Hangin Loose in Hawaii

Anyone been ? How is it there? Thinking of going 2015. Thanks

Little Beach is a great spot. Wife and I love it there!

BobandJeana

Thanks. Thinking of spending a month there. Is that a little much for the stay there? How far to the nude beach ?

Happy Holidays

A month just for Little Beach is too much. A month for the entire island of Maui is just right, depending on your passion and physical condition for exploration. Little Beach itself is charming, but it can become a zoo at times, especially on weekends. I grew tired of it after an hour, but it's on the naturist/nudist/voyeur must-see list. For a helicopter fly-by view of Little Beach, check out the video at the bottom of LittleBeachMaui.com or go straight to Little Beach/Big Beach video (the Hawaiian song in the background always makes me cry).

To see what is there on Maui to see, I suggest that you get a copy of the book Maui Revealed. It's part of the best series of guidebooks to exploring the Hawaiian Islands as an outdoorsy tourist that I've seen. You'll then realize that there is a LOT of beauty to see and explore on the island that is not just drinks beside the hotel pool and attendance at a fake luau with fake flame dancers and fast tahitian dancing. There are the views of the sunrise from atop Mt. Haleakala (more than 10,000 ft above sea level), wind surfers on monumental waves at Hookipa, the unbelievable tropical beauty along the Hana Highway and on to "Seven Pools" (a fake name given by hippies, apparently, in the 60s/70s - as were the names "Little Beach" and "Big Beach"). Along the way are various de facto C/O beaches, all of which are known by local children as places to titter at "the naked people", but nice nevertheless.

If you have the time, maybe 3 to 5 days, I suggest you rent a condo at Kepuhi Bay on the far west coast of Molokai, the island west of Maui. The coastline there is still relatively empty, and if 2 miles of empty sandy coastline appeals to you, check it out, starting with a satellite view on Google Maps. The resort is a complex of private condos, the remains of a failed resort, and many of the owners have websites for rental of their units. Molokai is the most Hawaiian of all the Hawaiian islands (not in private ownership), and it's slow-moving by preference of its citizens. You will either love it intensely or get bored after a couple days. Either way,

Have fun!

~Reggie~

That, obviously, depends on where you're staying. If you staying in upscale Wailea or Makena, it's right next door (about a mile or two away). If you're in Kihei, it's maybe 15 minutes away, depending on traffic. Parking is in the public lots at Big Beach, and it's a short hike up over the rise to Little Beach, a cove carved out of the coastal cinder cone named Pu'u Olai. There are always voyeurs and naturist wannabees at Little Beach, but just remember that they're all really intimidated inside and wondering to themselves "how can they ever walk around naked in public like that?" and they're really envious.

For my own preference, I'd go to Big Beach on a slow day and do my nude sunbathing there away from the lifeguard towers and away from the Little Beach scene, but that's just me. Or you could try a beach along the arid southeast coast along the Pi'ilani Highway, but don't expect much shade or any amenities. There are a couple de facto C/O beaches near Wailuku, the capitol city, but no one will tell me where they are. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

~Reggie~

What exactly is the "Little Beach scene"?

Thanks Reggie. Will ponder <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Search YouTube.com and images.google.com for "Little Beach".

~Reggie~

Am assuming that the OP was asking about the Hangin Loose retreat 10 miles south of Hilo, on the eastern side of the Big Island HLoose . Am curious about it too, anyone been?

I guess you mean the bongos, dreadlocks, and bonfires...

If IpTanMan was asking about that retreat, the website says that it's 4 miles "from the ocean". That may not mean 4 miles "from the nearest nude beach". As far as I know, the well-known nude beach south of Hilo is Kehena Beach, which I'm told is very laid-back (but black sand does get hot in direct sunlight).

~Reggie~

We've spent many a lovely vacation at Hangin Loose. It's located in a neighborhood called Orchidland Estates about halfway between Keaau and Pahoa. The yurts are spacious, well appointed and have reasonable cooking facilities. The grounds are an old palm tree nursery so they are lush and tropical. Jan and Michael are wonderful people and excellent hosts. Some things to note. Hangin Loose is in a rural residential neighborhood, and you'll need to drive to go anywhere (~20-25 minutes into Hilo and the same to Kehena beach). It is the windward side of an Island where the topography has a big influence on the weather, it will rain (not constantly but the area gets on average 180 inches a year and at times it can be measured in inches per hour, not really a problem unless you're expecting Lahina weather). Overall a really nice naturist place, just know that it's small (three units) and is more like a self catering apartment (gite) than a resort.

best of luck

d

In any of your stays, did you encounter mosquitoes? (Mosquitoes are not indigenous to Hawaii, but first introduced in ships' water casks in 1826, and I hate 'em.)

~Reggie~

You should know about Sunday afternoons at Little Beach. There is a "drum circle" later in the afternoon, but LB the entire day is populated with hundreds of young textiles (20s and 30s) in their bikinis and board shorts. If that's your idea of a good time, being naked in a crowd of clothed people, then go on a Sunday.

We were there 2-3 years ago on a Sunday. My wife would not disrobe in that context, and from what I could see, the number of nude/topless females was few and far in between. In our area at the very south end of LB, there were about 20 nude men swimming with maybe 5 or 6 swimsuit-clad women.

During the week, the crowds are much smaller (50-100 at most), with most men nude and most women nude or topless.