Hawaii travel: October 2009

Beaches... Hawaii is part of the Polynesian islands which is known for its virgin beaches and exotic flowers. But, there are more than just beaches and flowers that Hawaii has to offer. Its culture is what most people get interested in when they get to visit the island.

One fascinating culture in Hawaii is the important aspect of tattooing just as with the other parts of the Polynesian islands. Tattooing is one of the very important rituals in Hawaiian culture, like praying to a tattoo god each time one member of their community commits to a tattoo.

With the island's very rich culture, no wonder how influential the Hawaiian tattoo designs are. Today, the most popular designs are:

Flowers
Sea Turtles
Abstract tribal
Dolphins
Lizards

Here's one thing you should find very interesting, more than its popular Hawaiian tattoo designs, the Hawaiians' purposes for tattooing are not primarily for fashion trend. As a ritual, most tattoos represent these few intentions:

Mourning for a lost loved one
The charm of Talisman for protection from evil spirits
Personal identification which community or group you represent

Hawaiian Tattoo Designs

Hawaiian Flowers

There are numerous Hawaiian tattoo designs to indulge with. The Hawaiian state flower, Hibiscus, is the most popular flower designs. Orchid are endangered species, and this design would symbolically represent a "rare beauty."

Hawaiian Tribal Designs

Tribal designs situated on several body parts: for males - the legs, arm and torso; for females: the hands, wrist and tongue; and Hawaiian Band and arms Tattoos: These are commonly placed on legs and arms and referred to as traditional Hawaiian tattoo designs.

If you are looking for a wide variety of tattoo designs to select from, then I strongly suggest you check out this huge collection of hawaiian tattoo designs.

Click here RIGHT NOW and go for the BEST!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Trott

As Frommers quoted, "this was one of those "unique Hawaii experiences" that you will remember long after your tan has faded. The ranch is an 8,500 acre working ranch. It sits at 3,200 foot in elevation on the slopes of the Kohala Mountains. "An Evening at Kahua Ranch" is a night under the stars with wonderful food, great entertainment, fun activities, and storytelling around a traditional campfire.

The folks from Kahua picked us up at our resort and we rode in the air-conditioned van, as we enjoyed the scenic coastline. Our guide shared stories about the history and culture of the area. We were personally greeted by the ranch owner, John Richards. When the sun starts to sink, we sat around the campfire looking into the Pacific and Haleakala Mountain on Maui in the distance. John talked about how cattle ranching came to Hawaii and how they manage the ranch in the 21st century. All the time we were sipping on locally brewed Kona beer. They also offered complimentary wine or soft drinks .

The meal was a traditional ranch -style barbecue of sirloin steak, chicken, locally grown potatoes, Waimea corn-on-the-cob, baked beans, Big Island green salad, Kona coffee, and dessert is served shortly after sunset.

After dinner the fun and games begin: The music starts and line dancing gets going on the dance floor, and several paniolo (cowboy) activities take place. You can try your hand at roping, play a game of horse shoes, or trying your hand at branding a cedar shingle. The stargazing was my favorite part. We saw Jupiter and the rings of Saturn through a monstrous telescope.

I have to say I have been to Hawaii many times, however, this was the most unique and fun thing I have ever done during my visit. Try not to miss it. It's only offered one day a week. 808 987-2108

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sally_Van_Buren