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Hawaii Island Minutes....
Alaska Airlines will expand
its Bay Area - Hawaii flight service by adding new, non-stop daily
flights to Honolulu from San Jose and Oakland, beginning April 10,
2012. Currently, Alaska Airlines flies from San Jose and Oakland
to Maui, Kauai and Kona on the Big Island.
Oahu ~
Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa have completed its $13 Million Renovation. Changes
include the property's third floor common areas, two new restaurants, a
refreshed poolside lounge and bar, upgraded pool deck, and an entirely
new regency club lounge.
The
Hyatt is located across the street from Waikiki Beach on
Kalakaua Avenue and has 1229 guest rooms, 18 suites and 19,500
square feet of meeting space. Restaurants, shopping, entertainment and
activities are all within walking distance.
Halekulani Ranked # 36 in the "Top 200 United States Hotels"
The
Halekulani was featured in the November 2011 issue of Conde Nast
Traveler's - "Readers' Choice Awards" listing that ranks the best
hotels, resorts, cruises, islands and cities in the world.
Kaua'i ~
Kilohana Plantation, a very popular
venue, celebrates 25 years of tradition and aloha with a dance
party on New Year's Eve at their Luau Pavilion to benefit the local
YMCA.
Many
changes have taken place at Kilohana Plantation over the last few years
to include expansion of the event space, the Kauai Plantation Railway,
and the Koloa Rum Company. More enhancements are planned in the near
future.
Hanalei Beach, Kauai was selected as the Top Beach Destination for 2012 by Frommer's.
Hanalei Bay is often described as the lei shaped bay or crescent bay.
Hanalei Beach is located at the base of cliffs that are as high as
1,000 to 4,000 feet and is considered one of the best beaches in all of
Hawaii and yet it never gets too crowded. It is 2 miles long and often
referred to as a long moon of golden sand.
Swimming, kayaking, windsurfing, yachting and sunbathing are all popular past times at this gorgeous beach. The St. Regis Princeville Resort overlooks the bay and has two championship golf course, world-class spa and luxury accommodations.
Hawai'i, the Big Island ~
A
new shopping shuttle is now operating daily from the Kohala
Coast resorts i.e. Mauna Kea, Hapuna beach, Fairmont Orchid, and Mauna
Lani Bay Resort to the King's and Queen's Shops in Waikoloa. An
adult day pass cost $10.00 and can be purchased at the time of
boarding.
Hawaii Forest & Trail has been operating the Kohala Canopy Adventure since July and it is a big hit on the island. You
are in the canopy of trees of Halawa in north Kohala with suspension
bridges to cross, thrilling zip lines and twin Whisperlines to ride. It
is an aerial trekking course of the highest caliber. Your are safe, you
are comfortable and will have an unforgettable experience.
Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows, 
recognized
as one of Travel & Leisure's 'World's Best Hotels for 2011' is
hosting the second annual Celebrity Chef Tour which benefits the James
Beard Foundation. It will be held on January 20 & 21, 2012.
The James Beard foundation's mission is to celebrate, preserve, and
nurture America's diverse culinary heritage and future. The theme is
celebrating All Things Hawaii showcasing the bounty of locally
grown seasonal produce, the tradition of gathering family and friends to
share good food and good times all in one of the most beautiful
settings in the islands. For more information and to take advantage of
the special room rates, contact 800.367.2323.
Maui ~
The
famous Banyan Tree located in courthouse square in the center of
Lahaina was brought to Maui from India when the tree was a mere
eight-feet tall. It was planted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of
the establishment of Lahaina's first Christian mission. The tree
now reaches a height of about 50 feet and extends over 200 feet from
side to side.
The
Banyan Tree has become the central point of town under which you'll
find meetings, art and craft shows, entertainment and almost anything
else you can imagine.
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Why is Trade-Winds Management Group, LTD 'TMG Hawaii' the best choice for your DMC partner?
