I just got home from the Haunted Lagoon and couldn't wait to write my review. It was a lot better…read morethan I expected. A lot of friends didn't want to go because of the price and things they heard from other people but I'm glad I didn't let their negative comments keep me from experiencing the haunted lagoon for myself. Truthfully though, I would not have gone if they didn't have their offer on Hot Deals Hawaii. We waited an hour and a half but I think it was worth the wait. I liked that they had a video showing around the middle of the line. It was pretty humorous and kept our spirits up. I also loved that they had 2 haunted houses that we had to go through before reaching the lagoon ride. The first haunted house was pretty freaky, thanks to the 3D glasses they had us put in. The glasses blurred our vision a little, adding to the horror effect. The 2nd haunted house was right before the lagoon and wasn't as scary as the 1st but definitely got us in the mood to be scared. The lagoon itself was awesome. The special effects were great and the ghouls and ghosts were really good. All I can say is..be ready to get wet. Don't bother sitting in the middle just because you don't want to get wet because you will no matter what. You might as well sit in the front and on the sides so you can get the most out of the ride. I'm not a fan of the ride to and back from PCC but haha..that's kind of beyond their control :P I almost forgot to to add: I think part of the reason why it seemed scarier to me than some other haunted houses and what not..is because the ghosts and ghouls would actually touch you..in the maze and on the lagoon ride. I've always thought they weren't allowed to touch you and that's what keeps me from being super freaked out...didn't quite work that way this time -__- lol

This was the first year going to this event, and I must say, WoW! I didn't know there was such…read morething on Oahu! It's kinda like a Disney ride right here in paradise. I don't know about the other years, but this year, there was a dance performance by, I believe 24/7 dance, and then after that you go through a 3D maze. I got freaked out by the first character! It was a small boy and he was just...there! Then you walk over to get on a boat to ride through the lagoon. So many spooks, scares, and thrills. I thought it was well done! My driver of the boat sucked. We kept getting stuck or running into trees. But other than that it was fun. TIP: WEAR BLACK. You will get dirty since the water is dirty. And yes, you WILL get wet. LoL. Yelp 365 Challenge #62/365

I love Wahiawa Botanical Garden. I grow and collect plants of my own but seeing them growing…read morenaturally in the wild is very inspiring and awe-inducing to see them thrive at that level in nature. I especially love seeing the monsteras crawling on the trees, and the tall bamboo garden. The cherry blossom trees here are also my favorite place to visit when it is spring in Hawaii :). This place is one of the locations where you can view cherry blossoms. I don't usually frequent this area since it's a bit out of the way but the views and beautiful plants are worth it! Definitely bring walking shoes because this was actually a work out...Felt like I was in Jurassic Park - I was having fun jumping on rocks and stuff but I decided not to go too deep into the jungle of this botanical garden this time because I didn't want to get my shoes *dirty* I am very particular on keeping my shoes looking good... LOL

We visited the botanical garden today as a family, but unfortunately, it was below our…read moreexpectations. It is nice that the entrance is free, but the garden was not as well maintained as we had hoped. There was not a lot of area to explore, and the experience felt more like a walk through a forest rather than a traditional botanical garden. That being said, it can still be a peaceful place to relax, enjoy a quiet coffee, read a book, or simply spend some time away from the city. It is a nice spot for unwinding, but it may not be the best choice if you are looking for a well-developed botanical garden experience.

This show features some great dancing and some even more impressive fire dancing, but plan ahead…read morebecause it is a late night. If you visited the Polynesian Cultural Center during the day, the show brings everything together - you'll appreciate how hard it is to catch sticks while dancing or to swing ball attaching to strings in the air without them crossing over each other. The show has a very loose story line tracking the life of a man from birth to middle age. Each phase of his life is danced out using a dance from one of the PCC's 6 islands. The storyline isn't really the main purpose of the show - it's more to feature the different countries' dances. If you accept that there's not much of a story, you'll likely enjoy: -the amazing backdrop (while the seating is covered from the rain, the show backdrop consists of real lush greenery) -the young kid dancing some excellent hula -the Tahiti women with their excellent butt swinging (it's memorizing but I don't know how else to describe it) -the Samoan fire show featuring men sitting on fire, putting fire on their feet and even one man putting fire in his mouth By the time the 7:30pm show ended, it was almost 9pm so you'll need to budget for a long dark drive to wherever your home is.

