Cultural Quest
Go beneath the surface to see a Maui and Oahu that's rich in tradition

Hawaii is more than just a pretty face. It's more than swaying palm trees and swiveling hips, more than white sand beaches, colorful cocktails and loud aloha shirts.

Of course, we visitors lap up such diversions -- who doesn't enjoy a good mai tai and a solid dose of sunshine? But what sets this tropical paradise apart from all the other sun spots is its living, breathing Hawaiian culture. Why settle for superficial offerings when there is so much more for the taking?

And so, my mission: To visit Maui and Oahu -- the most developed, touristy and busy-busy islands in the Hawaiian chain -- and seek out experiences that take visitors beyond the kitschy cliches and into a deeper appreciation of the spirit of aloha. While still leaving time for serious fun in the surf and sun, of course.

If you're ready to move beyond the beach mat, read on.

MAUI

Something's just not right.  For two hours, I've been feasting on traditional Hawaiian food, listening to talented Hawaiian falsettosingers and ukulele strummers and enjoying a mai tai. Or two. Now, hula dancers have taken to the stage and this luau at Maui's Celebration of the Arts is kicking into high hear. But I still can't shake the feeling that something's missing.

Then it hits me: I haven't seen a coconut-shell bra, plastic lei or cellophane skirt all night. What a relief.

I've come to Maui at Easter with my husband and two young teenage sons for the Celebration of the Arts, a one-of-a-kind festival in which Hawaiian musicians, artisans and kapuna (elders) gather to tell their stories of Hawaii's rich cultural heritage.

For three days, every inch of the drop-dead-gorgeous Ritz-Carlton Kapalua is filled with local residents, Ritz guests and other visitors taking in mostly free activities. There are hands-on native craft demonstrations, music and dance performances, and presentations on everything from Hawaiian myths to the nature of hula. Stay at the Ritz (as we did) and you've got easy access to all the events, from sunrise chanting on the beach to music well into the wee hours.

While there is much laughter, there are also serious discussions -- of a culture struggling for relevance amongst its young, of a proud people seeking recognition, even of sovereignty for the Hawaiian nation. It is a rare opportunity to consider the other end of the Hawaiian rainbow.

The Ritz-Carlton's commitment to the Hawaiian way of life extends beyond the festival, thanks in large part to Clifford Nae'ole, the hotel's full-time cultural adviser. Twice weekly, Nae'ole hosts a "Sense of Place" presentation featuring the documentary "Then There Were None," a no-holds-barred look at the erosion of Hawaiian culture. Every Wednesday night, the hotel welcomes the Masters of Slack Key Guitar Concert Series, where affable host George Kahumoku Jr. sings and "talks story" with guest artists.

On the night I attend, Kahumoku introduces the duck-tailed Ledward Kaapana -- looking remarkably Elvis-like in his aviator glasses -- as "probably the most inventive slack key guitarist of my lifetime." Listening and laughing with these two masters, I feel like I'm sitting in someone's backyard, enjoying the music Hawaiians might play for their families and friends late at night, after a couple of beers. It's what I expect a real Hawaiian musical experience to be -- sometimes tender, often humorous, always evocative of the life and traditions of the islands.

Horizontal Hawaii

When you dream about Hawaii, you dream of a place like Napili Kai Beach Resort. This low-rise resort harks back to a time when Hawaiian accommodations were horizontal, not vertical; featured single flights of stairs, not seven-story elevators; and had staff with friendly, schlep-your-own-bags attitudes rather than fawning devotion. Our children love the freedom this setting affords them. I love the fact that, for 40 years, this resort has taught local children the history, arts, language and dance of Polynesia through its nonprofit Napili Kai Foundation. The results of this labor of love are displayed each Tuesday evening during a charming children's performance.

It's my children and I who do the performing -- shouting out raucous chants and digging paddles into the surf -- during an hourlong adventure with the Fairmont Kea Lani's Hawaiian Canoe Experience. Lead by Maui native Wayne Chun, this free excursion takes locals and visitors out on the water to learn more about Hawaii through its canoe culture.

As we paddle, Chun "talks story," telling rousing tales he learned from his kapunas about epic voyages and Hawaiian gods. At one point we slip over the sides of the canoe (careful not to bonk our heads on the outrigger) and snorkel past colorful coral and a curious sea turtle.

High times

One crisp, clear morning we head for the hills and Haleakala National Park. While hordes of visitors drive to the summit of this 10,023-foot-high shield volcano, relatively few venture below the rim. Pity. We decide on a two-hour hike down the Shifting Sands Trail that, while hardly "off the beaten track" takes us well into the volcano's stark, otherworldly terrain.

The next day we go even higher, strapped in the seats of a Blue Hawaiian Helicopter for what proves to be the "absolutely, positively coolest thing we've ever done," according to my youngest son. During the hourlong tour along the backside of the Haleakala volcano to Hana, we swoop past towering waterfalls, follow ancient lava flows and spy from on high on the largest ancient place of worship and sacrifice in Polynesia, Piilanihale Heiau.

