buttress the world’s tallest sea cliffs to coconut-palmed beaches, you can find a bit of everything. You’ll feel like the sole visitor on this island with no traffic lights, few stop signs and locals who encourage you: “Slow down, you’re on Molokai.”

** Go:** Start in Kaunakakai and travel on Maunaloa Highway/Route 460 for about six miles. At the intersection of Route 470, head north. Two miles in, stop at the corner of 470 and Farrington Highway/Route 480 to refuel your senses at the Coffees of Hawaii Molokai Plantation. Continue on Route 470 to Kalaupapa National Historical Park. After exploring the forest, trails and vistas, return on 470, this time making the turn west on Farrington Highway. Work in a visit to Purdy’s Natural Macadamia Nuts in Hoolehua, then go west across the island for another 20 minutes. Turn at Kaluakoi Road and drive to Kepuhi Beach on Molokai’s northwest shore. End the day by backtracking southeast to the old plantation village of Maunaloa Town.

** Stop:** At the Stables at Koele, take your mount along the Paniolo Trail, where you’ll wind through picturesque hills among thickets of ironwood. Watch for axis deer and wild turkeys. At the end of the two-hour excursion, you’ll be privy to some of the best views on the island.

** Along the Route:** Just west of Kaunakakai Town, the fishponds at Kiowea Beach Park reflect a spectrum of sunrise colors. The coconut trees at neighboring Kapuaiwa Coconut Beach Park were planted during the rule of King Kamehameha V.

Wake up with the Coffees of Hawaii Molokai Plantation in Kualapuu. Take the morning espresso tour or a guided mule tour of the coffee fields. Then in Hoolehua, learn how to “crack a mac” at Purdy’s Natural Macadamia Nuts.

You can also check out the hydroponically grown fruits and vegetables from the Beach Boy Ranch.

Fueled by coffee beans, macadamia nuts and bananas, head to the Big Wind Kite Factory in Maunaloa Town. Owner Jonathan Socher offers free flying lessons with the factory’s handmade kites at one of the most scenic vistas on the western plateau of Molokai. His wife, Daphne, sells crafts and jewelry made by local artisans.

Be sure to stop at Palaau State Park for stunning views from the top of the world’s highest sea cliffs. The pine and spruce forests that lead up to the island’s edge make for a wonderful walk along canopy-shaded trails. While in the trekking mode, consider a hike or mule ride down the cliff-side switchback trail that leads to the 19th-century village of Kalaupapa, where revered Father Damien was first laid to rest.

Grab some lunch at the Lodge & Beach Village at Molokai Ranch on the open-air lanai. From local-beef burgers to saimin (Hawaiian-style ramen noodles in broth), the paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) vibe carries from the plate to the views.

A dip in Molokai Ranch’s infinity pool at sunset is a quintessential capper to the Molokai experience. Watch the sun sink into the Pacific Ocean over 64,000 acres of horse pastures and craggy, volcanic coastline.

The post Road Trip: Molokai appeared first on Islands.