Hello! Welcome back to my travel blog. I hope that you are doing well and that you had a good start to the new year. Many people try out vegan/vegetarian/plant-based diets in January (which is aptly nicknamed "Veganuary") so I decided to do a post about my favorite vegan food in Honolulu. I have always loved eating in Hawai‘i—from my grandma's cooking to my family's go-to restaurants, there is such a unique blend of Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Filipino, and Korean culture—but this is the first year that I've spent time here as a vegan, and I really enjoyed trying out new places. Here is my guide to vegan eating in Honolulu!
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Hey there, welcome back! This week we’re taking a trip to the island of Kaua'i, which is also known as “The Garden Isle”. The nickname is extremely fitting for this beautiful island, which is filled with lush valleys, tropical rainforests, ragged mountains, and stunning beaches. In case you haven’t gotten the idea yet, let me just say this: Kaua’i is gorgeous. It’s also the rainiest out of all the Hawaiian islands, so breathtaking rainbows can be seen daily on Kaua’i. Hi everyone, welcome back to my travel blog :) I hope you’re all having a great Presidents’ Day Weekend (and yay for four days off of school!) Even though many of you are probably skiing in snowy Tahoe, this week I’m taking you back to the island of Maui. Hi there, welcome back! This week, we’re saying goodbye to O’ahu and saying hello to Maui. I’ve only visited Maui twice - once for my cousin’s golf tournament (about 7 years ago) and again last year in January. But, I had an amazing time during both visits, and I’m excited to talk about that :) Just like O’ahu, I’m going to start my post off with some information about the beaches in Maui. Although I’m not as familiar with the beaches here, I know that Maui has some gorgeous beaches. Here are a few you might want to visit:
Sunsets on all of the islands are definitely special, but for some reason, I feel like Maui’s are especially amazing. As for food, there is one restaurant that I definitely recommend - I think that it’s called “Poi by the Pound” and is located near the airport. They serve delicious traditional Hawaiian food, like Kalua Pig, Laulau, and Poi.
Additionally, I think that Ululani’s is one of the best places in Maui to go for shave ice. They have tons of flavors and add-ons, and their ice is extremely soft. My favorite flavor combination is passion fruit, mango, and coconut with mochi.
Mahalo for reading, and I hope to see you next week! I’ll be talking about some other fun activities you can try in Maui. [Originally posted February 2, 2017 at amandaatravelblog.blogspot.com] Aloha, and welcome back to my blog! I hope that you all had a great MLK Day and week. Today, we’re back on O’ahu, and I’ll be telling you about other activities and some foods you have to try. Whenever I’m in Hawai’i, I always go shopping with my cousins. I know this might sound kind of silly, since we could go to the beach or hike or something else, but there’s a legitimate reason - the tax rate in Honolulu is only about 5%, while the tax rate here in California is 9%. Plus, I find it more fun to shop on vacation with my cousins. We always head to Ala Moana Center, which has been remodeled recently and is a really fun place to shop. It’s partially outdoor, which is actually pretty cool (considering you are in Hawai’i). Ala Moana Beach Park is nearby - I talked about that beach in one of my previous posts. Additionally, we like to go to Kahala Mall. Some of my favorite beach-themed/”Made in Hawai’i” shops are here. Waikiki is also one of the most popular shopping destinations for tourists. International Marketplace has been redone in the past year, and it’s a very fun (and slightly overwhelming) experience. You also might want to visit ‘Iolani Palace, which is the only royal palace in the United States. Before Hawai’i became part of America, it was ruled by kings and queens. ‘Iolani Palace was home to King Kalakaua and Queen Lili`uokalani. Click here for the official website. Some other places that you might be interested in are the Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Aquarium. They're both located right next to Waikiki Beach. I used to go with my cousins and sister when I was younger, and I remember that I always had a great time. Once, when we were at the zoo, there was a peacock wandering around the streets. My sister was pretty young at the time, so she was sitting in a stroller. The peacock went right up to her and tried to bite the cracker out of her hand. My sister was not happy, but we all thought it was the funniest thing. I know that sometimes when I’m traveling, I get so wrapped up in the sites and activities that I often forget about meals...when you’re on vacation, you can’t forget to eat! Here are some of the foods that you can’t miss: While you’re in Hawai’i, you must try shave ice. It’s one of my favorite foods, period. I love going to Waiola Shave Ice with my cousins after we swim and boogie-board at Waikiki Beach. The shave ice is fluffy and refreshing, and nothing can beat that on a warm Hawaiian day :) My dad’s friend from high school also owns a poke shop, called Aloha Cones (I can’t eat fish, but all of my family members seem to really like his poke), and there’s a shave ice place there too. Speaking of poke, it’s honestly exploded everywhere, not just Hawai’i. However, I’ve heard that some of the best poke is made in Hawai’i - this is most likely because of the island's proximity to the ocean. Malasadas are also extremely popular. Although I’m allergic, my whole family loves eating them. There’s always a line outside of Leonard’s Bakery, so I can assume that many other people like them as well. For those of you who don’t know what malasadas are, they’re essentially Portuguese donuts without the hole. I’m not completely sure how they became part of the Hawaiian culture, but they did (somehow). If you’re looking for an upscale Hawaiian restaurant, I would send you to Alan Wong’s. I’ve been a couple of times with my family, and the food is absolutely delicious. The best part is dessert, though - I always order “The Coconut”, which has haupia sorbet in a dark chocolate shell. It’s dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free, and one of the best desserts that I can actually eat! Note: I’ll be talking more about traditional Hawaiian foods in an upcoming post. Shave ice, poke, malasadas, and Alan Wong’s are mentioned here because you can get them on O’ahu, and I know of a few specific places you should try.
