Cruise
Aloha UnCruising in the Hawaiian Islands
by Lisa TE Sonne
Yes, a one-week vacation can make a difference to your physical, spiritual, and mental health. It can shed stress like flinging off a winter coat and smiling at the sun. It can remind you that the world is full of beauty and joy and wonder. To “test the waters” on such thoughts, I headed to Hawaii as a guest on a quest with UnCruise Adventures, hoping for a health retreat and rejuvenation.
On the first morning of the one-week, small-boat trip through the Hawaiian Islands, 10 of us breathed deeply, our arms reaching up in a yoga stretch toward white clouds. Paul, our full-time “wellness coach,” was leading us in poses on top of the three-decker Safari Explorer, with the lush greens of Hawaiian islands and the deep blues of the Pacific Ocean in view.
We were exhaling fully when, 150 yards ahead of us, a geyser of water spouted upward — a humpback whale showed us its own exhalation. Then the multi-ton creature of grace dove and flipped its tail, so it looked like black and white wings gliding into the depths of the sea.
I’ve been to Hawaii many glorious times for work and play, but I had never seen the islands from the perspective of a sea traveler. I liked the idea of going from one volcanic dollop of paradise to another by water — without lots of packing and airport time. I wanted to wake up off-shore in the whale’s home, not onshore with tourists. And I’ve learned from past voyages, in other parts of the world, that when nature is the entertainment, I appreciate the intimacy of a smaller ship.
We island-hopped from the Kona coast of the “Big Island” of Hawaii to Maui, to Molokai, to Lanai — with each day offering water and land activities between wholesome meals that were wickedly delicious. (There was a full-time pastry chef onboard, so we had to exercise.)
The enthusiastic crew members were the counsellors you wanted for a summer camp you could only dream about — one with sea turtles, tropical fish, and daily expeditions to go look for whales. Also one with a free healing massage for each guest, suites with Jacuzzi bathtubs, and restaurant-quality food from surf and turf options to desired dishes without meat, dairy, or gluten.
I loved that the playtime (aka, “exercise”) was fun in the natural playground and cultural context of Hawaii and its great weather.
Paddling
My favourite paddling was off the historic town of Lahaina on the island of Maui. For a slice of an afternoon, we could pretend we were ancient Hawaiian seafarers, as we tried digging our paddles into the sea in unison from a long double-hulled canoe. The Hui O Wa’a Kaulua nonprofit centre carries on traditions that honour the ancient Polynesian “wayfinders,” who navigated by the stars and smells of the sea to travel vast, impressive distances in the Pacific Ocean.
For current day paddling experiences, the Safari Explorer carried kayaks as well as paddle boards for SUP (Stand Up Paddling). The crew was happy to drop some in the warm waters and teach various paddling techniques.
Hiking
Walking rules, for both health benefits and up-close access. The week offered daily opportunities from shopping and history tours in the charming village of Kona, to cliff-side trails and windswept promontories full of Hawaiian lore told well by the guides.
On the island of Molokai, we were invited into the sacred Valley of Halawa, which may be the first Hawaiian settlement by the Polynesians more than 1,400 years ago. The blowing of a conch shell announced our arrival and a return blow welcomed us to walk further in. Our hike took us through taro terraces, sacred lands, and tropical forests with hibiscus flowers, to a 76-metre waterfall with a natural pool that invited swimming.
Snorkelling
The second night aboard, we night-snorkelled above a manta ray feeding station. Mostly we hung onto surfboards and watched the giant winged creatures below glide between the large lights placed to attract their supper of a sea soup of tiny organisms.
The biggest splash for the “Wow Meter” was off the coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. We were on our way to Captain Cook’s Monument in Kealakekua Bay, a renowned snorkelling location where spinner dolphins often play, when someone spotted whales.
In an inflatable boat, we zoomed toward some spouts on the horizon, then respectfully stopped the boat at the legal distance. The humpbacks, however, were not aware of those limits.
Within what seemed just moments, we were in the centre of humpback activity for an experience that truly rates the word “awesome”! I handed my trusty GoPro in its underwater case to a boatsman named Buddha, who hung over the edge to get video of a mother and baby swimming under our boat! And at the same time, I photographed topside while an enormous male escort “spy-hopped” — thrusting his sleek mass vertically to the sky to check us out as we shouted and gasped and clicked away.
My Aloha UnCruise trip was both breathless and great for deep breathing. I went home a bit healthier and happier — something I wish for all travellers, all trips.
This award-winning, small-ship adventure cruise line, offers its Hawaiian voyages November to April. If you don’t want to wait to get out to sea, the company is renowned for its Alaska trips and has expanded to include UnCruise sea ventures featuring other gems off Belize, Costa Rica, the Galapagos, Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, Panama, and the San Juan Islands in the northwest of the US. Its “Rivers of Wine and Adventure” trip on the Columbia and Snake Rivers includes hiking, e-biking, kayaking, river rafting, as well as winery tours and an onboard sommelier.
Lisa TE Sonne, author of “My Adventures: A Traveler’s Journal” has previously written and produced Discovery Channel’s “Extreme Hawaii” and Hawaiian segments for a TV series called “Your Mind and Body.” She also helped with the video history project of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens based in Kauai. The book she was working on while on this Hawaii cruise is “The Happiness Handbook: Simple Steps.” For more go to www.lisasonne.com.
