The planned re-opening of West Maui for October 8 appears to be partly in doubt. Hawai’i Governor Josh Green last month declared that the West Maui communities of Kā‘anapali, Nāpili, Honokōwai, and Kapalua will fully reopen on Sunday, October 8, two months after the August 8 wildfires that destroyed Lahaina. But that seems unlikely to happen after Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said this week that the reopening will happen in phases. Bissen said the most northerly part of the West Maui tourism area would open October 8 and would include everything from Kahana Villa to the The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Read more
Oahu
Victoria, British Columbia has been named the world’s best city in this year’s Conde Nast Travellers’ Readers Choice Awards, while Canada owned the top three picks for world’s friendliest cities. Victoria was third in the friendly category, while Edmonton came second and Calgary was first. Dublin, Ireland was fourth and Quebec City fifth, giving Canada four of the top five spots. I might push for St. John’s or Saskatoon or Regina as the friendliest city in the country if I had a vote, but I suspect Conde Nast readers aren’t as familiar with them as they are with the winning Read more
New research has discovered the most picturesque landscapes in America, with Lake Tahoe taking the top spot. Experts at Storyboards used Instagram data to analyze the number of hashtags for various landscapes in America to discover which of those are the most picturesque. Placing first on the list of the most picturesque landscapes in America is Lake Tahoe, with 2,986,225 Instagram hashtags. Situated on the border of California and Nevada, Lake Tahoe is the clearest lake in the U.S., with a 99.994% purity. There are many outdoor activities to partake in there, from hiking to fishing. There’s also gambling on Read more
The new Barbie movie is inspiring pink-themed parties and clothing. It’s also sparking interest in pink-themed travel, which is good news for colorful hotels in California, Hawaii and Florida, as well as Bermuda and the U.S. Virgin Islands. I also have news on a poll that suggests American and Canadian travelers are frustrated about a lack of airline reliability. Here are some fun pink travel options: Boca Raton Resort and Club, Florida This is a stunning and luxurious spot on the Atlantic side of the Sunshine State, north of Miami. Barbie and Ken would love a couples massage at Read more
As someone who’s been going to Maui’s Ka’anapali Beach for 50-something years, I was pretty happy to see Trip Advisor name it as the best beach in the U.S. in this year’s Travelers’ Choice Awards. It’s a fabulous, three-mile stretch of sand with great snorkeling, paddleboarding, boogie boarding and swimming. It’s also fronted by a long foot path lined with towering palm trees, and has some of the island’s best hotels and resorts, as well as the delightful, open-air Whalers Village Shopping Center. Among my fave hotels on Ka’anapali are the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel, the Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa Read more
