A Descriptive Trip Around the Islands April 15, 2010
Posted by J.Carter in : Customer Comments, General, Hawaii timeshare, New Features, RCI, Timeshare Resource, Travel, Uncategorized , trackbackAloha fellow travelers. It’s time to continue our trip, this time moving on to the Hawaiian Island of O‘ahu. Check my last blog on Kaua‘i to get general traveling information and helpful hints.
O’AHU
WHERE TO VISIT
Most people don’t realize that Honolulu, Waikiki, and Diamond Head are all located on the island of O‘ahu. It is the island I first visited in 1962, thinking that I would find the “true Hawai’i” there. Well, I did… and I didn’t. Visiting Honolulu to me is like visiting any big mainland city. The city is crowded as are the beaches; the pace is hectic, but as exciting as it is intriguing and unique. Night life abounds, so if that’s what you’re looking for, Honolulu is the place to stay. Having said that, I also wish to point out that Honolulu, the state capital is place to experience opportunities to learn about the history and culture of the islands. Since ’62, I have only visited O‘ahu on day visits with Hawaiian family, so my personal experiences are limited to theirs. Places to visit, sports, beaches, restaurants, things to see and so numerous that for me to attempt to cover them would be overkill. Check with your hotel or condominium, stop at a kiosk on the sidewalk, red pamphlets, or best of all, and pick up a good tour book to acquaint yourself with what you want to do before you go.
Beaches:
When someone considers going to Hawai‘i for that “once-in-a-lifetime” vacation, one’s first thought usually gravitates to Honolulu and Waikiki. While they are wonderful, when you get to know the islands well, you realize that Waikiki Beach is long but narrow, the sand crowded with oiled bodies of tourists from all over the world, as is the water. This is fine if that’s what you’re looking for in a beach experience, but if you’re looking for a less crowded, more private, experience the east shore beaches “over the Pali” are the ones on which you should concentrate. I LOVE the Kailua, and Lanikai beaches.
Water Sports:
Surfing, wind surfing, sail boarding, parasailing, boogie boarding, scuba diving, snorkeling, rafting, sailing, catamaran rides, and outrigger canoe rides are all available. If you’re looking for a snorkeling experience, try Hanauma Beach, but you must get there early to avoid the crowds. If you’re a beginner surfer, Waikiki is the beach for you with its long, gentle surf. Beach boy experts are plentiful and more than willing to teach… surfing, that is! When I was in my twenties I did exactly that, and the young people who taught me were kind, patient, friendly, and professional. Believe me when I say that if I could surf, anybody can surf! Surfing beaches are also available on the northwest coast of the island. If you’re a surfing expert, head for the north shore beaches of Waimea and the famous Bonzai Pipeline. Windsurfing, parasailing, water skiing, and jet skis are offered in some areas, but only when there are no whales in residence (Humpbacks visit from the end of October through March). By land you can enjoy golf, tennis, fishing, horseback riding, hiking and camping, hang gliding, are offered on all the major islands. All you need to do is pick out where and what, and DO it!
Scenic Vistas and Things to See
Historical Sites in Honolulu
Those of us who live on the mainland forget, or perhaps never knew that the Hawaiian Islands were once individual kingdoms, each ruled by a king. Kamehameha, the Great, united them under his rule. During the time that Hawai‘i was a U.S. Territory, the islands were ruled by the Kalakua family, and finally, the last monarch was Queen Lili‘uokalani. We have forgotten that the United States took over the government of these islands in an illegal coup, avoiding bloodshed only because the queen told her people to give up peacefully avoiding bloodshed.
When you visit downtown Honolulu, you will find multitudes of amazing places that will show evidence of Hawai’i’s amazing melting pot of peoples who live side by side in peace and aloha.
Here are some of the available sites that are “must sees.”
To get an amazing view of Hawai‘i’s history and culture, visit the Iolani Palace, the only royal palace in America, the Bishop Museum and Planetarium, and The Honolulu Cultural Center. The Aloha Tower was once the tallest structure on O‘ahu, a symbol of Hawaiian aloha, welcoming and saying good-bye to the visitor. I don’t know if you can still climb to the top of the tower to view the city and the harbor, since it’s elevator claims the dubious distinction of being one of the oldest on O‘ahu.
Want to get a feel for the people? Visit a church (Kawaiahaho) or a shopping center (Ala Moana). Want to learn about the tropical flora and the fauna? Visit Foster Botanical Gardens, the Honolulu Zoo, or the Waikiki Aquarium. And no trip is complete without visiting those places that remind us of Hawai‘i’s role in recent history. The Punch Bowl Cemetery, an old volcanic crater that is the final resting place for Hawaiian veterans of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam and The Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor will tug at your heartstrings, even if you’re too young to have had a personal connection. Someone in your family will have been affected by those events it memorializes. Also, take a trip to Honolulu’s Chinatown, not only for the shopping and the food, but to taste the culture.
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