Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/593532
Be here. Explore here. Shop. Dine. Explore. Here, beneath a palm-tree canopy, rock-tiled pathways also lead the way to a cold plunge pool, hot tub and six different "rain" showers – from gentle mist to pounding waterfall – with neither a Mickey nor Menehune in sight. It's hard to leave this private oasis, but the afternoon beckons. On my way out, I steal a peek inside the Painted Sky teen spa with its Rip Swirl yogurt bar, comfy treatment chairs and computer stations. ough it's quiet this afternoon, the attendant tells me "it's like a nightclub in here sometimes." Back outside and determined to keep my post-spa bliss going, I make tracks to the new adult-only area. Tucked along the secluded west side of the valley, the curvaceous pool with dripping faux conch shells, rows of lounge chairs and Wailana Pool Bar are just the ticket. Dan joins me for a splash-free dip, followed by burgers and drinks – a Maui Big Swell IPA for him, a mango mojito for me. We meet a 30-something, child-free couple who are on the island for a doctor's conference, and a retired couple, Terry and Jerry Malloy from Philadel- phia, who are vacationing with their adult son. Later, Dan, omas and I forego the eve- ning's outdoor showing of A Bug's Life and head Exclusive travel tips from CAA Disney's magic touch. "Aulani Resort is the ultimate family paradise with a touch of magic. Disney has thought of everything your family will need, from free life jackets and bottle warmers at the ready to rooms with high chairs and step stools." –Novella Lander, CAA Travel Consultant Visit Novella at our St. Anne's Service Centre or email her at novellal@caamanitoba.com. Call 204-262-6000/1-800-222-4357 for more travel tips. for more playtime in the now-deserted softly lit pools, giggling, screaming and splashing like so many Menehune. We feel like we own the place. It's just us and the swaying palm trees, silhouetted against a starry blue-grey sky. A final soak in the Waikolohe Pool's hot tub, and we call it a night. WE FEEL NO NEED to leave Aulani during our stay, except to pick up groceries at a nearby mar- ket and occasionally stroll the grey-brown lava coastline. On one such outing, on our last day, we cool off at postcard-perfect Paradise Cove as sea turtles swim by in the shallow water. ough we're easy daytrips away from Oahu's North Shore surfing mecca and such attractions as Pearl Harbor's USS Arizona Memorial, we'll just have to check them out on another trip. Boarding the elevator for the last time, we're greeted by the refrain of "It's a Small World" – in Hawaiian of course. It's a small world, indeed, where a few short days can open our minds to a bit of culture so far away. Where Menehune – including the wooden one curled up high in a corner of this elevator – can lend a teasing hand in expanding visitors' horizons. Mahalo, little ones, and behave . . . or not. www.disneyaulani.com GP