Going Places

Winter 2015

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W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 | G O I N G P L A C E S 31 mild fish) and fish tacos with island slaw at the upscale waterfront 'AMA'AMA restaurant. And tonight at the Makahiki buffet, Thomas and I will make repeat trips to the seafood section, with its heaps of local poached shrimp and red snow crab legs, while Dan downs the roasted prime rib with garlic-herb Hawaiian salt. is afternoon, though, we set up camp at the new Ka Maka Landing, home to a beach- front infinity pool and café, and Keiki Cove, a water play area with spouting jets and a blue octopus mosaic underfoot. Peering out from their foliage-fringed hiding spots, a couple of Menehune grin at the landing's comings and goings. e pool itself pays homage to the leg- end of Māui, the demigod who brought the Hawaiian Islands to the surface of the ocean with his giant fishhook. Starfish and sand dol- lars (man-made, of course) adorn the pool's coral-like grotto, where tiny white lights twin- kle in the form of Manaiakalani, or Māui's fish- hook constellation, come nightfall. (opposite) A Menehune keeps watch poolside. (this page, clockwise from top) The Ka Maka infinity pool and grotto; the Laniwai spa; the art-lined Aulani lobby. CAA Manitoba Member Tip While Disney has become a culture of its own, visitors would be remiss not to learn more about Hawaii's fascinating and friendly island culture. CAA Manitoba member and avid Hawaii visitor Jacqueline Larter urges travellers to visit the Polynesian Cultural Center, located on the northern shore of Oahu. "It's like our Folklorama, but more elaborate. They show you their culture and how they used to live, including a traditional campsite, spear-throwing demonstration and Hawaiian luau. My family has been twice and the show each time was phenomenal." –Jacqueline Larter, Winnipeg, CAA Manitoba member for 25-plus years Located an hour outside of downtown Waikiki, the Polynesian Cultural Center is difficult to access without a car. Book a tour before you go with a CAA Travel consultant. Call 204-262-6000 (in Winnipeg) or toll-free 1-800-222-4357. But there are real stars to ogle after sun- down, too. Beneath a pink-grey tropical sky, we settle into lounge chairs around a crackling fire overlooking the beach, for the Fireside Mo'olelo Stor ytelling. A bearded, straw- hat-topped Hawaiian elder called Uncle regales us, gesticulating wildly and strumming a ukulele, with a love story about a fisherman and a fetching Hawaiian princess. Afterward, we sleepily saunter back to our room. "IN HIGH SCHOOL, we went to a taro patch, we camped out in tents and actually had to wash our hair with this . . . it works," says our guide, Uluwehipuanani, on a tour of Aulani's nature and wildlife attractions the next morn- ing. Pointing to plants along the Waikolohe Valley's pathways, she explains how early Hawaiians would squeeze liquid from the torch ginger's thick red petals for shampoo, and how the women would pound bark from the paper mulberry tree to form a fabric called kapa for the men's loincloths. We wrap up the 45-minute tour at Rainbow Reef. As we gaze through the large viewing win- dows at some of the 1,300 fish and 43 varieties that live in this man-made lagoon, our long- named guide aptly points out the reef's longest- named inhabitant – the lauwiliwilinukunuku'oi'oi, or longnose butterflyfish. An hour later, we're snorkelling among said butterflyfish and their colourful buddies. At first, omas, a snorkel- ling newbie, stays close to the entrance stairwell. But curiosity wins and he's soon bobbing across the calm salt water to hang with pinktail dur- geon and orangespine unicornfish as they chase bubbles floating up from the artificial reef floor. Next, we could sign up for ukulele lessons or learn how to make leis, but instead we decide to try stand up paddleboarding in the sheltered cove beyond the beach. Renting a board (US$30 per hour) from the resort's shoreside Makiki Joe's, we receive a short lesson before hitting the surf. Having never done it before, I'm a little

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