As the winter travel season approaches, many of the bed and breakfasts, hotels and resorts on the Big Island of Hawaii are eager for your business. They are offering great deals for travel now and into 2010.

The Big Island of Hawaii continues to offer some of the best deals available in Hawaii. If you're looking to get away from the cold winter weather, there's no better place than the quiet shores of Hawaii's Big Island.

Check out some of these great deals:

Art & Orchids Bed and Breakfast
Art & Orchids Bed and Breakfast is located in the Puna district, conveniently close to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Hilo, and the Kalapana Lava Viewing Area. A new swimming pool features beautiful inlaid turtles and other sea life mosaics as well as a waterfall guests can sit behind. Rates range from $90 to $115 per night. Call toll-free (877) 393-1894.

Bougainvillea Bed & Breakfast
A Salute To Our Nation's Military. Ocean View's Bougainvillea Bed & Breakfast offers a Big Island "Sizzlin' Special Double Experience" at a 20 percent discount to military personnel. Includes three nights at Bougainvillea B&B and three nights in a one-bedroom oceanfront Kona condominium. Owner Martie Nitsche is a certified travel agent who can also book rental cars and activities for inbound guests. Call (800) 688-1763 or (808) 929-7089.

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, which recently completed a $40 million property enhancement, has a new chef at Pahu'ia, its fine-dining beachside restaurant. Chef Jacob Anaya was chef at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco and has cooked in restaurants including Silk at the San Francisco Mandarin Oriental and the esteemed Wildfire in Sydney, Australia. In November, Chef Anaya will introduce new dishes to Pahu'ia, which focuses on fresh, sustainable local Big Island seafood and produce. Read more...

The 2009 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival will open this Friday, November 6, 2009 and run through Sunday, November 15, 2009. That's ten full days of exciting events that will take place at various locations around Kailua-Kona on Hawaii's Big Island.

My wife and I attended a full week of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival in 2008 and had one of our best weeks ever in Hawaii. Even if, like us, you're not a coffee drinker, there are plenty of activities that are just plain fun. If you are a coffee drinker and especially if you're a fan of Kona Coffee, this festival is your Nirvana.

Beginning with the beautiful International Lantern Parade on the opening Friday and concluding with the Kamehameha Schools Kona Coffee Grand Parade and Sunra Kona Coffee Concert in the Park the following weekend, there are non-stop activities throughout the week.

Check out our feature on the 2009 Kona Coffee Cultural Festival.

Pleasant Holidays is offering a free Hertz rental car for travelers to Hawaii with a minimum 3-night air & hotel vacation at select hotels & resorts. The free car offer is valid for a maximum of 7 days and for new Hawaii bookings made October 26 - November 29, 2009 for travel January 1-31, 2010.

Pleasant Holidays also offers savings up to $100 on Hertz car rentals on minimum 5-night air & hotel packages to Hawaii from cities nationwide for travel by December 15, 2009 and February 1 - December 15, 2010. Both promotions are part of the company's Hawaii "Hot Deals" campaign.

Three-night air-inclusive packages to Oahu begin at $545 from Los Angeles and $555 from San Francisco. Packages to Maui are priced from $495; Kauai from $645 and Hawaii's Big Island from $725. Participating hotels include Aston Hotels & Resorts, Castle Resorts & Hotels, Hilton Hawaii, Hyatt Resorts & Spas, Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Read more...

The North Shore of Kauai is, arguably, one of the most beautiful areas of Hawaii. There's no better way to appreciate the beauty of the North Shore than on horseback. With 2500-acres of North Shore land, Princeville Ranch is the perfect choice for your Kauai horseback adventure.

Princeville Ranch Stables offers several different horseback rides: a Waterfall Swim Picnic Ride, an Ocean Bluff Ride, a Paniolo Cattle Drive Ride as well as Private Rides tailored to the ability of the rider(s).

Read our review of Princeville Ranch Horseback Adventures.

View 31 photos of the Waterfall Swim Picnic Ride and the Ocean Bluff Ride.

Hilton Hawaiian Village^® Beach Resort & Spa's new Waikiki Starlight Luau^TM premiered February 23, 2009 on the resort's Rooftop Garden.

