I finally got to visit Honolulu and Waikiki Beach last February, following a 4 day visit to Kauai. It was my first time to the state of Hawaii. After the glorious and lush landscapes of Kauai, I was definitely taken aback when I first got to Honolulu. It is the most populous city in the state. It is loud and crowded. The traffic is bad. There are hordes of tourists everywhere you go. Plus, on my first day there, my partner was sick with a sinus infection and was really not able to go outside.

We stayed at my timeshare’s Waikiki location, which is in the Ilikai hotel at the end of Waikiki Beach. It is very close to the Hilton Hawaiian Village. This put it a little out of the way from all of the main Waikiki “attractions,” but everything was fairly close as Waikiki is not all that big.

We had a spectacular 1 bedroom apartment with a full view of the ocean. That part we liked right away. However it did take us a day or two to get into the spirit of Honolulu after the calm of Kauai. But, we did get into it! By the end of the second day there, I was really liking it. The weather was spectacular. Kauai is known for a lot of rain. While it obviously rains a lot in Oahu as well, we did not get as much as we had gotten in Kauai. It was sunny, with a pleasant breeze, for most of our time in Honolulu.

We got to walk up and down Kalakaua Avenue and Kuhio Avenue, and see all of the posh shops and hotels that are all along these streets. There are also very famous beaches where visitors and locals alike go to surf. And it seems that there is an ABC Store on every corner. This is like Hawaii’s version of 7 Eleven, though it is much more than a convenience store.

We were also only a short bus ride (or a walk) away from the Ala Moana Center – an absolutely colossal shopping area in central Honolulu. It has hundreds of stores and restaurants, and they are a little different than your typical American mall. I thought it was pretty interesting.

We walked around the Chinatown area of Honolulu. There were many Chinese gift stores and of course great Chinese food. We ate at a very good restaurant in Chinatown, though I cannot remember the name. I really enjoyed the giant Foo Dog statues at the entrance to the Chinatown area.

Another place that we got to visit, which I recommend to anyone visiting the area, is the Iolani Palace. This was the official residence of the last few monarchs in Hawaii. The story of the Hawaiian monarchy is very interesting, if not a little sad. While you are visiting the palace, you get to hear the whole story, including the fate of the last Queen, Lili`uokalani, who was monarch at the time of the overthrow of the monarchy. You get to see where she lived, and where she was imprisoned.

Most people that go to Honoulu go to the Pearl Harbor Memorial to see the site of the bombings that started the American involvement in WWII – unfortunately, I did not get the chance to go there – maybe on a next trip. We did, however, take a bus tour around the island of Oahu. Wow – that was worth it. The North Shore of Oahu is absolutely spectacular. There is an area on the North Shore that is owned by the Mormon Church – along Kamehameha Highway in Laie is a Mormon temple (the Laie Hawaii Temple). The beach areas around this temple and town are absolutely spectacular.

Of course, no trip to Hawaii would be complete without going to a Luau. We chose to go to Germaine’s Luau. The setting of this luau is pretty cool. We had to take a bus ride to the beach location – the ride was about 1 hour from our hotel in Waikiki, during which time we were inundated with Hawaiiana by the bus’ “tour guide.” This is part of the luau that I did not enjoy. I would recommend to anyone that if you want to go to a luau (and why wouldn’t you), go to one that you can walk to or get to on your own. It was bad enough that they went on and on about everything on our way over there. But then, when we were hoping to get a little peace and quiet on the ride home, they kept up the “hosting” and would do everything possible to make sure you were paying attention to them the whole time, even ridiculing someone that got a phone call on her cell phone. As I mentioned earlier, I did not enjoy this part of the process.

The food, though, was good. We had a pig that had been roasted in a traditional manner – buried in the ground under palm leaves. We also had all kinds of other goodies, including poi. For those that do not know what it is, poi is made out of mashed taro. Taro is a root vegetable that grows in paddies like rice. It is nutritious, though it has a reputation as being pretty bland. I actually liked it. It is not something you want to just eat straight up, but when you put it on meat (such as the roasted pig – puaa in Hawaiian). It is pretty good!

Another food that is eaten a lot in Hawaii is poke. Poke apparently can be made from a lot of different things, but it is typically made from tuna. I ate it all over the place. It is so good – in fact, I used to eat it regularly in San Francisco when I would get lunch at Bristol Farms (they have it on their food bar, sold by the pound).

By the time our 4 ½ days in Honolulu came to an end, I did not want to leave. Sure it is crowded; sure it is expensive; yes it is loud; but most of all, it is beautiful. Driving or walking up Diamond Head – walking along the beautiful beaches, whether in Waikiki or in other areas of Oahu – shopping in Ala Moana Center, in Chinatown, or even in the expensive centers throughout Waikiki – what you feel a lot of is inner peace. In spite of the hubbub of activity around you, Hawaii is SO beautiful that it gets under your skin and invades your soul. On my first day there, I was ready to turn around and run back to Kauai. By my last day there, I was embracing the Honolulu lifestyle and I cannot wait to go back.

To see some of my photos of Honolulu, please click here.