SSome bad news: Hallowbaloo won’t be happening this year either. The good news is that it’s coming back next year in a different location, organizer Mark Tarone says, not just as a one-night block party, but an entire weekend of Halloween-themed events. Stay tuned for an announcement before February (fingers crossed). More good news: The Halloween season abounds with spooky bars, costume contests, bar tours, sake and beer events running until October 31st. Scroll through all the options; Food themed Halloween events are at the bottom. SEE ALSO: All the creepy, scary and tricky Halloween fun on O’ahu Halloween bars,…
Author: kissnearme
How to get to Sirmione There are two airports near Sirmione: Verona and Milan Bergamo. From Bergamo you can take a train to Desenzano del Garda and then a bus, the journey takes about two hours. By car, the journey is much quicker (around an hour). We opted for a taxi, as there were six of us sharing the costs, and as we only had a long weekend to enjoy, we wanted to save time. The bus is the most economical way to travel from Verona to Sirmione, taking between one and a half to two hours depending on the…
Last updated on July 10, 2023 For this past New Year’s Eve, JC and I planned a ski trip with our good friends Sapo and Dennis. This was our second year in a row planning a New Year’s ski trip with them. We went there last year Bichlbachwhich is located in the Tyrol region of Austria. This year we decided to try the French Alps Le CorbierFrance. Le Corbier is one of six mountain peaks that comprise it Ski area Les Sybelles. The advantage of Les Sybelles is that you can easily ski all the connected peaks with one ski…
Legendary chef Alan Wong’s new restaurant is set to open early next year. Photo: Tracy Wright-Corvo FFive years after closing his eponymous restaurant on King Street, Alan Wong is opening The Kāhala Hotel & Resort. The celebrity chef’s return to the restaurant world will replace Hoku’s, the hotel’s flagship restaurant, which will close at the end of this year. The announcement came in a press release this morning, confirming rumors that have been circulating for some time. Wong will lend his name to the restaurant and consult on its menus. The biggest news for fans of his old restaurant is…
1. The Jacobite steam train (Fort William to Mallaig) OK, let’s start with what I call the Harry Potter one (after all, Harry Potter may be our most valuable asset). The Glenfinnan Viaduct is just as spectacular in real life as it is in the movies – perhaps even better when you cross it on a steam train. I took this trip last fall and spent all my time split between taking photos and just… experiencing it. The 84 mile round trip takes you past Ben Nevis, along the lochs, and gives you a glimpse of the small islands (Rum,…
Last updated on October 23, 2025 This summer JC and I wanted to explore the Costa Brava, the coastal region north of Barcelona, Spain. Now that we’re newly settled in Barcelona, what better way to take advantage of our new home than a road trip along the beach? The Costa Brava is known for its beautiful coastline and beautiful beaches. We decided to base it on family friendly Palafrugell Calella. Read below how you too can plan a wonderful summer holiday with the family to the Costa Brava in Spain. How to plan a family trip to the Costa Brava…
pampanga, the region that gave us dishes like bacon and sisig, is the focus of Philippine Food Week 2025, producing a wide variety of limited-time specials until October 25. Twenty-five O’ahu restaurants are in the mix, doubling from last year—a huge success and a promising omen for long-running local cuisine. Reflecting a slow-burn trend, there are new Filipino restaurants on the lineup, including pop-up ILaya, Filipino-themed coffee cart Panday and Yumyum Tumtum, which opened in Kāne’ohe two weeks ago. They join traditional Filipino restaurants and a wide range of other restaurants with the challenge of creating eclectic special dishes. So…
Hunting stunts Everyone we spoke to in Lombok asked us if we had ever seen a waterfall. The locals are incredibly proud of themselves and it’s easy to see why. Not only are Lombok’s waterfalls much less crowded than Bali’s, but they are also breathtakingly beautiful, set amid rugged, untouched landscapes. There really is no other waterfall in Lombok – or neighboring Bali – like Mosquito net wire. Nestled in the rainforest of central Lombok, this enchanting spot features delicate streams of water gently pouring over layers of ferns, creating a soft curtain-like effect (“kelambu” means mosquito net in Indonesian).…
Last updated on August 19, 2025 For the Easter holidays we looked at the flights from Berlin and chose the cheapest option. In this case it was Basel, Switzerland. However, knowing that Switzerland is incredibly expensive, we were afraid of spending too much time there. Fortunately, Basel is located on the border of France and Switzerland. We had always wanted to visit Colmar, France. Located just 46 minutes by TER train from Basel, we made our plan to visit Colmar and then continue to Strasbourg. The TER trains in France are incredibly cheap and so we decided to go by…
Twelve small and medium-sized companies were selected for this program designed to provide local construction companies with business skills. Last June, aio and American Savings Bank (ASB) graduated our second cohort of the Hui Kapili Accelerator. Twelve small and medium-sized businesses were selected for this program designed to provide local construction companies with the business skills and support needed to succeed in the challenging Hawaii market. The 10-week program covered a range of topics including employee recruitment and retention, digital marketing, understanding your finances and more. Watch the overview video below to learn more about the program. To express interest…