Hawaii is Awesome!

Most Visited Attractions in Hawaii

Looking for the best attractions to visit in Hawaii? This place is on nearly everyone’s travel bucket list, but every island has different, eye-catching and unique attractions. We’ve compiled our insider’s tips with the top places to explore.

Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park

Located on the west coast of Hawaii’s Big Island, it offers tourists a glimpse of ancient Hawaiian culture. The site was once a place of refuge for those who broke a “kapu,” or sacred law, where they could receive absolution from priests to rejoin their community. Today, it’s a 180-acre park where visitors can take a self-guided walking tour through the preserved rock walls, thatched huts and sacred temples that house the bones of ancient chiefs. 

Waimea Canyon

Waimea Canyon sprawls across western Kauai, creating a dramatic landscape reminiscent of Arizona’s Grand Canyon. The 14-mile-long and 3,600-foot-deep canyon awe visitors with its immense size and the vibrant color of its red stone walls. You can enjoy the canyon from one of its many scenic overlooks or they can explore the interior along with a series of hiking trails. A small fee is required for entry into the park, which includes restroom access and use of the picnic areas. 

Bishop Museum

Located on the island of Oahu, Bishop Museum houses one of the biggest collections of ancient Hawaiian cultural and natural artifacts in the world. The museum also offers a comprehensive exhibition of Hawaiian sports memorabilia, a science adventure center, planetarium, library and visitor’s center with a gift shop. 

Halawa Valley

The island of Molokai stands at the center of the Hawaiian island chain. Amongst the most picturesque and remote tourist attractions on Molokai is Halawa Valley, an old settlement website located on the eastern end of the island. The towering valley wall surfaces, countless waterfalls and also rich plants of Halawa Valley make it really beautiful, however, it is the “heiau,” or shrines, that make it an intriguing tourist attraction for tourists with a rate of interest in Hawaiian culture and history. Unlike many parks around Hawaii, Halawa Valley doesn’t currently charge for admission but check with the local park’s authority before visiting just in case.

Maui Ocean Center

The comprehensive and varied educational exhibits found at the Maui Ocean Center earned them the title of “Top-Rated Attraction in Hawaii” . The center offers aquarium tours, a shark dive and an on-site cafe, as well as seasonal whale-watching tours, guided snorkeling excursions, and overnight stays in the aquarium. Hours vary according to the season, but the center is open year-round with both online and on-site ticketing options available.

We recommend that the first time you go, go with someone who has been there and knows the best places to rest, dine, relax on the beach so you don’t get overrun by tourists. We want to say thanks to the cool folks over at Chandler Towing and Recovery who went with us on our first trip to Hawaii and showed us the ropes. Thanks guys and gals!

Planning a Trip to Paraguay

Paraguay is perhaps not the most obvious tourist destination, but visiting it gives you the opportunity to experience authentic South America. Paraguay features a unique blend of European and Guarani cultures, colonial architecture and history, and natural landscapes. Here are the top 5 attractions that you should visit in Paraguay.

1. Asunción

Unlike other South American capitals, such as Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires to Montevideo, Asunción is not built for tourism. Still, there are a few sights in the city center that you can easily discover on foot around the barrio La Catedral, the neighborhood named after Asunción’s cathedral.

This barrio is home to the Panteón Nacional de Los Héroes, a small mausoleum where many of the national heroes rest, the Palacio de Los López and current seat of government, the iconic Hotel Guaraní, a symbol of Asunción since it first opened in 1961, and Casa de la Independencia, one of the few colonial buildings in Asunción, dating from 1772, where Paraguay’s independence was secretly planned in 1811.

The best of Paraguayan art can be seen at Museo del Barro set in an impressive new building. The museum has an interesting collection that includes a range of pre-Colombian ceramics, colonial Christian icons and statues, and contemporary paintings.

2. Areguá

Located about 30 kilometers/ 18 miles from Asunción, Areguá is a town on the shores of Lake Ypacaraí, known as the Paraguayan capital of pottery and strawberry. It’s on the Golden Circuit of historic towns around Asunción.

The main thing you will do is to wander through the colorful “Mercado de artesanías”, an entire street lined with craft shops selling bowls and pots, gnome-like figures, and other ceramic objects. You can also go for the colonial buildings on Avenida Mariscal Estigarribia leading up to the elegant Church of Areguá. The traditional Strawberry Festival takes place in August when you can sample several strawberry-based desserts and juices, including jam, ice cream, and pie.

There’s also the nearby Cerro Koi, a hill and natural attraction, featuring a unique formation of octagonal sandstone. Only in two other countries (South Africa and Canada) have been found similar rock formations, though not exactly the same. Koi Hill also offers sweeping views of Areguá and the lake.

3. Monday Falls

Monday Falls is one of the most famous natural wonders of Paraguay. These 40-meter-tall falls to feed the Monday River – Monday, pronounced monda-i in Guarani, literally means “water that steals”. The falls are breathtaking but perhaps suffer from their proximity to the neighboring Iguazu, less than 40 kilometers/ 25 miles away. The Monday Municipal Park preserves the natural forest around the falls, offering viewpoints, a system of trails and a restaurant.

4. Ciudad del Este

Thousands of Brazilian citizens cross the border daily into Paraguay to buy goods that are heavily taxed in Brazil. Here’s why Ciudad del Este is also known as a Supermarket in South America. Street bazaars and shopping malls sell electronics, clothing, toys, and every conceivable thing you might want. Besides bargain hunting, visitors can admire the Itaipu Dam, a huge hydroelectric power plant built jointly by Brazil and Paraguay. Ciudad del Este is also the gateway to the Iguazu Falls.

5. Jesuit Ruins

Not far from the town of Encarnación, the Jesuit missions of La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná and Jesús de Tavarangue were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1993. The missions are reminders of the Christianization of the indigenous populations of South America during the 17th and 18th centuries.


You’ll find this hidden gem to be a great vacation experience. Take a few friends and family members with you.

Have fun!