Honolulu and Oahu Treasures

Best Things Nearby:
The streets of Waikiki, the beautiful beaches, and watersports.

Best Things About the Resort:
It is in the heart of the Hilton Hawaiian Village--22 acres of dining, shopping, bars, beach, pools...everything you could want in a resort.

Resort Experience:
We stayed in a spacious one-bedroom ocean view condo in the Lagoon Tower, the Hilton Grand Vacations Club timeshare property. The accommodations were beautiful. There was a nice Polynesian feel to the room and a tropical paradise awaiting you on the 22-acre grounds. Everything was like new as the building was converted to the Grand Vacations club only a few years ago.

Our view was outstanding--we spent every morning on our lanai (patio) eating breakfast, drinking chocolate macadamia nut coffee, and watching the waves crash in. The resort grounds contained numerous restaurants, bars serving tropical drinks, and pools. The beach was beautiful and the water was perfect for swimming. Nightly, there was an aloha show where you could watch hula dancers, drink a mai tai, and feel the tradewinds kiss your skin. A perfect place to stay in Waikiki.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Wailana Coffee House was one of the best finds in the Waikiki area. The price was right and the food was excellent. The coffee house has been around for years and they are especially known for their breakfast. Try their pancakes! They're available in pineapple, banana, macadamia nut, and blueberry...they are the best. The banana pancakes were the most delicious I have ever eaten. The omelettes are also quite tasty. Finish the meal up with a cup of standard Hawaiian coffee and you have a filling meal that can't be beat!

Duke's is a fine establishment for some great pub food in a festive atmosphere. You can either access Dukes from the beach or via the Outrigger hotel. The burgers are hearty and very tasty. Make sure to pick up a caesar's salad, it's not only a great deal but delicious. The drinks are reasonable if you choose to imbibe. It's also fun to watch the beach and pool activity via the thatched umbrellas. Free entertainment most afternoons around 4pm.

Free movie on the beach! Every Saturday and Sunday night at 7:15pm at Queens Beach in Waikiki there are free movies. Just grab a chair or a blanket and cozy up for some free entertainment. To check out the movie listing, click here.

There isn't much for free in Hawaii!

I'm not sure if you're a typical tourist, or how much "cheesy" activities you like to partake in, but a luau is one of those things that you have to do while in Hawaii. I've heard stories of long bus rides and expensive prices for some of the other luaus, but let me tell you...go to this one! Not only is the food excellent (mind you, this is a buffet), but the entertainment is great quality and the site is beautiful.

Right on Waikiki Beach on the site of the famous pink hotel, you are greeted by beautiful hula girls who will present you with a fresh flower lei. The lobby of the hotel is gorgeous. The music surrounds you as you munch on the native appetizers and sip mai tais or other tropical drinks of your choosing. The food, though standard Hawaiian fare, is better than most--kuala pig, poi, lomi lomi salmon, mahi mahi, and teriyaki will fill your stomach more than you can imagine. Just make sure to leave room for dessert! The coconut cake is fabulous!

If you go the the Royal Hawaiian website, you can print out a coupon for 20 percent off of your meal.

Ala Moana center is a great outdoor shopping mall. It has everything from the basic Sears and Macy's to the more upscale Louis Vuitton and everything in between. Transportation to the mall is very convenient as there is an Ala Moana shopping shuttle that runs about every 20 minutes from most major hotels. The cost? A mere $1.50 ,and the air-conditioned buses are really nice.

This shopping mall is a shopping mall. There are not a lot of local Hawaiian crafts sold there, though there is a small Hilo Hattie's onsite and a couple of minor stores. The best part of the mall is in its food court. It is absolutely huge, with every kind of food imaginable. You can even snuggle up to a bar if you so incline. When you are done, just take the shopping shuttle back to Waikiki and pat yourself on the back for convenience's sake.

Captain Bruce's dive team is one of the best. I hadn't been diving in quite some time (6 years to be exact) and they made me feel safe and comfortable despite that fact. The dives were beautiful. The minesweeper was full of sea life, including spotted eagle rays and colorful fish. The Makaha caverns were a fun dive, and swimming through the caverns was an adventure in itself. We were also treated to petting an octopus in the hands of our wonderful divemaster. Captain Bruce's dive trips offer excellent equipment, an awesome team, and are not crowded.

If you like to sample Oahu's fun and like an adventure, you must book this all day tour at their website. Your day starts with a hotel pick-up by a great tour guide. Our tour guide was John, but all the tour guides are full of fun. Not your typical tour guide, these guys are certified lifeguards that take you through the scenic parts of Oahu.

