The actual history of hula is somewhat more veiled (and complex!). The birthplace of hula is a mystery; the islands of Hawaii, Molokai, Oahu and Kauai all claim that hula began on their shores.

Wherever hula originated, it has become a prolific part of Hawaiian culture. Both men and women perform hula wearing traditional Polynesian costumes. Hula dances are set to Hawaiian music or historical chants and the dancers portray the lyrics or meanings through their dance.

There are actually two broad categories of hula: Hula ‘Auana and Hula Kahiko. Hula Kahiko is the more historical version done to Hawaiian chants, without an instrument (like a guitar or ukulele). Early Hawaiians did not have a written language; Hawaiian history was recorded exclusively through chants, which had to be memorized in order to be passed on to the next generation. Hula Kahiko was performed to these chants and often was scrutinized for meticulous attention to detail.

Hula ‘Auana is the more modern version of hula, which began around 1893 and includes instrumentation. This is the type of hula that many outsiders to Hawaii are more familiar with. The songs can express not just history or religion, but also emotions or simply an interesting story. The most common instruments used are the ukulele, guitar, steel guitar, and bass.

When you visit Hawaii, you can take in a hula performance at one of the many luaus that occur on all the islands. Luaus are great fun and in addition to a meal and hula, you may also see other performances from singers, fire dancers, story tellers, and more.

Here’s a little sample:

Hula

Celebrate Mother’s Day in Hawaii:

Mother’s Day Brunch – There are lots of fabulous places to spoil mom at a Mother’s Day brunch in Hawaii. Whether she’d prefer fresh seafood or an all-you-can-eat waffle buffet, there is something for every palate. Ask your hotel concierge what’s available in the area and make sure to inquire about whether a reservation is necessary.

Mother’s Day Lunch With the Stars – This annual tradition takes place at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. From 11am-2pm, you can enjoy yummy food while taking in some awesome Hawaiian entertainment from musicians, comedians, and other entertainers. Tickets can be purchased at Wal-Mart or through Ticketmaster.

Mother’s Day Cruise – Take mom out on the water with a lunch or dinner cruise on Mother’s Day. Some companies are running Mother’s Day specials that include a meal and champagne, entertainment, and more… It’s a fun, Hawaiian twist on the Mother’s Day brunch tradition.

Hawaiian Mother’s Day Gifts – Buy mom something special for Mother’s Day in Hawaii. You could get her a bouquet of local tropical flowers (guaranteed to impress more than a dozen roses!) or treat her to locally made spa products, such as coconut soap scented with plumeria or a luxurious sea salt body scrub. If mom is a chocolate lover, don’t forget to surprise her with our famous chocolate-covered macadamia nuts!

Whether you’re in Hawaii or anywhere else in the world, have a very, very Happy Mother’s Day!

Mu’umu’u dresses originated in Hawaii many, many years ago, when the missionaries who came to Hawaii objected to the native women’s bare-breasted fashion. Native Hawaiian women typically only wore a skirt tied around their waist, with nothing on top. To cover them up, the missionaries created the mu’umu’u.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the mu’umu’u, it is a type of dress that is extremely loose fitting and not nipped in at the waist at all. Because it drapes loosely from the shoulders down to past your knees, it is easily one of the most comfortable garments you will ever wear.

Today, mu’umu’us come in all sorts of colors and patterns and styles. Like the aloha shirt, you can expect to see traditional Polynesian designs, such as palm trees, plumeria flowers, coconuts, birds of paradise, etc., although local Hawaiian tend to prefer subtler designs. Mu’umu’us comfortably fit women of all shapes and sizes, which makes them the ideal loungewear (Homer Simpson even wore one once!), and the loose fit breathes nicely in hot climates like Hawaii.

In Hawaii, it is still popular to wear mu’umu’us to formal events and special occasions. Now we even have some that are very fitted and although not the traditional style, they are still called mu’umu’us, and can be very elegant. They are also sometimes worn in the workplace, though not as frequently as the aloha shirt.

Mu’umu’us are an awesome souvenir for the folks back at home or simply as a gift for yourself. The practical, comfortable design and fun fabric will definitely remind you of your fabulous Hawaiian vacation. You can buy mu’umu’us at virtually at Hawaiian souvenir shop or any of the more traditional local stores.

At 17 miles long, Polihale boasts beautiful sparkling white sands and a stunning coastline. 7 miles of this beach is Military land and not accessible to the public.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of this beautiful beach is totally unswimmable.

