Hawaii of 2004 is quite a different place than it was 226 years ago when Capt. James Cook first sailed into island waters. Today's Hawaii still offers the incredible natural beauty that Captain Cook recorded in his journal, but the islands of today also offer everything from remote tropical bungalows to the ultimate luxurious accommodations in modern-day palatial resorts, and a range of activities from swimming to helicopter trips. Every type of cuisine you could possibly imagine is served in top restaurants, tiny ma-and-pa eateries, roadside lunch wagons, and farmers markets.
Here's a roundup of the changes that have occurred in Hawaii since the last edition of Frommer's Hawaii.
Planning Your Trip
It's easier than ever to get to Hawaii now that Delta Airlines (www.delta.com) has started nonstop service from Atlanta and Cincinnati to Honolulu.
The State Department of Health is no longer sending out packets of information on getting married in Hawaii; you now have to either download the information from the Internet (www.hawaii.gov/doh, then click on "Vital Records") or contact a marriage license agent and appear in person. In addition, the Hawaii state government just increased the fee for a marriage license from $50 to $60.
It is easier than ever to bring your pet with you to Hawaii. The new quarantine laws allow a shorter (or no) quarantine. For complete information, check with the Department of Agriculture at www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa. However, getting man's best friend on the plane can be a challenge. At press time the only carriers allowing animals in the cargo area were Hawaiian Airlines, United, and American. Each one has different policies, prices, and reservations restrictions, and some will not allow pets in the cargo area in the summer because of the high temperatures. For more information, go to www.hawaiianair.com/cargo/pets, www.unitedcargo.com, or www.aa.com.
Lighting up a cigarette (or cigar) is getting harder to do in Hawaii now that the City and County of Honolulu has a ban on smoking in all restaurants (smoking is allowed in outdoor dining areas and in bars). On Maui and the Big Island, smoking is not allowed at all in restaurants (even in the bar), however, stand-alone bars do allow smoking. On Kauai there is no smoking in indoor restaurants but smoking is allowed in outdoor restaurants and in stand-alone bars.
Oahu
After more than $60 million in renovations, the former Hawaiian Regent reopened as Waikiki's newest resort, the Waikiki Beach Marriott (2552 Kalakaua Ave.; tel. 808/922-6611; www.marriottwaikiki.com). The resort has 1,310 guest rooms in two towers, two swimming pools, a fitness room, more than a dozen shops, and two restaurants, with a third currently under construction. It's located just across the street from Waikiki Beach, a couple of blocks from Kapiolani Park.
Where should you eat in Oahu? So many choices, so little time. A new website, www.anytimegrinds.com, might help you decide. It's an interactive online restaurant guide that lets you view basic restaurant information (name, address, phone, if they are open for breakfast/lunch/dinner, and type of cuisine). It's not Zagat's -- there are no restaurant reviews -- but it can give you an idea of various restaurants in a general area. The site also has daily information on live entertainment.
A standout in recently opened restaurants on Oahu is Longhi's, Ala Moana Shopping Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd. (tel. 808/947-9899). Carol Longhi, who not only is a Culinary Institute of America grad, but also learned to cook from her father, Bob Longhi (chef and owner of the two very popular Longhi's on Maui), has opened this swank, open-air, Italian-Mediterranean restaurant overlooking romantic sunset views of the ocean.
Just around the corner from Longhi's and the Ala Moana Shopping Center is another new Mediterranean restaurant: Marbella (1680 Kapiolani Blvd.; tel. 808/943-4353). This elegantly casual eatery has a range of exotic appetizers, terrific seafood specialties, and unusual desserts.
Worth the drive from Waikiki (45-60 min.) is the newly opened signature restaurant at Turtle Bay Resort, 21 Degrees North (57-091 Kamehameha Hwy., Kahuku; tel. 800/203-3650 or 808/293-8811; www.turtlebayresort.com). Under the impressive hand of chef Andrew Anion-Copley, the Pacific-Rim cuisine is outstanding, and the restaurant is visually inspiring as well.
There's no excuse not to learn to surf in Hawaii now that Hans Hedemann, a champion surfer with 34 years of competition under his hang-ten toes, has opened the Hans Hedemann Surf School at the Turtle Bay Resort (tel. 808/924-7778; www.hhsurf.com). His classes range from one-on-one private sessions to group lessons and begin at $50 a hour.