I had the privilege of attending the luau earlier in October and found it improved in many ways over its predecessor, the Waikiki Luau on the Lagoon.

The food was much better and the entertainment from Tihati Productions was as good as always. Still, there were a few areas that still concerned me, but overall, it was a really fun evening in Waikiki.

Read my full review of Hilton Hawaiian Village^® Beach Resort & Spa's new Waikiki Starlight Luau^TM.

Halekulani, on the beach at Waikiki, is a calm, sophisticated oasis that retains all of its long-held iconic charm and distinctive qualities, yet has still been able to adapt well to the hi-tech and faster paced world that we live in today.

For many years Halekulani was little more than a name to me. For reasons I'm at a loss to explain, not only had I never stayed at the resort, but also I had never even ventured onto the property.

On my recent trip to Oahu, I spent two wonderful days at Halekulani. I'm pleased to share my experiences with you with the following three features:

Halekulani Guide Review
Read my full review of Halekulani.

Photo Gallery
View my gallery of 48 photos of Halekulani.

Profile of Halekulani
If you're just interested in the facts, check out my Profile of Halekulani.

Over the years I have received quite a few emails asking about the Fern Grotto on Kauai since many readers have heard that it is not what it used to be. I have to admit that until my recent trip to Kauai, I had not visited the Fern Grotto in almost fifteen years.

In fact, the Fern Grotto is not what it used to be. Hurricane Iwa in 1982 and Hurricane Iniki in 1992 both caused some damage to the grotto area, but the most serious damage was caused by the 42 days of rain that drenched Kauai in early 2006 and which caused landslides and damage to the ferns in the grotto.

That being said, however, a trip down the Wailua River to the Fern Grotto on a Smith's Fern Grotto Wailua River Cruise is still a worthwhile experience and a lovely well-spent hour and a half on your visit to Kauai.

Find out more details in our Review of Smith's Fern Grotto Wailua River Cruise and our Gallery of 24 Photos of Smith's Fern Grotto Wailua River Cruise.

September 1, 2009, marked the The New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel's 45 years of service in Hawaii. Located on what many consider the most lovely section of Waikiki Beach known as San Souci Beach, The New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel, is the perfect location for those who wish to experience all of what Waikiki has to offer, but who also wish to stay a bit away from the hustle and bustle of central Waikiki.

The hotel sits in the shade of Diamond Head across from Kapiolani Park; a beautiful park listed on the state's historic register as many of its exceptional trees date back over 100 years. Nearby sites include the Honolulu Zoo, Waikiki Aquarium and Waikiki Shell - home to many outdoor concerts and shows.

Established in 1964 as a small, family-owned business, The New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel has today gained a world-class reputation for its beautiful, tropical setting, detailed concern for comfort and personalized service and the blended heritage of Polynesia, Asia and the West.

In honor of the 45th celebration, the hotel is offering discounted room rates (in their Ocean View Rooms - 9th Floor Executive Suites categories) through December 23, 2009. Read more...

This morning, just after 6:00 a.m., a 54-year-old-surfer was bitten by what was believed to be a 6-8 foot sand or tiger shark at Kalama Beach Park in South Maui. The man had been surfing in the "Kalama Bowls" area of the beach park.

According to the Honolulu Star Bulletin, the man was bitten on the upper right thigh and the lower part of his right ankle. He was taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center, but was released by mid- morning.

While shark attacks make headlines in the news, they remain a rare occurrence. We suggest that you read these three brief articles to learn the truth about Hawaii's sharks, shark attacks in Hawaii and how to avoid being bitten by a shark.

• The Facts Behind Shark Attacks in Hawaii
  
  
• How To Reduce the Risk of Shark Attack and Injury
  
  
• Facts About Hawaii's Sharks

We've taken a slightly different approach to our list of the best beaches in Hawaii. We include at least one beach from each of the six major islands. Our list is also presented in alphabetical order by island.

We've also intentionally included several, less well-known, beaches that we consider real gems. Clicking on the link for each of our picks will take you to one of our photos of that beach. Read our picks for the Top 10 Beaches in Hawaii.

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