Pilot Dan Brown gamely answers all questions. What's that line of rocks along the seashore? "That 's the ancient 'King's Highway,' " Brown explains. "Commoners weren't allowed to put even a toe on that road."

Where was the latest volcanic eruption? "I'll show you in two minutes," he says as we approach Haleakala. And, from a young North Carolinian, why is the water so blue?

"Ah," says Brown with a smile. "It's just paradise."

OAHU

Thirty earnest ukulele enthusiasts are getting down to business -- tuning their baby guitars or strumming away -- when I amble into the Outrigger Waikiki lobby for a special Saturday morning beginners' ukulele lesson. The assembled group is all over the demographic map: young and old, men and women, tattooed and in TanJay, mostly local folks but with an obvious smattering of pasty-white visitors. They all look like they know what they're doing. And that worries me.

I'm here on a bit of cultural lark, hoping to prove that "real" cultural experiences can be found even in the urban, crowded, tourist mecca of Honolulu. I've never played a ukulele and, truth be told, never really "got" the whole Hawaiian music thing. (I blame this on my parents, who dragged me to see Don Ho, Mr. Tiny Bubbles himself, when I was an impressionable 12-year-old visiting Waikiki for the first time.)

Ten minutes late -- "It wouldn't be Hawaii if we started on time" -- our instructor, Hawaiian recording artist Daniel Ho, steps to the front of the room and begins to play. Oh my, how he plays. I had no idea such sweet and soulful melodies could come from the same instrument that produced ticky-tacky tunes like "My Little Grass Shack."

Now it's my turn. For 90 minutes, I watch and strum and try not to look pathetic, which I am. When the session is over, I've a new appreciation for Hawaiian music. And how important it is to let the professionals do the playing.

Sounds and surf

There are certainly lots of places to hear the professionals in action along the rejuvenated and re-energized Waikiki strip. Favorites include Duke's Canoe Club in the Outrigger Waikiki Hotel where locals and tourists gather beachside to hear contemporary Hawaiian tunes in the late afternoon sun, as well as the more refined Chai's Island Bistro in Aloha Tower Marketplace.

My sons vote for Tiki's Grill and Bar, a retro South Pacific-style restaurant featuring funky lava-rock walls and a lanai overlooking Waikiki Beach. Oh, and decadent desserts like lilikoi cheesecake and a warm macadamia nut sundae with a curving wave of chocolate. Hmmm.

We work off our sugar highs on a quiet stretch of Waikiki Beach with Hawaiian surfing champion and ace instructor Johnny Gomes of Hans Hedemann Surf School. During our two-hour surf lesson Gomes entertains us with stories of how it was to grow up in Oahu's surf culture. By the end of the lesson, my arms are noodles -- honestly, I could not paddle another inch -- and I have a new respect for those who live for the next big wave.

Living history

No trip to Oahu is complete without a visit to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. We go early to avoid the crowds and leave our backpacks at the hotel (no bags allowed on site). The 23-minute documentary that begins the tour paints a vivid picture of the Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941. When the lights come up, a young man near me is crying softly. We board a shuttle boat to the white decks of the Memorial and pay silent tribute to the 1,177 crewmen who died in the attack.

Things lighten up considerably aboard the Battleship Missouri, now permanently moored in Pearl Harbor. Not only do we hear stories of Mighty Mo's pivotal role in U.S. naval history, we see the 16-inch gun that Cher sat on during one of her more memorable music videos.

It's a journey further back in history at the Bishop Museum. While adults could spend hours exploring the museum's extensive Pacific and Hawaiian collections, children will flame out early. Consider a treasure hunt based on my sons' top finds: the 55-foot long sperm whale skeleton; the 17th century Samurai suit of armor; King Kamehameha's brilliant yellow cloak, made from the feathers of 60,000 mamo birds; and knives and swords fashioned out of shark teeth.

Out of town

It's not sharks but spinner dolphins and sea turtles we seek during a four-hour voyage aboard Wild Side Specialty Tours' 42-foot catamaran from the rural Waianae Coast. We're skunked, but still enjoy our afternoon sailing along the leeward side of Oahu and snorkeling amongst aquarium-worthy tropical fish. (For the record, my "Flipper"-inspired dream of swimming with dolphins comes true later when, on a day excursion from Maui to the island of Lanai, these mammals magically appear.)

Driving our rental car down the North Shore's rural roads on the way back to Waikiki one day, we pass modest houses with palm trees in their front yards, mom-and-pop corner stores and a young man pedaling his bike while balancing a surfboard under his arm. It's all so simple. So real.

"You know, I'm really glad we got out of the city," my husband says. "There's just so much more to this place than I realized." Now that's music to my ears.

Copyright © 2005 — The Oregonian
Ann Campbell is a Vancouver, B.C., travel writer.

Masters of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Concert Series at The Napili Kai Beach Resort, Napili on Maui:
Weekly shows every Wednesday evening.
Showtime at 7:30pm  
Tollfree Reservations: (888) 669-3858,  or info on the web at:  http://www.slackkey.com
Seating is limited so reservations are highly recommended. Tickets are priced at $45 before taxes.