The Waipio Valley on the Big Island is one of the most important anthropological areas in Hawaii. Know as the Valley of the Kings, Waipio was the seat of royal power on the Big Island and home to 7 Heiau (temples), including Paka’Alana Heiau, one of two Big Island sanctuaries where ‘criminals’ and war enemies could go to find refuge. In Hawaiian mythology, many Gods and Demigods resided in the valley.
In 1778, approximately 2600 people lived in Waipio Valley, tending to fish ponds and farming a wide variety of crops. In times of famine, the valley could always be counted on to produce a bounty of food. The first European visitors described the area as a garden of Eden, with the valley surrounded by waterfalls including the spectacular 1200 ft Hi’ilawe Falls.
In 1819, the Kapu system (the traditional system of rules and regulations) was abolished and soon after the temples were dismantled. The valley’s population also started to decrease, and by 1854 perhaps 300-400 people remained. New diseases introduced by European contact, the growth of the port towns of Kona and Hilo, and the prominence of other towns in the now unified Hawaiian Kingdom all played a part in the decline of the valley’s population. In 1880 a small number of once indentured Portuguese and Chinese laborers settled in the valley to work on commercial rice and koi cultivation.
In 1946 a devastating tsunami hit the Big Island, and water flooded the entire valley. Following the tsunami, only 15-20 people continued to live there. Today perhaps 50 people live in the valley.
Touring Waipio Valley
Visitors are drawn to Waipio because of the scenic beauty of the area. Rental cars aren’t allowed into the valley, and so tourists have to enter via wagon rides or horse tours. An excellent and fun way to experience Waipio and Hi’ilawe Falls is with a Big Island ATV tour on the rim of the valley. RideTheRim offers 3 hour tours along the rim of the valley, taking you through ginger and eucalyptus forests with beautiful panoramic views of the valley and waterfall.
Nothing maintains the spirits like a daily dose of Hawaii. That’s why we’ve created a Google gadget to complement our Hawaii Google themes, called My Daily Hawaii.
What is a Google gadget? It’s simply an add-on that you attach to your Google home page. Instead of the boring and plain Google home page, you can add all sorts of gadgets to customize your Google page with extra information and tools.
What does My Daily Hawaii do?
Shows a new scenic picture of Hawaii every day. Can you guess the location?
Hawaii travel tips. There’s a lot to learn as you prepare for your next holiday.
Daily Hawaii trivia. Answer correctly to win super cute puppy picture prizes ™.
A weather forecast for the four main islands.
Flight alerts. Find out what others are paying for airfare from your airport to Hawaii.
Cool diggs. Recommendations on some very neat places to stay.
My Daily Hawaii - The HawaiiGaga Google Gadget with Super Cute Puppy Picture Prizes
To add My Daily Hawaii to your Google home page, just click on the below button:
We’ve just concluded a year long study of vacation rental occupancy rates. Below is an excerpt from the press release:
“Occupancy rates for Maui, Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island were 62%, 61%, 57% and 50% respectively.
State wide, September had the lowest occupancy rate at 40% while February was the busiest time of year for rentals with an 81% occupancy rate. From a regional perspective, Waikiki had the highest occupancy in the state at 66%, followed closely by Poipu, Kihei and East Oahu (Waimanalo and Kailua) at 65%. The two poorest performing regions were Kapalua with a rate of 46% and the Big Island’s Kohala coast and Puna regions, both averaging 49%.”
Why is the Big Island suffering with such low occupancy rates? As seen in our Hawaii weather page, The Kohala Coast has the best weather in Hawaii. It also has an excellent selection of vacation rentals, and plenty of good beaches. Yet the occupancy rate in region was 49% for the past year!
An excellent government movie shows the eruption of Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island, in 1959. Although the volcano is still very active, it’s important to remember that seeing lava at Volcano Nationals Park is unusual. We mention this, because great expectations can result in a disappointing trip to the park. Don’t expect to see lava, simply go and enjoy the amazing geology, and let your imagination fill in the details as you walk over an active volcano, with steam seeping from the ground. And remember, you need a full day to explore the park. Consider spending the night at Volcano village, or commuting from Hilo/Puna as opposed to making the very long drive from Kona.
Two new search options have been added to HawaiiGaga’s rental searches. You can now search for rentals that are oceanfront or beachfront, and also confine results to rentals that have an ocean view.
Another feature that has been added is the ability to bookmark search results pages. Over time the results may change, as rentals come and go, but the search parameters will still be valid.