At
TMG Hawaii, we believe in building strong long-term relationships with
our clients through trust, mutual respect, and integrity.
Our
team of dedicated and caring professionals has been assembled
incorporating decades of experience from an array of hospitality
disciplines. We take great pride in displaying our creativity and
delivering innovative solutions, all with our own special blend of Aloha
Spirit, proactive service standards, and meticulous attention to
detail.
Let us help you deliver lasting memories and incredible events in our beloved Hawaiian Islands.
Please contact Nayana Heim, VP Sales & Operations at nheim@tmghawaiiltd.com
or
Danny Breatchel, VP Sales at dannyb@tmghawaiiltd.com
or
Wendy Ottinger, Manager, Costing & Planning at wottinger@tmghawaiiltd.com and they can get your started designing your next Hawaii program.
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Swim with wild dolphins in their natural environment...
One
of Hawaii's Ecotourism's "Green" certification winners offers a
completely different and thrilling experience - swimming with spinner
dolphins off the Waianae coast of Oahu. This area of the island is
the least populated and less traveled. A 1/2 day snorkel cruise starts
with swimming with the dolphins, then to a great snorkel spot with
plenty of time to see lots of reef fish and sea turtles.
Marine biologists are on hand to explain the importance of minimizing
the disturbance of the dolphins while being able to be close to them. "
An unbelievable and special experience" is just one of the comments from a recent guest.
Why not add this wonderful activity to your next Oahu program? Email Wendy for more details at wottinger@tmghawaiiltd.com
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Another great restaurant in Honolulu - Chef Mavro
Dining
experiences on Oahu are getting better and better all the
time. One of the most celebrated chefs
George Mavrothalassitis is the owner of one of Honolulu's
top-rated restaurants named Chef Mavro.
Chef Mavro is one
of the founding members of Hawaii Regional Cuisine and winner of the
James Beard award. In all of his creations, he follows the
philosophy of using ingredients found in the Hawaiian islands. Each
course is served with a glass of wine pairing of Chef Mavro's
choice. This casually elegant restaurant seats 68 and
is accented in original Hawaiian art.
Chef Mavro
Kona Lobster tail with white asparagus |
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Maile, the lei of royalty
Maile,
the native Hawaiian vine, with shiny fragrant leaves, is a member of
the periwinkle family, and is also associated with Laka, the goddess of
Hula. Maile, which came from the native forest, is offered at Luka's
altar at hula dance practices and shows. In
ancient times it was a medicine as well as a peace offering in the
field of battle. The maile is a long lasting lei also known as the "lei
of royalty" and probably the oldest and most popular material used in
leis by the early Hawaiians. It is an open-ended horseshoe fashion lei
made of the spicy scented green maile stems and leaves. In modern
times, orchids or other flowers were woven around the leaves. The
Kahuna ( Hawaiian priest) used a maile lei in wedding ceremonies to
bind the hands of the bride and groom, symbolizing their commitment to
each other.
Maile
leis are expensive by Hawaii standards because the vine is naturally
grown in hard to reach dense mountain forests and due to its popularity,
the vine has been over harvested. Today
a few Hawaiian families are growing maile in backyard nurseries for
friends, families, mom-and-pop lei stands, but it's a cottage industry
at best.
Now,
thanks to an award-winning business plan by the Ali'i Pauahi Hawaiian
Civic Club, Mahi'ai 'Ihi ("Sacred Farm") is busily grooming thousands of
Hawaiian maile vines.
Mahi'ai
'Ihi is the first local farm to cultivate maile on a large
scale-currently 25,000 plants in a 33,000-plus-square-foot shade house
in Wailea, on Hawaii, the Big Island. The Civic Club started Mahi'ai
'Ihi in September 2009 after winning the University of Hawai'i Shidler
business plan competition and raising funds from more than twenty
community partners, including the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
The
farm is experimenting with different types, such as maile lau li'i (a
short-leaved variety from Kaua'i), maile with big leaves, long leaves,
different fragrances.
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