Press Releases

WHAT'S SIZZLIN' IN APRIL ON HAWAI'I'S BIG ISLAND HAWAI'I'S ISLAND OF ADVENTURE

04/01/2008

Come to the Big Island and explore Hawai’i‘s Island of Adventure

Hawai’i‘s Big Island (April 1, 2008) – April brings Earth Day, but every day is Earth Day on Hawai’i Island. From Kīlauea volcano creating new land daily, to hotels committed to reducing energy and impact, to restaurants that favor sustainable ingredients, and activity providers embracing native ecosystems with visitors – every day is a commitment to Mother Earth on Hawai’i‘s Big Island.

ADVENTURES, ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

Pele Puts on Dramatic, Evolving Show for Visitors. First, Kīlauea’s 25-year ongoing eruption resumed in February from a fissure in the upslope area of Pu’u Kahauale’a Natural Area Reserve, after a brief hiatus. Then lava reached the ocean in early March, inspiring local officials to open a lava-viewing area in Kalapana, along Puna’s coastal area, much to the delight of visitors and residents. On March 19, a small but historic gas explosion at Halema’uma’u crater rocked the summit of Kīlauea – the first time since 1924. Scientists later discovered traces of lava from the explosion, and plumes of white ash continue to drift upward from the crater. To “summit” up, there’s never been a better time for mesmerizing sight-seeing at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and the Kalapana lava viewing area. Visit www.bigisland.org/volcanoupdate for the latest updates, safety tips, and to download a “viewing lava safely” card.

Speaking of Volcanoes… A new off-site adventure has been added to the spa menu at Hualālai Sports Club & Spa at Four Seasons Resort Hualālai. Wellness Consultant Oliver Fix leads a 3.5 mile upslope “Hualālai Hike” to Puhiapele, a 300-foot high spatter cone on the northwest slope of Hualālai volcano. The hike traverses through Hawaiian dry land forests, through elevations between 1,300 and 1,600 feet; and into a large lava tube. Participants learn a bit of history, geography, botany, culture, and legends along the way. www.fourseasons.com/hualalai

ISLANDS magazine’s “Hot 100 Blue List” recognized Hawaii Forest & Trail’s Stewardship Plot as #40: Weed a Volcano. The Plot is one of several Special Ecological Areas inside Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, a World Heritage site and UNESCO International Biosphere Preserve. Inside these designated areas, officials study the impact of invasive species on native habitats and methods to control them. Hawaii Forest & Trail’s Kīlauea Volcano Adventure includes a stop at the Stewardship Plot where guests help the native rainforest by removing kahili ginger and other invasive species. As the only tour operator given the responsibility of helping manage these sensitive areas, Hawaii Forest & Trail guests and guides devoted more than 140 hours in 2007 towards the preservation of native forest habitat in HVNP. Visit www.hawaii-forest.com

Picture Yourself Here. Not only does new Wild Orchid Tours guide your private group to Hawai’i Island’s most photogenic black sand beaches, waterfalls and volcanoes in seven-passenger SUVs, but their skilled photographers also take professional shots of you “on location,” making your adventures beautifully memorable. Other services include weddings, honeymoons and romantic planning. Stay overnight at Wild Orchid Vacation Suite, tastefully adorned in the owner’s paintings. Suite is located in Mountain View (near Volcano), starting from $85/night. Visit www.wildorchidtours.com, (808) 968-1505. Fluent in English, French and Polish.

Enjoy summer programs for children and families from June through August at ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawai’i, a 40,000-square-foot LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified “green building” visitor attraction and learning center. Students of all ages will rediscover the breathtaking power of our moon and night sky as Hawaiians navigate the Pacific Ocean by the stars, and astronomers view the universe from observatories atop Maunakea. For more information, visit www.imiloahawaii.org, or call (808) 969-9700.

