This is our second trip to Hawaii. Our first was for our 25th wedding anniversary back in 2013 then again in 2017. On both occassions we stayed at Waikiki right on the water. the first time was at the Sheraton and the last trip was at the Outrigger Resort. Both have their pros and cons, but the Outrigger was better due to it having a better "vibe" as can be seen in the photo below.
The beach is at the front of the Outrigger and it has a great bar, restaurant and cafe. However, there are more shops than you could imagine behind the Outrigger and you can buy anything you need or want. The markets aren't too far away - 5 min walk as is the night street food market.
If shopping is your thing, then the outlets are the way to go. take a bus or hire a car. Convertibles are as cheap as a sedan, so we treated ourselves to a mustand convertible!
Scenery is awesome, we we explored the island in the rental car. There are some amazing beaches up the coast where the locals go and generally tourists do not.
While headding north, we came across Giovanni's Shrimp Shack. We had to stop and get a feed. It was good and very inexpensive. A lot of people stop here.
We spent a day at the outlets and bought some stuff, mainly clothes and shoes as the prices are crazy low and they are all designer brands.
As it was Stephanie's birthday during our holiday, we did a helicopter tour of the island. We had a choice of doing it with the doors on or off the helicopter... we chose doors OFF! We had the front seats next to the pilot and Andrew's right shoulder was slightly out of the door during the entire trip. as a result, no photos were taken as he was too busy holding on, especially when the helicopter banked to the right! The scenery was spectacular and well worth it.
For dinner that night, we went to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for a degustation meal in a private cabana next to the beach. It was a lovely way to end the day.
We drove up to the Banzi Pipeline and Waimeia to see the big surf.... but it was flat as a pancake that day. Not a wave in sight!
We also did a tour of Pearl Harbour and saw the remains of the Arizona, which is still slowly leaking oil from the bottom of the harbour.
Our hotel view and outlook was great, but as nice as it was, we spent our time either on the beach, in the water or exploring some place on the island. The food markets were fantastic and a cheap place to eat at, so we had a street food dinner one night.
On another evening, we went to a traditional island dinner feast, just to see what it was like. As part of the experience, they demonstrated how they climb the coconut palms, and fish using nets in the lagoon.
It was a tyical touristy thing, but if you haven't done it before, then it may be worth doing.
Hawaii is another popular Aussie tourist destination. It's an easy holiday with lots to see and do if exploring and a rustic vacation is not your thing.
Opmerkingen