Honolulu, Waikiki and Oahu travel adventures

323 Pages·2008·9.214 MB·English

by  Sharon Hamblin

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Honolulu,
Waikiki & Oahu
SharonHamblin
ravel Adventures
Honolulu,
Waikiki & Oahu
SharonHamblin
HHUUNNTTEERR
HunterPublishing,Inc.
30MayfieldAvenue
Edison,NJ08817
(cid:2)800-255-0343/Fax[phone]
Website:www.hunterpublishing.com
E-mail:[email protected]
INCANADA
UlyssesTravelPublications
4176Saint-Denis
Montreal,QuébecH2W2M5Canada
(cid:2)514-843-9882,Ext.2232/Fax[phone]
INTHEUK&EUROPE
WindsorBooksInternational
5,CastleEndPark,CastleEndRoad,Ruscombe
Berkshire,RG109XQEngland
(cid:2)01189-346-347/Fax[phone]
ISBN978-1-58843-665-8
©2008HunterPublishing,Inc.
MapsbyKimAndré,
©2008HunterPublishing,Inc.
Coverphoto:Tinalau/Dreamstime.com
4 3 2 1
Contents
Aloha!
Preface
Introduction 1
UsingThisGuide 1
O`ahuataGlance 1
Climate 3
Culture 4
TheHawaiianLanguage 4
DaPidginGuide 7
TheHawaiianPeople 8
Flora&Fauna 10
History 16
HollywoodMeetsHawaii 18
GettingHere 18
ByAir 18
ByCruiseShip 20
PackageVacations 21
GettingAround 21
TheBus 21
TheBoat 21
TheWaikikiTrolley 22
AirportShuttleServices 22
RentalCars 23
Taxis 24
LimousineServices 25
BetweentheIslands 26
TourCompanies 28
TripPlanning 29
BeforeYouGo 29
WhenToGo 31
WhattoBring 32
GettingMarried 32
HotelHelp 32
WeddingPlanners 33
Accommodations 33
Hotels&Resorts 33
Condominiums 34
VacationRentals 34
Bed&Breakfasts 34
Restaurant&HotelPrices 35
Eating&Drinking 35
FlavorsofHawaii 35
ii (cid:2) Contents
FishofHawaii 39
O`ahuFarmers’Markets 43
MadeonO`ahu 44
PracticalInformation 46
WebResources 46
PrintReferences 47
Radio 48
Spas 49
BeachSafety 52
SharingtheOcean 54
JustForKids 59
Holidays&LocalFestivals 60
O`ahuAdventures 66
Waikiki 69
AtAGlance 69
Orientation 70
History 70
Shopping 71
Sightseeing 75
AdventuresonLand 80
AdventuresonWheels 82
AdventuresonWater 83
WheretoStay&Eat 86
NorthWaikiki 87
Mid-WaikikiAccommodations 97
EastEndofWaikiki 110
VacationRentals 113
WheretoEat 113
DinnerShows/Luaus/MagicShows 136
Nightlife 137
Metropolitan Honolulu 141
AtaGlance 141
Chinatown 141
Parking 143
Shopping 143
Sightseeing 146
WheretoEatinChinatown 148
TheRestofMetropolitanHonolulu 151
Shopping 151
Sightseeing 157
NorthofHonolulu 167
Nu`uanuAvenue&thePaliHighway(Highway61) 168
TheManoaArea 173
Beaches 174
AdventuresonLand 175
AdventuresbyLand&Water 178
AdventuresonWater 179
Contents (cid:2) iii
AdventuresbyAir 185
WheretoEatinHonolulu 187
Nightlife 198
WheretoStay 199
Pearl Harbor 203
AtaGlance 203
Sightseeing 204
TheUSSArizonaMemorial 204
SecurityPrecautions 206
TheUSSArizonaMemorialVisitorCenter 206
ObtainingTicketstotheMemorial 207
TheUSSArizonaMemorialMuseum 208
TheMemorial 208
