Hawaii Vacation Connection

Lanai Tabura is back in the studio with Aloha Bruce to discuss the strong desire of the people of Hawaii to “Share Aloha”, some amazing Hawaii vacation deals available now that can be booked for dates months from now, and a Hawaii COVID-19 update. It’s a wide-ranging podcast with lots of valuable information for Hawaii […]

Yaling Fisher joins Aloha Bruce for our latest Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast, the first since Governor David Ige announced the extension of Hawaii’s mandatory quarantine for visitors, or travel ban, until September 1. Bruce and Yaling talk about keeping your Hawaii Vacation hope alive and what booking a Hawaii vacation during the current Hawaii COVID-19 […]

Lanai Tabura is back with Aloha Bruce for our newest Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast. Our hosts discuss Hawaii COVID-19 testing for visitors with a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of their arrival & the lifting of mandatory quarantine. The two old buddies have a spirited discussion about the global pandemic, and what the testing […]

Our newest Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast goes deep into Hawaii tourism as Aloha Bruce shares truths about his recent trip to Maui for property inspections and vibe-assessment. It was an odyssey from Honolulu to Maui and back, and Bruce breaks it down. Yaling keeps him on track. There is a lot to talk about. Bruce […]

Aloha Bruce and Lanai Tabura are joined by Lanai’s brother Makani Tabura. The conversation centers around native Hawaiian wellness practices and how you can make Hawaiian healing part of your Hawaii vacation. Makani plays a big role at the Ha Ola Healing Center, which provides an immersive experience with ancient Hawaiian healing arts. Known as “la’au lapa’au”, Hawaiian healing arts involve a holistic approach to health and wellness, and to disease and risk prevention. Makani places Hawaiian healing arts in the context of the current Hawaii COVID-19 shutdown during the global pandemic. Makani offers his insights into the differences between traditional Hawaiian and Western medicine. He notes the similarities between natural remedies in Hawaiian culture and those used around the world for time immemorial. The noni fruit as a healing and preventive agent is discussed, and our hosts joke that in traditional Hawaiian medicine, “if it tastes bad, it’s good for you.” Lanai and Makani note that ancient Hawaiians preferred “sour poi” as opposed to fresh because of its perceived benefits. Lanai and Makani talk about some other traditional Hawaiian remedies for common maladies. Makani shares details about the health services and products that Ha Ola provides, and how visitors can benefit by learning about traditional Hawaiian health practices. Makani discusses the use of rose petals, lavender, and other natural extracts that are in common use around the world. The use of coffee beans and coffee fruit (there’s a difference!) is also discussed by our hosts and their guest. Makani talks about the use of kukui nut oil as a natural sunscreen and skin conditioner, and discusses the use of other extracts common in Hawaii for positive health and nutrition outcomes. Our latest Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast is a deep dive into native Hawaiian healing and wellness arts, and into Makani and Ha Ola Village’s efforts to share them with Hawaii visitors.

Hawaii is a pretty liberal state politically speaking. Some would say it’s the most liberal in the nation. However, when it comes to protecting the Islands from disease, that’s another story. Hawaii is quite conservative in that department and has been in the quarantine business for decades. Case in point; the animal quarantine procedures in […]

Aloha Bruce and Lanai Tabura welcome Lanai’s brother Makani Tabura to the studio for the newest installment of the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast, where they talk about re-imagining tourism in Hawaii and the meaning of “aloha” and how it has become, regrettably, a topic of debate during the Hawaii COVID-19 shutdown. Makani is a leader […]

Aloha Bruce and Lanai Tabura talk about “Vacationing in Hawaii Better Than Ever”. Bruce begins with a little ribbing about Lanai being a local celebrity and his new podcast, which leads to a discussion about our hosts’ favorite podcasts. Bruce says that the first visitors to return to Hawaii as the state reopens to tourism […]

