There’s nothing like standing under the cool, cleansing flow of an outdoor shower set amid natural surroundings. While lathering up in bubbles, you might hear the songs of birds, monkeys chattering in the trees or the sea rolling ashore. Bringing you closer to nature and pictured here is a close up of a private courtyard outdoor shower at the Blancaneuax Lodge in Belize.
Photo: Blancaneaux
Blancaneaux Lodge, Belize
Nature takes center stage at this eco-lux resort, where rooms sit on a forested hillside overlooking the rushing waters of a jungle stream. After a day of exploring the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, guests can freshen up under flowing water that emerges from the face of the garden’s rock wall. If the occasion calls for a soak instead of a shower, guests can immerse in a tiled bathtub overlooking the garden. Photo: Blancaneaux Lodge
Viceroy, Riviera Maya, Mexico
From the outside, the thatch-roofed palapa villas of this upscale coastal resort might seem rustic and quaint. But there’s nothing primitive about the bathing suite, which pairs a stand-alone soak tub with both indoor and outdoor shower areas facing a landscaped courtyard that also provides chaises, hammocks, plunge pools and outdoors showers. Each palapa is nestled into the native landscape of the Yucatan, with white sand beach just steps away. Photo: Viceroy
La Fortuna at Atitlan, Guatemala
With just four guest rooms, this lakeside eco lodge feels more like a home than a hotel. Bungalows and suites set on the shores of Lake Atitlan are built from locally sourced materials and showcase handcrafted furniture and local textiles. Each room opens to an outdoor shower alcove intricately fabricated from rock, surrounded by a wall made from recycled glass bottles. Photo: La Fortuna at Atitlan
Four Seasons Bali at Jimbaran, Bali
Experience Balinese hospitality at this resort nestled right on the waterfront. Designed to look like a traditional Balinese village, the all villa property takes in 35 acres. The luxurious villas have private plunge pool and terrace surrounded by flowers with sea just steps away. Outdoor spaces are stone walled courtyards where outdoor showers, private space and garden settings are enjoyed in intimate moments. Photo: Ken Seet/Four Seasons
Lapaz Rios Lodge, Costa Rica
The jungle comes right up to the bathing area behind courtyard walls at Lapaz Rios Lodge, which is situated on a private 1000-acre rainforest reserve in Costa Rica’s wild Osa Peninsula. The grounds sit on the point where the Pacific Ocean meets the Golfo Dulce. Open-air bungalows allow nature to waft throughout while screens keep those uninvited creatures at bay. Here you’ll fall asleep to the sounds of the waves offshore and wake to the chatter of howler monkeys. Photo: Lapaz Rios Lodge
Paradise Taveuni Island, Taveuni Island, Fiji
At this intimate oceanfront resort, guests can enjoy a private moment in an outdoor shower garden attached to an ocean-view villa. Known as bures in the Fijian language, these traditional thatch-roof cottages sit on the oceanfront grounds of a former coconut plantation, overlooking the colorful coral reefs of the Somosomo Straits. Guests can snorkel from shore, or take a boat into deeper water where whales and dolphin are often seen. Photo: Paradise Taveuni
The Perry Hotel, Key West, Florida
Old becomes new in an outdoor shower at the Perry. Each room at this Key West hotel has been carefully crafted with rustic touches like reclaimed materials and wood-paneled headboards. Guests will discover unique flooring reminiscent of sand, seashells, and driftwood. Each spacious guest room comes with a front-row seat to spectacular Stock Island views. First floor Mangrove rooms are highlighted with outdoor showers and views of Key West sunsets over the saltwater lagoon. Photo: The Perry Hotel
Four Seasons Hualalai, Kona, Hawaii
The decor at the Four Seasons draws inspiration from nature, and pays homage to the island’s traditions of outdoor living. So it’s fitting that the walls of the outdoor shower gardens of the Makaloa Villa are made from the same lava rock that forms the building blocks of the island itself. More than 125 of the property’s rooms and suites contain similar outdoor showers and private garden courtyards. Photo: Four Seasons
Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, Costa Rica
The jungle provides the soundtrack for a refreshing rinse at this unique jungle lodge. Each guest retreat is separate from the Main Lodge, and features private entrances, beautiful hardwood floors, private open air showers and wrap around terraces. Immersed in the rainforest and fronted by calm gulf waters off the Pacific Ocean, Playa Nicuesa is reachable only by boat. This environmentally sensitive lodge caters to travelers interested in ecotourism, nature, and adventure sports. Photo: Playa Nicuesa
