Kailua, HI Outdoor Activities

The enthusiastic wave-tamers at Hawaiian Surf Adventures infuse students with their waterlogged passions for surfing, standup paddleboarding, and outrigger canoeing. With access to areas such as the uncrowded waters of Maunalua Bay, instructors give their students the space needed to learn how to balance atop a board while riding the backs of white-crested, aqua-blue waves or vacationing Loch Ness monsters. Whether paddling surfboards, hanging ten, or navigating a canoe, the team makes adventures easy for beginners and informative for more seasoned watersports enthusiasts.

Hawaiian performer Chief Sielu is on a lifelong quest to educate and entertain the world about Polynesian traditions, a passion that has taken him to appearances on the BBC, MTV, and the Late Show with David Letterman. Dubbed the "coconut man," the chief immerses all comers in island culture at spectacular luaus. On stage, he and his tribe balance revelry and education with high-energy ritual and knife-dancing performances, participatory dances and art making, and a large supper of Hawaiian staples such as poi and braised surfboard fillets. If you can catch his ear, Sielu might have a lot of stories to share: in the course of his ambassadorial travels, he's lit the Olympic torch in Salt Lake City by throwing a flaming spear and been the subject of the documentary film Chief, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival.

Paradise Pedals employs the leg power of up to 15 riders to explore Honolulu's sites and neighborhoods in a manner that earns a high-five from Mother Nature. A series of bicycles joined together beneath a mobile bar, the fuel-free vehicle moseys through streets at approximately 5 miles per hour, and sometimes faster when going down a slope or being pulled by concerned sailors who confuse the structure for a boat. As onboard speakers crank out tunes, one of the company's drivers steers groups along one of two routes, each of which provides unique photo opportunities and chances to check out bars, restaurants, and the beachfronts. With an attached roof, riders can relax, sip nonalcoholic drinks, and remain protected from the sun or the unpredictable downpours of leis that plague Honolulu's forecasts.

A birthday girl surrounded by her best friends dances to her favorite song and moves across a glittering black-granite floor to grab a drink at the bar. Overhead, mirrored ceilings reflect the light of fiber-optic stars. A dancing pole invites flashy dance moves or flashier firefighter imitations. The driver turns around to let everyone know they're about to park. What looks and feels like the VIP section of a nightclub is actually the inside of an Oahu Party Bus. The company's fleet of fully equipped vehicles chauffeurs groups of up to 40 people across the island in style, making stops at scenic locations such as Kualoa Ranch or The Valley of the Temples. Drivers can deliver guests to favorite bars or simply cruise for a one-of-a-kind night on the road. Guests can blast their own music over the bus's sound system, play DVDs on flat-screen TVs, or sing karaoke songs to court applause from passing cars.