To get away from the high-rises in Waikiki or urban sprawl in Honolulu and discover Oahu's many glorious natural wonders, contact Oahu Nature Tours (tel. 808/924-2473; www.oahunaturetours.com). If you'd rather go touring on your own, TourTalk-Oahu (tel. 877/585-7499; www.tourtalkhawaii.com) offers a complete package of 21/2-hour narrated compact disks (or cassettes), driving instructions, and a 72-page booklet containing color maps, photos, site information, and Hawaii facts for $25.
The latest spa to open in Waikiki is Spa Olakino, in the Waikiki Beach Marriott . Conceived and managed by Paul Brown, a well-known Hawaii hairstylist, this boutique spa offers a unique experience in a state that has some of the best spas in the world.
On the other side of the island, the Spa Luana, a 7,000-square-foot, beach-level spa, recently opened at the Turtle Bay Resort (57-091 Kamehameha Hwy., Kahuku; tel. 800/203-3650 or 808/293-8811; www.turtlebayresort.com). The resort has a wing with special "spa" rooms, including an exclusive elevator that goes directly to the spa.
The Big Island
A James Beard Foundation Rising Star winner, chef Michael Fennelly is now cooking in Hilo in the just-opened Restaurant Kaikodo (Keawe and Waianuenue sts.; tel. 808/961-2558; www.restaurantkaikodo.com). People are lining up to taste his unique "East-West" cuisine in elegant surroundings.
Peter Merriman, of Merriman's Restaurant in Waimea, recently opened Merriman's Market Café (tel. 808/886-1700) in the Kings' Shops in Waikoloa Beach Resort. The 3,000-square-foot restaurant features Italian and Mediterranean-style cuisine in an indoor and outdoor atmosphere with a full bar and a gourmet take-out deli.
A new $3 million, 4,800-square-foot lounge in the Hilton Waikoloa Village (tel. 808/886-1234; www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com) just opened. Named after the SS Malolo, a historical steamship that plowed the waters between Hawaii and the mainland in the 1920s, the Malolo Lounge is a place for a quick meal or to enjoy musical entertainment.
Hawaii Forest & Trail (tel. 800/464-1993; www.hawaii-forest.com) has added two new excursions to its menu of outdoor activities. The new Kohala Country Waterfalls Adventure explores the old sugar plantations of north Hawaii, and the Hualalai Volcano Adventure allows you to explore upcountry Kona with a drive up Hualalai Volcano to the 6,000-foot elevation and then a 2-mile hike over rock terrain.
The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is growing; the federal government is in the process of adding some 115,000 acres of land (the former Kahuku Ranch property) to the now 229,000-acre national park.
Maui
Hawaii chef and restaurateur D. K. Kodama, owner of Sansei Seafood in both Kapalua and Kihei, just opened a new restaurant in the former Kapalua Village Course Clubhouse. Dubbed Vino (tel. 808/661-VINO), Kodama's new venture signals a "cuisine departure" for the wildly popular restaurateur, from his famous sushi and Japanese cuisine into Italian.
Kauai
The former Holiday Sunspree Resort (3-5920 Kuhio Hwy., Kapaa, HI 96746; tel. 888/823-5111 or 808/823-6000) is now the Aloha Beach Resort (www.alohabeachresortkauai.com). It's the same ownership and staff, just with a new name and lots of upgrades planned for the 216-unit family resort.
Kauai Backcountry Adventures (tel. 888/270-0555; www.kauaibackcountry.com) has created a new activity: mountain tubing. In an oversize inner tube, you cruise down the miles of open ditches and through hand-carved tunnels, followed with a picnic lunch.
Captain Andy's Sailing Adventure and A Na Pali Eco Adventure have merged into Captain Andy's Eco Adventure (tel. 808/335-6831; www.capt-andys.com). The new company features daily trips to the Na Pali coast in either the 55-foot custom catamaran or in the 36-foot inflatable.
A new bicycle path, a 4.3-mile, 12-foot-wide asphalt bikeway, cruises from Lihi Park in Kapaa to Ahihi Point in Kealia. The first phase was just completed; the second phase, from Kealia to Kuna Bay (Donkey Beach), should open by spring of 2005. The path will wander through coastal neighborhoods, along bluffs, and by two popular Kauai beaches. The project is the first step in the proposed "emerald lei" of greenways and paths around the island.