Hawaii “voluntourism” is the topic of the newest Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast. Aloha Bruce and Lanai Tabura talk about ways that visitors can volunteer for community-based projects during their Hawaii vacation and the benefits of doing so. Lanai notes that many Hawaii families volunteer at “lo’i”, or taro patches throughout Hawaii and explains how Hawaii’s various ecosystems make up “ahupua’a”, or districts and resources that were cared for by the people that lived there. Anyone who helped do the work got to enjoy its benefits. Lanai also says that volunteering during your Hawaii vacation is an excellent way to understand the people and culture of Hawaii. “It’s like being in a National Geographic show.” Bruce also mentions the Hawaii Land Trust, which conducts cleanups and maintenance at “heiau”, or sacred sites around the Aloha State. Hui o Ko’olaupoko is noted as a group that restores ancient Hawaiian fishponds, and Lanai shares his knowledge about how they work and the traditional technologies they use. Pu’u Kapolei and the Honolulu Board of Water supply are also noted as providing educational tours about Hawaii’s environment. Bruce also mentions the Pacific Whale Foundation’s volunteer opportunities on Maui. Other such organizations on Hawaii Island and Kauai are discussed as having many visitor volunteer opportunities. Our hosts agree that volunteering during your Hawaii vacation is the best way to connect with Hawaii’s land and culture. Contact Hawaii Aloha Travel for more information on voluntourism part of your Hawaii vacation

Then Vacation Connection Podcast gets away from the constant stream of information and concern about COVID-19 in Hawaii on our latest episode. Aloha Bruce and Lanai Tabura talk about the “Hawaii Calls” tourism campaign in the islands from days gone by. Bruce says he ran across an old video while researching in his free time and he and Lanai discuss advertising copy from 1965. Lanai talks about old-style plantation homes that remain in Waikiki that owners continue to live in them despite the massive growth of Waikiki Tourism. Our hosts talk about the first hotels in and offer some interesting tidbits about Waikiki tourism history. Lanai talks about the history of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel property. Lanai says that Hawaii experienced a huge surge in tourism because of Don Ho and Elvis Presley. He remembers the performers that Don Ho featured in his show. Lanai says that early in his career he performed with Don Ho and shares personal stories about the experience. It’s an in-depth look at the history of tourism and entertainment in the Aloha State. Bruce talks about celebrities he met while working in Hawaii radio decades ago. Our hosts fondly recall a number of iconic Hawaii shows and names like Andy Bumatai, Frank Delima, and Al Harrington. It’s an enlightening and entertaining walk down memory lane for our hosts, as Bruce plays an edited clip from long ago. It features facts and stories that most visitors would never be aware of, the kind of insight the experts at Hawaii Aloha Travel specialize in. Aloha Bruce and Lanai offer their perspectives of what entertainment in Hawaii might look like in a post-COVID world. It’s a great, upbeat listen during a difficult time in Hawaii tourism.

Aloha Bruce is joined by his wife Yaling Fisher for a Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast COVID-19 global pandemic update. There remain many questions about travel to Hawaii during this time, and our hosts discuss some of the concerns residents and visitors alike have. Bruce pushed back against the idea that Hawaii residents want tourists to […]

Aloha Bruce is back in the studio with Lanai Tabura for the newest Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast (with a full canoe paddle between them for obvious Hawaii COVID-19 social distancing reasons). Bruce and Lanai get right to the question of what “aloha” and Aloha Spirit means to Hawaii visitors during a pandemic. Lanai likens the […]

Aloha Bruce and Yaling Fisher are back in the studio for our latest Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast. For this episode, our hosts talk about the latest developments in the reopening of Hawaii’s tourism industry during the COVID-19 global pandemic. As Hawaii’s economy begins to slowly reopen, Bruce notes that the question Hawaii Aloha Travel gets […]

The Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast is posting comments about the Hawaii Tourism Ban made by Hawaii Governor David Ige at his Wednesday, May 6 news conference, specifically regarding the lifting of the mandatory 14-day quarantine required of all Hawaii air passenger arrivals. The current restrictions are scheduled to be in place until May 31. Aloha […]

In addition to our podcast, Hawaii Aloha Travel does regular vacation planning sessions on its Facebook page. These sessions are designed to help folks plan vacations to the islands and answer questions about traveling to Hawaii. The feeds happen at random times so it’s hard to catch them live but you can be notified when […]