Hawaii 2019: Flumin' Kohala

We celebrated my stepdaughter Zoe’s birthday in Hawaii with a Flumin’ Kohala excursion. Flumin’ Kohala offers the unique experience of guided kayak tours through the historic Kohala Ditch, which was built over a century ago to bring water to the sugar cane fields.

The mid-morning excursion started with a quick safety video.

Flumin Kohala is not an intense adventure. There are no rapids and only a few small dips for a short thrill. It does not require much physical effort, although you should be able to handle a small hike, climb in and out of the kayak, and help with a bit of paddling. Everyone is provided with a floatation device that ties around the waist, although the water is only knee-deep and no swimming skills are required. This is truly an adventure that most people in good health can enjoy, the only issue might be with those who have an extreme fear of the dark or claustrophobia. The tour goes into pitch-black tunnels ( a few headlamps providing the only light) and through tight spaces- if you reach out you will touch the wall and in a few spots, ducking is necessary.

We piled into vans for a short ride to the flumes.

Our guide ( the guy sitting backwards in the van) entertained us with local history, corny jokes, and a few songs. Unfortunately, I can’t remember his name, but he was very nice and ended up being the guide for our kayak, which was just big enough for him and our family. I do remember that he was a college student, home for the summer, but going to school in California.

We arrived at our location, a lush, mountainous area with waterfalls. We had a very short, easy hike to the flumes.

What to wear? We decided to put on our bathing suits under shorts/cover-ups. This worked out well. It’s not like we got soaked, but we did get wet. Our guide playfully used his oar to splash us with water and we walked around the flumes a bit, about knee high. The weather was warm, but the water was icy.

Close-toed shoes are required. We didn’t want to get our sneakers wet, so we went to the mall and splurged on Crocs for the whole family. I was very reluctant. It’s not that I was worried about Crocs being a fashion faux pas ( which they are) but that I have a painful association with Crocs. When my mom was having her cancer treatments, all of the doctors in the oncology units wore Crocs. I associate them with the worst time of my life.

I swore that I’d never wear them. However, pushed with needing shoes for the excursion, I caved and picked out a pair with flamingos. If you know me or have been reading for awhile, you’ll know that I loathe flamingoes. It seems appropriate.

Long story short, Crocs are the right kind of footwear for this activity. That said, I won’t be wearing them again. Luckily, they are a size too small and gave me blisters, so I have a easy excuse to throw them up on Poshmark!

A picture of our guide. He even played the Ukulele while guiding us through the flumes- Multi-tasking and multi-talented!

We climbed in the kayak with our guide in the front. He did a majority of the paddling. Felix second, Zoe third, me fourth and Dan in the back. Dan had an additional oar to assist with paddling and he got to wear a headlamp.

Dan and I had a problem. We were so physically sore from the Captain Zodiac excursion, that we couldn’t sit comfortably in the kayak. Normally, we would have been fine, but since this was only two days after the zodiac, we were stiff and in pain. We needed to sit with our legs crossed and my legs kept cramping. It was ninety minutes of discomfort.

That said, we still had a blast. Flumin Kohala is a unique tour that blends history and adventure with stunning scenery.

The ride ended near a patch of wild pineapples!

The current prices ( as of March 2021) are 135/adults and 75/children 5-11, this doesn’t include tax or tips. Our entire family enjoyed our experience at Flumin Kohala and the staff is first-rate.

After our excursion, we drove to a nearby town for lunch at a local cafe called Minnie’s. Minnie’s is a friendly burger/sandwich place, where we all went for grilled cheese. The owner overheard us mention Zoe’s birthday and she kindly surprised Zoe with a chocolate sundae. Minnie’s has great food and even better people. It’s the type of local restaurant that you should make sure to visit when in the area.

Hawaii 2019: Telescope Protest and Dimple Cheek Cafe

One of our longest and most exciting days of the trip was our adventure to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. We woke up before sunrise to begin our nearly two hour drive across to the other side of the island.

It was a very full day and since so many things happened, I’m going to break this day up into several posts, beginning with what happened on the drive to the National Park.

The first big event happened in the middle of a field. We felt like we were in an isolated area in the center of the big island, but it turned out to be bursting with activity. We drove right down the road that held protestors. We had heard about the protest on the news, the native Hawaiians and their supporters were protesting an international scientific effort to build a massive telescope on the top of Mauna Kea, the tallest volcano in Hawaii. Mauna Kea is a sacred place for many Hawaiians.

We drove right in the middle of the protest and later learned that Dwayne Johnson “The Rock” had been there. As much as I support the efforts of scientists, I recognize that this is a very sensitive issue. Hawaii is a state that I spent many summer vacations as a child, however, I did not realize the way that the US took the Hawaiian Islands until I was an adult. It’s horrific and sadly, not surprising. I can understand how this protest is both about preserving a sacred place, but also just not allowing any more grabbing of their land. I believe this fight over the telescope still continues without resolution.

