Festive escapes with a tropical twist on Hawaii
Hawaii conjures up visions of stunning beaches, sun-filled vistas, dramatic landscapes, welcoming locals and the world’s best surfing spots; and a balmy 28 degrees Celsius during winter.
Christmas in Hawaii comes with a definite (hula) twist, from street parades to rice cake making, golf championships and beaches galore, there’s a variety of activities across all of the islands for the whole family to enjoy.
The island of Kauai brightens up over Christmas with the Waimea Lights and its spectacular Christmas Parade. Waimea town, found in the south-west of the island, hosts this annual parade where the streets are choc-full with festive lighting and decorations, lit up for all to enjoy every night. The all-singing, all-dancing Christmas Parade takes place on Saturday 19 December at 6pm.
After all that partying, it’s good to know that Kauai’s other attractions are just as welcoming. Being the greenest island of Hawaii, Kauai is home to Waimea Canyon (the 2nd largest in the US, after the Grand Canyon) and Hanalei Bay, recently awarded “Best Beach in the World.”
If weird and wonderful foodie events take your festive fancy, perhaps the Annual Traditional Mochi (Rice Cake) Pounding is for you. To celebrate the multi-culturalism of Hawaii, on 27 December, Wailea village on the Big Island’s east coast is where all the fun takes place. Taking place at Akiko’s Buddhist B&B, good luck rice cakes are pounded and made in the traditional "old-fashioned" way; offering a great way to get the young and old, locals and tourists together.
Everyone takes their turn at pounding the glutinous sticky rice for good luck from 8am to 2pm. A hearty, local style lunch is available, alongside local entertainment, fortune telling, Japanese calligraphy and more. This isn’t the only fiery activity fond on the Big Island though, the Maunaloa Volcano is a popular attraction; it’s the only active volcano in Hawaii. Boat trips can be taken in the evenings to see its lava flow glowing as it descends into the ocean. If you want a ‘green’ Christmas by the ocean; the mineral deposits of Green Beach create an eerie yet beautiful effect.
After Christmas and New Year celebrations are over, Monday 04 January is the start of the PGA tour’s SBS Golf Championship on Maui. For avid golfers, this is the place to be. The event takes place on Maui’s northwest shore, until Sunday 10 January, in the pristine Kapalua Resort, which stretches across 23,000 acres. An elite field of champions from the previous season’s PGA tour compete in this season-opening event, which is sure to draw crowds.
If you want to escape the masses at this time of year, head to the upmarket beach resort of Kihei, or hire a car and enjoy some of the best scenery in Hawaii along Maui’s famous ‘Road to Hana’. If the weather turns a bit blustery for sunbathing, why not head to Hookipa and try your hand at windsurfing to offset all the festive feasting.
For more information on the 12th Annual Mochi Pounding Celebration at Akiko's Buddhist Bed and Breakfast, in Wailea Village, email: msakiko@hawaii.rr.com.
To purchase tickets for the PGA tour’s SBS Golf Championship visit kapulua.com.