Ko Olina Beachfront Penthouse

The Honolulu Zoo offers unique activities… like the family-friendly event “Snooze at the Zoo” on certain Saturdays each month (next event is June 4). See the zoo in a whole new, magical atmosphere.  The zoo offers pizza, tours and campfire time with s’mores, breakfast and a morning stroll.

The Honolulu Zoo also hosts “Stargazing at the Zoo” with the UH Institute of Astronomy and a “Dinner Safari” complete with red-light flashlights to tour the zoo at twilight after a delicious buffet dinner.

Check out the Honolulu Zoo for upcoming events.

Skydive Hawaii is just up north of Ko Olina by about 20 miles at Dillingham Airfield. Known as as the Center of Skydiving in the Pacific, Skydive Hawaii offers a safe, professional drop zone for first-time skydivers with “over 150,000 people chooosing Skydive Hawaii for their first tandem event.”

The skydiving center features licensed, professional, USPA Instructors and videographers that can capture the whole experience to take away on DVD. If you’re looking for an amazing backdrop for a skydive, Skydive Hawaii can deliver.

But even if you’re not looking to skydive, the drop zone is a great place to watch the sport and see the sky filled with parachutes. The drop zone welcomes sightseers to come out to enjoy the friendly atmosphere, whether you decide to jump or not. Pack a lunch, have a picnic and enjoy the beautiful skies!

Get ready for some amazing food and wine tasting this Friday and Saturday for the third annual Hawaii Wine & Food Festival in Ko Olina.

During Friday evening’s tasting session (starts at 6 p.m.), guests can talk up wines with the actual winemakers, ranging from Emeritus Vineyard to Dutton Estate. Event will also feature live jazz music.

Then Saturday at noon, get ready to enjoy a food and wine pairing event. The event features a friendly competition in which diners sample food and wine pairing submitted by a panel of chef competitors and vote on the best pairings.

Then wrap up the day with a beachside barbecue and fashion show at 6 p.m. at Paradise Cove at Ko Olina.

Great event, great food, great chefs!

The manmade Ko Olina Lagoons are a great way for you to kick back and relax.  The four lagoons — Hanu, Naia, Kolola, and Ulua — are setup with nice amenities like showers, restrooms, picnic areas and beach shops. Lifeguards are typically on duty, for an extra set of eyes to look out for any kids playing in the water.

The lagoons are located on southwestern Oahu and much less crowded than the popular Waikiki Beach. The Ko Olina Lagoons are definitely worth checking out any time your visiting Hawaii!

The Hawaiian International Film Festival is keeping the celebration going with  Art, Culture and Music events  in Ko Olina.  From May through October, come on out for monthly outdoor film screenings at Ulua Lagoon. Picnic baskets, low beach chairs, blankets and cushions are welcome.

This months films? True classics that everyone will enjoy… May 13 for GREASE, the sing-along version, and May14 THE PRINCESS BRIDE. You’ll love these films even more viewed outdoors in Ko Olina!

First Friday’s are something to get excited about in downtown Honolulu!  Tomorrow (May 6) is the monthly event/party celebrating culture, art, shops, food and drinks… and toss in some live music. This homegrown street festival occurs on the first Friday of each month between 5 pm and 9 pm.

Downtown Honolulu is only a 30-45 minute drive from the Ko Olina Beach Resort. And after nine, the district gets a little more festive, thanks to a growing number of bars and clubs (20-30 or so now).

And all the fun is free. To check out all the goings on, check out the First Friday’s event calendar.

Thanks to Oahu Mom’s blog for still noticing the sunsets here. She captured just one of many sunsets that seem to bring out the magical at Ko Olina. Sometimes a sunset does say it all!

Hawaii Public Radio’s acclaimed local program Aloha Shorts kicks off Spring with “On the Road with Aloha Shorts: Maui No Ka ‘Oi” at the Iao Theatre on May 1st to record a few programs of local stories and poems.

For several years, these live tapings have been filling HPR’s Atherton Studio on Oahu to capacity. Check out all the events at hawaiipublicradio.org. 

Enjoy music by some of Hawaii’s finest musicians and ensembles and from visiting artists from all over the world.  A great way to sample a wide variety of styles of music in the intimacy of HPR’s Atherton Studio and to discover new artists and genres.  The Atherton Spring/Summer season runs from May to August. Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

This weekend (April 22 & 23)  launches Ko Olina’s celebration of Art, Culture and Music events with two outdoor movie screenings in conjunction with the Hawaii International Film Festival. Enjoy a relaxing sunset under the stars with two exciting screenings: 

– “Make Believe” follows six adolescent outsiders as they embark from all over the world to attend the annual World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas, where they each hope to be named Teen World Champion.

– “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale”, an American adaptation of a true Japanese story about a loyal dog named Hachiko who follows his master to the train station every day and afternoon to greet him after work, even after his master doesn’t return one day.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Waianae High School’s Searider Productions. Beach towels, mats and blankets are welcome.

Yesterday Disney announced its 15-day Hawaii cruise aboard the Disney Wonder, set to sail April 29, 2012, and will help promote the August opening of its Aulani resort at Ko Olina.

The first Disney cruise to Hawaii will sail from Los Angeles on April 29, 2012 (reported by the Honolulu Star.) Estimates suggest the cruise will bring about 2,700 guests to the islands.

The Wonder will use a renovated, 50,000 square-foot Pier two-passenger terminal. Interior work on the pier should be complete by September and was “years in the making,” according to Dan Meisenzahl, state Department of Transportation information specialist.

A bit of Disney fun at Ko Olina should be fun for everyone!