[ SUNDAY TRAVEL ]
Around The Islands
Star-Bulletin staff Aloha kicks off flights between Kona, Oakland
Beginning Thursday, Aloha Airlines will inaugurate service between Kona and the San Francisco Bay Area, utilizing Oakland International Airport.Four flights will be offered each week, with round trips on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The new service will bring the number of cities served from Oakland to three, the others being Honolulu and Kahului, Maui. As of February 14, connections to Las Vegas were also available. Call (808) 484-1111 or visit www.alohaairlines.com.
Maui Islander offering $69 kamaaina rates
Throughout 2001, Aston's Maui Islander resort is offering special kamaaina rates that start as low as $69 a night.The rates, meant to encourage interisland travel and exploration of Maui's cultural offerings, are valid through January 3, 2002. The 10-acre Aston resort features Hawaiian-style units, along with facilities for barbecues and picnics. Call (800) 321-2558 for information.
Visitors invited to Kona chocolate, vanilla plants
Sure, you know Kona coffee, but what about Kona chocolate? Or Kona vanilla?Believe it or not, Hawaii is the only state in the U.S. that grows cacao beans, and the Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory in Kona has been harvesting and processing the beans since 1997. Its dark chocolate and milk chocolate bars use 100% Hawaiian cocoa and are available at shops and specialty stores on the Big Island. Chocoholics not content with candy alone can arrange tours of the plant by calling (808) 322-2626.
Not to be outdone, visitors can also take in the Hawaiian Vanilla Vineyards tour, a two-hour jaunt that combines information on the culture and history of Hamakua Coast with samples of locally produced vanilla ice cream. For information, call (800) 261-3737 or visit www.vanillavineyards.com.
Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, offers pampering baths
Golfing can leave you so inconveniently sweaty, but the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, has a solution: A bubble bath drawn by a butler, with bath salts and peppermint oil.The Golfers Dream bath, available from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., costs $50 and includes music, towel warmer, champagne and chocolate truffles.
It is the latest in a "menu" of butlered baths the resort offers. Also available are these:
>> The Romance Bath: A candlelight bath with milk whey powder, lavender bath oil, rose petals and a split of champagne.
>> The Kapalua Bath: With Hawaiian oils and salts, floating orchids and a carafe of Mai Tais.
>> The Travelers Relief Bath: A restorative bubble bath of peppermint, rosemary and juniper oils, with freshly squeezed fruit juice and sliced fruits.
Call 800-262-8440.