By Barbara Barton Sloane
Plumes of smoke rose heavenward from the base of Maunaloa. Because this is one of Hawaii’s very active volcanos, we were kept several hundred yards away from the site. Yet, even from a distance, the power and majesty of Maunaloa was awesome. Much about my recent trip to Hawaii’s Big Island and Maui was awe-inspiring. The islands were everything that one expects to find: tropical paradise, enveloping warmth, glistening blue sea and luxurious resorts. Badly in need of some serious R & R, I was delighted to find that the islands also offered a perfect destination for me to reconnect with nature – and with myself. Here I found a natural sanctuary to restore the soul.
On Hawaii’s Big Island, miles upon miles of untouched land contribute to its natural beauty. It’s a place of extremes – from fiery volcanoes to snow-capped mountain peaks; from acres of green pasturelands to vast ebony lava deserts; and from tropical rainforests and verdant valleys to white, gold, black and even green sand beaches. Out of 13 climatic regions on the planet, this island has all but two, Artic and Saharan. On the Big Island, whatever climate you’re craving, you’ll find it here.
For centuries, native Hawaiians have revered nature’s bounty from mauka to makai (mountain to sea) and have developed the powerful healing arts of Lomi Lomi massage using native plants in age-old practices and encouraging soul-searching through self-awareness and forgiveness. Dale Silva, co-founder of the Hawaiian Lomi Lomi Association says “without aloha – without love – for oneself, for the environment, for each other, how can you begin to heal? It all starts with aloha.” The aloha spirit is abundant here. You feel it in the sunshine that warms the sand beneath your feet, you see it in the clear ocean water, and you hear it in the gentle rain that falls in the forest.
Hibiscus flowers large as dinner plates line the lush drive to the Four Seasons Resort on the Big Island with deep green, velvet-like
lawns leading to the turquoise sea beyond. Greeted with a fragrant purple orchid lei placed around my neck by a pretty hostess and the words “welcome to the Four Seasons,” I had a hunch that I was in very good hands and that wonderful pleasures awaited me.
Chanting for Healing
Precisely at dawn the next morning, I was invited to participate in an Ocean Purifying Ceremony led by the resident ceremony leader, Daniel Akaka. As a group of us walked to the ocean, Daniel blew a conch shell to the four corners of the earth. He began a chant to clear the mind and start a new journey at daybreak. We stood in ankle-deep water as he instructed us to join hands, a symbol for inviting the people of all the lands to join us. His chant asked that we be instructed, educated and inspired as we go through life’s journey. As he offered a prayer of thanksgiving, he placed a Ti leaf (used to ward off evil spirits) around our necks and greeted us nose to nose. As we did this, we exhaled our breath in a “Ha” sound – the first sound uttered when we’re born and symbolizing the life force within each of us.
Daniel next took a bowl with small stones in it, emptied it and filed the bowl with pure water. He explained that as we go through life, we take on worries, problems, negativity. Each problem is like a stone, so to rejuvenate the soul, you have merely to turn the bowl over, let the stones drop away and allow pure water to refill the bowl. Simplistic? Maybe. I can just tell you that after this ceremony, the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” kept buzzing in my head and I left feeling cleansed and ready to start a fresh, new day – baggage-free.
Romance in the Air
I had dinner at the Four Seasons Pahui’a restaurant, dining en famille at a long wooden table that faced the ocean and gazing at a spectacular gold sunset as ocean breezes wafted over a tranquil blue sea. If you want a romantic setting, this is it! Soft Hawaiian ballads provided the music, tiki lamps lit the azure evening and, as the sky turned dusky, lights played on the ocean and captured creamy white caps rolling gently towards shore. As if that wasn’t enough, the food at Pahui’a was spectacular - Lobster Keahole, Dungness Crab, Sweet Waimea Corn fritters, and for dessert spice cake with sweet potato ice cream. Mother Nature herself graced the ambience of this restaurant and provided an unforgettable dining experience.
