Web site profile
From time to time I like to devote an entire feature to spotlight a single site on the net which has impressed me as being of very high quality and worthy of your in-depth attention. This week we would like to take a tour of Alternative-Hawaii, "Your Guide to the Path Less Traveled".
Alternative Hawaii is the collaboration of four individuals, Tom Clements and his wife Laine, (authors of the Be Your Own Tour Guide Series of Island Drives) who provide the site content, Ann Cecil who provides the superb photos on the site, and webmaster Blaise Barney. The sites mission is five fold:
- sharing quality information with visitors about alternative things to see and do in Hawaii.
- preserve Hawaii's unique natural environment and cultural heritage by advocating respect for the land and its people.
- support Hawaii's local economy by globally promoting island-owned and operated eco-cultural travel related businesses and organizations.
- feature nature-based experiences that are charged with the spirit of aloha aina (love of the land).
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striving to achieve their goal: Aloha made visible - along the path less traveled.
The highlight of the site for me is an area called Hawaii's Hawaii which consists of Hawaii Overview and Island Profiles and the Ann Cecil's Hawaiian Gallery.
Hawaii Overview provides an overview of the islands of Hawaii focusing on the categories of biology, climate, cultural history, economy, education, geography, geology, government, population, and tourism. Another excellent features include a page of handy hints to keep in mind when visiting Hawaii.
Island Profiles consist of more detailed information on each of the islands utilizing the same categories as found in the Hawaii Overview. You will find detailed information on Big Island of Hawaii, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai and Oahu.
Ann Cecil's Hawaiian Gallery area of the site is a real marvel. Ann Cecil is an amazing talented artist. Ann features beautiful hula photos, as well as photos of flowers, lei, crafts, and the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. She has photos taken on each island.
©Ann Cecil - used with permission
In addition to those pages, be sure also to check out Ann's portfolio where you can click through a number of Ann's photos.
The second part of the Alternative-Hawaii site is no less interesting. Called "Taste of Hawaii's Hawaii", this contains several interesting sections including four which utilize a really handy selection utility for detailed information on special events, accommodations, restaurants, and activities indexed by island and topic. You will find a section on things to see and do which includes interesting feature articles. There is an index of local crafters and information on Hawaii's Heritage Guides.
We are proud to award Alternative-Hawaii our Best of the Net Award for September, 1998.
Well, there's a brief overview on some of things that Alternative-Hawaii has to offer. Be sure to take some time to explore this excellent site in more detail.
