Enter here.

Exit there.

There’s a little lava tube by the ocean you can walk through to get to a scenic lookout.

We went the other day to check it out and take photos.

The mouth of the lava tube frames the view nicely.

As you exit the lave tube you can see that you’re entering a little cove.

Above the cove is this lookout.

The waves rush in and out creating long exposure photo opportunities.

You’ll see people fishing over here.

Standing on the point is not recommended as waves splash up on this rock all the time. Made for a nice photo though.

I think they were having some sort of contest.

The textures created by the rock and ocean here are unreal.

A seal took a nap on the rocks.

Another seal floated by and then left.

Later, at night, we returned to watch the moonrise.

We lucked out and the cloud coverage was relatively light. It wasn’t quite a full moon but it was close.

The moon glows with a golden hue when it’s near the horizon. It looks like a faint sun in the night sky.

We watched from the opening of the lava tube.

The scene turned dark when clouds passed by.

But unobstructed, the moon shined super bright.

The cliffs looked like freshly hardened lava under the moonlight.

If you’ve never seen a moonrise it’s definitely something worth venturing out for. Just go to any vantage point (cliff, beach or trail) with a clear view of the East. You can find out where and when the moon will rise using an iPhone app called “The Photographer’s Ephemeris.”

Other Hawaii moonrises:

• Kalalau Moonrise (Kauai)
• Waimanu Valley (Big Island)

Like all coastal cliff areas on this side of Oahu, rogue waves can sweep you off the rocks and into the ocean. While I was here, I saw two people get close to the edge of the rocks to take a photo and get knocked over by a wave. Luckily, the wave wasn’t big enough to suck them out to sea. I know most people know better than to do that but, to be on the safe side, I’m leaving directions to the lava tube undisclosed.

Something around 40,000 people attend the Lantern Floating Hawaii ceremony. Here, crowds of people cross Ala Moana Blvd to walk to the beach.

It feels like you’re at a concert.

This being Hawaii, even with the enormous crowd, you’ll still run into people you know. We ran into our friends Topher and Doc Rock. This was my first time going to the Lantern Floating Hawaii ceremony and Doc gave me some really good advice on where to take photos.

The main stage and most dense crowds are on Magic Island.

If you want to have a bit more breathing room you can walk further down the beach park (towards Kewalo Basin) and you’ll see the crowd becoming less dense.

Lantern Floating Hawaii is an annual ceremony held on Memorial Day in Honolulu. Lantern floating has it’s roots in Japanese Buddhist tradition but this ceremony, while organized by the Shinnyo-en Buddhist Order in Hawaii, is meant for all. Anyone can participate and observe. The intent of the ceremony is to remember our loved ones who have passed away and bring people together.

Lantern Floating Hawaii goes from 6 to 7:30. The first set of lanterns to float are the “Collective Remembrance Lanterns.” The full list of elements of the ceremony are all outlined here.

Once the Collective Remembrance Lanterns are released from the canoes, everyone else can begin floating the lanterns with personal dedications.

About 5,000 lanterns were estimated for this year. The lanterns are made by Shinnyo practitioners, individual volunteers and groups from schools, businesses and organizations.

People that wish to float lanterns line up in the morning at Ala Moana Beach Park. They are provided with a lantern (for free) and can write dedications on them.

Surfers paddle in a bit to get a good view of the ceremony.

As the lanterns float out, everyone takes pictures. I think that’s what makes this ceremony successful. People want to pay respects to their fallen loved ones and in doing so they collectively create this beautiful scene. This beautiful scene in turn draws crowds of spectators which then makes the event more meaningful and substantial.

Here are some scenes from the ceremony:

Fittingly, we were treated to a beautiful sunset this evening that turned the sky pink.

As the sun set, all you could see were glowing dots along the water.

The ceremony comes to an end at nightfall and people help push the lanterns out to sea.

The lanterns don’t float out too far though. The current takes them down the channel at Ala Moana Beach Park. They are then collected by boats and will be refurbished for next year’s ceremony.

We saw the occasional flying lantern as well. These are launched from the crowd illegally though. Flying lanterns, I guess, are not the safest thing in the world so we’ll just have to imagine how amazing a Flying Lantern Hawaii ceremony might be.

When the ceremony ended we walked back towards Ala Moana Blvd. I happen to live really close by so I just walked home. My guess is that most people are walking to their hotel in Waikiki or to a car parked at Ala Moana Shopping Center or at the Hawaii Convention Center.