Jake’s Hotel, Jamaica
The beachcomber lifestyle comes to life at this eclectic resort set on Jamaica’s Treasure Beach. The property’s collection of one-of- a-kind oceanfront cottages and bungalows incorporate found materials such as driftwood, shells and sea glass, creating an ambiance that Robinson Crusoe would have appreciated. Ditto for the outdoor showers, which combine whimsical materials with beachside placements that usher in salt air and sheltered views of the ocean. Photo: Jake’s
Kukuiula Resort, Kauai, Hawaii
The combination of floor-to-ceiling windows and courtyard walls constructed from native volcanic rock allow guests at the Kukuiula Resort to experience a sense of outdoor living while also enjoying total privacy. A focal point of each courtyard is the open-air rainforest shower patio, where guests can take full advantage of Kauai’s year round mild weather. The resort’s island-style cottages and villas are close to fine dining, a spa and an 18-hole championship golf course. Photo: Kukuiula Resort
COMO Maalifishi, Thaa Atoll, Maldives
The aptly named water suites at this private island retreat provide numerous options to immerse and refresh. These over-the-water rooms have window walls that bring in views of the waters of Thaa Atoll, and bathrooms feature sunken tubs and outdoor showers. If that isn’t enough, there’s also the private plunge pool on the sun deck, and steps leading right down to the waters of the lagoon. Ashore, the resort’s beach suites also offer outdoor showers and baths. Photo: COMO
Naraya Springs, Costa Rica
To follow up on a day of horseback riding, canopy tours, water rafting, or hiking the trails of the Arenal Volcano Nature Park, guests at Naraya Springs retire to their private walled garden. Here, they can step into a personal plunge pool or refresh under the twin cascades of their rainforest shower and take in the lush tropical setting. After drying off, you can end the day with a relaxing yoga session or a spa visit. Photo: Naraya Springs
Four Seasons Punta Mita, Punta Mita, Mexico
The outdoor shower goes upscale at this premier Pacific Coast resort. In the Four Season’s oceanfront suites, a glass wall connects the elegant marble bathroom and soak tub to the private shower courtyard, which also includes a day bed for relaxing, or perhaps using the sea breezes and sunshine drying off au natural. These suites also offer open terraces with direct views of the ocean, and the chance to see migrating whales passing offshore. Photo: Four Seasons
Ti Kaye Resort & Spa, St. Lucia
The courtyard shower spaces at this hillside retreat epitomize the philosophy of nature plus nurture that has made St. Lucia the epicenter of the Caribbean’s eco-lux hotel trend. In addition to private courtyards, Ti Kaye’s gingerbread-style hillside cottages provide sea views from furnished balconies, where hammocks invite lazy afternoons and a ringside seat for sunsets. For added relaxation, guests can visit the resort’s wine cave, which has one of the most extensive collections in the Caribbean. Photo: Ti Kaye Resort
There’s nothing like standing under the cool, cleansing flow of an outdoor shower set amid natural surroundings. While lathering up in bubbles, you might hear the songs of birds, monkeys chattering in the trees or the sea rolling ashore. Bringing you closer to nature and pictured here is a close up of a private courtyard outdoor shower at the Blancaneuax Lodge in Belize.
Any visit to the Big Island should include at least a day spent discovering the island’s fiery origins, and nature’s amazing transformation of ash wastelands into verdant rainforest. All of this and more can be seen with a day of road tripping along the island’s southeastern coast, with plenty of interesting stops, short hikes and maybe even a swim along the way.
A night scene of molten lava seeping from underground fissures to meet the cooling waters of the Pacific. The hot flow will solidify to create new land. Photo: iStock
The trip begins in Hilo, where Highway 11 leads into the area known as the Puna District. A right turn onto Highway 130 takes you through an orchid farm to historic village of Pahoa, where you can stock up on fresh fruits grown in the region’s rich volcanic soil. Follow route 132 to begin the 12- mile scenic drive along the coast that offers many reasons to stop.
A favorite stop is the lighthouse at Cape Kumukahi, which is Hawaii’s easternmost point. A scientific monitoring station located on the point has shown that the easterly winds that wash the point are the cleanest air in the world.
