By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Floating face up in the Watsu pool at the Kalani Ocean Retreat that is tucked into a remote corner of the Big Island in Hawaii, I drifted in a state of embryonic innocence. Sylvie, my provider, massaged my spine gently and rotated my limbs to release joint tension. This was the first of many experiences on my quest for an Aloha fix that would include traditional lomi-lomi massage; interviewing Kumu Dane Silva, a respected native Hawaiian healer; a swim in a hot pond used for centuries by the ancestors to cleanse body, mind, and spirit; feeling... Read More

By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate   Would you like to spend a week in Hawaii without having to cash in your 401K? Resorts with high-end amenities are lovely to stay in, but, for many, too costly to call home for a week. Air B&B offers rooms for rent from local hosts at very reasonable prices all over the world. I chose the Bicycle Inn in Paia, a walkable little town with several good eateries and fun shops close to the Kahului Airport on Maui. My digs were the master bed with a private bath in a three bedroom house with all the comforts of home. Two fantastic beaches... Read More

Linda Ballou, Our Intrepid Adventure Traveler,  Reveals the Five Best Stress Busters on the Big Island of Hawaii By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Could you use a lomi-lomi massage, therapy in a warm pool, or perhaps sea- water cleansing to get rid of toxins in your body? How about a little ho’oponopono that comes from the heart to clear your psyche? Two hundred yeas ago when disapproving missionaries arrived, Hawaiians took their beliefs underground. But in the 1970s, native Hawaiian healers dared to bring their ancestral knowledge back into the light of day. The intensity... Read More

Wai-nani: High Chiefess of Hawai’i Her Epic Journey Linda Ballou http://www.LindaBallouAuthor.com Reviewed by: Anne Holmes for the NABBW This story of a Hawaiian woman of the 18th century, Wai-nani, is based upon the life of Hawaiian chiefess Kaahumanu. It is filled with vivid imagery and rife with details that make this time period come to life. I especially enjoyed the way the voice of the book reflects Hawaiian thinking and values. Hawai\’i was a very different place in the late 1700s. Wai-nani is young, impetuous and rebellious. She is, as at home in the water as she is on land and... Read More