In fact, if you do want to swim at Polihale, there is only one spot where you can safely do so: at the southernmost point of the beach, called Queen’s Pond. Again, the entire 17-mile stretch is NOT safe for swimming, except for in the calmer waters at Queen’s Pond. Elsewhere the currents are extremely strong and simply too dangerous.

Here are a few more interesting facts about Hawaii’s longest beach:

• Polihale beach marks not only the westernmost point of Kauai but also the westernmost point in Hawaii that is publicly accessible. (The island of Niihau lies further west, but it is a privately owned island.)
• The beach does have shower and bathroom facilities as well as cold running water, but that’s about it. When planning your visit, you should make sure to bring everything you need, including food and a beach umbrella (it’s nearly impossible to find shade at Polihale and the beach can get scorchingly hot).
• Interesting fact about the road to Polihale: in December of 2008, severe flooding destroyed the road. Fearing that Kauai’s tourism industry would suffer with no access to Polihale State Beach Park, local residents and businesses took it upon themselves to repair the damage. The government had said repairing the road would take $4 million and one to two years; volunteers had the project completed in 8 short days.
• The roads to Polihale are unpaved, full of potholes, and prone to flooding. The extremely rough conditions of the roads to Polihale means that your rental car insurance will NOT cover your vehicle on these roads.  Couple that with it being a poor swimming beach, and you won’t feel bad about missing it!
• There is a special sea lettuce – pahapaha – that grows in Polihale’s waters. Legend has it that the Hawaiian Goddess of the Ocean blessed only Polihale’s pahapaha with a special property. If you remove the pahapaha from the water, it will dry out; but if you put it back in the water, it will be restored to its original freshness. To this day, only the pahapaha found at Polihale is known to do this.

These birds are special (and smart!) because just like you, they love to escape the cold winter months by taking a vacation in Hawaii.

In the summer, these birds journey over 2800 miles to their nesting grounds in Alaska or Siberia – a very chilly change from the warm, tropical Hawaiian climate! They spend their time in Hawaii eating and fattening up to prepare for that very long flight.

Kolea can fly up to 50-60 miles per hour and are not believed to rest for the entire flight to their nesting grounds. That means they are flying non-stop for two days or more. The fastest documented trip from Hawaii to Alaska by a Kolea with a tracking device was 70 hours (and you thought 5 hours from LA to Hawaii was bad! ).

Kolea are territorial, meaning that they typically will stake a claim on a piece of land in which to forage for food. They will defend their territory from other Kolea to protect their land. If you sit and watch them, you may notice several Kolea foraging parallel to one another; you may almost be able to “draw” invisible lines around each bird’s territory. Kolea are so territorial that they don’t even feed their young; after the little guys hatch, they have to figure out their food for themselves.

Kolea are an important part of Hawaii history and culture. Many traditional hula songs include the Kolea in their symbolism. The word “Kolea” is a Hawaiian word that is derived from the Pacific Golden Plover’s call. See if you can make out the sounds as you listen to their song.

1. Barack Obama – Yup, the 44th president of the United States was born right here in Hawaii, in Honolulu to be exact. The rumors circulating that Barack Obama was born in Kenya are simply not true, although his father was a Kenyan.

2. Nicole Kidman – Although she was raised in Australia, Nicole Kidman was actually born in Honolulu. Her parents – both Australian – were in Hawaii at the time of Nicole Kidman’s birth on student visas… so Nicole has both American and Australian citizenship.

3. Bette Midler – This legendary actress, singer, and comedienne was also born in Honolulu. She studied drama at the University of Hawaii before moving to New York City and landing a role in Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway… and the rest, as they say, is history!

4. Lauren Graham – Also born in Honolulu, Lauren Graham is an actress best known for her role as mom Lorelai Gilmore on the TV hit series Gilmore Girls. Since then, she has appeared in numerous movies, including Bruce Almighty and its sequel, Evan Almighty, and current is one of the lead actors in the popular TV series Parenthood.

5. Steve Case - Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Steve Case was the founder of America Online – or AOL – which transformed the way the public used the Internet. Because AOL was one of the first platforms for online chatrooms, instant messaging and more, Steve Case has been dubbed the “pioneer” of social media.

When visiting Maui, leave an hour or two to take a Lahaina walking tour. Sure, you like to go to Lahaina to do a little shopping and enjoy a bite to eat, but there is far more going on there if only you know where to look.

Here are just a few of the famous stops you’ll likely encounter on a Maui walking tour:

The Banyan Tree

The famous Lahaina Banyan tree is just amazing. When the tree was planted on April 24, 1873 – exactly 139 years ago today – it was a measly 8 feet tall. Today, this bad boy is over 60 feet high and boasts a massive core plus over twelve major trunks. The tree’s canopy covers a whopping 200 square feet, shading over 2/3 of an acre.

