This Holiday Season, Give the Gift of Experience

Instead of the typical basket or gift, how about sending loved ones something more meaningful this holiday season? Whether it’s a class, crafting workshop or event, a gift of experience, especially if you do it too, is likely to offer lasting memories.  

Photo: Andrea Lee

Fishcake Workshops and Dinners

A Fishcake voucher (minimum $25) will allow your crafty and foodie friends to sign up for workshops where they can make everything from ceramic lei vases to decorated cupcakes, with new sessions announced regularly. The small class sizes allow for plenty of face time with the instructor. Another option is to put the funds toward a special dinner; the latest have been very popular Ghibli movie nights featuring courses inspired by such classic animated films as Spirited Away.

fishcake.us, @fishcakehawaii

Photo: Courtesy of Bishop Museum

Shangri La x Bishop Museum Tour

Take friends and family to two of O‘ahu’s premier museums in one trip. Bishop Museum currently has exhibits on underwater science, marine dinosaurs and Hawaiian navigation. Then hop on a shuttle to Shangri La to explore the elaborate Islamic art and architecture at Doris Duke’s former Kāhala home. The shuttle service will return to Bishop Museum after your visit.

$25 kama‘āina, $45 general admission, advance reservations required, shangrilahawaii.org, @hi_shangrila

Photo: Courtesy of Hana Kitchens

Hana Kitchens Cooking Classes

Whether your giftees are enthusiastic home chefs or just love to eat, they’ll likely appreciate a Hana Kitchens cooking class gift card (minimum $50). The classes, all taught by chefs from local eateries, run the gamut of pasta to sushi to baklava. But this isn’t just a lesson—you’ll also enjoy a meal, including the designated class dish, prepared by your instructor and paired with wine, beer or sake.

hanakitchens.com, @hanakitchens

Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino

Ossipoff Cabin Workshops

Family and friends in need of a mental reset can escape to Ossipoff Cabin, the secluded retreat of famed architect Vladimir Ossipoff, high up on Pālehua Ridge in Wai‘anae. The nonprofit Pālehua Conservation Initiative offers gift cards (minimum $50), which can be applied toward its workshops. While there, class-takers are offered refreshments and a tour of the cabin. Past workshops involved making kokedama, botanical prints and lei po‘o.

palehua.org, @palehuaconservation

SEE ALSO: Where to Take Fun Classes on O‘ahu

Andrea Lee is the digital editor of HONOLULU Magazine.