just live eco-challenge

surfing the waves and hiking in a rainforest are probably tops on most to-do lists when travelers visit the islands, but the possibility of flying through the treetops are wooing more folks away from the beach for an afternoon adventure. putting a thrilling twist on the three hour tour, kauai's just live offers adrenaline junkies the chance to whiz 80-feet off the ground via zipline canopy tours along with rappelling and rock climbing escapades.

apprehensive tarzans like me who live vicariously via the amazing race (but who, in reality, start to get woozy above two stories) will appreciate the opportunity to face their fears with the help of certified instructors and the safety net of a harness. and, if you are planning to squeeze your eyes shut anyway, you may as well impress your friends and sign up for the once a month tour that lets you fly through the pines by the light of the full moon.

bigger challenges await on the ropes course which can be booked for private events, and, if your people cringe at the thought of singing "kumbaya" around the campfire, just live also offers a mix of team building & youth workshops in the great outdoors.

• tix: starting at $115
• fyi: ages 9 and up welcome

click here to take a virtual ride.

racing in the new year

looking to do something a little off the beaten path to ring in 2008? lucky you, it appears there is still time to snap up tickets for the new year's eve edition of ravenchase!

gather up your best code crackers and have fun exploring the nooks and crannies of town and chinatown during the second annual quest for father time. cryptic puzzles and mysterious characters help guide you to the final pit stop where players will enjoy a fabulous new year's bash along the honolulu waterfront.

• when: tonight @ 7pm
• tix: $125/$100 (kama'aina rate)

click rewind to learn more.

maui underground

hana lava tube

the next time you find yourself traveling down the world famous hana highway, consider taking a detour to explore the hidden caves of hana where lava once flowed deep beneath the earth. the ka'eleku cavern, aka the hana lava tube, is estimated to be over 1000 years old and is believed to be the 18th largest lava tube on earth.

if you have ever meandered through the thurston lava tube at volcanoes, the hana tube is a bit longer at two miles and is tall enough to fit a 6 story building. as adventures go, the self guided tour sounds relatively mellow so you don't have to be an experienced spelunker to make the trip underground since pathways have been cleared and guide rails lend a helping hand.

ti leaf maze

and, for those who prefer to stay up where the sun shines, additional amusement can be had by wandering amongst the red ti leaf plants which form an island style botanical maze on the property.

happy traveling!

treasure hunters in paradise

take one part da vinci code, mix in the amazing race, add the islands as your backdrop, and the intoxicating result is ravenchase adventures. if you have ever daydreamed about cracking codes while racing around the island, the time has come to gather a few friends and sign up for ravenchase's next treasure hunt to hit the pacific.

alas, there is no million dollar prize waiting for the winners, but the victorious team scores bragging rights and a hard earned trinket or two for their efforts. it's truly all about the journey for goonies at heart who must decipher clues with only a treasure map to guide them (and a few actors placed strategically along the way) to hidden nooks and crannies around the island which tests not only your teamwork skills but your knowledge of both the terrain and arcane of hawaii.

races typically take two hours with town and waikiki as the primary playground, however the neighbor islands are getting a little ravenchase love with recently rolled out adventures taking place on the big island and maui.

entry fees start at $25 for kama'aina ($35 for non-residents) and hit the $60/75 mark if you want to join the two day quest for the golden gnome race scheduled on oahu the weekend of june 16th (be sure to read the fine print before booking your reservation).

learn a few winners' tricks while living vicariously with the midweek team who raced all the way to the number one spot last year.

lava roy's ocean adventure

lava meets sea

my fella is totally fascinated with lava especially after we paid a visit to volcanoes national park on our honeymoon. since then he has talked about trekking into the park to camp and explore the lava fields (which is why i made him watch man vs. wild's survival guide to kilauea).

i know i am off the hook for that little adventure however i also know that he would dig watching the lava flow into the sea. a helicopter tour is out and, for safety reasons, you cannot get too close by land, however it is now possible to gaze at the plumes of smoke as the lava hits the pacific with lava roy's ocean adventure which operates a unique sizzling sunset tour.

the owner is a coast guard captain who pilots a ship aptly named the protector. tours take guests down the kalapana coast to a viewing point of the active lava flow where you can be mesmerized by the work of pele from the relative safety of the boat. tours are only available when weather permits so be sure to contact captain roy in advance to find out when the next sailing is scheduled.

{photo credit: hawaii tourism authority}