There’s a new format at Kona Historical Society’s Kona Coffee Living History Farm. The tour is now self-guided with interpreters in period clothing throughout the farm, where guests can linger and talk story as long as they like. Interpreters depict daily life on the farm: you’ll meet the lady of the house, make musubi, groom Charlie the donkey, gather eggs, pick coffee cherry, and check out the 1926 mill. Learn how these Kona coffee pioneers practiced “reduce, reuse and recycle” long before it was trendy. Open Mon. – Fri., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in Captain Cook. Visit www.konahistorical.org or call (808) 323-2006.

For more than 160 years, Parker Ranch has worked to sustain its lands. From its photovoltaic project which converts sun and wind into electricity to supply water to Ranch livestock, to planting endemic trees to reduce sediment runoff from watershed into the ocean, to controlled grazing keeping fuel load down to limit brush fires, and partnerships for erosion management, Ranch practices are often sited among the best. At the Parker Ranch Store certified organic products range from tee shirts to spice rubs and soaps to lotions. www.ParkerRanch.com

Wheel! Of! FORTUNE! What a FORTUNE-ate week it was March 24 through 28 for Hawai’i‘s Big Island. The show’s “Hawai’i‘s Big Island Week” included an online “Take Me to Paradise” sweepstakes at www.wheeloffortune.com, gearing up towards the taping of 15 Wheel of Fortune shows at Hilton Waikoloa Village this September, airing in November. Guest appearances o by Miss Kona Coffee Malia Pucong, Traditions Hawai’i dancers from the Shops at Mauna Lani, and a specially designed Hawaiian set made a big impact on viewers. How many viewers was that? Approximately 47 million tune in per week, which is wheel good news for Big Island business. Think you have what it takes to be a contestant? Keep tabs on www.KHON.com for updates.

Looking for more to do? Click http://bigisland.org/calendar for detailed information about additional Hawai’i Island events, and make sure you don’t miss the Earth Day Festival happenings:

Kona Earth Festival (April 19 – May 11) – A celebration of the natural environment and how to better care for it, this festival features more than a dozen events spread over several weeks, including a recycled art and fashion show, Malama ‘Aina Cleanup Day, dryland forest restoration project, community tree planting, NELHA and Hualālai tours, whalewatching, etc. Complete schedule at www.konaearthfestival.org, (808) 329-9220.

HOTELS, RESORTS + B&Bs

Renovations Pau! Throughout Hilton Waikoloa Village, improvement exists with each step. From renovating 1,240 guestrooms and meeting facilities, to rejuvenating restaurants and the Kohala Spa, the resort invested over $100 million in improvements since 2005. What started as a vision of brand new amenities, updated accommodations, and refreshed offerings is now a reality. The highlight: Dolphin Quest Village and Orchid Market Place, to be completed this Spring. Dolphin Quest Village will feature a learning center, retail boutique, an Encounter Club and photo viewing stations. Orchid Market Place, formerly Orchid Café, will provide convenient and family-friendly dining choices. Visit www.hiltonwaikoloavillage.com or call 1-800-HILTONS.

Hilton Waikoloa Village has raised the bar in conservation in the resort industry. Green efforts include the installation of T-8 lamps with electronic ballasts, compact fluorescent lights in guestrooms, and a high efficiency chiller to conserve energy. Low-flow shower heads and toilets and a new washing machine conserve water, and the resort supports several recycling programs. Future initiatives include digital guestroom thermostats with occupancy sensors and more. Team members participate in the Adopt-a-Highway program and host an annual clean-up of the lagoon. For more information contact Marketing/Public Relations Coordinator Meredith Wertz at (808) 886-2867 or meredith.wertz@hilton.com

As part of a greater vision to reclaim Ka’upulehu’s rich fishing tradition, Hualālai Resort restored a complex system of 13 natural anchialine ponds and designed and constructed two man-made aquaculture ponds. The 1.4 million-gallon King’s Pond is one highlight, home to nearly 4,000 fish from 90 different species. Punawai Pond is an energy-efficient and self-sustaining aquaculture pond that produces enough shrimp, clams and oysters for all of the resort’s restaurants. This “living technology” garnered Hualālai’s Natural Resources Department a national award from the Environmental Protection Agency. www.hualalairesort.com