After much research and deliberation you’ve finally decided to visit Kauai for your next Hawaii vacation. As we explain in our Guide to the Hawaiian Islands, choosing an island is the easy part since they’re all nice. Now comes the hard part, deciding where to stay! This is an especially hard decision on Kauai. First, you have Waimea canyon and all its hiking trails on the west side of the island. The canyon is a must see even if you don’t hike. Then there’s the south side with its favorable weather, beaches, and tourist activities. You already know about the north shore’s amazing scenery and beaches. And since you’ve done your homework, you know how big surf affects the south shores in the summer and the north shores in the winter. But you need small surf for snorkeling and big surf for surfing and boogie boarding. So where to stay? How about Kauai’s east coast!
The east coast is considered “central” because it’s about the same distance to the north and south shore’s attractions. Remember the highway doesn’t circumnavigate the island – it ends at the Napali coast. In addition to great weather, the east coast has a picturesque coastline with great walking beaches. Lydgate beach park is one of the safest places to learn how to snorkel. Although Lihue is the capital of Kauai, Wailua and Kapaa (right next to each other) are the tourist epicenter of the east coast with a wide variety of tourist shops and restaurants.
A popular and very highly rated accommodation on the east coast is Kauai Beach Villas Unit G6, offered by Condos in Kauai. When you wake up to a view like this, you know you’re in for a good day:
An incredible sunrise view from Kauai Beach Villas Unit G6
Recently remodeled with granite counter tops, custom art work, ceramic tiles, and new furnishings, it’s the perfect east shore home to start and end a busy day exploring the wonders of Kauai. Also be sure to look at all the great Kauai hiking information posted on the Condos in Kauai web site.
In our Hawaii safety guide we discuss the Portuguese man of war, or blue bottle, one of the sea creatures you want to avoid on your Hawaii vacation. It’s difficult to resist the temptation to enter the water when they’re around, but it’s best to pack up and head to another beach.
A man of war sting can be very painful. Each tentacle contains thousands of tiny spikes that are used to inject poison. The severity of the sting depends on how much of the tentacle brushes against your skin. The sting causes a burning pain and welts, possibly accompanied by muscle weakness, and sometimes also pain and swelling of nearby lymph nodes. Breathing difficulty and chest pain are possible. The pain can be alarming but it’s rare that one would need to see a Physician although some people may be allergic to the sting. If you see a red line forming from the sting to a lymph gland you should see a Doctor.
Having been stung many times, we’ve developed the following treatment plan.
1. Remove tentacles with a stick or something similar. Don’t touch or rub!
2. Rinse with salt water.
3. Go home if the pain is severe. The victim will likely be out of action for the afternoon.
4. Rinse affected area with hot water. This helps neutralize the poison.
5. Apply ice to help soothe the pain.
6. Take at least 3-5 Grams of Vitamin C. Vit-C is excellent at neutralizing toxin.
7. Crush vitamin C, baking soda and water to create a paste. Apply the paste to the affected areas to pull the poison from the stings.
The old vinegar treatment is no longer recommended. It’s said to work for jelly fish but may actually worsen this type of sting. The key to this treatment is the high dose of Vitamin C which we have found can stop all sorts of venom/toxin/poison in its tracks. Taking very large doses is safe, and you can spread it out to help with absorption. For example, 500mg every 15 minutes for several hours.
The above treatment seems to work quickly, usually taking about an hour for pain and symptoms to be reduced by 90%.
Fortunately blue bottles don’t infest the waters very frequently. They’re most common on east facing shores and won’t affect an entire island.
If you’re staying in a vacation rental, one of the first orders of business is to stock up on supplies and groceries. Some people go directly from the airport to Costco. Yes, Costco has an affordable and large selection of everything, but wouldn’t you rather eat fresh local produce that’s in season instead of fruits and vegetables that were shipped from thousands of miles away? Familiarize yourself with the farmers market schedule and then plan your shopping accordingly. Oahu has a staggering number of farmer’s markets, as shown on the map below. If you’ve visited any of these, please share which ones are the best. We’ve been to the markets in Kailua and they are great.
Google themes are background pictures that you can add to the Google home page. It’s a colorful alternative to the standard white Google page. We like to set our Google background to a Hawaii theme. It’s a way to remind you, no matter where you are, you’ll always be searching for Hawaii.
Kauai Google Theme
Big Island Beach Google Theme
Kauai Beach Google Theme
To add one of our Hawaii themes click on the above image. This will take you to the Google page for the theme. Now just click the “Add it Now” button (don’t worry if no screen shot of the theme appears on the Google page).
Great Vacation Retreats is having a super summer blowout on Kauai vacation rentals. They’re offering a 25% discount on all available summer dates on all their rentals!!!
If you’re looking for an ultra luxury long term rental be sure to take a look at Mele Makani. This home is in the Seacliff Plantation area of Kilauea and features truly inspiring views.
