Hawaii
Plunge Into Paradise: Hawaii’s best pools for lolling, relaxing and splashing
I was floating in the wide saline lagoon of the Grand Hyatt Kauai, drifting along on my back. Buoyed by the semi-salty water, I watched the palm fronds waving in the trade winds above me, silhouetted against the blue Pacific sky. As a deep out-of-body sense of relaxation overcame me and time seemed to slow, it made me think: does it seriously get any better than this?
In Hawaii, many resorts pull out all the stops to create over-the-top poolside settings and experiences. Whether you’re lounging in an in-water chaise or being treated like Hollywood royalty in a private cabana, drifting in slow motion down a “lazy river” or floating at the edge of an infinity pool while soaking up a Hawaiian sunset, your pool experiences can be among the most memorable highlights of a Hawaiian vacation.
If you’re feeling the urge for some Hawaiian-style poolside pampering, here are some of my favorite resorts to check out in the Hawaiian islands. Whatever pool paradise you choose, remember that Hawaii’s magic extends far beyond the resorts. Make sure to take the time to explore the islands’ stunning beaches, hike through lush rainforests, experience the rich local culture and splash in some of the natural pools — you’ll find suggestions on that score below, too.
Kauai
Grand Hyatt Kauai’s massive pool complex of palm tree-lined terraces and lushly landscaped oases, has something for everyone, including a long lazy river and a large, wonderfully relaxing saline lagoon just feet from Shipwreck Beach and the ocean surf. Details: hyatt.com
Also in Poipu, the Koloa Landing Resort has been honored with a “Best Pool in America” accolade by USA Today several years running. A huge waterfall overflowing a rock arch is the centerpiece of the main pool, but my favorite aquatic escape at the resort is the secluded adult pool and hot tub, set away from the busy main pool complex. Details: koloalandingresort.com
Maui
In West Maui’s Ka’anapali resort region, Westin Maui Resort & Spa’s lush pool complex is just feet from the beach and includes an adult pool on the upper terrace and lower pool with a waterslide that’s a hit with kids and adults. An infinity pool for adults features a sandy bottom, perfect for wiggling your toes while sipping a tropical drink from the nearby poolside bar. Details: westinmaui.com
At the far end of the main stretch of Ka’anapali Beach, the Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa’s pool is longer than a football field and has two swimming areas connected by a river. You can float between them, past waterfalls and tropical trees, plants and flowers. At one end, a family area includes a slide and shallow section for children. The other end has cabanas and a bar and is geared for adults.
Located between the pool and the beach, the Cliff Dive Grill provides prime seats for the spectacular nightly sunset torch-lighting and cliff dive ceremony at the promontory called Pu’u Kekaa (aka Black Rock). Details: sheraton-maui.com
In South Maui, the Wailea Beach Resort boasts several pools, including the serene Maluhia infinity edge pool overlooking the popular Wailea coastal path and the new Olakino wellness pool (reservations required), where poolside offerings include mini-massages, wellness workshops and wellness drinks and food.
Don’t miss the resort’s Nalu Adventure Pool, featuring the highest waterslides in Hawaii — a top attraction for thrillists seeking helter skelter descents through two slippery tubes. Details: waileabeachresort.com
Next door, the Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria Resort, draws thrill seekers to experience the Lava Tube Slide and its exhilarating three-story drop at speeds up to 22 miles per hour. The sprawling resort complex boasts multiple pools, including the thrilling Wailea Canyon River Ride. Take a raft down twists, turns and waterfalls—a surefire way to cool off and get your adrenaline pumping. Details: grandwailea.com
Oahu
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, on Ko Olina Bay is where Disney magic meets Hawaii. Aulani’s pool complex offers family-oriented swim and water play spots ranging from the whimsical water fountain wonderland of the Menehune Bridge to the 3,800-square foot Rainbow Reef, a private lagoon where you can swim with ocean fish. An infinity pool and several whirlpool spas are perfect for parental rest and relaxation.
Kids will love the lazy river, the Keiki Cove splash zone with its water jets and slides or the more elaborate 2,100-square-foot Menehune Bridge splash zone, and the chance to meet Disney characters. Adults can unwind in the adult-exclusive pool or soak in a hot tub. Details: disneyaulani.com
Sheraton Waikiki Helumoa Playground offers two pools, two whirlpools, a water slide and a fountain play area for kids, all right beside the ocean and Waikiki Beach. There are 17 in-water chaise lounges. And during the summer — at midday Tuesday through Saturday — Citrine the mermaid, Tinker Fairy, Spider Super Hero, Polynesian Princess, Polynesian Warrior or another costumed character entertains children with storytelling, games and tricks. Details:
marriott.com/hotels/travel/hnlws-sheraton-waikiki
Island of Hawaii
The luxurious Four Seasons Hualalai in Kailua-Kona has seven swimming pools ranging from oceanside lagoons to adults-only sanctuaries. Most unusual is the recently renovated King’s Pond, which provides a 1.8-million gallon swimmable aquarium hosting more than 1,000 tropical fish and more than 60 species that you can swim with — including the resort’s resident eagle ray, Kainalu. The pond also has an adjoining lounge pool and sun deck.
