The Naupaka Flower
A Story of Eternal Love The logo for Waikoloa Beach Resort — the naupaka flower — is at its core a symbol of hope and eternal love. Like many stories from Hawai`i’s mythology, the story of the naupaka flower is…
Lava, Lava Everywhere
As reported on NASA’s Earth Observatory website, on Sept. 10, 2022, an underwater volcano in the Home Reef seamount in the Central Tonga Islands began to erupt. It “repeatedly oozed lava, ejected plumes of steam and ash, and discolored the…
The Waikoloa Nightingale
These Donkeys Own an Important Piece of Big Island History The donkeys proved to be invaluable for the coffee farmers for more than 100 years, packing loads of coffee cherries from the rugged mountainside fields down to the drying and…
Bringing People Together
The tagline for Waikoloa Beach Resort is “The Gathering Place of the Kohala Coast,” and it is well earned. With more shops, restaurants, and cultural activities than anywhere else along the stretch of coastline from the airport to Kawaihae, there…
Lei Day 2022
The Inaugural Waikoloa Lei Day Festival Lei-making is one of the oldest traditions in Polynesia, having come to Hawai`i along with the seafaring people who also brought canoe plants, tool-making knowledge, and deep-rooted cultural practices from other parts of the…
Manaola ~ Translating the Beauty of the Islands in Fashion
Manaola Yap was brought up in an artistic family. His mother is kumu hula Nani Lim-Yap and his uncle, Sonny Lim, is a renowned singer and musician, to name but two members of the talented North Kohala family. Manaola himself…
Humpback Haven
Whale Watch 2022 The annual return to Hawaiian waters of the humpback whales — named for the motion the big mammals make as they arch their backs out of the water in preparation for a dive — is one of…
Kumu Hou: A Sustainable Foundation for the Future
Like any successful business, a resort must continuously evolve. Tastes change. Priorities shift. New generations have new perspectives. Back in the 1960s, for example, formal dining rooms with white table cloths serving French cuisine were considered the height of elegance,…
Pono Pledge: Encouraging Mindful Travel
“Pono extends beyond its many English translations. To live pono is to be in perfect harmony with all things — and to be aligned with your custodial relationship with the planet and its inhabitants.” —Larry Lindsey Kauanoe Kimura, Grandfather of…
A Gift of Love
Tani Waipa Teaches the Aloha Spirit Through Lei-Making So many of Hawai`i’s cultural practices and traditions revolve around the same intention: act with grace and aloha, cherish and preserve the land and sea, take only what you need. Whether it’s…