HOLOHOLO
Lana'i resort wins magazine honor
By Chris Oliver
Advertiser Staff Writer
Condé Nast Traveler magazine has named Four Seasons Resort Lana'i, The Lodge at Koele, the No. 1 resort in the Pacific in its Readers' Choice Awards 2006. The resort opens Nov. 15 following its Four Seasons rebranding and $50 million enhancement. Reservations: (800) 321-4666 or (808) 565-2000 or www.fourseasons.com/lanai.
'Earthquake' deal: Mauna Lani Resort's Shaken Not Stirred "earthquake" package offers accommodations, two pineapple martinis, breakfast buffet for two, snorkeling equipment, access to the resort's fitness club, nightly entertainment and cultural activities. Rates start at $390 per night, single/double occupancy. Room categories are subject to availability. The package is available through Dec. 19.
Reservations: (800) 367-2323 or (808) 885-6622, or www.maunalani.com.
Laptop advice: A transportation security agent offers this tip: If you are traveling with a laptop, tape your business card or name and telephone number to the bottom. Taking it out of its case for a security check at the gate often results in a laptop being left behind. "That way, we can page you in the airport or call your cell phone before you leave," she said. "You'd be surprised how often this happens." Or place it in a tray ahead of your shoes. You're less likely to walk off without your shoes than your laptop, she said.
What to do: Check out Lonely Planet's "The Perfect Day: Insider Secrets to 100 Cities," which features Honolulu and Las Vegas in its must-see itineraries.
"In Honolulu it's impossible to oversleep," writes Big Islander Lucy Yamamoto, who recommends as her perfect day chilling out on Waikiki Beach, followed by a saunter around Kapi'olani Park or Ala Moana Center and for the motivated, an easy afternoon hike for the stunning view from Diamond Head then dinner at Indigo in Chinatown.
However, "Nobody's an early riser in Vegas," writes travel writer Sara Benson, whose Sin City highlights include The Strip (of course), the retro glitter of the Fremont Street Experience, Stratosphere, the Atomic Testing Museum, and escaping beyond the neon to Hoover Dam and the like. After hours, though, she drops by Mr. Lucky's to play the Hard Rock's rock 'n' roll slot machines before catching vampiric dawn shut-eye.
Bonsai: If you're headed to the Pacific Northwest, the Japanese Garden of Portland, Ore., is hosting a bonsai exhibit, "Autumn Leaves," through Nov. 15.
Reach Chris Oliver at coliver@honoluluadvertiser.com.