Learn more about Lantern Floating Hawaii:

• Official Website of Lantern Floating Hawaii.
• Lantern Floating Hawaii on Facebook.
• Nā Lei Aloha Foundation.

This is a sampling of photos from Dallas Nagata White, a professional photographer in Hawaii. The guy in the photo is her husband, Ed White. This photo (above) is one of my favorite photos from Dallas. I’m pretty sure it’s at the Makapu’u Lighthouse.

I’ve followed Dallas’s work for a couple years now and finally had the opportunity to meet her and do some photo adventuring with her this year. If you haven’t already seen her work, I’d like to share it with you.

Dallas is an artist. She was born and raised in Maui but came to Oahu to attend UH Manoa. She got her degree in Studio Art with an emphasis on painting and photography.

You can see that Dallas applies her painting skills to her photography.

She’s able to use color in a way that blows me away.

And whereas it takes me 30 to 50 photos to tell a story, Dallas can tell a story in just one frame.

Each of Dallas’s images capture a Hawaii moment like you may have never seen it.

When I look at Dallas’s photography there are two things I admire. The first thing is her bold use of color.

Her colors totally pop.

The second is the artistry she brings to her photography. It takes a lot of thought and effort to get the timing, composition and pose correct for a shot like this. I don’t know how coordinate this type of shot so I’m always impressed when I see it done.

Her shots are carefully crafted into powerful images.

Dallas can of course capture the candid scene as well. But her candid scenes somehow look like paintings. She shoots with the exact same camera as me but seems to get better pictures. Drives me nuts.

Here’s a frame during a crazy electrical storm we had on Oahu a couple years ago.

This is the moonrise from the Lanikai Pillboxes Trail.

Cloudy conditions? No, problem. The scene becomes super moody.

This is a moment from the Annual Lantern Floating Hawaii Ceremony.

Up on Mauna Kea on the Big Island, Dallas captured the moonrise and the milky way.

She also captured some beautiful views of the lava flow ocean entry.

This is a crazy photo of the moon and stars above the glowing Kalapana lava field.

This is Dallas and her husband on the lava field in the rain. You can learn about this photo, called “Lava Kiss,” on Dallas’s blog.

The “Lava Kiss” photo became super popular and went viral on the Internet. It was picked up on some major online publications like Huffington Post, Gizmodo and Petapixel. Here’s Dallas (and her dog Kodachrome) holding a copy of Digital SLR Photography magazine that featured her photo.

Now, while Dallas’s landscape photography is stunning, she’s actually an editorial and commercial photographer.

She works on a bunch of projects for Hawaii magazines, clothing and jewelry brands and major events.

Her clients include: Pepsi, Gillia, Salty Girl Jewelry, Honolulu Magazine, Modern Luxury Hawaii and Flux Magazine.

Learn more about Dallas Nagata White and see here work:

• Check out Dallas’s website at www.dnwphoto.com.
• Order prints of Dallas’s photos at dallasnagata.smugmug.com.
• Follow Dallas on Instagram @ dallasnagata.
• Like Dallas on Facebook at Facebook/dnwphoto.

Sunrise. Hana, Maui.

As day breaks the cottages come into view.

This is Travaasa Hana. A very unique Hawaii resort.

The location of this place is kind of ridiculous.

Hana is a small town in East Maui. It takes about two hours of driving on a windy road to get here from the airport in Kahului. Once you get to Hana you can feel the pace of life slow down and everything feels peaceful.

I was invited to stay at Travaasa Hana recently as part of a press trip for the East Maui Taro Festival. We stayed for four nights and as remote and slow-paced as Hana is I could definitely have stayed for a couple more. Hana may seem slow and small but if you like the outdoors, there’s a ton of stuff to do.

To get to Hana you’ll drive the “Road to Hana.” That’s the name for the 52 mile stretch of the Hana Highway that’s carved into the east Maui coastline. It’s a two to three hour drive, depending on how many stops you make and how fast you drive.

A lot of tourists spend a day driving the Road to Hana making several stops along the way to look at waterfalls or ocean views. They might drive the highway all the way down to Kipahulu where the Ohe’o Gulch and Pipiwai Trail are located. Then they might turn around and drive home. But if you’re going to drive all that way, I’d recommend spending at least a couple nights in Hana to soak it all in.

