Cover Story continued

Outdoors

Aug 25, 2010
Best of Honolulu 2010

Where we liiiiive….there are raaaaainsbows….and lots of stuff to do outside and with our bodies. Including apparently, something called “Zumba.”

Best of the Best!

What’s the best way to relax?

BKS Iyengar

When asked to pick their favorite way to relax, owners of the BKS Iyengar Yoga Studio Shelley Choy and Ray Madigan answered–surprise–yoga.

But if they had to choose the next best form of relaxation (we know, we know–what kind of question is that?), they would resort to nature. “For me, it would be planting a garden and watering my plants,” Choy said. Madigan, on the other hand, goes surfing. “I like surfing because it gets me totally out of my normal routines,” he said. “[Surfing] makes me respond to nature, and I think it’s really important to get in touch with nature.”

Editors’ Picks

Best dance class

Zumba

When confronted with the word “zumba,” the average person typically responds with a bona fide, “Whaaa…?” But for those well-versed in the trajectory of fitness trends, the zumba mania is no phenomenon. Zumba’s counterparts, like low-carb dieting, Bikram yoga, exergaming and turbo kickboxing, have all become standard terms in our exercise vernacular. Heck, even the term “Sketcher’s Shape-Ups” is increasingly stock in the lexicon of our fitness-obsessed times. And it’s hardly surprising that zumba, a dance-fitness program that incorporates salsa, merengue, cumbia, reggaeton, samba and other international music styles and forms, was voted by Weekly readers at 2010’s best dance class. Aside from the fact that it’s just plain fun, zumba targets every muscle group in the body and promises to tone, strengthen and make your heart work for its money. So head to the nearby gym, health club, community center or even your living room (yes, zumba workouts are now available on Wii and PlayStation Move), and chances are you’ll have your hips shaking in no time.

Best stargazing

North Shore

Oahu is more and more defined by its development than by the natural beauty, warm weather and pristine beaches that once made it synonymous with the word “paradise.” Lazy palm trees and balmy, moonlit evenings seem like a thing of the past. But certain pockets of rural Oahu have managed to preserve the Blue Hawaii idyll. And up on the North Shore, where the sand is actually real and folks still live Aloha, light pollution is at its minimum, making it the perfect place to stargaze. Instead of hazy, orange-tinged skies (maybe we’re exaggerating a bit, but Honolulu’s city lights are definitely wreaking havoc on Hawaii’s night skies), the upper atmosphere is visible to its full extent on the north part of the island, flaunting a fully visible canvas of constellations and shooting stars.

Best urban Tree

‘Iolani Palace Banyan

Although the banyan did not originate in Hawaii–it arrived from India, where it is the national tree, as a gift to Hawaiian royalty–they’ve since flourished thanks to our tropical climate. Many kamaaina are unaware that the trees, which are well-known to thrive in the greater Kapiolani Park area, Lahaina and downtown Hilo’s Banyan Drive, are fig relatives whose aerial roots eventually form thick trunks that spread out laterally over time, creating the strong, labyrinthine thickets that are characteristic of age-old banyans. Whereas banyan trees have remained significant icons in Hinduism, Buddhism and Philippine mythology, we conjure up images that are a tad more secular–here, banyan trees remind us of picnic lunches, days at the beach and bustling Honolulu streets. The banyan tree at ‘Iolani Palace is particularly emblematic of our unique claim to banyans. The tree, which sits behind the downtown Honolulu building and is one of the largest banyans in the state, has become a botanical favorite of locals and visitors alike.

Readers’ Picks

Best MMA studio

Gracie

Best Yoga studio

BKS Iyengar (Manoa)

Best Hike

Koko Head

Best Easy Hike

Diamond Head

Best place to dive

Shark’s Cove

Best climbing

Mokuleia

Best skydiving

North Shore

Best tourist activity for residents

Polynesian Cultural Center

Best place to watch a game

Aloha Stadium

You Said It: “Club Femme Nu.”

Best paddleboarding

Ala Moana Beach Park

Best picnic spot

Tantalus

Best grass

Kapiolani Park

You Said It: “I wonder how many marijuana references you will get here.” A lot.

Best Jellyfish

Box

Best camping

Bellows

Best Botanical Garden

Foster

Best view

Tantalus

Best whale watching

Makapuu Lighthouse

Best birdwatching

Kaena Point

Best walk

Kailua Beach

Best doggie beach

Kahala
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