7419 miles from home

The infamous pink Royal Hawaiian is supposed to be the best on Waikiki but i think you would have to go a long way to beat this Hilton. The whole complex is built on one end of Waikiki beach and has what seems like it's own beach. It is particularly recognisable as the tallest tower of the complex has a huge rainbow mural down the side that faces the beach. It is very visible when flying into the airport. The hotel has a range of bars, restaurants and shops (Harley Davidson, Tiffany & Co. and many other local shops) and a few swimming pools that are set amongst tall palm trees and Koi carp ponds. The wildlife is very abundant, there are huge black and orange fish in all the ponds as well as a separate tropical penguin pond, there are also parrots around the main reception that will return a friendly aloha.

The hotel also offers extra facilities for almost anything you want to do such as T'ai Chi in the morning or will organise any tours or cruises you may want to do. The staff are friendly and very helpful. When I arrived, there were no standard rooms left so I was upgraded for free to the Ali Tower. This executive tower has its own private pool and gym and the rooms are slightly larger. It is also a great hotel for location, literally on Waikiki Beach and only a few minutes walk from local transport and the central shopping district.

Shopping is Honolulu is slightly surprising. Although Honolulu is a big American city I didn't really expect it to have the shopping that it did. The clothes shops really are brand shops. Starting at one end of Waikiki is the Ala Moana centre which is the sort of mall you would expect with a GAP, department stores and a food hall. It is a great place to shop though as it has no roof and therefore feels spacious and very laid-back.

The main Street is Kalakaua Avenue which is also fantastic for the same reasons, most of the shops do the sort of surf clothing you would expect from there, Quiksilver, O'neill and Hurley. If you follow this road all the way through Honolulu you do start to reach the boutiques of Prada, Gucci and Burberry but the prices are slightly high, apparently due to the Japanese influence. There are also great jewellery shops for all budgets and local shops that sell gorgeous shells and gifts, including all the flower leis and bright Hawaiian shirts that you would expect, this is a really laid-back place to shop, hang loose.

Pearl Harbour consistutes one of those things you really have to do, like it or not. This site is a little way out of Honolulu which is reachable by bus or car. Your hotel can book you a tour to take you there for around $15-20 per person. However the actual Pearl Harbour memorial is a national park and therefore free to enter, you can also get a bus from Kalakaua Ave to the park for about $1 return. When you get on the bus just remind the bus driver to tell you when to get off as it is about a half an hour ride and you do start to feel like you may have gone past it. Also plan the times well as it gets very hot there and in the afternoon the buses get busy.

Once in the park there are fantastic opportunities for photography as the water there is crystal clear and the views are amazing. This might not be the best place to take very young children though as they may find it boring as the space is very tranquil. Once there, there is a short film to be watched before you board a two-minute boat ride to the USS Arizona memorial.

Hanauma Bay is a sunken volcanic crater and a marine life conservation district. It is excellent for snorkelling, about half way out of the bay the coral comes up so high that major waves and very large fish are kept out to sea. Leaving the shore side full of differing kinds of fish and marine life. This is great for novices (me) and I would think great to take kids too. There is also a large beach there and a lock up for your extra stuff. Apparently though, once the car park is full, you may not get in. To avoid this, I'd recommend just booking a cheap tour, there are loads of companies there that do them and they pick you up and return you to your hotel. The guide we had was really friendly and funny and pointed out lots of sites on the way, the price also included the rental of the snorkelling gear and they advised us how to use it and some facts about the reef beforehand.