First you hike through a rainforest to a small waterfall, and next you make a stop at the beautiful Pali lookout. After some minor tourist narrative, you snorkel on the eastern shore. They provide the best equipment and show you how to get into the water and keep yourself safe.

After the workout (minor, believe me, this is easy) you get to eat a "plate lunch" in Waimanalo...the food is good and better yet it is cheap! A pit stop at an ancient heiku (religious grounds) and then you go boogie boarding on some great waves. John helped me catch a couple that I rode all the way to the shore. A few more traditional stops and this makes a long, but satisfying day. Not your typical tour, which is what makes it so great!

Hilo Hatties is a hoot. Free transportation from your hotel in their trolley will start you off for the day. Greeted by a shell lei, you can then browse the store for the biggest selection of aloha wear. The prices are reasonable and the selection is awesome. One of the best prices we saw for macadamia nuts. Make sure you get yourself free gifts with purchase and their special two-for-one coupons!

Kealia Trail is located on the northwest point of the island. You can access the trail by taking H2 north through central Oahu, then taking 803 then 930 northwest. The nearest town is Mokuleia. The entrance to the trail is located in the third entrance to Dilingham airfield. Just follow the airfield entrance around and park by the small airfield control tower. The beginning of the trail starts towards the mountain side.

This trail is a hike that even a novice can take, though it can be a challenge at certain points. A typical switchback mountain trail on this dry side of the island, you will encounter a dirt path for most of the hike. At times, you will have to climb up some minor lava rock, adding to your challenge. There are periods of shade and sun all along the route, the shaded areas often provide good photo taking opportunities of the north shore and beyond.

Directly below the trail, Dilingham airfield is abuzz with activity from both biplanes and gliders. The gliders often sail across your path providing upclose opportunity to take a nice snapshot. You can also see nearly all of the northwest coast line. It is a beautiful site with the rocky lava rock shoreline. In the wintertime, you can often see surfers as the northshore is famous for its large wintertime waves.

It takes about 2 hours to get to the top of the trail which is covered with fir trees...an unusual site in Hawaii. If you pack a light picnic in a backpack, you can take a rest at a shelter/campsite with a picnic table.

After a short rest, you can head back down the trail-about 45 minutes. The walk down is very scenic and fairly easy. Once you finished your hike, be sure to reward yourself with a stop at the airfield (first or second entrance) and take a ride on a glider. It's both exhilirating and refreshing. Public bathrooms are also available at the airfield.

The Halona blowhole is a natural occurence formed by molten lava tubes from volcanic eruptions over 200,000 years ago. =The lava tubes run to the ocean and when the surf is right, Halona "blows" geyserlike up to 30 feet in the air. Worth a quick stop, you will experience the blowhole on most tours that hit the east coast. The rocky shoreline around the blowhole is quite beautiful. If you have a rental car and your bathing suit is on, the cove area is great for swimming. There are many fish and turtles swimming in the warmth of the cove.

One of the most important things to remember when your are visiting the island of Oahu is that is more than just Waikiki. Here is a brief breakdown of the areas beyond Waikiki that you may want to visit to give you a real perspective of the island and her people.

East: Hanama Bay is beautiful for snorkeling as are many of the beach areas on the east shore. Check out the Halona blowhole-it is a natural occurance when water shoots up through lava tubes...it can blow like a geyser up to 30 feet high depending on the surf. The rocky shoreline around the blowhole is a beautiful site. Around Waimanalo, we enjoyed snorkeling and boogie board by just doing some simple beach hopping. Make sure to stop by one of the little diners or food shacks to pick up a plate lunch. It's bargain food and tastes great. Meat, rice, and some macaroni salad will have you feeling like a local in no time.

North: In the winter, this is surf city. In the summer, it's beautiful beaches with gentle waves. Check out Haleiwa, a small town with great charm. It has wonderful shops and some great food establishments. Our favorites were a famous burger place called Kua Aina Sandwich shop and Matsumoto's shaved ice. In the winter, the north shore has wonderful places to snorkel--make sure to stop at Shark's cove and Waimea bay.

West: This side of the island isn't often visited. In fact, until recently most people were shooed away. We did get some excellent diving in off of Makaha...so if you're interested, check out captainbruce.com.

Center: This is home to the many pineapple fields and home to Dole Plantation. While a bit touristy for me, it was a nice stop to look at how a pineapple grows and get some great pineapple ice cream.

Get a rental car one day and just grab a map and explore. You will be surprised where you may end up. Everywhere you go there is a smile and a big aloha waiting for you.