AdventuresonLand 212
Leeward O`ahu 213
AtaGlance 213
Weather 213
History 213
`Ewa 215
AtaGlance 215
AdventuresonLand 215
WheretoStay 216
Kapolei 216
AtaGlance 216
AdventuresonWater 217
AdventuresonLand 218
KoOlina 218
AtaGlance 218
Beaches 219
AdventuresonLand 220
AdventuresonWater 220
WheretoStay 221
WheretoEat 223
Wai`anae 224
AtaGlance 224
Beaches 224
AdventuresonWater 226
Makaha 226
AtaGlance 226
Sightseeing 226
AdventuresonWater 227
AdventuresonLand 227
WheretoStay 228
Luaus 228
North Shore 231
AtAGlance 231
iv (cid:2) Contents
SurfCulture 232
La`ie 235
Shopping 235
Sightseeing 235
Beaches 238
AdventuresonWater 238
WheretoEat 239
WheretoStay 240
Kahuku 241
AdventuresonLand 242
AdventuresonWater 242
TurtleBay 243
Sightseeing 243
Beaches 243
AdventuresonLand 243
AdventuresinAir 244
AdventuresinWater 245
WheretoEat&Stay 245
WheretoStay 247
SunsetBeach 248
Waimea 249
Shopping 249
Beaches 249
AdventuresonLand 250
AdventuresonWater 251
Hale`iwa 252
Shopping 252
Sightseeing 253
AdventuresinWater 254
AdventuresinAir 255
WheretoEat 256
WheretoStay 258
Windward O`ahu 261
AtaGlance 261
Kahala 264
AtAGlance 264
Shopping 264
AdventuresonWater 265
WheretoEat 266
WheretoStay 269
HawaiiKai 272
AtaGlance 272
Shopping 272
AdventuresonLand 273
AdventuresonWater 274
WheretoEat 276
KokoHead 277
Contents (cid:2) v
AtaGlance 277
Sightseeing 278
Beaches 279
AdventuresinWater 280
WaimanaloBay 281
AtaGlance 281
Shopping 281
Sightseeing 282
Beaches 284
AdventuresinWater 285
WheretoStay 286
Kailua 287
AtaGlance 287
Shopping 287
Sightseeing 288
Beaches 288
AdventuresinWater 289
WheretoEat 290
WheretoStay 292
Nightlife 293
Kane`ohe 293
AtaGlance 293
Sightseeing 293
AdventuresonLand 296
WheretoEat 297
WheretoStay 297
Kahana 298
AtaGlance 298
AdventuresonLand 298
Beaches 298
WheretoStay 299
Central O`ahu 301
AtAGlance 301
Mililani 301
Shopping 301
Sightseeing 301
AdventuresonLand 304
Waipahu 304
Sightseeing 304
AdventuresonLand 305
Wahiawa 305
Sightseeing 305
AdventuresonLand 307
PearlCity 307
WheretoEat 307
Aloha!
ThisbookwillhelpyounavigatethefascinatingislandofO`ahuwithease
andshowyousomeofmyfavoritespotstoeat,shopandspendthenight.
TheAdventureGuidetoO`ahuwasalotoffun(andwork!)towriteandIowe
mahalostomanypeoplewhohelpedmakethisendeavorpossible.
Firstofall,I’dliketothankpublisherMichaelHunterandthestaffatHunter
Publishingforofferingmethejobandfine-tuningthemanuscript.Thank
you,Michael,forgivingmethischanceandformypreviousbook–Adven-
tureGuidetoMaui–whichhasopenedsomanydoorsforme!
MyfamilyinCaliforniahasalsohelpedmakemanyofmydreamscome
true.ThankyouDad,Romane,MarcandJudy,KeithandJana,BibiandEric,
and all of my little inspirations – Amanda, Jared, Donovan and Olivia.