And if you’re going to stay a couple nights in Hana, I can tell you that Travaasa Hana is a very nice choice.

I should mention one thing though. Being that I was on a press trip, my room and board were comped by Travaasa. If you’re on a budget, there are definitely other places to stay in Hana. You’ll just have to do some research to find the one that suits you.

If you do decide to stay at Travaasa Hana, my recommendation would be to drive straight to the hotel without making many stops. In my opinion the 52 mile drive from OGG (the airport in Kahului) is more pleasant when you don’t make all those stops. I actually like driving through the twists and turns but I’m sure some people prefer stopping to take breaks. My advice though would be to get to the hotel as fast as you can so you can enjoy the grounds as soon as possible.

But, when you leave Hana, give yourself an extra hour or so to stop by all the waterfalls and lookouts along the Hana Highway on the way out.

Travaasa Hana is much different than any resort I’ve seen or stayed at in Hawaii. It’s quiet, spread out and feels very private.

The grounds are so spread out that the staff uses golf carts to get around.

After you check in they’ll shuttle you and your bags to your suite or cottage. They don’t have traditional rooms at this hotel.

We were provided an ocean view cottage. They call them “Sea Ranch Cottages” and they are located behind this gate. If you are traveling without kids, stay in a cottage. Children under 16 are thankfully not allowed in this section of the hotel.

Each one of these structures is divided in two and they have ocean views. The cottages give you as much of a secluded feeling as you’re gonna get while having the convenience of a hotel.

Each cottage is a suite with a country feel. All I could think of was how quiet it was. I live right next to Waikiki and hear construction during the day and sirens and crazy people yelling at night. Here in Hana, even though I was in a hotel, all I could hear was birds chirping and a horse making horse noises.

Please note that this type of accommodation is probably not for everyone. There’s no TV, no Internet and no clock in the room. (So you’ll just have to use your iPhone for all that.) Many tourists are better off staying in Lahaina or Wailea with the masses in Maui. But if you’re the outdoorsy type that enjoys the peace and quiet of camping but wants to treat yourself to the convenience of a hotel, you’ll probably enjoy this place as much as I did.

The lanai is huge. Some of them (not ours though) even have private jacuzzis built into them.

We didn’t get a jacuzzi in our room but I did get a very nice banana bread. It was very moist. Not too sweet. Generous with the nuts. (Hana is known for it’s banana bread.)

Each suite has coffee, tea and a fridge.

Hasegawa General Store is a 3 minute walk from the hotel if you want to pick up some beers and snacks for the room.

I like to check out these community bulletin boards to see what’s going on around town.

There are a few dining options in Hana but for the most part we ate at the Travaasa Hana restaurant. On the first night we had a big dinner with all the press folks on the trip.

The menu changes frequently and there are both healthy and decadent options. Travaasa hotels seem to emphasize health and wellness so they list calorie counts next to each of their menu items. I didn’t think the calorie counts would affect my decisions but they totally did.

The hotel also has a nice bar so if you’re out here in Hana camping you can always pop in to grab drinks and pupus.

I was invited to Hana for the 21st annual East Maui Taro Festival. People come from all over Maui to this free festival.

A big draw is the live music (with lots of awesome bluegrass).

You can get great local food with an emphasis on taro from a number of food stands.

We ordered some Kalua pork tacos and taro malasadas. Both of which are being cooked in the photo above.

If you want malasadas you better order them early. They are in high demand. I had to wait 15 minutes for mine.

Inside there were these little balls of goodness. There’s sugar at the bottom so you can shake the bag to coat the malasadas.

This little taro haupia (haupia is a coconut pudding) pie was a big winner. A winner in my belly.

There’s seating all over the place where you can eat your food and listen to the bands.

Hana’s got a real country vibe. Just imagine live blue grass coming from the speakers.

This being a taro festival, there was of course poi pounding on display.

Kapa cloth making was also on display.

In this tent different native plants were on display. Most hikers in Hawaii would recognize these trees. (They are the ohia lehua.)

Cute dogs were everywhere as well.

After the taro festival we retreated to the hotel and plopped on a hammock to rest from all the good eating.

Travaasa Hana is super relaxing. I had a busy month prior to this trip and I would have seriously been content staying on the grounds staring at the the ocean and palm trees all day. But don’t get stuck on the hammock for too long. Once you’re rested be sure to venture off and see what’s around you.

There are plenty of hikes around this area.

