There’s a new spot to add to your Hawaii itinerary, but you might not be able to visit it too easily. Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is one of the world’s newest UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and it’s the first in the United States in around 15 years. The only downer is that it’s pretty much off limits to tourists unless you’re able to join up with an education or research group.

The area is found in and around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, but you won't find any tiki torches or umbrella drinks here. That’s why monk seals, sharks, corals, and all kinds of other sea life are free to call it home. Papahanaumokuakea is so important that it was actually recognized by the United Nations for two reasons—for both cultural and natural significance. ]]> kjb 2010-08-18T10:31:23-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/7/7/22150/69557

Hawaii has only one entry on UNESCO’s World Heritage List—Hawaii Volcanoes National Park—but the state thinks it has more to offer than that. Hawaii’s tourism bureau came up with its own list of Heritage Sites. And no, Brian Austin Green and Megan Fox’s Big Island wedding venue didn’t make the cut.

Twenty places across all of the Hawaiian Islands were chosen as must-see Heritage Sites for their cultural, natural, scenic and historical significance. The list contains natural wonders, parks, monuments and sacred places that are a part of native Hawaiian customs. ]]> Jennifer Kester 2010-07-07T09:06:03-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/12/14/164832/60

With the holidays in full swing, we're spent. Finished. Dunzo. We surrender. Quite frankly, if we have to brave one more packed-like-sardines parking lot or feign full-on merriment, some of us might have an aneurysm.

Melodramatic? Perhaps, but don't tell us that you, too, aren't feeling the seasonal crunch. And then there's New Year's to consider, party and/or travel planning which is a task in and of itself. Here's an idea, though: doing up NYE staycation-style and planning a Hawaiian getaway to kick off 2010, not to mention cleanse yourself of fruitcake nightmares. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-12-14T17:44:44-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/26/113153/32

For one reason or another, Canadian low cost carrier WestJet flies planes to Hawaii at less than full capacity. Being an airline, and an LCC at that, they've naturally come up with a way to use that reality to charge passengers. Customers who prefer to have an empty seat next to them - and who doesn't - will now be able to pay to lock in that privilege:

WestJet’s simple solution is to leave the middle seat empty in the first eight to ten rows of its Boeing 737-700s flying between Calgary and Hawaii. The company says there will be a small price increase for passengers wanting the extra elbow room... The empty seats are actually necessary to make the flight to Hawaii... The company’s 737-700s have been flying the shorter non-stop route between Vancouver and Hawaii for several years now. But the airplane... can’t make the longer flight from Calgary to Hawaii with a full passenger load because of range limitations based on the fuel it can carry.

]]> Omri 2009-10-26T16:29:17-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/13/143047/98

A scene from Noriben, playing at this year's Hawaii International Film Festival.

Though the time for Tribeca, Cannes, and Toronto has come and gone, the film festival circuit hasn't screeched to a halt. There's Sundance to look forward to, of course, but a welcome alternative to similar large-scale hype galas are festivals held far away from Los Angeles, New York, and other metropoles.

Hawaii may not be Hollywood, but there's still creativity abound on the big island. And while it may not attract as much attention as, say, Berlin, the Hawaii International Film Festival has earned a well-respected reputation among cinema's inner circle, with people like Roger Ebert praising its East-meets-West sensibility. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-10-13T15:38:13-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/1/23/74210/2641

We already complained that winter is dragging along when we suggested where to get away overseas. However, maybe you want to stay in the nifty fifty since you’re still going strong on your Obama high. What’s a better option than Hawaii?

Of course the economy has been in the toilet, so the demand for a tropical vacation has been on the decline. For those with a jar of coins at home, it’s time to cash them in and book that trip to Honolulu. Things have been heading south since late last year, and if you can act quickly, you can get a good deal before spring starts.]]> kjb 2009-01-23T14:42:11-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/12/8/8013/23285

In these tough times we all have to do our bit for the economy. For Oscar winner Helen Mirren, that means availing herself of the local tourist opportunities on a day off from work... in Maui. Oh, that lucky lady.

Mirren is out there filming a new version of "The Tempest" directed by "Lion King" creator Julie Taymor, in which she plays Prospera, a female version of the male patriarch who is banished to a deserted island. (Jeremy Irons, Djimon Hounsou and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"'s Russell Brand costar.) Taymor is shooting for three months on various islands of Hawaii -- and you could do worse.

Related Stories:
· Helen Mirren Too Busy Saving America To Meet With The Queen [Jaunted]
· Yachting Travel: Armani's Summer Vacation [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Faded Youth Blog]]]> egw 2008-12-08T09:15:27-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/