The Culture That Connects Us: Unique Experiences at Four Seasons in Hawaii

It begins with a welcoming aloha, and long after the vacation ends, Hawaii – her traditions and culture, the sights and sounds, the flavours and fragrances, her very rhythms – can stay with us long after the plane lands, the bags are unpacked and the tan fades.

Four Seasons, with four unique resorts on four very different islands, invites guests to experience the culture that connects us, to thousand year old traditions, stories passed from generation to generation, and a timeless way of life.

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Four Seasons Resort Hualalai

On Hawaii Island, “Uncle” Earl Regidor welcomes guests to our ohana – extended family, as he has since the Resort opened 23 years ago.  Growing up on the island, he can’t remember a time when there wasn’t music, so it’s no surprise that he’s usually got a ukulele in his hands, encouraging guests to join him in song or even pick up an instrument and play along.  It’s just one way that Four Seasons guests can connect with Hawaii’s past and present at the Resort’s Ka’upulehu Cultural Center, through interactive exhibits depicting island history, and classes in traditional Hawaiian activities take place.

But that’s only the beginning as you meet more of the colourful characters of today’s Hawaii, including our team of biologists who are applying centuries of tradition to restoring coastal ponds now teeming with oysters and shrimp that appear on our menus.  Source-to-table experiences abound, including visits to the forests, ponds and farms that supply Hawaii Island’s bounty.

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Four Seasons Resort Lanai

On the virtually untouched island of Lanai, Anela Evans spends as much time as possible on horseback, just as her father and grandfather before her did.   As the Resort’s Love Lanai Cultural Practitioner, she loves to share stories of her childhood on the island, and how its natural beauty shaped its history.  The Love Lanai program connects people to local culture and island traditions, and encourages guests to “go holoholo” – the local term for going walking, riding or driving, exploring and doing new things, just for the fun of it, with a new island tour.

For a truly memorable experience, Lanai’s kupuna – island elders –  invite guests to learn Hawaiian crafts and “talk story” - share vivid tales and oral history as they have done for generations.

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Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

One of a new generation making their home in Hawaii, Kids for All Seasons Manager Beth Murtha ensures that even our littlest guests take home a bit of Maui through creative activities inspired by the islands.  By connecting children with the land and its history, she hopes to inspire stewardship, a concept so important in Hawaiian culture.

Cultural Ambassador “Aunty” Wendy Tuivaioge guides guests of all ages in the arts of hula dancing, lei making, palm frond weaving and more through complimentary daily programming. For those seeking a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, the Resort also offers an ongoing program of customisable Unforgettable Experiences to continually finds new ways for guests to connect with local culture.

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Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina

Oahu’s western coastline is home to revered cultural storytellers, artisans, crafters and some of Hawaii’s most fascinating living legends. From watermen to kupuna, artisans to designers, these kama`aina are the breath of life to Hawaii.

Kahōkū Tavai, hula practitioner and concierge at Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina, introduces Four Seasons guests to #FSWayfinders, an ongoing weekly series featuring art, culture, history and in-depth workshops, weaving together traditions of the past with an occasional modern spin.  

The Resort also celebrates Hawaii’s contemporary artists, hosting regular exhibits and Moonlight Market events and providing opportunities to meet local artisans and shop for one-of-a-kind made-in-Hawaii items to take home.  

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