It’s been a great few weeks for me – first a conference in Las Vegas and last week I travelled to Honolulu with my children for a short vacation. Hawaiian Airlines introduced direct flights from Brisbane in late November, so I decided to try them out and celebrate my 40th birthday at the same time!
The direct flights are terrific and they are already being well supported by Queenslanders (and also by people in other States), which is fantastic. And rightly so, much better than travelling via Sydney (for us Queenslanders anyway) and the move is set to make the Hawaiian Islands again one of the top destinations from Australia – something to rival Bali, Phuket and Fiji.
Honolulu is a magic destination – this was my fifth trip which has to be testimony to that. The weather is perfect all year round; it was 27 – 29 degrees every day we were there, even though it is their Winter. We spent our mornings sightseeing, our afternoons by the pool or on the beach, and the evenings shopping and wandering the streets after dinner.
Our accommodation of choice was the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach, which is in the perfect location, on the beach and directly across the road from the International Marketplace and in the heart of all the action and main Waikiki Beach area. This four star hotel has great rooms, great facilities and to me is in the ideal location. The Sheraton Waikiki, Moana Surfrider (Westin) and Sheraton Princess Kaulani are also in the same vicinity, and all are great places to base yourself and suit every budget.
There is so much to see and do, I don’t know where to start. We spent the first day snorkeling at Manauma Bay which is a fifteen minute drive out of town. This National Park location is a secluded bay where you snorkel straight from the beach and experience the coral reef, exquisite and ample fish and marine life, just a few short metres from the sand. It’s a fantastic experience, and was the main highlight for my kids, and is definitely a ‘must do’ opportunity. Northshore is also close to Waikiki and offers moe amazing snorkeling and fantastic surfing beaches.
Pearl Harbor is another main attraction. Take the boat to the Arizona Memorial to see where the 1177 naval officers are still entombed following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. You will see Battleship Row (still active today as the main US Pacific Naval Base) and the three memorial sites. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore the USS Bowfin submarine and the USS Missouri (which is the ship upon which the Treaty was signed to end WWII). The whole area is fascinating and a journey that will take you back in time.
Hire a car one day and journey around the whole island of Oahu. Stop off to see the Diamond Head volcano crater, the Dole pineapple cannery, the Polynesian Cultural Centre (which showcases all of the islands of the Polynesian region) and take in the remote and beautiful beaches, and spectacular scenery.
The shopping in Honolulu is fantastic, especially at the moment with our dollars virtually being 1:1 (this was also mentioned in my recent Las Vegas blog… a common theme here perhaps?). The Waikele Outlets are half an hour away from the main Waikiki area and is home to around 50 stores including Adidas, Guess, Ninewest, Coach, Levis, Banana Republic etc. Shuttles run to/from the outlets on a regular basis and shoes and clothing are less than half the price of what we pay here, so bargains are to be found everywhere. Ala Moana Shopping Center also offers a shopping haven for Australian tourists and is well worth a visit.
As in all of America, the food is inexpensive and massive servings. By the end of the week we were only eating half of what we were given and had eaten more than our fair share of burgers and fries! But it’s not just burgers, P F Changs is always a favourite as is Chilis and Margaritaville.
We were only away for a week but if you have more time then definitely explore the other Hawaiian Islands as they are all unique and are great destinations in their own right – think Maui, Kauai, Hawaii (the Big Island) and Molokai – which is home to the famous Outrigger Race.
Our time in Honolulu was fantastic and now that there are regular direct flights from Brisbane, I am sure we will be back for more ‘aloha’ time. It’s a great holiday destination, perfect conference location and terrific shopping spot! Honolulu definitely ticks all the boxes and there is something for everyone to enjoy. Aloha and mahalo – we had a great time!!