Welcome to Your Sensory Meltdown
At the Four Seasons Hualalai Sports Club & Spa, I found an oasis of sybaritic delights awaiting me. A uniquely Hawaiian spa, there is a lap pool, whirlpools, saunas, steam rooms and cold plunges - all set amidst tropical gardens. Among the Signature treatments offered: The Hualalai Experience, in which you're pampered with a Polynesian Niu (cocoanut) body scrub, a Lomi Lomi massage, and a Kane facial. I opted to experience the Cocoanut Scrub which transported me into a dream-like state. After the body polish, a warm blanket was wrapped around me and I was given a relaxing face and neck massage. The last step was an application of cocoanut milk and cococnut moisturizing lotion. My skin had never felt so silky smooth and I was beyond relaxed. My goal as I entered the spa was to be pampered, relaxed and feeling beautiful. Mission accomplished!
After checking into the Fairmont Orchid Resort, I walked down jungle-like paths lined with dramatic waterfalls leading to their Spa Without Walls, whose mission is to restore the mana (power) we hold within each of us. In a cabana at ocean’s edge, I experienced their signature Lomi Lomi massage. My masseuse used long, gliding, rhythmic movements to ease tension and relax muscles using my selection of essential oils to personalize the treatment. Mission accomplished!
One of the highlights of my stay at the Fairmont Orchid: Calley O’Neill, a true force of nature and a major attraction of this property. Calley teaches a class called Compassionate Healing Yoga. I took the class thinking it would be standard yoga filled with movements like Salute to the Sun and Downward Dog. Not so. Calley’s class is yoga for the mind, and she led us through ways to quiet the mind, rejuvenate the body, balance emotions and nurture the spirit – all in 60 minutes. The key to my being inspired, moved and feeling like a million bucks as the class ended was, quite simply, Calley herself. She is calm, centered and above all, caring. My session was mind-altering. Sound too good to be true? It isn’t.
From Chill to Sizzle
Once you leave the reverie of an Hawaiian spa and slowly re-enter the real world, you’ll find much to do on the Big Island. You can snorkel with the turtles at Kahulu’u Beach Park or see them up close and personal on the black sands of Panalu’u. Stargazing atop Mauna Kea is a truly spiritual
experience. If fishing is your thing, try catching a marlin off the Kona Coast. While on Kona, don’t forget to explore the ancient petroglyphs. Night diving with manta rays is other-worldly and a visit to a “garden in a valley on the ocean,” the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden with rain forests, waterfalls, exotic flowers, fruits and plants is a must-see. Their orchid garden is a photographer’s paradise. Year-round temperatures on the Big Island average 82 degrees so anytime is the right time to go.
E Komo Mai – Welcome to Maui
The flight to Maui from the Big Island took just 40 minutes. This island is known as “The Magic Isle” and for good reason. I kept wanting to pinch myself as I experienced the sheer, jaw-dropping beauty of Maui coupled with laid-back, lovely people whose warmth and friendliness are genuine.
The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa is a special place. Among its many charms, 40 lush, oceanfront acres, a 750,000-gallon pool with a 150-foot lava tube water slide, nightly Polynesian Luau, four uniquely themed restaurants and Spa Moana, where I had still another chance to unwind. I highly recommend the spa’s Rainforest Propolis and Cocoanut Milk Wrap. No, you don’t eat it, you allow the therapist to slather you with it! Delicious – and calorie-free!
A Cosmic Experience
That evening, sufficiently de-stressed and limp as a dish rag, I did something that was exactly what I needed to rejuvenate. Called “Tour of the Stars,” I climbed to the roof of the hotel where I met Hyatt’s Director of Astronomy. Peering through a 16-inch telescope, I saw Uranus, Venus, Polaris and several other planets, not to mention a luminescent moon and a midnight blue sky with a zillion stars. A perfect end to my day in paradise.
