Headed to Hawaii this summer?
From beautiful scenery to tasty treats, here are five new things to check out around the islands.
A Whole New Halemaumau Crater
Last year's eruption changed the face of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in many ways, though none as significant as the landscape of Halemaumau Crater. The lava lake that was once at the bottom of the crater was drained by the eruption, and earthquakes caused the outer rim to collapse, approximately doubling its total size. Those who have seen it in the past will appreciate its new scope; first-timers can learn more about what happened at the Visitor Center.
As trail conditions are still variable post-eruption, check with Park Rangers for the best vantage point to see the crater. On clear days, consider stopping by Volcano House Restaurant for lunch. It recently reopened and offers a front-row view of the crater.
Farm to Forest on Oahu
Think Oahu is all big city? Think again. A new tour from Hawaii Forest and Trail showcases Oahu's west side, including a stop at a small organic farm, a sacred site (known as a heiau), a local farm-to-table restaurant and a hike over private land to a panoramic view of the Waianae mountain range, ocean, and beachside communities. The tour runs daily and offers pickup.
New 'Treasured' Values Tour
Holo Holo Charters and the National Tropical Botanical Garden have partnered to offer a new tour on Kauai, the Na Waiwai (Treasured Values) Land and Sea Tour. The tour is unique in that it combines culturally-driven adventures on both land and water-a private tour of McBryde Garden to learn about local flora, an exclusive hula performance and a south shore dinner cruise. You can watch a video about the tour here.
New Food Tour on Kauai
Tasting Kauai has introduced a new walking tour of Hanapepe. The tour takes guests along historic Hanapepe Road, with stops at five eateries. The stops are curated with tastings from the town's best chefs who "help paint the picture of Hanapepe Town's plantation era roots, including traditional Hawaiian foods, Japanese cuisine, locally sourced organic baked goods, Portuguese style street food and culturally steeped Hawaiian sea salt focused demonstrations." The tour runs on Fridays and finishes right before the start of the town's Friday Art Night.
Hawaii Rooted Video Series
As part of its cultural-tourism program, Hawaii has a website dedicated to video storytelling. Called Hawaii Rooted, the short films highlight locals embarking on cultural journeys through a variety of passions, from food and drink to surfing and hula. The high-quality films are usually only a couple minutes long, perfect for a burst of inspiration and learning. Many of those featured run businesses in Hawaii that you can visit, so it's a nice way to get new ideas.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
