Frolic Travel Archives - Honolulu Magazine

Exploring the ice in Iceland

Melissa Chang,

One of the biggest misperceptions that people have about Iceland is that it’s a small place because it’s an island. Nothing could be further from the truth. I know it sounds a little scary and humbug to not have a…

A night in an Iceland Buubble

Melissa Chang,

When people think of lodging in the far north, they often envision the famous ice hotels and glamping igloos. Well, guess what? There are no ice hotels in Iceland! You can only find them in Canada, Sweden, Japan, Finland, Norway,…

Skál! An Iceland adventure

Melissa Chang,

As many of you know, Iceland is a (figuratively) hot destination for travel right now. Blogger Deb Aoki and I became two of the 2 million visitors to the Nordic island recently, and that was quite the adventure! I’m going to…

The best 10 things I ate in LA

Melissa Chang,

I can’t believe it’s been five years since the last time I visited Los Angeles! I was fortunate to be included on a recent trip to the Grammy Museum with Outrigger Resorts, who is a sponsor of Mele Mei —…

Attention, adults: Maui has boozy shave ice

Rebecca Pang,

Happy hour. Shave ice. Maui. Don’t these five words just make you smile? If so, you’ll be intrigued by the sweet new deal at Breakwall Shave Ice Co. in Lahaina. From 2 to 6 p.m. daily, Breakwall offers an “adult” shave ice…

Doko Ga Hokkaido: Hakodate market

Melissa Chang,

After the rest of the group dispersed to other parts of Japan or went home to Hawaii, I headed to south Hokkaido to the famous port town of Hakodate. Since it was one of the first of only five Japanese ports…

I waited in line 5 hours for Austin’s Franklin Barbecue

Will Chen,

Texas and barbecue. So what’s the big deal? On my first trip to Austin, everyone insists that Texas barbecue is a must-have and Franklin Barbecue is THE place to try. So I Google it up. Franklin Barbecue: as seen on multiple Food Network shows,…

Let it snow!…on Maui

Melissa Chang,

Maui children marveling at the indoor snowfall. There’s been snow storms on Mauna Kea, but did you know it’s been snowing in Kahului? I got to visit Queen Kaahumanu Center last weekend to check out their holiday snow show in…

Hidden gem: Maui’s Poi by the Pound

Rebecca Pang,

Hawaiian food can be surprisingly hard to find. On Maui? Even more difficult. But I had a mad craving for squid luau, and it needed to be taken care of, pronto. Enter Poi by the Pound, a hole-in-the-wall that Maui locals rave about.…

Doko Ga Hokkaido: Sapporo eats, part 2

Melissa Chang,

We wrapped up the group travel part of the trip with Doko Ga TV by exploring a few historic spots in Sapporo … and, of course, getting some last bites in. Sapporo Clock Tower. Before I show you the spots near…

Doko Ga Hokkaido: Sapporo eats, part 1

Melissa Chang,

In the interest of time, I’m splitting my Sapporo restaurants into two posts and I believe these are more miscellaneous spots, whereas the ones I’m profiling tomorrow are close to JR Sapporo Station. When you travel with Pali Kaaihue —…

Doko Ga Hokkaido: Discovering Ebetsu

Melissa Chang,

When Pali Kaaihue was working with the Hokkaido government on this trip for Doko Ga TV, he requested that we get to see the hidden gems of Japan’s northernmost island, things that many American tourists might miss for lack of information or…

Doko Ga Hokkaido: discoveries outside the city

Melissa Chang,

The big city of Sapporo is great, but I highly recommend you take day trips to outlying areas to get a better sense of what Hokkaido is all about. There are nice, interesting spots just 30 to 60 minutes outside…

Something new: Auntie’s Kitchen on Maui

Rebecca Pang,

Driving through Maui’s west side, the last place I’d look for Hawaiian food and local kine grinds would be in one of the glamorous resorts. Which is exactly why I was excited about Auntie’s Kitchen, a new poolside restaurant at…

Doko ga Hokkaido: Tanaka sake

Melissa Chang,

Just as various foods are symbolic of Japan, sake — their national beverage — is almost exclusively Japanese. To produce high-quality sake, you need the perfect rice and the perfect water, mixed with centuries of tradition and science. There are several…