Hawaii Vacation in February? Don't Miss These Local Events

If you are traveling to Hawaii in February, here are a few annual local events for you to consider adding to your itinerary.

When you are on the Big Island make a stop at Hilo, home of The Hilo Mardi Gras. Also known as The "Hula Capital of the World", Hilo loves to put on a parade. This is their annual New-Orleans style parade, festival and party all wrapped in one. The streets are full of elaborately costumed dancers, festive music and local foods.

One of the longest running events in Hawaii is the Punahou School Carnival. This annual Honolulu event is a high school fundraiser that started in 1932 and now it attracts upwards of 50,000 people. The carnival is known for its local delicacies that includes malasadas, Hawaiian plates, Portuguese bean soup and gyros. This is a wonderful opportunity to participate in the local Hawaiian culture.

Visit the spot in Waimea, Kauai, where famous explorer Captain James Cook first landed in Hawaii. The Captain Hook Festival commemorates the event with entertainment, canoe races, games, and food. The highlight is the mini-marathon race.

The Carole Kai Bed Race brings participants from all over the world to race down the streets of Lahania in Maui, Lihue in Kauai and Honolulu in Oahu. This two-day fundraising event feature wildly costumed bed-racers for the amusement of over 100,000 onlookers.

Watch top rated longboard surfers in the two-day Buffalo's Big Board Surfing Classic at Makaha Beach, Oahu. This is traditional Hawaiian surfing, long boarding, and canoe-surfing.

About The Author
Peter Shannon is a writer and author of the popular http://www.1001VacationIdeas.com – a Web site born out of his passion. Perhaps you have a passion or hobby that you would like to write about. Discover how to turn it into a profitable Web site like Peter has. Visit http://www.UseYourPassion.com to learn more.

Eat Great in Kauai on a Budget

Hawaii has a reputation of being exotic and expensive, however there are places to eat that not only taste great but won't break your budget as well. Many tourists frequently get trapped at certain touristy style restaurants that cost a lot of money, however if you are visiting our beautiful island of Kauai then you should check out some of the following local restaurants that are amazingly inexpensive at least when you consider the other prices on the island and serve up some amazing meals.

North Kauai

If you are vacationing in the north, or have rented a condo in the north of Kauai and will be back there in time for dinner, then you should consider Bamboo Bamboo. It is in Hanalei and the platters are priced low to mid range. The setting is outside with a garden view or inside if you prefer. Also, since most meals cost between $10 and $20 you won't spend a fortune on a great dinner.

Another great North Kauai restaurant is the Tropical Taco. This restaurant is also low priced and mixes Mexican flavors with natural tropical feelings from the islands. The Tropical Taco is the most popular Mexican restaurant on Kauai.

The Wake Up Café is perhaps one of the best places to eat breakfast in the North of Kauai. The restaurant is cheap and the food is yummy, so if you are a breakfast eater and visiting or living in or around Hanalei then you should check out the Wake Up Café.

East

Coconuts is a great restaurant in the Eastern part of Kauai that is mid priced and the food is great. So, if you are staying in the East of Kauai on your vacation or if you live in the area then Coconuts will surely be a favorite and affordable place to eat.

Garden Island BBQ is yet another great place to eat in the East of Kauai. Local Chinese food served at a very low price combined with an amazing friendly staff will make Garden Island BBQ a favorite of yours as well.

Another amazingly affordable place to eat that always surprises people is the Hamura Saimin Stand. The food is amazingly inexpensive and astoundingly flavorful. The saimin is said to be some of the best on the island, so if you are in Lihue, Kauai then make sure you stop by the Hamura Saimin Stand to enjoy an inexpensive and tasty lunch.

West

The West of Kauai has a favorite place to buy shave ice and it has been dubbed the world's best place to buy this cool treat. Jo Jo's Shave Ice will serve up a cold shave ice to cool you down on a hot Hawaii day so you should definitely give it a try.

There really are lots of great restaurants to eat at on Kauai , you just have to know your budget and taste buds. However, keep in mind some of the best tasting restaurants are the cheapest.

About The Author
Bill McKenzie is the reservations manager for Hawaiian Vacation Rentals, LLC, representing Wailua Bay View, vacation rentals in Kauai. Bill has personally tasted the menu at the abovementioned eateries. Please visit http://www.wailuabay.com.
webmaster@wailuabay.com

Things For Families To Do In Hawaii

There are six islands that make up Hawaii; Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui and Hawaii's Big Island. On each of these islands there are many activities and adventures for you and your family to experience.

Kauai –

Kauai is one of the best islands to visit if you are traveling to Hawaii with kids. On the island of Kauai, children are welcomed and celebrated because the tradition and culture of Kauai centers around ohana or family.

Some things that you and your family can do together on the island of Kauai are:

Crafts and cultural activities usually offered at the resorts of Kauai.
Fishing
Beach games
Nature walks
Surfing lessons
Sand sculpture contests
Coconut frond weaving
Tide pool exploring
Tours

The island of Kauai also has two great museums for children. The Kauai Children's Discovery Museum in Kapaa which has many interactive exhibits that adults will enjoy too and the Starlight Planetarium which tells how the Polynesian voyagers used the stars, winds and ocean to navigate their canoes over the Pacific. This program takes place on Saturdays.

Oahu –

Oahu also has some great family adventures available.

Submarine rides that take you by sunken ships, airliners and reef structures.
Home to Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park
Sea Life Park where you can meet dolphins, sea turtles, stingrays, sharks and moray eels.
Honolulu Zoo
Waikiki Aquarium

4,000-acre Kualoa Ranch where you can explore by horse, ATV, helicopter, Jet Ski or kayak. The resorts of Oahu also offer many family fun activities including lei making, kite making and lauhala weaving.

Molokai –

The island of Molokai has a unique landscape to offer families. Molokai is perfect for the family that loves to explore the open wilderness, explore tide pools and trek across untouched beaches. You can even rope cattle at the real island ranch that makes its home on Molokai.

Molokai is also perfect for budding astrologers as its cloudless nights allow you to see the constellations perfectly!

Lanai –

Lanai is the least crowded of all the islands which makes it attractive to families for safety. There are still a lot of things for families to do on the island of Lanai.

Explore the entire 141-square mile island on foot or by 4X4.
Watch the dolphins and humpback whales that play off-shore
Make a lei
Learn to hula dance.

Maui –

Although Maui is the most popular island for honeymooners there are many things for families to do as well.

Explore a bamboo forest and look for rare tropical
Hiking
Volcano exploring
Glass-bottom boat rides
The Maui Ocean center has a 750,000 gallon open-ocean tank and walk-through glass tube
The resorts of Maui also offer many activities for their younger guests.

Hawaii's Big Island –

This is the largest of Hawaii's islands and it also has the largest family. Family embraces family and there are many interesting things for families to do together on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Explore the Kona coast which boasts desert like lava plains
Home to the rainiest city in America – Hilo
Explore the world's tallest mountain, Mauna Kea which is 13,796 ft. above sea level.
Visit the rainforest
See black lava rock

The big island also offers camping for those families that love the outdoors so much they want to sleep there too!

Whatever your family enjoys doing, you will be able to find it on one, or a few, of the Hawaiian Islands.

About The Author
Claire Quaty,s latest article can be found at http://www.hawaiix.info/.