ENDLESS HIGHWAY
Mike Bechtol's
Hilton Waikoloa Village on Hawai'i's Big Island
The Big Island boasts many fine resorts. Among the most beautiful, most scenic and most affordable is Hilton Waikoloa Village. Your first glance at the grand entrance and magnificent atrium indicates that you are someplace special. The impeccably-landscaped grounds of the 62-acre coastal complex are densely decorated with lush, colorful foliage and Asian-influenced sculpture. Water is always within sight... Whether it’s the ocean, beautiful lagoons, canals, dolphin pools or amazing swimming pool. The huge irregularly-shaped pool is lined with palm trees, decorative rocks and waterfalls The pool is crossed by a suspension pedestrian bridge. The huge facility has 1240 guest rooms. Activities abound at Hilton Waikoloa Village. They have several restaurants, abundant shopping opportunities... you can even swim with dolphins.Hilton Waikoloa Village is home to Dolphin Quest Hawaii, where visitors may have personal, hands on experiences with dolphins.
A visit to the Hawaiian Islands must include a luau... and Hilton Waikoloa Village has one of the best... the "Legends of the Pacific" In Hawaiian, "luau" means "feast". Hawaiians hold luaus to celebrate weddings, graduations, birthdays and other milestones. Commercial luaus are typically held outdoors... often on the shore at sunset. The huge Hawaiian feast is followed by an evening of entertainment including singing, hula dancing and fire dancing. Hilton’s "Legends of the Pacific" is among the finest the Hawaiian Islands have to offer. "Legends of the Pacific" incorporates many elements of the traditional Hawaiian Luau. The main dish is kalua pig, which is a whole pig cooked in an underground pit oven, or "imu". The pig is raised from the ground and presented before the buffet. Traditional luau feasts typically include poi, a sauce made from mashed taro corns... poke, seasoned raw fish... lomilomi salmon... raw salmon mixed with tomatoes and onions... laulau, packages of taro leaves stuffed with pork and fish... and haupia, a gelatin-like coconut pudding. "Legends of the Pacific" buffet has all of these dishes as well as other exotic selections include warabi and tomato salad, tako (octopus) ocean salad, pipikaula with pineapple mint relish, star fruit, Hawaiian sweet potato with coconut glaze, Hawaiian sweetbread rolls, seared mahi-mahi with tropical fruit salsa and Parker Ranch ribs. For dessert, there’s hot banana-pineapple cobbler, coconut haupia, pineapple upside-down cake and chocolate macadamia nut pie.After dinner, the guests sip their mai tais and Blue Hawaiis as they watch the top-notch entertainment. The dancing includes Hawaiian hula of course, but also styles from other Polynesian lands... all brought together by interesting and informative narration. One of the most popular features is the Fire Dancing. With lights darkened and drums pounding, the bare-chested dancer twirls his flaming batons, tossing them high in the air to the gasps of the crowd. Hilton Waikoloa Village, Dolphin Quest and the "Legends of the Pacific Luau" are sure to be a highlight of any Hawaiian adventure. - Mike Bechtol 2008
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