Traveling to Waikiki/Oahu

Spring Break is around the corner, and what better place to thaw out and enjoy some sun and sand than Waikiki Beach?! Never been, and don't know where to start planning?! Look no further. If there is one thing Kwaj folks know a lot about, it is traveling through Honolulu, especially Waikiki.

My sister and I- Spring 2014

Johnathon and Hadley- Fall 2015

To get to Kwaj, there is only one United flight that leaves Honolulu every other day. So in order to get back to Kwaj from the states you pretty much have to spend the night in Hono, and most of us have made a vacation out of the layover at one point or another. So I gathered the greatest minds in Hawaii travel (my Kwaj girlfriends), and we came up with some of what we consider the best food, hotel, and activity stops in Oahu! 

** My disclaimer here is this: If you have never been to Hawaii, I would recommend Maui to you any day of the week! We went in 2011 with my family, and loved it. It had the beauty that you would expect from Hawaii, some bigger resorts, but also plenty of undeveloped nature and scenery. However, I know lot's of people want to go to Waikiki specifically, and we've traveled there the most so that's what I'm going to talk about today!**

HOTELS

1)  Moana Surfrider: A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach

To me, this would be my #1 choice for a hotel on Waikiki. First of all, it is gorgeous. It is decorated to look like a fabulous Hawaiian plantation, and sticks out as the prettiest hotel on Waikiki beach. The hotel has a huge porch that runs along the back where you can eat at the restaurant, get a drink at the bar, people watch, or just relax in the rocking chairs. It is right on the main part of Waikiki Beach so you don't have to walk across busy streets to get to the beach (this is saying a lot since a large majority of Waikiki hotels are off the beach). Also, Westin hotels always have great beds in my opinion so that is an added bonus. The Moana Surfrider is the most expensive on the list, but if you want a hotel that has the bang for your buck, and is right in the middle of the action, this hotel is for you!

My sister and I at the entrance to Moana Surfrider

My mom and I on the back patio at Moana Surfrider

 

drinks on the patio with my mom and sister

2) Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort

The Hilton gets my "Best Pick for Families" award. The grounds are ENORMOUS. There are multiple pools, a calm lagoon for the little ones to splash around in, the hotel is right on the beach, there are countless restaurant choices that fit all budgets...I mean...you literally don't have to leave the hotel grounds if you don't want to. We stayed here last Fall, and had a really enjoyable stay here. The staff had a pack and play all set up for Hadley before we even got there, and were very friendly and helpful with anything we needed. We didn't do the Luau there, but I've heard the Luau they put on is AWESOME! 

3) Embassy Suites by Hilton Waikiki Beach Walk 

The Embassy Suites is another great option for families! It isn't as big as the Hawaiian Village, and it's also located off the beach, but is a quick walk and located closer to a lot of the more popular restaurants and shopping than the Hilton. It also has a free happy hour (with food!) at the pool every evening which is awesome because eating out on Waikiki can get expensive really quickly! 

I'm focusing just on the hotels on Waikiki, but if you wanted to stay on the North Shore The Turtle Bay Resort   is gorgeous and located right down the road from Bonzai Pipeline. My family and I also rented a time share in Ko Olina which is on the West side of the island. Ko Olina is much smaller and slower paced than Waikiki, so if you're looking for a relaxing stay in Oahu, Ko Olina may be for you!

These are pictures of the grounds and pool at our time share in Ko Olina. Disney also opened a resort in Ko Olina fairly recently!

DINING

My girlfriends and I had the most fun coming up with this list! We have no restaurants on Kwaj so when we get back to civilization we kind of go nuts in the food department and feel the need to try way too many restaurants!! I'll keep the descriptions brief so I can include all the best stops! If you are a foodie, Waikiki is definitely the place for you!

1) Eggs 'n Things: 

Delicious breakfast food with extensive menu options that won't break the bank. I feel like a lot of breakfast options on Waikiki are $50 a person buffets, so it's nice to have a restaurant that offers quality breakfast at reasonable prices. The only downside is if you go between 8am-10am be prepared to wait in line. MVP DISH: Macadamia Nut Pancakes

2) Cream Pot: 

Probably my favorite breakfast spot. Johnathon found this place on a solo trip to Hono. He came back and told me it looked like "Alice and Wonderland." I get that. It's very Shabby Chic/French Country inside. Everyone sits at these long farmhouse tables, and the waiters keep popping out of that tiny blue door like little Kebler Elves! A bonus for us was that there was NO WAIT when we went, and the food was amazing. They are known for their souffle pancakes, but I had a rustic egg scramble that blew me out of the water. 

3) Roy's:

There drinks are delicious...and STRONG!!

Johnathon and I went to Roy's on our first trip through Honolulu, and LOVED IT!!! I got the Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi and Johnathon got some sort of sushi roll that we couldn't stop talking about. I think Roy's is one of those staple restaurants that everyone will suggest to you when they find out your going to Waikiki. I will say, we did go back a second time about a year ago and were very unimpressed with the food. The waiter told me they rotate their menu's so maybe that was the problem, but so many people love it so it's still on the list! MVP DISH: Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi

4) Giovanni's Shrimp Truck:

My friend Cher hooked me up with pictures from the shrimp truck- These are her kids Christian and Meredith enjoying Giovanni's!