A Memorandum of Agreement with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides Outrigger and Keauhou Beach Resort with the foundation of an ongoing series of programs for families, evening lectures and special events, all focused on the fragile ocean environment. Keauhou Beach Resort is designated as a special site for a Whale Kiosk and informative videos about honu, monk seals, Northwest Hawaiian Islands and other environmentally important initiatives, including Coral Reef Awareness Day on Apr. 19 and the 7th Annual Kona Classic underwater photography festival from May 24-31. Visit www.keauhoubeachresort.com

Mauna Lani Resort understands the importance of malama ‘aina (caring for the land), and was recently recognized as one of the “world’s top earth-friendly getaways” by Conde Nast Traveler magazine. With three acres of photovoltaic solar systems, it has the distinction of generating the most solar electric power of any luxury resort in the world, and was awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy for advancing the development of the green power market. Visit www.maunalani.com

Green Pioneers. For more than 40 years, Kona Village has recycled fronds from coconut trees that grow on its 82-oceanfront acres for thatched-roofing materials for resort restaurants, fitness center and 125 individual guest hale (bungalows), and coconuts for its Do Not Disturb signs. Ocean breezes and tropical trade winds provide natural air conditioning. In hale, no televisions, radios or telephones result in visual or sound pollution nor needless electricity consumption. Sandy paths are edged by low-density lighting and naturally growing vegetation. www.KonaVillage.com

Lava Rock Repatriation. At Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, kupuna (elders) created the Hoaka Ho’omalu program to return lava rocks guests took home. Hawaiian legend states that if anyone removes lava from Hawai’i, one could encounter misfortune. By returning the rocks, the spiritual energy (mana) is restored to its origin. Hoaka Ho’omalu happens the first Wednesday of every month at the resort, in a lava rock garden surrounded by native plants. Hotel guests are invited to the ceremony that includes chants performed by cultural specialists. Afterwards, the cultural staff mails a personal letter to inform the sender that the lava rocks were returned to the land in a traditional Hawaiian ceremony. At the resort, approximately 20 pounds of lava arrive in the mail every month. www.marriotthawaii.com

Prince Resorts Hawaii announces that repairs to Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel get underway May 1- so remaining cosmetic damages from the October 2006 earthquake will soon be gone. Work takes place in the central core of the main building (no guestroom areas) including the Lobby, Reef Lounge and Ocean Terrace (temporarily relocated to the Coast Grille), with anticipated completion in July. And, as a way of saying mahalo for guests’ patience, Hapuna is happy to offer a $35 daily resort credit per room during the project. 1-866-PRINCE-6, www.HapunaBeachPrinceHotel.com

The beautiful Ka’awa Loa Plantation Guesthouse and Retreat in Captain Cook offers guests a new breakfast adventure, “Pick It from the Tree Plantation Breakfast and Tour,” an early morning farm tour featuring fresh fruit in season. Guests stroll the plantation, discussing ag-tourism, living on the land, tropical fruit growing cycles and products that can be made from fresh fruit. Harvesting fruit from the orchards for breakfast, combined with amazing South Kona vistas and 100 percent Kona Coffee, is a perfect way to stay the day. Visit www.kaawaloaplantation.com

The Fairmont Orchid, Hawai’i and the University of Hawai’i-Hilo’s Kalakaua Marine Education Center continue to build upon their 2003 partnership to regularly monitor Pauoa Bay and the coral reef environment located off the oceanfront resort. The unprecedented affiliation between UH-Hilo and the hotel’s employee-driven Green Committee ensures the reef and its countless inhabitants remain healthy by monitoring coral growth and measuring water temperature, salinity, oxygen, nutrient and sediment levels during bi-annual visits. Guests are welcome to participate. Visit www.fairmont.com/orchid

NOTE: BIVB recognizes the use of diacritical markings, i.e., glottal stop (’), macron (ā), in place names of Hawai’i, such as Kīlauea. However, BIVB respects the individual use of these markings for names of organizations and businesses.

Big Island Visitors Bureau Media Contact:
Jessica Ferracane, (808) 895-5740, jessica@irondogpr.com