MahalotomyyoungerbrotherDalewhopromotedmyMauibookwithhis
ownmarketingstyleandalwaysencouragedmewhileIwaswritingthis
one.
Thank you very much to my biggest fan, Paul Ogden. You’re the best!
ThankstoBettyYoung,whoalwayshasasmileonherface,forherendear-
ingloyalty.
MoremahalostoVinnieColón,whogivesmetonsofsupportandadviceon
life,writingandonfollowingyourdreams.Also,thankstoJessieFitzgerald,
whoIhopesomedaygetsthechancetoliveinHawaii.
As with my last book, I dedicate this tome to my late mother, Karen
Hamblin,whoprovidedmewithunconditionalloveandtonsofsupport.I
loveyousomuchandwishyouwereheretosharemyhappiness.
WritingabookisahugeundertakingandIcan’tbelieveI’mdoingitagain.
ThereareanotherhundredpeopleIneedtothank,includingallofthosein
O`ahu,suchastheHawaiiVisitors&ConventionBureauandalloftheother
publicrelationsofficialsacrosstheisland.Icouldn’thavedonethiswithout
theeditinghelpofMaryDavis–IhopeyoumakeittoHawaiisomeday!
AndthankyoutoButtercup,myminiatureschnauzer,whoshowsmedaily
howtoletgoandseethebeautyinchasingaleafacrossafield.
I’vetriedtobeasaccurateandup-to-dateaspossiblewiththisbook but
O`ahuisanever-changingoasis.Ifyouhaveanysuggestionsorcomments,
[email protected].
IhopeyouenjoythebookandO`ahu–aspectacularislandwithsomuchto
offer!
SharonHamblin
Preface
Youmayhavebeentotheislandbefore,butthistimebepreparedfora
wholenewWaikikiandO`ahu!
Theisland,especiallythefamousandfabulousWaikikistretch,isexpe-
riencingahugerevitalization.Firstofall,theWaikikiBeachWalkhas
beencreated,providingafacelifttotheiconicbeachandthesurround-
ingarea.Yearsofplanningandover$535millioninrenovationshave
created a brand new Waikiki with a stylish shopping district full of
“AlohaSpirit”withitsnewshops,restaurantsandongoingfreeactivi-
ties.
O`ahu,themainislandintheHawaiianchain,isonly44mileslongand
30mileswide,butit’sfullofadventureateveryangle.Thereissomuch
toexploreandexperiencethatyoucouldspendeverymomentofyour
vacation on the move. Or, leave that to the adventurous types, and
spendyourdaystakingsomesunshineandenjoyinganafternoonMai
TaibeforeanelegantdinnercruiseonthePacificOcean.
Thisdiverseislandbringsyoualittlebitofwhateachoftheneighbor
islands has to offer. You have the nightlife of Maui, the beaches of
Kauai,theexoticqualityoftheBigIslandofHawaii,the“oldHawaii”
atmosphereofMoloka`i,andtheluxuryofLana`i.
Duringmytravels,Ifoundthispoem,whichmademecry.ThecopyI
haveisaversioncreatedbyNancyLake,whofoundthecompletepoem
atalibraryintheBigIsland.Theauthorisunknown.
IShallNeverLeavetheIslands
Imaygotomorrowandneverreturn.
Butstill,Ishallneverleave.
Myheartisinthebeatingsurf.
Mybreathisinthetouchofthetradewinds.
Foreverthefragranceofplumeriashallbewithme.
Icannotclosemyeyes
withoutfindingtherethesefluid,emeraldmountains.
Andinmyearsthesoundsoftheislands:
liltingdoves,wavescrashingagainstcoralreefs,
palmfrondswhisperingsoftly
andalways,Hawaiianmusic.
Ishallneverleavetheislands.
EnjoyyourtriptoO`ahuandIhopethisbookhelpsyouenjoyallthat
thisfabulousislandhastooffer.
Aloha!