Travel Story «Hawaii - Oahu - the gathering place»

United States | 0 Comments 09 March 2008 - Last Update 30 March 2008

Aloha, Welcome to Hawai'i. A very different world. A world of tropical weather, inspiring sunsets, Waikiki beach style men's shirts, spectacular Windward coast and above all: Honolulu, a world class metropolis with endless shopping & dining, the perfect definition of the Melting Pot. Hawaii has something to please everyone and yet we were happy to be part of the tourism crowd visiting the most isolated land mass on our planet.

Oahu, the gathering place

Oahu is the place where most visitors arrive and most of them stay in one of those big tasteless here-you-can-spend-it-all resorts. We weren't impressed, we decided to go budget and stayed for the first 4 nights in the Seaside Hawaiian Hostel. The perfect start for any Hawaiian trip since this hostel was right in the middle of it all: Waikiki beach, shopping & dining, public transit, Hanauma bay, Diamond Head and of course, Honolulu. For the first few days we kinda had to get used to it, being in such a remote place, coming directly from Cabo in Mexico, in the end it was a long journey to get to Oahu. One of the first things we did in Oahu was climb the Diamond Head trail, a must if you like spectacular views of Waikiki and Honolulu. We also went to Hanauma bay, which is a 20 minute bus ride from Waikiki (Kuhio ave, bus 22) to get up close and personal with some of Hawaii's most famous underwater world. The beach access to limited to number of visitors and Hanauma Bay for us will be remembered forever as the place where we swam with green sea turtles. Pearl Harbor was a sight we also visited and of course if you've seen the movie, then this place will be a familiar sight. It was surprising also to see the amount of Japanese visitors coming to this memorial. At the Royal Hawaiian hotel, Nicki and I were happy spectators and the resorts' Lua'u, an evening full of Hawaiian dance and entertainment. After a few days in bustling Waikiki and Honolulu area we took our rental car and drove across to the other side of the Island, Oahu's distances are rather small so don't worry about distances and time unless you are driving in Honolulu, you will guaranteed end up in traffic grid locks: a gentle reminder that yes, this is an American metropolis and Honolulu is no different. Our first stop when driving upcountry (through Pila Highway was the Lookout, 180 degrees views over the rim of the island. We continued our journey driving to Kailua Bay, home to some very nice white sand beaches and crystal clear waters, excellent for water based activities with the exception of snorkelling and diving. Heading upcountry again we stopped by the Valley of the Temples; where the Byodo-in temple is a Japanese temple in a perfect setting commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants coming to Hawai'i and opened in 1968. The adventure continued along the Windward Coast, dotted with surf beaches and great picture oportunities. One of the hightlights of our stay in Oahu was a visit to the Polynesian Cultural Centre, off Kamehameha highway. This place/park showcases traditional ways of living; from dancing to cooking, music, games and rituals, from the most famous spots in the Pacific: Aotearoa (New Zealand), Tonga, Tahiti, Samoa, Marquesas islands, Fiji and of course Hawai'i. The final day of our Oahu stay was filled with nature and pineapple. We continued our trip going north to see the Dole plantation and stopped along the Waimea valley and saw the Waimea falls. We spent our last day in the Equus hotel in Honolulu. Our Hawaii experience continued in the island of Maui.

 

 

 

 

Photo albums from United States

Hawaii - Maui - General (12)

28 March 2008 | United States | Last Update 13 March 2008

  • Along the Road to Hana
  • Ho'okipa Beach Park: very popular surfing spot on
  • View from our accommodation in Keokea, view on Wes
  • Hamoa Beach; close to Hana is one the lava beach a

Hawaii - Maui - Lahaina (6)

27 March 2008 | United States | Last Update 15 March 2008

Hawaii - Oahu - Pearl Harbor (4)

15 March 2008 | United States | Last Update 12 March 2008

  • the USS Arizona Memorial, remembering the tragic a
  • the sunken Arizona and in the background, USA last

Hawaii - Oahu - Waikiki (12)

15 March 2008 | United States | Last Update 10 March 2008

  • Coastal view from Diamond Head
  • Diamond head state park

Hawaii - Oahu - Windward Coast (6)

14 March 2008 | United States | Last Update 13 March 2008

  • An impressive Pali lookout. just outside Honolulu.
  • Pali lookout III
  • Pali Lookout.
  • Kailua Beach Park

Hawaii - Oahu - General (6)

13 March 2008 | United States | Last Update 13 March 2008

  • Alex, this piccie is especially taken for you. our

New York (10)

12 March 2008 | United States | Last Update 21 January 2007

Hawaii - Oahu - Hanauma Bay (4)

11 March 2008 | United States | Last Update 11 March 2008

  • Amazing views of the bay
  • a Hawaiian sergeant
  • A Marine sanctuary and a great snorkelling spot!

Los Angeles (12)

26 February 2008 | United States | Last Update 21 February 2008

  • Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, hard to find price tag
  • hollywood boulevard
  • this is where the drama will unfold on the 24th in

California - Tahoe & Highway 1 (17)

13 April 2007 | United States | Last Update 08 October 2005

Everglades National Park (12)

05 February 2007 | United States | Last Update 29 January 2007

  • roseate spoonbills...
  • Everglades Alligator
  • The Ernest Coe visitor centre entrance

Central Florida (7)

05 February 2007 | United States | Last Update 23 January 2007

  • Apollo 7 Moon Rocket. Kennedy Space Centre
  • Blue Springs State Park, wacthing the endangered M
  • Explorer Space Shuttle, Kennedy Space Centre
  • Launch Pad, Kennedy Space Centre

Miami (14)

05 February 2007 | United States | Last Update 22 January 2007

  • the pool at The Standard
  • Our Hotel, The Standard, Miami Beach
  • I am enjoying the time at the pool, The Standard,
  • Miami Beach at dusk

Key West (6)

01 February 2007 | United States | Last Update 29 January 2007

  • Key Wast Bahamian architecture. beautiful.
  • Key West, Hemingway House.
  • Sloppy Joe's Bar, a Key West icon at Duval Street,

Florida Keys (5)

30 January 2007 | United States | Last Update 29 January 2007

  • Islamorada
  • waving palms. Islamorada
  • Our rental car, Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, the two wee
  • on the way to Key West..

 

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