Thank you all for reading, and I hope that you have a great weekend! [Originally posted on January 20, 2017 at amandaatravelblog.blogspot.com] Hi again, welcome! We’re still on the amazing island of O’ahu this week, but I’ll be talking about a few other outdoor activities you should try and some great landmarks you should visit. Hawai’i may be known for its beaches, but there are also tons of other outdoor experiences that might be up your alley. For hikers, Diamond Head State Monument is a short, easy hike with a million-dollar view! My family has made it a tradition to walk up Diamond Head (also known as Le’ahi Crater) every Christmas. As I said before, the views are absolutely gorgeous. For such a short hike - it can take half an hour, if there aren’t too many people - I would say that the view is honestly spectacular. The only downside of this hike is that it can be very crowded - because of its proximity to Waikiki, there are tons of tourists who climb Diamond Head every day. (Also, did you know that Diamond Head got its name because English sailors thought that there were diamonds on top of it?) Here are some other hiking trails with awesome views:
There are also countless other once-in-a-lifetime adventures to embark on while you’re staying on O’ahu. Riding in a submarine, speeding through zipline parks, flying in a helicopter, swimming with dolphins, gliding across the ocean on water skis, and biking along scenic trails are some of the most popular activities among tourists. Here are some links to check out regarding these activities:
O’ahu is also known for several famous landmarks, such as Pearl Harbor and Punchbowl National Cemetery. I would definitely recommend going to Pearl Harbor during your visit, as it is a fun and interesting (and educational) experience. You can visit and walk around the USS Arizona Memorial and see where the historic battle of Pearl Harbor took place on December 7, 1941. Click here for more information. Although I’ve actually never been to Punchbowl, I’ve heard that visiting is very special as well. It’s one of the two national cemeteries in the United States, and many soldiers and members of the military have been buried here. Click here for more information.
Thanks for reading; I hope that you’re enjoying these posts so far! Let me know if you have any questions/requests. See you next week! :) [Originally posted on January 13, 2017 at amandaatravelblog.blogspot.com] Hey, welcome back! I hope that you had an amazing Christmas and New Years. This week (and for the next several weeks), I have decided to share some tips/information about my all-time favorite place on earth: Hawai’i. I first traveled there when I was about nine months old, and have been back every single year since. I’m not kidding when I say it’s my favorite place on earth! This week specifically, we’ll be taking a trip to the island of O’ahu. I’m starting with O’ahu because I know this island best - it’s where my grandparents live and I go every time we visit. There’s honestly so much to talk about though, so I’ll be breaking this section up into multiple parts. Today I’ll be focusing solely on beaches :) Obviously, Hawai’i has some of the best beaches in the world. I love going to Waikiki Beach, which is located in Honolulu (the state’s capitol). Waikiki is a very busy/touristy place, bustling with crowds headed to restaurants, shops, and more. I find that this beach isn’t great for snorkeling or paddleboarding - my family always goes boogie boarding here. If you want to paddleboard, I’d recommend going to Ala Moana Beach Park. The water is much calmer, which is better for SUP (stand-up paddleboarding). Plus, when I went with my cousins, we saw several honus, or Hawaiian green sea turtles. Speaking of turtles/Hawaiian marine life, you can’t miss visiting Hanauma Bay. Hanauma Bay is a nature preserve in Honolulu and is where millions of people go snorkeling annually. Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay is one of the highlights of my trip every year. You can see tons of colorful tropical fish, ranging from butterfly fish to spotted boxfish to reef triggerfish (known as “humuhumu-nukunuku-apua´a”...this is also the state fish of Hawai’i!) If you want to rent snorkels and life jackets, you can do that here, right before you go in; however, there are also several snorkel rental shops around Honolulu. For anyone wanting to surf on O’ahu, the North Shore has very big waves, especially in the winter. Click here for more information about the best surfing spots! Here are some other great beaches to visit:
[Originally posted on January 5, 2017 at amandaatravelblog.blogspot.com]
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AuthorHi, I'm Amanda! I'm 18 years old and live in California. Outside of school, I love photography, traveling, reading, gymnastics, diving, DIYs, vegan baking and cooking, and spending time with my friends and family. Categories
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