The swim-up bar at the Palm Grove Pool is a popular choice for in-water libations, a perfect place to gaze out at the endless blue Pacific Ocean or take a dip. Details: fourseasons.com/hualalai
The Hilton Waikoloa Village features multiple pools, each with its own unique charm. The jewel of the resort is a swimmable, four-acre saltwater lagoon connected to the ocean. It teems with tropical fish and green sea turtles that enter the lagoon under a footbridge, providing an opportunity for snorkelers to see a variety of Hawaii’s colorful underwater denizens up close. The quieter Kohala Lagoon Pool offers a swim-up bar and a beautiful lava rock waterfall, while the Kona Pool boasts the thrilling 175-foot Kona Crater Slide. Details: hilton.com
Nature pools
The Hawaiian islands also abound with waterfalls and swimmable natural pools. In the Waimea Valley on Oahu, for example, a 1,800-acre valley features a natural pool fed by freshwater springs. It’s perfect for a refreshing dip surrounded by cascading waterfalls and tropical flora. Details: waimeavalley.net
On Kauai, join a five-hour guided adventure that starts with a kayak paddle on the wide, calm Wailua River followed by a hike through the lush jungle to the remote-feeling Uluwehi waterfall for an unforgettable swim session in the pool beneath the falls. Details: kayakkauai.com
Originally Published:
Hawaii
Kanakaʻole, Zane ʻohana transform Hawaiian cultural practices into captivating visual arts | Maui Now
This powerful new exhibition will feature the work of Nālani Kanakaʻole, Sig Zane, and Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane—a Hilo-based family of artists whose creative practices are deeply rooted in hula ʻaihaʻa.
Hula ʻaihaʻa is the low-postured, vigorous, bombastic style of hula that Kanakaʻole was known for as kumu hula of Hālau o Kekuhi. The hula springs from the eruptive volcano personas of Pele and her sister Hiʻiaka, characteristic of Hawaiʻi Island’s creative forces.
The Bishop Museum, the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History, on Oʻahu is presenting “Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice” in the J. M. Long Gallery beginning on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
The exhibition title references “Kūhaʻimoana,” a chant describing the migration of shark gods from Kahiki (ancestral homeland) to Hawaiʻi. “Ea Mai ʻEiwa” reflects the strength, resilience, and environmental knowledge embodied in these ancestral stories.
Bringing together new and existing works alongside botanical specimens and cultural treasures from Bishop Museum’s collections, the exhibition weaves themes of migration, community resilience, and environmental stewardship—offering insight and inspiration for today.
“This exhibition demonstrates that the gap between historic collections and contemporary art is actually a lot smaller than people think,” said Sarah Kuaiwa, Ph.D., Bishop Museum curator for Hawaiʻi and Pacific Cultural Resources. “Audiences will see how the artists use the same materials as pieces in Bishop Museum collections but in different forms. The resonance between the artist’s work with mea kupuna (ancestors) is what makes ‘Ea Mai ʻEiwa’ a uniquely Bishop Museum exhibition.”
Kuaiwa curated the group exhibitions along with co-curator, kumu hula Kauʻi Kanakaʻole, and Bishop Museum exhibit designer, DeAnne Kennedy.
The artists’ work across visual and performing arts is continually charged and sustained by hula. From Nālani Kanakaʻole’s art direction and choreography to Sig Zane’s photography and textile design, and Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane’s graphic design and immersive installations, each artist channels ʻike (knowledge, wisdom) carried through generations.
“Through repetition, deep study, and consistent practice, mastery is achieved. As practitioners of hula, the artists have continued to deepen their understanding of the natural and spiritual world, which has in turn inspired their art practices,” Kuaiwa said. “They aim to produce art in various visual media not only to educate, but to also be aesthetically celebrated and enjoyed.”
“Patterns of Practice” was suggested by Sig Zane as a way of representing how the artists hone their skills.
