Sunday 6th December 2009
By Mark Sherman
For my first trip to Hawaii, the beauty and serenity I experienced certainly lived up to my expectations. I was one of 30 agents on a "FAM", but despite the rather busy schedule of hotel visits, I was able to experience the culture, climate and atmosphere that have kept this one of the most popular tourism destinations in the world. Everywhere our group went, we were met with "Aloha", the spirit of Hawaiian welcome. Most of the week was dedicated to exploring the Waikiki area of Honolulu. I enjoyed a fabulous ocean view from my room at the lovely Hyatt Regency Hotel, directly across from a popular beach area where I could see beachgoers from sunrise to sunset.
I enjoyed walking along Kalakaua Avenue, with its mix of trendy shops, bargain shopping, evening street performers, and of course, many tourists and locals. Kalakaua Avenue is also one of the main roads through Waikiki. It runs along expansive Waikiki Beach. The beach has many public access points, but offers convenience and security to those staying in one of the several ocean front hotels. In December, the waters on this southern shore are calmer than on the north shore, but still more suited to surfing than swimming. The beach itself is clean, with lots of space to sunbathe or toss a frisbee.
In Honolulu, I was able to inspect many hotels, from the budget-level but centrally located Miramar, to the expansive upscale Hilton Hawaiian Village with its mix of accommodation in separate towers for honeymooners and families, to the historic and majestic Moana Surfrider and Royal Hawaiian hotels. Restaurants in the hotels as well as independents offer a good variety of menus of various cuisines and prices. There are highly recognizable restaurant names in all price categories, as well as more locally inspired establishments featuring both buffet and a la carte dining. The ever-present ABC convenience stores are a good budget conserving option for those whose accommodations feature cooking facilities.
Getting around is easy. Honolulu has one of the most efficient public transportation systems in the world. Buses run frequently, and for $2.50, you can get around the whole island of Oahu.
On day 5 of our trip, we left Honolulu for the north shore. We were not disappointed at all by the beauty of the island we saw on the way up to Turtle Bay. The Kahala Resort, just on the other side of Diamond Head, is an upscale property offering exquisite accommodations, luxurious spa services, fine dining and spectacular views of both the ocean and mountains, not to mention its own dolphin pool!
Other good spots to stop on the east coast drive, whether to photograph fantastic scenery or for a swim in one of the public beaches are Hanauma Bay, Pali Lookout, and Eternity Beach, so named because it served as the location for filming of a famous love scene in the movie, “From Here to Eternity”.
We spent the last two nights of our trip at Turtle Bay. This was not only a beautiful resort, but a welcome change of pace from inspecting 36 hotels in 4 days! The rooms are spacious and comfortable, and the grounds magnificent. The resort beach is great for swimming and snorkelling because it is protected from the waves by a large coral shelf. It also has lots of walking trails, as well as two golf courses. There are several good dining options, but none that are easy on the wallet. The resort location does not lend itself to easily finding off-resort dining options. We also were able to see some of the Vans Triple Crown of surfing, an annual international championship held at the “Banzai Pipeline” (Ekuhai Beach).
A highlight of the trip was our visit to the Polynesian Cultural Centre. This microcosm of the islands of Polynesia offer locals and visitors alike the opportunity to experience the heritage of the many islands that make up Polynesia. The centre is staffed mainly by students from the adjacent Brigham Young University, most of whom are from the islands, and whose tuition, room and board are paid in exchange for 20 hours per week of service, whether as performers, tour guides, or servers in the luau meal. And of course we visited the Pearl Harbour Memorial.
I certainly enjoyed the trip, and am looking forward to another visit sometime, when I hope to see Maui, which many say is the most beautiful of all the Hawaiian islands.
Aloha!