Activities, Adventures, Beaches, Hotels, Restaurants, Sightseeing, Tours, Uncategorized

Mesmerized by Honolulu.

Posted by christinetravels on
Honolulu is located on the island of Oahu and is the capital of Hawaii. I have been blessed to travel to Honolulu in March 2011 and July 2013. The people are friendly and the scenery is just as you would imagine, breathtaking.  I stayed in hotels on both occasions in Waikiki where the area is full of dining, accommodation, shopping and home to the famous Waikiki beach.

Airlines

Jetstar has affordable flights to Honolulu and frequently offer cheaper flights. Return flights from Sydney can be under $899.00 AUD. In 2013, my partner and I were offered a paying upgrade to Business class, the seats were comfortable and leg space slightly bigger than economy class.  I suggest only accepting paying upgrades if you are travelling long-haul flights where the comfort of extra legroom and a slightly comfortable seat will definitely make a difference otherwise don’t bother.

http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/home

Hawaiian Airlines also offers affordable flights to Honolulu. I travelled on this airline with my Mum in 2011 and found the airline crew hospitable and attentive, the seating comfortable and overall a great journey.  

https://www.hawaiianairlines.com/

 Accommodation

The Sheraton Hotel is located on the Waikiki beachfront, although expensive I highly recommend this hotel for its location, practicality and facilities. The hotel has an adult only infinity pool called “Edge of Waikiki” and for children, they can enjoy the “Helumoa Playground” pool that has a 15-foot high by 70-foot long water slide. Both swimming pools have a view of Diamond Head.
 
The oceanfront room has a fabulous view of the infinity pool, Pacific Ocean and Waikiki Beach all the way down to Diamond Head.
 
On a negative side, like all US hotels, this resort charges a hefty daily resort fee, however, it does have some inclusions that will interest you. Please click on the following link –
If you feel like indulging yourself with afternoon canapes, drinks and a high rise view of Waikiki Beach, you should pay for access to the Leahi Club on the 30th floor.  The Leah Club has all day benefits from breakfast, snacks and beverages, canapes, free WI-Fi and computers.
My main picture for this blog is me in the Club Lounge overlooking Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head. 

http://www.sheraton-waikiki.com/?SWAQ=958P

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Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort – This hotel is also located at the opposite end of  Waikiki Beach and is a great family resort.  The resort has five swimming pools, a saltwater lagoon, a spa salon, a fitness room, a kids club, daily activities, restaurants and bars.
Here, I stayed in an ALII Partial Ocean View 2 Double Beds Room with my Mum. We still had a view of Waikiki Beach but not as spectacular as the Oceanfront rooms. Reality is you don’t really spend that much time in your room to have enough time to appreciate the view enough as you are sightseeing throughout the day. But then again, it’s always nice to start the day with a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean. Think wisely when booking.
 
During my 2011 stay, my family and I found ourselves enjoying Waikiki beach in front of the Sheraton Hotel.  It is a nice quaint spot away from the hustle and bustle. Make sure you take some time to wade in the saltwater lagoon too.

Beaches

Only went to 2 beaches, I didn’t explore as much as I would have liked due to limited time as my trips continued onto the United States mainland. 

Waikiki Beach – We spent a lot of our time on this beach.  And like us, you may even see turtles out the front of The Sheraton hotel. 

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Oahu’s North Shore – This is a famous Surfers beach. Don’t go on a tour, hire a car and venture off yourself as we did a tour and felt rushed and did not get to really enjoy enough time on the beach.

Tours

Mai Tai sunset cruise – This is a sensational experience sailing along the Pacific Ocean whilst drinking unlimited Mai Tais and wine. The backdrop of Hawaii is stunning and the crew attentive. I recommended this tour to friends, who also loved it. Don’t leave Hawaii without a sunset cruise.

http://www.maitaicatamaran.com/sunset-sail.htm#tour

 

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Helicopter – OMG amazing and something everyone should do. I, unfortunately, had the helicopter with no doors and was petrified the whole time but putting that aside it was breathtaking. Hawaii, Whitehaven Beach QLD and The Grand Canyon in Nevada are the places where a helicopter ride is a must. It’s a memorable experience that stays with you forever.

https://www.viator.com/tours/Oahu/45-minute-Oahu-Helicopter-Tour-Hidden-Oahu/d672-5055HIDDEN

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Pineapple Plantation site – An interesting place I visited twice, however, I would not suggest going out of your way when there are other activities you may find more worthwhile to do.

