Discover Hawaii Tours Blog

Those who have traveled to the Big Island with us on Tour 33 may be familiar with the legend of Pele. However, many are not made aware until they get there. At times her story is tragic, but the legend of Pele is one of the most strongly preserved legends in Hawaiian lore.

Born in Tahiti, her family consisted of six sisters and seven brothers born to Haumea, an ancient Earth goddess, and Kane Milohai, who was the creator of the sky, Earth, and upper Heavens. Though there are many variations of her legend and arrival to Hawaii, the most common is told that she was exiled by her father because of her temper and her most recent fight with her elder water-goddess sister Na-maka-o-Kaha’i, whose husband Pele seduced. Traveling with her brothers in a great canoe, with her angry sister in pursuit, Pele eventually landed in Hawaii.

Painting Depicting Pele and her volcanic home

When first arriving to Hawaii, Pele landed on Kauai and used her Pa’oa, commonly known as a digging stick, to strike deep into the Earth, until she was found and attacked by her betrayed sister. Pele left her mark on the island of Molokai before traveling further southeast to Maui and creating the Haleakala Volcano. By this time, Na-maka-o-Kaha’i, realized that she was still alive and she also went to Maui, in order to battle her sister. The epic battle ended near Hana, where Pele was defeated and torn apart by her sister, her bones left on a hill called, Ka-iwi-o-Pele (The Bones of Pele). Pele recovered and fled to Oahu where she dug several fire pits, including what is now Diamond Head. Following her death, Pele became a Goddess and found a home on Big Island at Mauna Kea.

Here Pele dug her final fire pit, the Hale’Mau’Mau Crater, where she would remain for eternity. Located at the summit of the Kilauea Volcano, Pele is said to remain there to this day and is believed to be happy at this location because it was the Ka Piko o ka Honua (Navel of the Earth), where the Gods began creation.
Perhaps the most notorious legend of Pele is the curse placed on those disturbing or stealing from her home.

Many have made the decision to take a lava rock from Kilauea, and though some say that this myth was made up by a park ranger on Big Island trying to discourage visitors from taking the sacred rocks from the park, each and every year thousands of packages containing lava rocks are mailed back to Hawaii by the guilty from around the world that have had a string of bad luck since taking the sacred rocks from Pele’s home and are forced to ask her for her forgiveness.

Discover Hawaii Tours has trips to the Big Island available from Hilo, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai. With increased lava flow from Kilauea, the sights and opportunities to see Pele’s home are better than ever. We look forward to seeing you on tour and sharing more of Pele’s story with you!

The world famous Road to Hana features some of the most spectacular ocean views that would be very difficult to find at any other place in the world. With many scenic outlooks, hidden waterfalls, and many unknown locations located throughout, the Hana highway is a very popular destination to travel and see on a Hawaiian vacation.

Aerial View of Road to Hana

Lost on most that visit Maui is the original use for the highway and the town of Hana. Around 1850, George Wilfong started the first sugar can mill in Hana near the Ka-’uiki Hill. This began the sugar plantation boom on Maui and over the next 30 years, six separate plantations would open and operate. The large number of plantations called for a need of a road for workers to travel to and from their work days. This need was realized in 1926 when the Hana Highway was completed, making it possible for cars and trucks to travel from Hana to Kahului. By 1940, Hana was a bustling town with a population of over 3,500 residents. Life was good both in town and at the sugar plantations. However, in 1946, the last of the plantations near Hana closed and many families were unable to find work and moved to the other side of the island, where new plantations had began to open.

The Road to Hana was built by hand with picks and shovels. Volcanic rock crushed into a fine mixture was used as the road’s first surface material, and the road wasn’t fully paved until 1982. The road was eventually widened and resurfaced in the 1990s to better suit the many cars and buses that travel over the road daily. In August of 2000, as part of the country wide Millennium Legacy Trails campaign, the highway circling Maui was selected from nominations by Governors of states as one of fifty-two roads located throughout the country that reflect the unique spirit of the areas they represent.

While traveling along the Road to Hana, there are plenty of opportunities for pictures, visiting black sand beaches,and visiting authentic Hawaiian vendors. Join Discover Hawaii Tours on a trip to Maui and a drive around the beautiful Road to Hana. We look forward to seeing you on tour!

Each June, Hawaii gears up for a fantastic celebration of their greatest ruler, King Kamehameha. The great monarch led the unification of the Hawaiian Islands under one rule, creating the Kingdom of Hawaii. Long remembered for the “Law of the Splintered Paddle”, which protects human rights of non-combatants in times of battle, Kamehameha was a very ambitious ruler who has been honored and celebrated in many ways since his death in 1819.
The first Kamehameha day occurred in 1872 after the King’s great grandson, Kamehameha V, established the order in the previous year. June 11 brings a parade and a block party through Downtown Honolulu and Waikiki, complete with food, games, and music, with a ceremonial lei ceremony draping his statues on not only Oahu and Big Island, but a statue located in Washington DC in the company of federal officials. A 2-day hula competition also takes place in Honolulu at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center.
Many of our tours visit King Kamehameha’s statue located in downtown Honolulu near the Iolani Palace. To see this and many more Hawaii landmarks, join us on one of our fantastic island tours.

Returning to television this fall will be a new take on a long-time favorite. CBS has recently announced that they have given the green light for ‘Hawaii 5-0’ as part of their fall lineup. Though the characters remain the same, the story will have a different premise and promises to be edgier and more action packed than the original that ran from 1968 to 1980.

The show will star Alex O’Loughlin as Steve McGarrett and “Lost” cast member Daniel Dae Kim as Chin Ho Kelly. The pilot was shot in early March at many locations around the island including Punchbowl Cemetery and at many locations in Downtown Honolulu. Filming has since resumed and many of our tours have witnessed the sets and glimpses of the actors.
The original show was filmed in a studio built in Diamond Head, with on-location filming taking place at sights such as Iolani Palace and Waikiki Beach. Starring Jack Lord and James MacArthur, the showed used many locals as extras due to the lack of a film industry in Hawaii at the time. Though Jack Lord’s character Steve McGarrett was the protagonist and his character was the lead of the show, his catch phrase “Book ‘em Dan-O” is what has long been remembered as time has gone on.

This new version of the cop-drama will be filming throughout the summer on Oahu and there will be opportunities to see many of the locations used in this, and many other shows and movies, by joining us on one of our circle island tours. These tours also feature many famous locations for surfing, historical sights, and beautiful views.