You can get some nice ocean views. Scattered showers are common here so bring a rain jacket.

One must-do hike is the Pipiwai Trail to Waimoku Falls. It takes you through the iconic bamboo forest that you may have seen in photos online or in guidebooks.

There’s also the rocky coastline you can explore.

Wai’napanapa State Park is definitely worth a visit. It’s less than 10 minutes up the road from Travaasa Hana. You can spend a few hours exploring the coastline, swimming at the black sand beach, and checking out the lava tubes and small sea caves. This would also be a nice place to eat a sandwich.

Just a one minute drive from the hotel is Hana Bay Beach. It’s a simple beach that’s easy to get to.

But the beach I’d recommend is Hamoa Beach. It’s a short, maybe 10 minute, drive South from the hotel.

There’s beautiful sand and clear water here. When we were there, there was a fun little shore break you could body surf. This beach also seemed like a nice place to eat a sandwich.

Travaasa Hana also has many organized activities you can do. Some, like archery, pilates and yoga are free for guests. There are a few that require an extra fee. I was able to do a horseback ride along the coast.

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We went through Hana Ranch.

We got right up close to these huge bulls. As long as you are on a horse, the bulls are friendly.

The highlight of the horseback ride was talking story with Jolynn (our guide) and learning about what it’s like to live in Hana. She had some stories to tell.

On Friday and Saturday evenings you can drive about 15 minutes up the Hana Highway to a banana bread stand.

You should definitely pick up some banana bread while you’re here (try the chai one). But that’s not why we came on this evening.

At this particular banana bread stand they’ve built a clay oven.

On just these two days each week, they make pizza. That’s right, pizza. You can get some super tasty pies and a big ol salad. BYOB. (Look up Clay Oven Pizza on Yelp.)

Once night falls they turn on a projector and play Jurassic Park. I like to imagine that the movie is always Jurassic Park.

If you have leftovers they wrap it up in a banana leaf like so.

On each day, before or after your outdoor adventures, if you feel so inclined, don’t be shy about hitting the spa. Unless you are a guy. Or if you’re a guy, then just don’t admit that you went to the spa. (I definitely did not go to the spa on this trip.)

After four nights in “Heavenly Hana” we left refreshed but not entirely ready to return to Honolulu. There are a couple more hikes and a couple more waterfalls I’d like to see in Hana but that will have to wait until next time.

Many thanks to Travaasa Hana for the hospitality. The staff was incredibly friendly and we enjoyed our stay completely.

See also:

• Travaasa Hana Official Website
• The must-do hike near Hana: Pipiwai Trail to Waimoku Falls
• Read about the Road to Hana on TripAdvisor

There are four key points of interest on this trail. (There were five actually, but one proved to be too dangerous so the state closed it down.) The first one though is this enormous banyan tree.

The second is this view of Makahiku Falls.

The third is the picturesque bamboo forest.

And the fourth is the 400 ft Waimoku Falls.

The Pipiwai Trail is one of the finest hikes I’ve been on in Hawaii. It’s part of the National Parks System and is probably the most ridiculously well maintained hiking trail I’ve seen.

The Pipiwai Trail is located in southeast Maui. It’s within Haleakala National Park in the area called Kipahulu. The Pipiwai Trail is a 4-mile (round trip) hike that takes about 2 hours to complete. If you want to linger in the forest, you could spend up to 4 hours on this trail exploring the terrain and not be bored.

What I liked about the Pipiwai Trail was how much you get to see in such a short amount of time. And with an elevation gain of just 600 feet, the hiking is not too strenuous. You will break a sweat though.

Though the trail can be completed in 2 hours, it does take some time to get here. The Pipiwai Trail is located towards the end of the “Road to Hana” on Maui. It’s actually 12 miles past Hana town.

You park at the Haleakala National Park Visitors Center. Parking is $10. This is a different visitors center than the one at the top of Haleakala Crater.

This sign gives you an idea of what you can do in Kipahulu. The ‘Oheo Gulch label you see in the lower right of the sign is the Seven Sacred Pools.

The trailhead to the Pipiwai Trail is pretty unassuming.

From the start it looks like any other hiking trail in Hawaii. Pretty standard.

But then right away, you see some great views. You’re hiking along the western slope of a ravine. On the other side you can see the top of a bamboo forest.

Stop off at this overlook to take a peek of what lies below.

You’ll see the 200 ft Makahiku Falls.