 Activities

Pearl Harbor – A sad and interesting place to visit, you walk away with no doubt a multitude of feelings. As sensitive as I am I couldn’t hold back the tears. This is definitely an activity to do either on a tour or you can do it on your own. I have done both. I recommend booking in advance.  Pearl Harbour is full of tourist, put on your patience hat.

https://visitpearlharbor.org/

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War Memorial Natatorium –  The walk from Waikiki Beach from the Sheraton Hotel was approximately 25 minutes, it’s a pleasant walk. The Natatorium is a World War I memorial with a salt-water swimming pool built-in the ocean on Waikiki’s San Souci beach. The Natatorium was closed at the time and appears it still is. The Honolulu Zoo is a 10-minutes walk from here, going back towards Waikiki Beach and to climb up Diamond Head is approximately a 46-minute walk from the War Memorial.

https://natatorium.org/

Diamond Head –  Is one of the most famous landmarks in Hawaii, once an active volcano now it’s just a crater. Visitors can trek this volcano and see a view of Waikiki Beach from up above. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to hike Diamond Head, however, I did fly over it in the helicopter.

Follow the link for more details on hiking Diamond Head – http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/oahu/diamond-head-state-monument/

Fireworks Display – My first trip we stayed at The Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort, where they have the most amazing fireworks display every Friday evening. Fireworks in January are at 7.45pm. A definite must see.

 http://www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com/resort-experiences/entertainment-and-events

Waikiki Starlight Luau – Mum and I enjoyed this cultural Polynesian show.  It is always nice to see a traditional cultural dance when overseas. Hope you are able to take the time to take in some culture.

Dining

Dukes – This casual dining restaurant by the seaside is legendary and a place you will find yourself visiting more than once. The cocktails and food are delicious here. I recommend the burgers, coconut prawns and the buffalo wings are the best I have had worldwide.

http://www.dukeswaikiki.com/

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Ocean House Waikiki – I wanted to recommend this fabulous restaurant to you for sunset dining. I have been lucky to dine here several times but it appears that they closed last year. So disappointing.

http://oceanhousewaikiki.com/

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The Cheesecake Factory – Now you are probably thinking really the cheesecake factory but yes I recommend it. It’s a nice casual place in the CBD with yummy food that everyone will like. Give it a shot!

https://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/

Wolfgang Puk – If you love steak and don’t mind splurging a little, come to Wolfgang Puk. The food was fantastic here.

http://wolfgangssteakhouse.net/waikiki/reservations/

Shopping

Ala Moana Mall – A great mall with everything, you may even go twice, try not to spend all day here.

https://www.alamoanacenter.com/en.html

International Market Place – A good area to check out for nifty items. There was a cute little reasonably priced store with kaftans here. I was silly and only bought 1 on my first visit then 2nd visit it was gone. Make sure to check if there are any kaftan or swimwear here as it will be a better price in the marketplace.

http://www.shopinternationalmarketplace.com/

Kalakaua Ave stores – Located in the heart of Waikiki you will find stores like Michael Kors, Forever 21, Victoria Secret, Apple Store, Bebe, Kate Spade and more.

http://dguides.com/oahu/shopping/kalakaua-avenue/

Waikele Shopping Outlet – This outlet is fantastic and the best outlet to go to with fabulous discounts on designer items. You can get some great prices on Michael Kors bags and wallet here and James and I are still loving and using all our Adidas clothing and footwear since 2013. This is the best place to buy sneakers, I suggest you buy 2 pairs.

http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/waikele

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Honolulu is an amazing place to get away and I hope I have the pleasure of exploring Oahu Island more in the near future and can share some new experiences with you.

3 Comments Add yours

  1. todd's avatar todd says:
    January 27, 2018 at 8:38 pm

    Some great tips here Chistine, Thanks.

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    1. christinetravels's avatar christinetravels says:
      January 27, 2018 at 9:54 pm

      Thanks Todd. Glad you enjoyed it.

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  2. toddw069's avatar toddw069 says:
    January 27, 2018 at 8:41 pm

    Some great Tips here Christine, Interesting read.

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