When I asked my friends for recommendations, two of them instantly text shouted "GIOVANNI'S SHRIMP TRUCK!!!" at me. The fact that it's a food truck all the way on the North Shore, and it still gets them this excited should tell you something right there! I love hole in the wall/word of mouth places and this fits the bill! Scampi, Hot n Spicy, Lemon Butter, or Jumbo Garlic! Whichever way you like your shrimp, Giovanni's has it!

5) Uncle Bo's:

Of all the recommendations, Uncle Bo's was the unanimous winner! It may not look like much from the outside, but apparently (sadly I've never been!) it is to die for. Pizza, surf and turf, pasta, pupu's...you name it! And it's another affordable dining option! Uncle Bo's is a must!

6) Morimoto's Waikiki:

Ishi Yaki Buri Bop - Yellowtail tail cooked table side in a hot bowl

Black Sesame Dessert

Yes. As in Chef Morimoto...IRON CHEF Morimoto. If you want to spend your kid's college funds on delicious, mind blowing Japanese...this is your place! Also, tell the bar tender you want a Coco Fraiche...your welcome. ;)

Coco Fraiche

7) Alan Wong's:

My friend Chamee and her husband Don went on a culinary adventure of sorts at Alan Wong's, and said it was beyond amazing. Alan Wong's is Hawaiian regional cuisine at it's best! This is another pricey stop, but if you dine here around the holidays, you could be rubbing elbows with the President. If it's good enough for POTUS it's good enough for me!

There are just so many great places to eat that I couldn't name them all! Our honorable mentions are: Yard House, Waikiki Brewing Co., Dukes, Chart House, Phuket-Thai food, & Lulu's! 

THINGS TO DO

1) Waikiki Beach

That's why you flew all the way here right?! Waikiki is the quintessential Hawaiian beach stop. While I was disappointed in the snorkeling department (It's so packed with tourists all the pretty fish and coral are gone), the sand is soft, the water is warm, and laying out with that view isn't too shabby either! This is also a great beach to give surfing a try! The waves are small, and there are countless surfing schools all along Waikiki!

2) Pearl Harbor

Johnathon on the USS Missouri

Ever since I watched Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett defend our country from Japanese dive bombers in the movie Pearl Harbor, I'd been dying to see the place in real life!! (You know you secretly liked that movie too!) We visited Pearl Harbor on our way out to Kwaj, and found it historically interesting and very moving. There is a fabulous museum at the memorial site that gives you an audio tour of the entire attack that I highly recommend. We went on the "bells and whistles" tour that took you on a several hour tour of the USS Missouri (where the peace treaty with the Japanese was signed), fed you lunch, took your through the museum, then out to the USS Arizona memorial. Unfortunately for us, on the day we went there was a wind advisory in the afternoon so they cancelled the boat that would take us out to the memorial. We asked around and apparently that happens frequently for the afternoon boat rides. I would suggest just going to the memorial and skipping the official tour. You can just show up and buy tickets to the museum and Arizona memorial tour for a lot cheaper, and you don't have to wait for the official tour to end before going out to the Arizona. 

They had this statue outside the USS Missouri...I still think we nailed it & color coordinated to boot!

3) The North Shore

My sister getting her photography on at the North Shore

I went to the North Shore in Spring 2014 when I met up with my family after being on Kwaj for six months. The North Shore is such a nice change from the south side of the island because it's really windy, much more green, and not nearly as developed. We literally just parked our car on the side of the road, walked a short ways and came out onto the most impressive waves I've ever seen! They were so big and LOUD, and we could've watched the waves and surfers for hours. Definitely worth the trip!

4) Diamond Head Hiking

Besides Waikiki, Diamond Head is what most people think of when they think of Oahu! It's definitely a hike, but the views from the top are spectacular!!

5) Dole Pineapple Plantation

So I haven't actually gotten to do this one, but I really want to! We drove past the plantation on the way to the North Shore but didn't get to stop in! The website says they have a 20 minute train ride through the plantation, a huge pineapple maze, restaurant and store! I just think this would be a fun place to take your kids if you wanted a break from the beach!

6) Things not to do!!!! The Honolulu Zoo and Aquarium! We took Hadley to both the last time we were there, and both the zoo and aquarium were small and a huge disappointment. The zoo seemed really poorly run, and the animal habitats looked in rough shape:

please notice the elephant exhibit with NO GRASS or shade!!!

The aquarium had a bunch of small fish in tanks (little tropical fish, sea horses, reef fish, etc) and NOTHING ELSE! We walked through in five minutes, went outside to see the two sea lions...and THAT WAS IT! Seriously, we thought it was a joke! Don't waste your time at either place!

Well there you have it! A veteran's guide to all things Oahu/Waikiki! This is by no means a comprehensive guide, but this should be a good start on planning your trip! If you have any suggestions on places to stay, restaurants, or things to do I'd love to hear them!! Aloha!