Great show, Front row [Lāʻie HI]…read more HĀ: Breath of Life is the symbolic story of Mana and his beloved Lani. We watched the show on July 14, 2022 (it was awhile back). Unfortunately, any photography and video recording were strictly prohibited during the performance so I have no photos to post. It is advisable to book your tickets online (the website will ask the date of your visit). Show tickets were included in our 2-day admission to the Polynesian Cultural Center (self-guided experience through 6 island villages and the Ha show). Discounts offered for kamaainas. The story was captivating and it beautifully illustrated the culture well with lots of visual displays. The choreography was impressive. There must have been over a hundred performers in the show... there were special effects, animation, and high-tech surround sound and lighting which we enjoyed. We got seated in one of the front row seats but really there wasn't a bad seat in the house. The show was about an hour and fifteen minutes. Review #3857

I'm giving it five stars as this parade honors our Veterans. (But if you're looking for plentiful…read morebands, floats, pageantry--this is not the parade for you). Mahalo Veterans! Parade starts at Kaala Elementary on California Ave. The parade ends at the Waihiawa Town Center--where the Longs is located. It cuts across Kamehameha Hwy, so traffic is stopped and allowed through intermittently in both directions as Parade proceeds. Parade viewers with collapsible chairs, breakfast plates, snacks grabbed a spot. With anticipation we knew the parade neared our location as we heard the cadence of the drums. Soon HPD and the Royal Hawaiian Band marched before us. Parade participants included--Veterans, active service, a military band, classic cars (mostly Corvettes), school clubs, HS ROTC units, Scouts, hula troop, cultural groups, various Lions clubs. The parade starts at 10 and reached the First Hawaiian Bank area at about the fifteen minute mark. I didn't stay for the entire parade. I continued to view the parade as I walked from my viewing spot to Shige's Saimin. I wanted to beat the crowds that may pour into the restaurant after the parade and to wait out the traffic. Park along the side streets of California Ave. I arrived around 9:45 and luckily found a parking spot At 11, I saw parade goers walking past the Shige's--so the parade lasted about an hour (since that's the side closer to the start.) Today was a gorgeous day to resume the parade after Covid shut downs. It was overcast and there was a cool breeze without being windy. A great day and way to honor our Veterans. (Note--post lunch, 11:50, there was still traffic on streets leading back to Kamehameha Hwy. To be expected as Kamehameha Hwy has a longer light since it's the main thoroughfare. While exiting from a side street onto Olive--the drivers were pretty courteous, almost treating the intersection like a four way stop-- nice!

There's a special rate for bowling on Mondays for families. It was lots of fun with all the kids.read more

Sporadic rain and strong winds didn't slow things down a bit at the Makahiki Kuilima today. The…read morecrowd had to duck under the canopy when a squall blew through, but everybody was definitely having fun. There were food trucks on parade, local craftspeople with stuff for sale, and games, contests and more. Watching the strong men trying to pick up heavier and heavier boulders was a laugh! This is an annual event, starting off with a 5K fun run. The event, which is free and open to the public, is presented in conjunction with a special "eat the street" Hawaiian and lū'au- themed food truck rally. There's plenty of free parking on the grounds of the beautiful Turtle Bay Resort. Highly recommended.

This event is great fun and rich in Hawaiian culture, showcasing many Hawaiian games and cultural…read moreactivities, which were entertaining both to watch and to participate in! Loads of tents were set up around a large open area, all on part of the beautiful grounds of the Turtle Bay Resort. (And the rocky-but-pretty beach was right on the other side of the parking area.) People of all ages -- kids through adults -- were part of the warm, welcoming, lively hosting group. Along with the games, hula, and storytelling in the open areas, many of the tents housed demonstrations where you could participate in arts and crafts, pound taro into poi {yes, on purpose}, and learn other aspects of Hawaiian culture. Other tents housed vendors, mostly of various types of clothes and jewelry, but including a few other things as well. There were also a few food stands and trucks. The only disappointment to me during my 2.5 hour visit was that there was no live music (except the rhythmic gourd during the hula competition); wonderful Hawaiian music was playing over the speakers, but it wasn't live, which I was looking forward to. I would definitely attend this again. And one more note: it was beautiful to hear that much Hawaiian language spoken; not just in the 'show' parts (from the announcer and the storyteller), but from the people throughout the event, the kids as well as the adults.

Sooriya's Cultural Art Center and Organic Farm is a magical place of Tropical surrounded peaceful…read morepathways surrounding an Organic Farm and open air gathering place to eat healthy organic meals and even an authentic Italian Pizza Oven for pizza nights. It is a culture rich village with visitors doing work/stay oportunities in a beautiful mountain range only 15 min walk from a beach and shopping.

I love going to the farm! Sooriya is a God send and such a blessing for anyone he meets and the…read morefarm itself is sooo peaceful. I feel very blessed to know the farm is there anytime I need to get away from the crazy city! I Love you all at Mouna Farm!!!

A spot museum on the BYU campus, this museum is small but mighty! Located at the corner of a…read morebuilding in the main area of the campus with convenient parking, it is filled with taxidermy of animals from North America You can find bears, wolves, and deers! My favorite part is the row of heads antlers where you can admire the differences among all the species that share similar functions or features across different biomes. What made the experience amazing was the two student staff who just started two months ago. I was talking to them, and it seems like the entire museum is run by maintained by the two young students. To bring attention to the museum and its studies, they conceived of an escape room experience to attract more visitors. What a creative idea!