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Luau fires dot the landscape of Hawaii at night and sounds of chanting, drumming and hula music drift upwards to the skies. Elsewhere, in swanky nightclubs, party goers sip designer cocktails or gyrate the night away to pulsating rhythms. There is no lack of things to do in after-dark Hawaii, ranging from dining on celebrity chef-designed Hawaii Regional Cuisine to thrilling scuba diving with manta rays in night waters lit only by your chem night light sticks.
In Lahaina and Honolulu, cutting edge art galleries throw open their doors to late night browsing, free drinks and entertainment as art lovers and strollers admire works of local artists or chat with them in person. The Friday Art walk takes place in Lahaina every Friday evening and on the first Friday of every month in Honolulu, the latter sometimes coinciding with a street fair or celebration. Kids can be equally entertained during at night. At Honolulu’s aquarium, parents and children tip-toe softly with flashlights through the marine fantasy to check in on the nocturnal habits of tropical fish, turtles and sharks.
Dine or dance the night away under romantic tropical night skies on an evening cruise, an option available at all the Hawaiian islands, take a leisurely walk bare-footed in the sand or have a cozy beach cuddle to the lullaby of the gentle ocean waves.
Not all night attractions are urban neon; Hawaii is filled with raw, primal energy, and some of the best nightlights are lit by Mother Nature. There is nothing more awe-inspiring than watching rivers of red-hot molten lava flow undisturbed on its way to the boiling ocean.
On the back of another mountain, stargazers watch showers of meteors flying through the skies at night, or peer through telescopes at the Onizuka Visitor’s Center 9,000 ft above sea level on Mauna Kea’s slopes. Backpackers, far away from city lights, keep count of millions of faraway stars from their campsites in Mt Haleakala.
In the lush Volcano National Park forest outside of Mt Kileaua, holidaymakers end their day with a relaxing soak in an outdoor jacuzzi in a bed and breakfast, while honeymooners warm their toes and hearts with champagne by a roaring fire.
The more intrepid brave the cold mountain air of Hawaii at night and drive 10,000 ft to the summit of Mt Haleakala to bag best seats for a spectacular sunrise. It is traditional to wake at 3am in freezing temperatures to watch the dawn of a new day in the “House of the Sun” at around 5.30am. Remember to dress warmly.Whether you are listening to stellar Hawaiian musicians such as Hapa or the Brothers Cazimerov, hypnotic mele chanting or casually cool Hawaiian slack key guitar, there is a wide selection for music lovers of all stripes. Pick from clubbing along with 1500 dancers in warehouse-turned-disco Pipeline in Oahu, watching Hawaiian mythic musical Ululena in Maui or strumming your own guitar at a campsite fire, Hawaii at night is soothing, mystical, enchanting and forever memorable.
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