The lighthouse at Cape Kumukahi sits at the easternmost point in the Hawaiian Islands, with sea breezes that bring what is said to be the freshest air in the world. Photo: iStock
After taking in the big view of sea, sky and breaking surf, stop by the nearby beach to watch body surfers challenge the breakers. Leave the big waves to the experts, as you have two excellent chances to get wet just down the road. First up are the Waiopae Tidepools, which offer clear, fish filled shallows, sheltered from the waves. A half-mile down the road is the thermal pools at Ahalanui Park, where sulphur water heated by volcanic vents provides a relaxing soak.
A body boarder challenges breaking surf in a rock-bound cove near Cape Kumukahi, which is the easternmost point in the Hawaiian Islands. Photo: iStock
The highway hugs the shore, passing two more beach parks and the site of Kalapana. This coastal hamlet was partially covered by a lava flow in 1990, and at a coastal overlook you can still see steam rising from an active vent where hot magma meets the cooling waters of the Pacific. If time permits, Lava Tree State Park offers a short hike through unique formations formed when lava flowed over trees, creating enduring stone replicas of their trunks.
Trees grow in black lava at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Over time, their roots will begin to break down the rock to create fertile topsoil. Photo: iStock
A return to Highway 11 will bring you to the artists’ community of Volcano Village, an oasis of rainforest green just outside the entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. It’s a good place to grab a bite and top off the tank before heading into the park. At first, the park’s Crater Rim road remains cloaked in greenery. The scenery changes as you pull off at Kilauea Overlook, and survey the vast tracts of cinder and blackened rock that drop into Kilauea Iki Crater. There is a four- mile trail that descends into the Crater, then climbs the opposite rim, but you’d need study shoes, plenty of water and sun protection to take that on.
The green-clad upper rim of Kilauea Iki Crater provides a stark contract to the interior, which is a realm of cinder and ash, with steaming phosphorous vents. Photo: iStock
Instead, take a relaxing walk along the crater rim, and then make a short drive to another overlook that gives access to the Thurston Lava Tube. A lava tube is the solidified remains of what was once a flowing underground river of molten rock. Some stretch for miles, but the Thurston cave is relatively short, and has lighting and walkways that make exploration easy.
A walkway leads to the entrance of the Thurston Lava Tubes in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Inside, stairs lead down to a lit passage where lava once flowed. Photo: iStock
By now, it’s probably getting on toward late afternoon, but there’s still time to take in one more sight. Continue southward onto the Chain of Craters Road, which winds through a barren landscape of black lava rock. But even here, there are signs of life. Grasses and ferns grow through cracks in the lava. Lone Aalii and Ohi’a Lehua trees stand like solitary sentinels, their roots probing crevices in the rock for pockets of water, and slowly but inexorably turning rock into gravel, then soil.
Tufts of grass sprout from fields of black volcanic ash along the shoulders of the Chain of Craters Road in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Photo: iStock
Over the years, this road has been repeatedly covered by lava flows. It is once again open, and leads to the sea. Before it was covered in flowing lava, this coast was once rich farmland, and the site of sacred temples. Today, it provides a dramatic lesson of how this island chain was formed. Visitors who make it to the coast are standing on some of the youngest land in the world.
The Chain of Craters Road leads across desolate lava flows to end of the coast, where surf crashes against some of the youngest land in the world. Photo: iStock
Any visit to Hawaii should include a luau. These traditional island-style parties are part feast, part performance and all about having a good time. Though menus sometimes vary, there are favorites that almost always show up on the table. Here are some of the savory staples that you can expect to enjoy.
A favorite luau appetizer is poke, which is the Hawaiian word for cutting or slicing. Dishes that go by this name are made from chunks or slivers of raw fish marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil and seasonings. Traditional versions include aku and he’e, which are made from yellow fin tuna or octopus, respectively. Creative chefs may substitute salmon or shellfish, and garnish with chopped onions, chilies, seaweed, fish eggs and wasabi.
The raw fish dish known as poke is believed to originate with fishermen who marinated trimmings from their catches in soy sauce and spices to create a tasty appetizer. Photo: iStock
Locals love a savory bowl of Hawaiian oxtail soup, and will debate which island kitchen turns out the best recipes. Also known as luau stew, this hearty broth is created by stewing the namesake beef tails in their own juices until tender. Steamed taro leaves and a dash of coconut milk go into the pot, along with savory accents such as ginger, anise, orange peel, peanuts, chili and mustard.