“‘Kūhaʻimoana,’ for me, has many layers to it,” Kūhaʻoʻīmaikalani Zane said. “On a first take, it’s a migratory chant that compares migrations to waves of ocean-navigating sharks. That metaphor sets out the tone of connectivity between our natural environment and the beings that inhabit it.”
“‘Kūhaʻimoana’ is an example illustrating metaphorical depth within Hawaiian poetry,” said Sig Zane. “The importance of navigation surfaces in day-to-day cultural practices. This archaic chant reveals nuanced content, giving us a peek into hierarchy, dualities, and familial belief systems.”
Kanakaʻole passed away in January this year, so Kauʻi Kanakaʻole hopes that “Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice” reflects Kanakaʻole’s philosophy of practice and piques curiosity within people about others’ stories, history, and culture.
“She intentionally taught hula with depth of language, craft, and art form to encompass a full-on lifestyle commitment,” Kanakaʻole said. “This was her everyday; the way she learned, grew, and inspired.” “I would love for guests to leave (the exhibition) with a mixture of awe, appreciation, and curiosity.”
Highlights of the “Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice” exhibition include:
- Nālani Kanakaʻole’s kite installation, “Kūhaʻimoana,” her last large-scale installation before her passing
- Botanical specimens from various locations across Hawaiʻi Island, chosen to represent their hula ʻahu (altar) and sources of inspiration the artists frequently draw from
- Uniquely colored kūpeʻe (sea snails) shells made into adornments, as well as adornments made to look like kūpeʻe shells
- Kapa (barkcloth) made from the 19th century with dynamic designs
- ʻAwa (kava, Piper methysticum) cups and kānoa (kava bowl) associated with the aliʻi
- New and archival sketches and rubylith artworks by Sig Zane from 1990 to present
- A collection of family photos from the Kanakaʻole ʻOhana
- Memorabilia and ephemera from the theatrical performance, “Holo Mai Pele” (1995-2000)
“Ea Mai ʻEiwa: Patterns of Practice” will be presented in both ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and English, and will be on view until Sept. 20, 2026.
For more information, visit bishopmuseum.org.
The demolition of Aloha Stadium on Oahu took a big step forward Thursday with the first section of seating pulled down from the steel structure.
Half of the elevated deck-level seating on the stadium’s makai side was severed and toppled backward as part of demolition work that began in February.
The other half of the upper makai-side seating is slated to come down Tuesday, followed by similar sections on the mauka side and both end zones, though the concrete foundations for lower-level end-zone seating are being preserved for a new, smaller stadium to rise on the same site.
A private partnership, Aloha Halawa District Partners, led by local developer Stanford Carr, is replacing the 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium, which opened in 1975 and was shuttered in 2020, with a new stadium featuring up to 31,000 seats.
AHDP is using $350 million of state funding toward the cost of the new stadium, which could be $475 million or more, and will operate and maintain the facility on state land for 30 years with a land lease.
The development team also is to redevelop much of the 98-acre stadium property dominated by parking lots with a new mixed-use community that includes at least 4,100 residences, two hotels, an office tower, retail, entertainment attractions and open spaces expected to be delivered in phases over 25 years and costing close to or more than $5 billion or $6 billion.
Earlier parts of stadium demolition work led by Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. included removing four covered multistory spiral walkways leading to the upper level from the ground, and concourse bridges.
Demolishing the stadium is projected to be done by August, according to Carr.
Building the new facility is expected to be finished in 2029.
Hawaii
This Airbnb Tiny Home Sits on a Lava Field in Hawaii With Unbeatable Night Sky Views—and It’s a Guest Favorite
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/tal-airbnb-one-off-tout-1465b3bde0864117b43761b0d1dd346e.jpg?ssl=1 "This Airbnb Tiny Home Sits on a Lava Field in Hawaii With Unbeatable Night Sky Views—and It’s a Guest Favorite")
-
Movie Reviews11 minutes agoFILM REVIEW: ROSE OF NEVADA – Joyzine
-
World23 minutes ago
Oil prices rise anew after a US-Iran standoff in the Strait of Hormuz strands tankers
-
News29 minutes agoVideo: 8 Children Killed in Louisiana Shooting, Police Say
-
Culture1 hour agoPoetry Challenge: Memorize “The More Loving One” by W.H. Auden
-
Lifestyle1 hour agoPhotos: How overfishing in Southeast Asia is an ecological and human crisis
-
Technology1 hour agoBlue Origin successfully reused its New Glenn rocket
-
World1 hour agoDistress call captures tanker under fire, Iran shuts Hormuz trapping thousands of sailors
-
Politics2 hours agoTrump ally diGenova tapped to lead DOJ probe into Brennan over Russia probe origins
