As if you ever need to be convinced to take a vacation to the magical islands of Hawaii, you should know that the month of September is an extra amazing time to visit the Aloha State. September brings less crowds, consistently gorgeous weather and, most importantly, some of the best Hawaiian hotel deals of the year! While you’re there, check out these four must-see festivals in Hawaii during September:
Editor’s Note: Periodically, we’ll be featuring a Q&A with our resident destination experts at Travelocity, the Travelocity market managers. Market managers are locals to their destination and experts on everything and anything related to tourism in their markets. Please welcome them to The Window Seat.
Aloha! My name is Susie Fujikawa and I’m the Market Manager for Travelocity based in Honolulu on the island of Oahu. I’ve been with Travelocity for more than five years. Some of my favorite activities and hobbies include hiking, boxing, reading, cooking, wine tasting, dining experiences and just about any outdoor activity. I am excited to be able to share my destination with you! So climb aboard my virtual canoe and here we go! I hope to welcome you to my destination soon! Or as we say in Hawaii, “E Komo Mai!” (Welcome).
Editor’s Note: Periodically, we’ll be featuring a Q&A with our resident destination experts at Travelocity, the Travelocity market managers. Market managers are locals to their destination and experts on everything and anything related to tourism in their markets. Please welcome them to The Window Seat.
Karen is one of two Travelocity market managers for Maui and been with Travelocity for two years. She enjoys traveling and everything about it – especially discovering new culinary creations (who doesn’t like food?). She’s been so inspired by the great food she’s enjoyed during her travels that she recently started her own herb and vegetable garden. Unfortunately, the Roaming Gnome keeps disappearing from her garden! Hopefully because he is as in love with Maui as Karen is and is finding his way to the island.
Travelocity and family travel expert Eileen Ogintz, author of the syndicated column Taking the Kids, teamed up to poll families and find out where they would go on vacation if money was no object. Turns out families who travel with children are more likely to have dream vacations planned than those respondents who do not, indicating having kids doesn’t have to mean the end of travel.
88 percent of respondents to the survey have a dream trip they would take if money was no object. Of those, the majority (60 percent) stated that having an authentic, local experience was what mattered most on their dream trip. The other 40 percent said it was more important to experience the best service possible.
It was a steamy day, and I was standing in an intimate pose—forehead against forehead—with a man I’d never met before; a man wearing a pair of wild boar tusks around his neck, at that. We stood on the cusp of the sacred Halawa Valley on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. Together, we both inhaled, and as I looked up into his eyes I caught a flash of knowing wisdom, and then all too quickly we separated. As the valley kupuna (revered elder), this man had been responsible for allowing me passage into this part of the island (through a series of ritual conch calls and chants), and as the keeper of this protocol he allowed me a peek into Molokai’s sacred—but no longer so totally secret—history.
To enter the Halawa Valley, you must leave an offering of thanks.