『Your Kona Coffee Is 90% Not Kona, The Beach House That Isn't Legal, and What's the Best Luau on Oahu?』のカバーアート

Your Kona Coffee Is 90% Not Kona, The Beach House That Isn't Legal, and What's the Best Luau on Oahu?

Your Kona Coffee Is 90% Not Kona, The Beach House That Isn't Legal, and What's the Best Luau on Oahu?

無料で聴く

ポッドキャストの詳細を見る
概要
 Welcome to the Hawaii Travel Podcast. This is the podcast where in every episode you're gonna get seven different little-known travel tips about Hawaii's main islands. Plus, you're gonna get five more answers to problems that would have been just as annoying to run into without warning while you're already in Hawaii. And by that time, it's too late.Ready? Let's jump in!1. Your Kona coffee might be 90% something elseIf you're buying Kona coffee on the Big Island to bring home, you might want to read the bag before you pay. A bag labeled "Kona Blend" can legally contain as little as 10% Kona beans. The other 90% can be coffee from anywhere in the world. The word Kona is printed big. The percentage is printed small. Hawaii passed a law raising the minimum to 51%, but it doesn't take effect until July 1, 2027. So right now, a lot of what gets sold as Kona is mostly something else, and people who buy it go home wondering what the fuss was all about. So look for the words "100% Kona Coffee" on the label, and read the percentage, not just the biggest word on the bag. "All Hawaiian" is not the same as 100% Kona. Better yet, buy it at the source. Coffee farms up the hill from the Kona Coast around Holualoa and Captain Cook offer tastings and sell bags right off the farm. Many will ship it home for you. You'll taste the real thing, you'll support a local farmer, and you'll bring home the coffee your friends think they're getting.2. The Oahu snorkel spot that sells out before you finish your coffeeIf you're planning to snorkel Hanauma Bay on Oahu, you can't just show up. Nonresidents need a reservation, and online tickets go on sale only two days before your visit at 7 AM Hawaii time. The good time slots can be gone in minutes. That's 10 AM Pacific and 1 PM Eastern in summer, and an hour earlier in winter. The bay is also closed every Monday and Tuesday. Entry is $25 per person for nonresidents 13 and older. Kids 12 and under get in free. So pick your day, count back two days, and set an alarm for 6:55 AM Hawaii time. Book on the official City and County of Honolulu website and grab the earliest slot you can. Your ticket does not save you a parking spot. Parking is $3, cash only, and the lot fills up, so get there early. If you miss the online window, a few walk-up tickets go out when the gate opens at 6:45 AM. Everyone in your group has to be there to get them. Get this right and you get some of the calmest, clearest beginner snorkeling on Oahu. Miss it and you get turned away at the gate.3. Kauai's most famous tide pool has a locked gate for a reasonIf you're staying on Kauai's North Shore, you'll see Queen's Bath all over social media, and those photos don't tell you the whole story. Queen's Bath is a tide pool on a lava rock shelf in Princeville. On a calm day it looks like a giant natural swimming pool. But winter swells on the North Shore can top 15 feet, and one big wave can wash right over those rocks with no warning. People have been swept into the ocean there and drowned. The county locks the trail gate when the ocean gets dangerous, and it usually stays locked through the winter. People still climb around it, and rescue crews still have to go get them. So if the gate is closed, it's closed. Don't go around it. When it's open, check the North Shore surf report and the posted warnings before you go. If there's any real surf, water surging over the rocks, or you're just not sure, skip it. The trail gets slick and muddy after rain, so wear real shoes. The pool is beautiful, but it's not worth your life, or the life of the rescuer who has to come get you.4. Your Hawaii hotel just got more expensive and the rate didn't changeIf you're comparing hotel prices for Hawaii, the number you saw last year is already out of date. On January 1, 2026, Hawaii raised its lodging tax. The state portion went from 10.25% to 11%, and that was on top of a county tax and the general excise tax that were already there. Stack them all up and you're looking at about 18.7% tax on your room. On a $400 room, that's about $75 a night, or more than $500 across a seven-night stay. The increase alone adds roughly $3 a night on that same room, which is about $21 for the week. And it's not done climbing. The state portion is scheduled to go to 12% in 2027. So if you're working off a price you wrote down on a past trip, or a quote from a few months back, add about 19% and check it again before you commit. If you booked a while ago at a locked-in total, you're fine. If you're still shopping, build the newer number into your budget now, so the difference comes out of the planning spreadsheet instead of your dinners.5. The Oahu beach house that could get pulled out from under youIf you're booking a vacation rental on Oahu, that cute beach house online might not be legal. On Oahu, renting a home for less than 30 days is illegal in most residential neighborhoods. Short stays are mainly allowed in resort areas like Waikiki, Ko Olina, and Turtle ...
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
まだレビューはありません