Aloha, Mahalo, Keiki -- That's All We Can Say in Hawaiian

Hawaii is one of our favorite family destinations and when we get news from resorts way out west, their emails usually start with "Aloha," a greeting, and finish with "Mahalo," or thanks for taking the time to read this.

In between, there's often a mention of "Keiki" as it means 'children' in Hawaiian, and of course that's why they write to us.

Now, in a fun new offering at Maui’s Ka’anapali Beach Hotel -- already known as “Hawaii’s Most Hawaiian Hotel” for its commitment to cultural authenticity -- guests can study Hawaiian.

Aloha - the resort has begun offering complimentary Hawaiian language classes as part of their already extensive cultural offerings for guests.

For the rest of the fall 2010, classes will begin every Friday at 2pm.  (Check their website for future scheduled classes.)  Families with kids of all ages will have the opportunity to take part in the interactive one-hour class where they will learn some basic Hawaiian language skills, including the following:

· The 12 letters of the Hawaiian alphabet – 5 vowels and 12 consonants
· The importance and use of 2 diacritical marks that affect the pronunciation and meaning of a word

o Verbal exercises using the ‘okina and kahakō

· How to pronounce words that have diphthongs – 2 vowels that make one sound

· Vocabulary words of everyday things, parts of the body

· Useful phrases and holiday greetings

· Tidbits of Hawaiian cultural practices

Don't worry -- the beach is beautiful, pools are great, and the food is fine, too. If the language and its unique pronounciation gets too much for the family, you can always try ukulele lessions, hula shows, lei making and much more.

And there's also the rest of beautiful Maui to explore!