On a lighter note, we saw a Ne’Ne crossing sign! The Ne’Ne Goose is native to the Hawaiian islands. I’ve seen them on Maui. Adorable.

Close to the entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, we stopped for breakfast at the most delightful restaurant: Dimple Cheek Cafe.

The owner of the restaurant ( named after her beautiful dimpled cheeks) both served and cooked our food. She was so kind and welcoming. We learned that she is the mother of many children, which made since, as she treated us with a mother’s touch.

The food was one of the best meals on our vacation. I had eggs with rice and soy sauce, which made me wonder why I had not eaten this before??? So yummy and filling. Dan had a Hawaiian dish called Loco Moco, which is a beef patty in gravy. The kids had waffles. The food was good, hearty, and great value. We wished that Dimple Cheek cafe was on “our side” of the island!

We took a picture with the owner. If you’re visiting the big island, make sure to eat at Dimple Cheek Cafe. I can’t say enough great things about this restaurant and its owner. I really hope that her business survived the pandemic.

On the way out, we stopped to admire the plants and flowers for sale. Dimple Cheek is not only a cafe, but also a small market place. I love tropical flowers.

In my next post, I will share pictures from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park!

Hawaii 2019: Legends of Hawaii Luau

Our hotel, the Hilton Waikoloa Village, just happened to host one of the highest rated luaus on the Kona coast: Legends of Hawaii Luau. We decided to splurge on the VIP “Ali’i seating,” which included a table right in front/center of the stage, table service with drinks and desserts, plus extra appetizers. It was well-worth the upgrade, especially as we didn’t have to drive and could float back to our hotel room after all of the mai tais.

The doors opened about an hour before the festivities began and we were greeted with orchid leis.

To the side of the arena, they have pre-show games and kid’s crafts. My step kids were a bit too old to be interested, but younger children were really enjoying this aspect of the event. There was also a small local crafts market for souvenirs.

We sat down and started in on the cocktails! (or mocktails and soda for the kids)

The Ali’i upgrade was worth it for the drinks alone. We had unlimited beverages and they were brought by a very attentive server. We barely finished a cocktail before it was refreshed. If we hadn’t upgraded, we would have faced very long lines at the bars. An open bar is included with all ticket levels, but certainly having the Ali’i tickets saved us time and allowed us to enjoy the experience. Mai Tai’s are my favorite tropical cocktail and the ones at the luau were strong!

Here are some shots of the appetizers =. edamame and a type of dried plant, similar to a plantain- perhaps even a plantain? There were other appetizers too. To be honest, the appetizers were the least necessary and enjoyed part of the Ali’i seating. We nibbled at them, but we didn’t want to spoil our appetites for the buffet.

Our attention was called as they trotted the roasted pig through the arena. Pork is a mainstay of Hawaiian cuisine and is usually served for special occasions, such as a luau. If we had been interested, we could have watched the pig being prepared and placed into the pit early in the morning.

The buffet was broken into multiple stations, including a section for the kids. My stepson was thrilled to discover that they had his favorite meal, Mac and cheese. With the Ali’i tickets, were were called up first to the buffet, although there was an abundance of food for everyone and double-trips was encouraged. The meal was one of my favorites for the entire vacation.

I feasted on pork, roasted chicken, green salad ( with a tropical dressing), macaroni salad ( which is also quite popular in Hawaii), fruit, et….so many things that I can’t even remember them all, but it was delicious. I also forced everyone try a tiny bite of taro root. Taro root is a traditional Hawaiian side, but it is also quite a strange experience if you’ve never tried it. I can’t say that I enjoy it, but I always feel compelled to take a taste when offered.

There was a dessert and coffee station, but with the Ali’i tickets, these items were brought to our table. As with the bar, this was a great time saver and made our experience better.

As soon as dinner was served, the entertainment got underway. Our master of ceremonies had been hosting the Legends of Hawaii Luau for decades. He was on hand to explain various Hawaiian traditions and the significance of the dances/songs. I know that many people would consider this type of Luau to be a tourist-trap, but it was quite interesting and I was happy to have my step kids learn about a culture that is so different from their own in Sweden. During my childhood trips to Hawaii, we stayed on a less-touristy side of the island, where more of the locals lived and we didn’t attend the big hotel luaus, so although I’m quite familiar with Hawaiian culture, this experience was new for me as well.

All small children, no matter what ticket level, were invited to sit on mats directly in front of the stage. I thought this was a nice touch. It’s a very family friendly experience.

Our M.C.

We were given a demonstration of how to cut open a coconut. Do not try this at home!

A fashion show, including different ways to tie a sarong.

The luau continues with traditional songs, hula dancing, fire spinning, and a nod to Hawaii’s cowboy culture…

The show was part history/part culture and all together very entertaining. We even got to join in with the singing and we were taught some hula moves.

I highly recommend the Legends of Hawaii Luau and I’m sure if we return to the big island, we will experience this again. It was one of the highlights of our vacation.