Valentine’s Day in Hawaii
Valentine’s Day inspires romantic gestures on Feb. 14, but a vacation in Hawaii can prompt them any time of the year. And you don’t need a major event — or a major bank account — to enjoy the aloha engendered by these lovely isles. Here are five free ways (and a few other low-cost options) to trigger romance, Hawaiian style.1. Say I do, all over againAlready had that commitment ceremony? No reason not to repeat it, this time with (Hawaiian) feeling. Renew your vows by choosing to say on the most romantic island in Hawaii…..Kauai, also known as the beautiful ‘Garden Isle’. This time experience a luxurious Kauai beachfront vacation home on Kauai. You will love it more than a hotel accommodation. Private vacation homes provide that at home comfort you deserve while on vacation. 2. Share a sunsetWatching the sun descend on a flame-colored horizon is a time-honored tradition for kindling romance. Naturally, the islands’ west sides — where most of the resorts on Maui and the Big Island are concentrated — have a built-in advantage for spectacular displays, but I’ve also witnessed brilliantly hued sunsets from many points in Waikiki, from Poipu, Kauai’s southern shore (the promontory at the excellent Beach House Restaurant is especially popular) and from the veranda at the Lodge at Koele, the Four Seasons’ up-country resort in the center of Lanai.For additional inspiration, consider a sunset cruise, which tend to be more focused on adults. While some serve cocktails and appetizers (or pupus, in local parlance), Contact Allure Kauai for reservation on a charter that serves a full dinner on its couples-only Romantic Dinner Sunset Sail ($64) on a catamaran out of Port Allen. 3. Say it with flowersThe eye-catching beauty and heady fragrances of Hawaii’s ubiquitous tropical blossoms are another of its underestimated pleasures. But all those Hawaiian songs about flowers and leis — “My Yellow Ginger Lei,” “Sweet Lei Lehua,” “Pua Hone,” etc. — are really paeans to loved ones, nature being inextricably twined with romance. Spend time with your sweetheart enjoying the extravagant landscaping of any number of resorts (the Kauai Marriott and Grand Hyatt Kauai have exceptionally lovely gardens), or go for a walk on the wilder side, along the islands’ lusher north and east shores, or up a verdant mountain trail. Just keep your eye out for a fallen bloom to tuck behind your left ear — and your partner’s — to show you’re taken. And if you’re staying at a hotel, resort, or private vacation home, check to see if it offers lei-making classes: Most do, for either a small fee or for free. But you don’t have to be a hotel guest to learn the art of leis. On the Garden Island, you can find out how to make a lei and a fabric flower at the free Aloha Friday classes at the West Kauai Technology and Visitors Center in Waimea, held at 9:30 a.m. March-November. In Waikiki, the Royal Hawaiian Center offers free lei-making classes every Friday at 1 p.m. in the Hale Illi (“Bark House”) near Fendi. Free lessons are also offered twice a week at Whalers Village in Maui’s Ka’anapali Resort, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and noon to 2 p.m. Fridays at the outdoor mall’s Center Stage.4. Listen to the musicWhile you can also take free or token-cost ukulele lessons at the same kinds of places that teach lei-making, it’s unlikely you’ll be up to serenading snuff after only one session. So why not leave it to the experts, and cozy up to your ku’uipo (“sweetheart,” pronounced “koo-ooh-ee-poh”) while listening to songs of aloha? You’ll find free concerts and festivals throughout the year, but some of the biggest names in Hawaiian music perform at the monthly Nā Mele No Nā Pua series at the Embassy Suites Waikiki; next up is ukulele whiz Jake Shimabukuro on Feb. 22.While you might have to spring for the cost of cocktails or a light meal, you’ll also find Hawaii’s top recording artists playing nightly in hotel lounges and restaurants around the state. I found a resort-priced mai tai well worth it to hear the likes of Mary Ann Lim and her family at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel on the Big Island, where they perform every night but Sunday at 5:45 p.m. in the Atrium. Waikiki has the greatest wealth of Hawaiian crooners with regular gigs, from the trio of George Kuo, Martin Pahinui and Aaron Mahi Sunday nights at the Waikiki Beach Marriott to the Brothers Cazimero on Friday nights at Chai’s Island Bistro — just to name a select few.5. Get stars in your eyesAway from the bright lights of Waikiki, on a clear night, Hawaii’s sky glitters with stars and a wide swath of the Milky Way. You can enjoy a variety of constellations from many places in the islands, but the most scenic is atop the Waimea Canyon lookout.
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