Follow the Footsteps of Royalty

Before Honolulu, Lahaina was the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Your walking tour will likely include such royal sites as King Kamehameha I’s brick palace, King Kamehameha III’s taro patch, and Moku’ula, which a number of Hawaiian kings, queens, and princesses have called home.

Hauola, the Birthing Stone

Just off to the side of Lahaina harbor, the Hauola Birthing Stone quietly stands vigil to a time centuries ago, when this unassuming rock was the one and only location for Hawaiian royal women to give birth to their children. The rock is said to have special powers, which granted the children born there instant royal status and divine powers.

Birthing stones were used as sites for royal women to give birth. The area was held sacred and it was believed that giving birth in that location bestowed special privilege on the newborn.

A very famous birthing stone is the royal birthing stone Hauola, located in Lahaina on Maui. “Hauola” means “to extend life and health”; it is a smooth stone with a low “back” so it looks something like a chair perched among the waves off the shores of Lahaina Harbor. (If you visit Lahaina Harbor, the stone is located at the rightmost side.)

As early as the 1400s, royal Hawaiian women would visit Hauola to give birth. They would be attended to by servants and well-wishers and it was believed that any child born at Hauola would immediately be granted royal status and divine power. If, for some reason, the woman couldn’t make it to Hauola in time for the birth, the child would forfeit its royal birthright.

Another famous birthing stone – perhaps the most famous in all of Hawaii – is located on Oahu. The area is named “Kukaniloko,” which means “to anchor the cry from within.” The site is now protected as a five-acre historical park, at the center of which is the collection of stones used as a birth site by Hawaiian royalty for over seven centuries. Several of the stones were also used to chart the stars and for other scientific purposes.

Kukaniloko is also known as “the navel of Hawaii.” If you visit, please be sure to respect the site and not climb or sit on any of the rocks. To this day, Kukaniloko is held sacred by the Hawaiian people. Please enjoy looking around, but remember to be respectful.

Hibiscus flowers are showy, fragrant, and exotic… just like Hawaii! It’s no wonder the hibiscus was selected as our state flower.

The hibiscus flower has been honored in Hawaii since well before we officially became part of the 50 states. It was first adopted as a territorial emblem in the 1920s because of its beauty and prevalence throughout Hawaii. In 1959, when Hawaii achieved statehood, the hibiscus came right along with it.

However, it wasn’t until 1988 that the yellow hibiscus – which is native to Hawaii – officially became recognized as Hawaii’s state flower. Prior to that date, you would see all types and colors of hibiscus used to represent Hawaii, but since then you will see the yellow hibiscus represented more often (such as on postcards, travel brochures, etc.).

Not only are hibiscus flowers beautiful, but they are useful and versatile, as well. For a unique taste of hibiscus, try making a hibiscus syrup and then mixing a little with your favorite champagne for a unique and refreshing treat. The flowers themselves are edible and can be eaten candied or dried. Hibiscus tea is also extremely popular. The flowers are known for their health benefits, high in vitamin C and reported to help lower blood pressure. You can also use hibiscus to make paper.

Hibiscus flowers also attract beautiful butterflies and hummingbirds (and bees, of course!). If your resort has hibiscus plants about, stop for a moment to admire their beauty. If you are patient, you may get to see a tiny hummingbird or two collecting nectar!

2012 is an eerily special year because there is not just one, but three Friday the 13ths occurring. The first one was January 13th, and the other two fall today (April 13th) and then again in July of this year.

If you want to do something creepy in the spirit of Friday the 13th, don’t miss the special Oahu ghost tour happening tonight (it will also repeat on Friday the 13th in July).

They’re calling it the “Friday the 13th Graveyard Shift” and it is a driving tour of Oahu’s most haunted spots. They will come pick you up from your Waikiki hotel starting at 11:30pm (yes, that’s PM folks!) and the tour lasts until 4am – so you might want to catch a good long nap on the beach this afternoon so you’re able to stay up that late!

Orbs at a cemetery

If you want to catch the tour on a different day (and/or earlier in the day), you can. The company, called “The Original Oahu Ghost Tours” offers an “Orbs of Oahu” tour, a night walking tour through Oahu, and a daytime “Sacred Spirits” tour.

The Oahu Ghost Tour guides are famous not just for their storytelling abilities, but also because they have each had their own personal ghost encounters in Hawaii. Expect to hear vivid and detailed stories told by passionate guides – and expect to get spooked!

To book tickets for the special Friday the 13th tour, click here.

For all other Oahu Ghost Tours, click here.