Hawaiian luau stew is an island favorite. This version of oxtail soup is made by simmering the meat until tender, then adding spices and steamed taro leaves. Photo: Leigh Anne Meeks/ iStock
Though not a traditional food, Hawaiian Pizza has found its way onto many luau buffet tables. Both the name and the idea of combining ham and pineapple on a pizza crust are actually credited to a Canadian baker. The recipe spread across North America before arriving in the islands. Local versions may substitute a Hawaiian favorite, spam, and include additional garnishes such as red onions and green bell peppers.
Despite the name, Hawaiian pizza is actually an import first created in Canada. When it appears on luau menus, it is often with a nod to the local preference for spam rather than sliced ham. Photo: NA Grittsaom/iStock
Luau guests are often treated to the enticing scent of grilling huli huli chicken. What sets this version of the barbecue favorite apart is the constant basting and turning the birds receive while on the grill. In the Hawaiian language, the word “huli-huli” means turn, turn. It is this constant attention and the frequent basting that keep the meat juicy and tender. Purists say that this dish is best when made from local fowl that are a cross breed of domesticated chicken and the red jungle fowl that roam the islands.
Grill masters baste huli huli chicken in a savory sauce made from soy sauce, fresh lemon and pineapple juices, with accents of ginger, garlic, brown sugar and sherry. Photo: Robson Abbot/ iStock
Poi is the original Hawaiian comfort food, and a long-time staple starch of the native island diet. This porridge-like dish is made by mashing the cooked root of the taro plant into a pasty liquid, and then adding water before it is served. Depending on the amount of water added, it can take on consistencies from liquid to dough-like. When served fresh it is known as sweet poi, and when left standing to ferment, it becomes sour poi.
Depending on consistency, the starchy dish made from crushed taro root may be called “one, two or three-finger” poi, referring to the number of fingers required to scoop it up. Photo: iStock
A Kalua pig is often the centerpiece of a luau. The traditional Hawaiian cooking method known as kalua begins by digging a dirt pit known as an imu, where rocks are heated by an open fire. A pig wrapped in wet burlap and layered with banana leaves is then placed in the pit, along with more hot rocks. The pit is covered and left to slow cook for six to eight hours. The result is meat that is uniformly juicy and tender, embellished by the smoke flavors of hardwoods. It is usually served shredded, and is delicious without the need for any additional sauce.
The pit cooking methods of Kalua allow steam and smoke flavors from koa wood, ti and banana leaves to infuse the meat with a mild yet distinct flavor. Photo: iStock
Like the islands themselves, the modern-day Hawaiian shirt is the product of a mixing pot of cultures and traditions. The colorful, casual designs of today represent a convergence of influences, with its deepest roots in the colorful patterns of kapa cloth. This traditional Hawaiian fabric was usually dyed in bold geometric patterns, and worn as loincloths known as kapa malo, or sarong-like wraps known as kapa pa’u.
The arrival of European missionaries heralded a new era of conservative western-style dress through much of the 19th century, but dress codes began to relax and expand in the early 20th century, when migrants from the east came to work the sugar plantations and pineapple fields. The Chinese brought brightly colored and loose fitting silk garments, while workers from the Philippines favored the relaxed feel of the untucked and cool-wearing barong tagalog. At around the same time, Japanese immigrants transformed the cooling fabrics and loose fitting style of the kimono into a short-sleeved work shirt that would become known as the palaka. The traditional palaka sported a checkerboard design, but it wasn’t long before the cultural mingling lead to bold new interpretations that also tied into Hawaiian kapa cloth designs.
Most historians give credit to a merchant named Ellery Chun for popularizing the first modern version of what we now call the Hawaiian shirt. In the 1930s, his dry goods store in Honolulu began selling a garment he labeled the Aloha Shirt. It wasn’t long before other tailors began creating their own versions of these loose-fitting, brightly colored shirts. As the first wave of vacationers arrived from the United States, many returned home with bright Hawaiian shirts as reminders of their time in the islands.
Following World War II, the Hawaiian shirt became the unofficial symbol of a new cultural attitude that embraced a more relaxed dress code and lifestyle, and these shirts would eventually become accented business attire. Hollywood popularized the style, and by the 1960s, the Hawaiian shirt had made its way into mainstream American culture. There have been a number of subtle variations in style, materials and colors in the years since, but one thing remains unchanged: put on a Hawaiian shirt, and you are almost guaranteed to take life just a little bit easier.
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