Many do not know it, but Hawaii is the only state that grows coffee. It is such a luxury to buy locally grown coffee from one of the many farms on the Big Island, Kauai, or Maui. The rich volcanic soil is the ideal growing climate for local farmers to cultivate their crops and come up with new roasts, blends, and techniques for Hawaii coffee.

Three Stone Coffee from Java on the Rocks in Kona

Now, I am certainly no expert, but I have tested, sampled, and enjoyed many cups since moving to Oahu. I like coffee black, nothing added, and will occasionally add some spices like cardamom and nutmeg, for a delicious afternoon cup. Our office even has a French Press that is in constant use.

So here is a list of my 5 favorite, must try, Hawaiian grown coffee. No 10% blends on this list. Only 100% coffee.

1)      Three Stone Coffee – From Java on the Rocks. Kona, Big Island

Without question, the best cup of coffee I have ever had. If you’re in Kona, be sure to stop in and have a cup. You will not be disappointed.

2)      Mulvadi Coffee – Kona, Big Island

This is my go to coffee. I buy it from a local grocery store and cannot recommend it enough. You might have to look hard, and if staying on Oahu,

travel outside of Waikiki to get a bag, but it will be well worth it.

3)      Shims Coffee – Kula, Maui

Shims Coffee Farm - Maui Food Tour with Discover Hawaii Tours

Mr. Shims Farmis located on the slopes of Haleakala, and we stop here on our Maui Food Tour. A wonderful cup of coffee and the packaging is really neat. The logo was designed by his granddaughters!

4)      Lion Coffee – Kona, Big Island

Legendary Lion Coffee. Probably the most well-known on this list, it’s a very nice cup of coffee. This is readily available all over the island, and in most grocery stores.

5)      Kauai Coffee Co. – Kalaheo, Kauai

I found a giant bag of Kauai Coffee at Costco and was absolutely giddy. It didn’t last nearly as long as I thought it would because I couldn’t get enough.
Big Please let us know of any that you recommend and think we need to try.

Read more: Recommended Hawaii Coffee

Continuing the growth of eco-friendly industry in Hawaii, the city of Honolulu and the Oahu Transit Services Inc. have announced their investment in new fuel-efficient buses. Expect 24 of these new buses to begin servicing the island of Oahu around the beginning of 2011.

Hawaiian Dedication

The new buses use a quieter, more fuel efficient air conditioning unit, which means less noise during the ride and improved fuel efficiency. The noise reduction inside the bus is intended to ensure that passengers will be able to clearly hear announcements from their driver. It will also create a much more relaxing environment for those of us who like a little peace and quiet on our public transit.

Built by Canada based Nova Bus, each bus is 40 feet long and can accommodate 39 seated and 31 standing passengers. New features include wider doors, larger windows, more room for a wheelchair or scooter, and racks equipped to carry 3 bikes.

Getting back to the eco-friendly mantra, the buses are made of non-corrosive materials, which will extend the life of the vehicles. These new buses will replace some of the current 17 years-old fleet. The old buses themselves will be salvaged for scrap after their retirement. For a local flare, each bus will have an electronic sign that flashes the shaka, along with the bus route number, to drivers behind it.

As an environmentally friendly company, we at Discover Hawaii Tours are always excited to hear about our beautiful states continued efforts to maintain our precious natural surroundings. On top of  already in practice efforts, we recently added two more fuel efficient buses to our own fleet. Lets hope that this trend continues so that the natural beauty of our planet survives for future generations.

Read more: Honolulu Receives Eco-Friendly Buses

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.

Read more: King Kamehameha Day June 11

With Memorial Day weekend upon us, what better way to celebrate than with family, friends, baseball, and barbecues. It is also important to remember what the meaning of the holiday is and salute the brave soldiers that have served our country both presently and over the many years through our countries history.
History lives on at Pearl Harbor everyday with remembrance and tradition; and perhaps the most storied and touching tradition that lives on with the USS Arizona is the burial of the surviving crew members. Crew members who were assigned to the Arizona on December 7, 1941 have the right to have their remains cremated and interred inside the remains of the battleship. Those who were crew members before the fateful date, have the right to have their ashes scattered over the ship, also in a private ceremony. Accordingly, any survivor of the Pearl Harbor attacks can have their ashes scattered over the location in the harbor where their ship was located during the attack.
This tradition began on April 12, 1982 when retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Stanley M. Teslow was returned to his ship, becoming the first survivor to return. This tradition has since continued, and as of 2006, 28 surviving crew members have chosen to return to the ship on which they once served.
The process to return the survivor’s remains to the ship is a private ceremony for the families, consisting of a two-bell ceremony from the Fleet Reserve Association, a rifle salute from the U.S. Navy or Marine Corps, and a benediction with the echo of Taps being played across the harbor. These services are conducted inside the memorial and consist of an invocation, a funeral ceremony, and a flag presentation to the family. As the ceremony concludes, the urn with the remains of the sailor are presented to divers, who swim the urn into the open barbette of gun turret number four and proceed to a large opening where the urn is placed and slides into the ship.
Though these ceremonies are entirely private and restricted to family, you can discover Pearl Harbor on one of our tours. We offer many tour options and give you the best chance to see Pearl Harbor and tours are available from Big Island, Maui, and Kauai, as well as Oahu. We look forward to sharing Pearl Harbor with you and showing you our beautiful island.

Read more: Memorials at Pearl Harbor

The world’s most active volcano just keeps going, and for the foreseeable future, it is showing no signs of letting up. May 21, 2010 is another event and milestone in the eruption of Kilauea. Since January 3, 1983, and for the 10,000th consecutive day, the summit of Kilauea has kept scientists busy collecting information and data about the volcano’s internal workings.

The ongoing eruption and gas emissions have produced a predominant mix of sulfur dioxide mixed with volcanic ash at about 200 tons to 2,000 tons a day. In the 27 plus years of activity, scientists have witnessed and investigated many events, including the opening of a new vent in March 2008. Possibly more important than the activity and information that has been gathered, and due to a road closure at Crater Rim Drive, there has been an increase in forest birds near the Chain of Craters Road intersection. The road closure is part of 4 miles out of 62 total miles of paved road through the park. Hawaiian traditions are also seeing benefits from the road closure as specific laws protecting Pele’s home are respected. Lava that steams is land that is still forming and not to be touched, according to cultural anthropologist Keola Awong. Scientists have also noticed signs showing just how connected the summit is to vents in other parts of the island. Tiltmeters, tubes a few feet high that are secured in the ground, contain liquid with an air bubble inside. These tiltmeters record how the air bubble shifts as the ground beneath the machine shifts.

The closest views of the lava can be seen from Tour 33 our tour gets as close to the lava viewing as allowed by the Hawaii Civil Defense. Tours are available from Big Island, Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. This is the best lava viewing we have had for some time, take advantage of this once in a lifetime spectacle and join Discover Hawaii Tours on a magnificent tour that you will most certainly enjoy.

Read more: Kiluaea Going Strong