Hike a bit more and you’ll come across this enormous banyan.

People have carved their names all over this tree.

The branches look like brontosaurus necks.

Continue on over a few bridges that seem well maintained.

The bridges take you over Pipiwai Stream and offers views of several step falls.

And then you enter the bamboo forest.

As cheesy as it sounds, this forest does feel “magical.”

As you walk through it you can’t help but think that Jet Li is going to fly over you at any moment.

The National Park Service has done a great job at making this hike accessible to most.

They cut out a huge hallway through the dense bamboo so you can easily pass through.

Then they created a boardwalk that keeps you out of the mud.

I was really impressed with the design of the boardwalk.

For me, it actually added to the beauty of the hike.

The boardwalk lasts for quite a while twisting and turning.

Photographers could easily spend an hour in this forest setting up different shots and compositions. I didn’t have my tripod with me, but I wish I had brought it. It would have definitely been worth it.

You eventually pop out of the forest and make your way to the stream.

You’ll walk on some wet rocks at first.

But then, just when the trail would get muddy, there are more boards in place for you to walk on.

As you start getting closer to the stream, keep looking up. You’ll see the Waimoku Falls between the trees. Remember, this thing is 400 feet tall.

The trickiest part of the hike is right before the waterfall when you need to cross the stream. Don’t be afraid to get your shoes wet in the stream if you need to. Better to have wet socks than slip on a rock and crack your head open.

When you reach the falls you’ll be standing in a giant waterfall chute at the bottom of a massive cliff.

Waimoku Falls pours down from the stream above.

There is no swimming hole at the bottom of Waimoku Falls. Do not by any means stand under this thing. Debris comes down with the water. Even a pebble could injure you if it hit you from 400 feet up.

You can get a good view from the hill. It’s a little eerie to stand on the hill when you realize it was created by a huge rockfall that happened when the sidewall of this gulch collapsed at some point in time.

After spending a few minutes taking photos at Waimoku Falls we set off on our return hike.

You go back the same way you came in.

See also:

• If you come to this area, I’d recommend staying a couple nights at the hotel in Hana called Travaasa Hana. I spent four nights there recently and found that there is a ton of stuff to do in Hana. It was so relaxing.
• We didn’t have time for this but if you do the Pipiwai Trail, you might as well walk over and check out Ohe’o Gulch, or “Seven Sacred Pools.”
• There’s a ton of stuff to check out on the Road to Hana. Here’s a website dedicated to the drive.

We went swimming the other day at a local hangout in a remote part of Hawaii.

This swimming hole sits where a fresh water stream hits the ocean. On this day, waves were rushing in filling the pool with fresh sea water.

Part of the attraction of this place is the cliff jump.

It’s a nice drop that gets the blood pumping.

I gave it a go.

There’s a short jump off point as well for keiki.

A big group of friends showed up.

This crew knew how to have a good time.

They also knew how to cliff jump.

One after the other, the guys stepped up and hurled themselves off the rock.

There’s a higher jump off point to the right. It’s a higher launching point but the water depth is much shallower. Each guy that jumped off said they hit the bottom.

A cliff diver prepares to jump.

He launches for a gainer.

Now he’s fully inverted.

At this point he can spot his landing.

He lands feet first.

Splash.

Here’s another cliff jumper launching for a gainer.

He stays tucked.

Now he’s inverted.

Spots the landing.

Now he’s gotta get his feet under him, quickly.

Here’s the mini-splash that occurs when his toes just break the surface tension of the water.

And now the big splash.

I’m not sure a floaty is a common thing here. It definitely did not fit on the trail you have to hike to get here.

We stayed for a few hours swimming, relaxing in the sun and watching the cliff jumpers.

This guy and his dog hung out with his friends on the floaty.

Then his dog gave him a ride back across the pool.

When we left the pool we noticed a trail that lead towards the coastline.

It took us around the bend to this view.

[UPDATE: 4/24/2013] A lot of people have been asking where this place is. I think it’s one of those locations that should be left undisclosed. Tourists are advised to avoid the place. While the location is not exactly a secret, I’d rather not post the information on my website. For most people that see this, believe me, the spot is going to be far from home. It’s really not worth the effort to come here unless you live or are spending the night nearby. And if that’s the case, you probably already know where it is.

Other spots to watch people cliff jump:

• Waimea Bay
• Moku Nui Island
• Spitting Cave