Hawaii is one of those places where everything just works. I love the beach vibe, laid back lifestyle, but there is also the opportunity to shop for bargains, which I find equally exciting on holidays. However, it is the beautiful weather that is the number one reason to go. We have been there a few times now and usually stick to the main tourist area of Waikiki. It is the perfect stop over on route from Australia to main land USA or it is a great holiday destination in it’s own right. You could easily stay a few weeks if you have the time.
As a family there are a number of fantastic options for accommodation. There are huge resorts like The Hilton Hawaiian village which is very popular, or budget options like the Ilikai apartments. We stayed at Embassy Suites, which probably sits somewhere in the middle price wise. We love the location of the Embassy Suites, it is right in the heart of the Waikiki action, only one block away from the beach and close to transport options. We enjoy walking around of an evening to look in all the shops, go out to dinner, get ice creams and generally just going for a stroll to check everything out.
The rooms themselves are apartment style, which is very handy with young children. Having a kitchenette to prepare endless snacks and a lounge area, so when the kids are sleeping the adults have their own space which works really well.
A major reason I love Hawaii is that there is so much to see and do. Often, I worry when going to tropical islands that I will get bored. Especially if the weather is not as favourable as we hoped, ruling out the beach days. However, on the main tourist island of Oahu there are plenty of options both at the beach and in and around Waikiki.
In Waikiki, the beach itself is one of the main reasons why you would go, the waters are warm and inviting. At times you may even find yourself swimming with turtles. You can hire a surfboard and give the sport a try, by catching some of the mellow waves, warning- it is not as easy as it looks though. The view of diamond head is also pretty special. Out of the water, there are a number of souvenir shops and many other brands also have some major stores here. We loved walking through the international market place, which was filled with many weird and wonderful things to buy but over the years this has changed from what it once was.
My favourite place to shop on Oahu is the Waikele outlets. The word ‘outlet’, does present the image of bargain shopping, and there really are some good deals on offer here. You will find many of the leading brands we know and love in Australia. You can join shopping tours that will take you here from the heart of Waikiki or you can also arrange your own transportation. A closer shopping option is the Ala Moana Shopping centre. They too have many brands Australian’s love and it is all laid out in an open style shopping centre, you can catch the bus from Waikiki or even walk.
Most tourists like to experience the Polynesian culture whilst they are visiting and the best way to do this is by attending a Luau. They will provide you with traditional style Hawaiian entertainment like the hula dances and fire twirling and also feed you up with their traditional Polynesian feast. There are a number of places where you can do this. We attended one at the Sea life park. The Sealife park itself is great for families, you can watch the marine animals perform in shows or just check them out in their exhibits, you may even be lucky enough to feed them. We had a great day out here.
The number of exciting and interesting things to do on the island seems endless, the top attraction is Pearl harbour. You can view a sunken vessel just beneath the water surface from a viewing platform, this is the remains from a Japanese attack in 1941, and there are many historical stories told in the memorial site/ buildings associated with this attraction. An interesting place for those historical buffs.
A place I love to visit is Hanauma Bay, which is a huge reef very close to shore. Here you can snorkel or even just go ankle deep into the water and you can see and feed the fish. I remember visiting here in my teens and it was overrun with coral and fish in all different species. These days the reef has been sadly ruined by many uncaring tourists who walk on the coral. They have put in an education centre to make visitors more aware and I really hope this helps to improve the reef and restore it. It is still a beautiful place to visit but just needs to be respected so it can survive for many more years.
You could visit here on an island tour as it is part the way up the north shore. There are a number of tours that will do a route of the island stopping at a number of sites along the way. Another fun option is to hire a car. Thinking we were cool we got a convertible jeep but only lasted 10 minutes before we were too hot and put the roof on to use the air conditioning. Make sure you check out the famous half pipe surf beach and spot the endless fields of pineapples throughout the island.
Many families also like to visit Kualoa Ranch which is a 4000 acre private nature reserve and home of many famous movie sets like Jurassic park. They offer many different types of tours from ATV to horses and it is beautiful scenic place where you could easily spend the full day.
When researching Hawaii you will find a number of different options, you might like to discuss these with me and get some advice on which places would suit you and your travel buddies. I spend a lot of time researching and also attend trade education sessions where we learn about hotels that have just had multi million dollar renovations. Or who’s pool might be closed when you are planning on travelling. I also have access to trade pricing and regular special deals so if you are thinking of booking Hawaii I would love to help you out. Contact me at kylie@kb4travel.com.au Aloha!
