Lulumahu Falls is definitely one of the most adventurous Hawaii hikes that I did. Not because it was long or difficult. At 2 miles, it’s a pretty short hike. But, the beginning was extremely muddy, and I almost turned back! It was so muddy that someone even lost a shoe, though, I’m not sure who thought they could make it through this hike in heels! Technically, the hike is on private government property and you are supposed to get a permit, but no one ever seems to abide by this rule. You can get a ticket for not having one, though, so you’ve been warned! You find the hike on…

If you love plants and flowers, you definitely want to visit the Lyon Arboretum Botanical Garden on Oahu. It’s a stunning Shangri La of all the most beautiful flowers of Hawaii. And the trail is located close to the popular Manoa Falls Trail. Set on 194 acres, there are more than 5,000 different types of flowers and plants and one of the largest palm tree collections found in any botanical garden. There is also a Hawaiian section which has plants that are native to Hawaii. The Sukhothai Walking Buddha is also at the gardens. There are several trails you can follow at Lyon Arboretum. I hiked the trail to Aihualama Falls…

Pokai Bay, in Waianae, is the very essence of a Hawaiian Beach.  A calm bay, swaying palm trees, people playing their drums on the beach.  Just to the left of the bay is the Ku’ilioloa Heiau which is dedicated to a legendary dog kupua (spirit) who protected travelers.  How wonderful that I saw a dog there when I visited. I also saw quite a few playful spirits in the trees here!  And the stones If you visit, take a few moments to just be present here and experience the sacred energy that is all around Rituals performed at the heiau protected those traveling by land and sea. Let us not…

The reason I first went to Thailand was to experience the Songkran Water Festival. And, I had no idea what I was getting into. I thought it was the greatest festival ever the first day I experienced it. I joined with many others in the water fights and absolutely love getting drenched and drenching others. By the third day, I knew I would never come back to experience Songkran again. And, I was over it. It had poured rain all day in Chiang Mai, where the temperatures weren’t so balmy, and, yet, that didn’t stop anyone from drenching you in freezing ice-cold water. I was really glad that I headed to Koh Lipe…