The Westin Maui Resort & Spa is surrounded by tropical gardens, meandering streams and waterfalls. There’s much to keep you busy here: five swimming pools, an exhilarating Wailele Polynesian Luau, two 18-hole championship golf courses, a shopping center and, of course, the ubiquitous spa, this one aptly named Heavenly. At Heavenly Spa I had their Lavender Body Butter Treatment which put me firmly on Cloud 9, gliding back to my room, feet never touching the ground! I arranged to go on a Sunset Sailing Cruise which docked near the hotel. Boarding the Gemini, a catamaran, I spent two hours smoothly Tradewind-sailing with phenomenal views of West Maui, Molokai and Lanai, sipping Mai Tais and munching Hawaiian appetizers. One of the highlights of this sail was when the captain dropped anchor and we watched a glorious sunset, tiki torch lighting and some brave young men cliff diving at Black Rock near the Westin coastline.
Culture, Traditions and Fun
To get a feel for Hawaiian culture and an understanding of their traditions, a group of us attended the Old Lahaina Luau. Just two of the many offerings at this sumptuous breakfast luau were Island Stuffed French Toast and Kalua Pork Hash with Lomi Salmon. Then we watched (and participated in) demonstrations of kappa-cloth making, spear-throwing, and poi-making. We listened to Hawaiian stories and songs and left with a deep respect for the people of this island who are dedicated to keeping their traditions alive.
Hawaii is a paradise, pure and simple. It’s impossible to list all that makes these islands special, but I’ve managed to narrow it down to a few of my favorite things:
*A wake-up call by tropical birds
*Not having to wikiwiki (hurry-hurry)
*Snorkeling with amazing underwater life
*A gentle rain –quickly followed by more sunshine
*Your nightcap: the soothing sound of the ocean
*The Hawaiian motto: Ho’okahi no la o ka malihini: A stranger only for a day
Hawaiians have a saying: I mohala no ka lehua I ke ke’ekehi ‘ia e ka ua. Easy for them to say, but the meaning is simple and sweet: The Lehua blossom unfolds when the rains tread on it. During my stay on these islands, I did, indeed, experience the warm, gentle rain. I rested, I relaxed, I unfolded. And yes, it was great!
Oh, almost forgot. There is one thing I definitely do not like about Hawaii:
Leaving.
If You Go:
The Big Island
*Big Island Visitors Bureau, www.bigisland.org *Kona Village Resorst
*The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai Queen Ka’ahumanu Hwy, Ka’upulehu Hi
72-100 Ka’upulehu Drive, Kaupulehu HI Tel: 808 325-7820, www.konavillage.com
Tel: 808 325-8000, www.fourseasons.com/hualalai *Hilo Bay Cafe
*The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii 315 Makaala St, Hilo HI
1 North Kaniku Dr, Kohala Coast HI Tel: 808 935-4939
Tel: 808 885- 2000, www.fairmont.com/orchid
*The Palms Cliff House
28-3514 Mamalahoa Hwy, Hilo HI
Tel: 808 963-6076, www.palmscliffhouse.com
Maui
Maui Visitors Bureau *Old Lahaina Luau
www.visitmaui.com 1287 Front St. Lahaina HI
*Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa Tel: 808 667-2998
3700 Wailea Dr., Kihei HI www.oldlahainaluau.com
Tel: 808 879-1922, www.marriott.com *Pineapple Grill at Kapalua Resort
*Hyatt Regency Maui Resort &Spa 200 Kapalua Dr, Kapalua HI
200 Nohea Kai Dr, Lahaina HI Tel: 808 669-9600
Tel: 808 661-1234, www.maui.hyatt.com www.pineapplekapalua.com
*Westin Maui Resort & Spa *Chez Paul Restaurant
2365 Ka anapaliPkwy, Lahaina HI 820 Olowalu Village Rd, Lahaina HI
Tel: 808 667-2525, www.westin.com/maui Tel: 808 661-3843
www.chezpaul.net
*Sea Watch Restaurant at Wailea
100 Wailea Golf Club Dr., Wailea HI
Tel: 808 875-8080
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