In the second installment of our honeymoon series, we’re switching gears. If our romantic, art- and food- filled Paris honeymoon isn’t your style, perhaps you’re a beach couple.
Today, we take you on adventure in the most populated Hawaiian isle, Oahu.
Oahu is home to world-famous Waikiki beach, the city of Honolulu, a fantastic north shore full of extreme sports opportunities, Pearl Harbor, and Diamond Head, where you can find one of the most gorgeous views anywhere.
Images courtesy of Waikiki Beach Outreach, Hawaii Pictures, Beach Homes Hawaii
Waikiki is by far my favorite beach in the world. It’s full of dining, shopping, shows, and excursion options, as well as being the cheapest island to visit in Hawaii. Non-stop flights abound, and there are hotel options in every price range. Additionally, the weather is fantastic – temperate year-round – and rain that dampens your beach-going is a rare event.
Splurge on:
A fantastic hotel in a picture-perfect location, the Moana Surfrider. So beautiful I have to show you a picture:
Image courtesy of Travel Hawaii
You’re given fresh guava juice and a gorgeous orchid lei as you check in and are transported into another era – the Moana is the oldest hotel in Waikiki but is impeccably maintained. You might get lucky and be housed in one of the gorgeous banyan rooms, decorated in the original style of this grand hotel – but if you’re in the tower, don’t fret, these rooms are much larger and have a comfort that the charming banyan rooms can’t match.
As wonderful as the hotel is inside, it’s even better outside, due to its location straight in the middle of the Waikiki strip. Across the street you’ll find the International Market, a fun outdoor venue housing crafts, restaurants, and performers. Next door is the Royal Hawaiian, with a relaxing and highly recommended spa (and it’s a sister hotel so you can room charge – convenient) and a gorgeously presented luau!
Make it a point to reserve a cabana – it’s free and a great way to stay out of the sun, keep sand out of your towel, and have bar service allllllll day. I love their banana daqueris! The pool/bar area is made especially beautiful by the gorgeous banyan tree.
The beach itself is perfect. Turquoise clear waters are framed by all of the beautiful hotels and book-ended by Diamond Head and downtown Honolulu. The water is shallow enough to go *very* far out and still be in only up to your waist!
Not to be missed:
A visit to Pearl Harbor to honor the amazing men and women who serve our country. It’s a truly moving experience that everyone should have the chance to experience. See the oil still rising from the U.S.S. Arizona and pay your respects by leaving an orchid floating in the water.
Hula pie at Duke’s, next door in the Outrigger Waikiki. What is hula pie, you ask? I’ll let Duke’s explain:
Hula Pie is made with Kimo’s favorite macadamia nut ice cream piled high on a chocolate cookie crust and topped with chocolate fudge, whipped cream, and more macadamia nuts. It is sized for sharing, but rarely goes unfinished! Come on in and enjoy a slice.
A hike or drive up Diamond Head to see Oahu as it should be seen – from the top.
You MUST eat at Ciao Mein, a Chinese-Italian fusion restaurant in the Hyatt Regency Waikiki. Yes, I said Chinese and Italian. Yes it sounds strange. Yes, it’s goooood. And it’s not ridiculously expensive!
Not for the faint of heart:
Fly over to Molokai and take a completely unforgettable mule ride down the highest sea cliffs in the world into Kalaupapa, a still-inhabited leper colony. You’ll have to have absolute trust in your mule, as he or she guides you down 1,700 feet of cliffs including 26 switchbacks – with no guard rails. The views are absolutely unbelievable and the small village and its history is an emotional experience. You will meet existing residents and see one of the most peaceful places on earth. It was by far my favorite Hawaiian experience. Give Ku’muu a kiss for me; he’s a very gentle mule.
Drive yourself to the North Shore where you can hop in a cage and be lowered into the water to swim with the sharks. Don’t forget your underwater camera for this one. It’s probably the only time you’ll be begging for a shark to hang out with you, and feeding them to entice them to do it! But don’t do what I did, which is get out there, chicken out, and get stuck on the boat waiting for everyone else to come up. Let’s just say that I do not have sea legs, so it’s no fun bobbing about in the ocean. On your way back from the North Shore, stop in at the Dole Plantation for some amazing pineapple ice cream and a timed run through the maze. Betcha beat ya!
Save money by:
Not renting a car unless you need to go to the North Shore – everything else is easily accessible via your own two feet or a quick bus ride.
Bringing your own sunscreen, beach towels, film, water shoes, etc. Everything is more expensive at the ABC stores, so make a list before you leave and buy it all at home!
If you’re like me and love all of those yummy macadamia nut candies, buy them in the airport when you get to Honolulu – you can get them so much cheaper there than in Waikiki and you’ll not be tempted to pay more every time you see them in the convenience stores! On the flip side, you may eat them all before your vacation is over, in which case I always end up buying more of them at the airport on the way home. :)
And don’t forget to:
Walk around at midnight and shake your head at the Dior, Prada, and Gucci stores that are still open, hoping to catch the tourists all jet-lagged and open-walleted.
Enjoy, relax, and soak in the sunshine. Remember that you’re in paradise with the one that you love most.
Wear water shoes. You might think you look silly, but your feet will thank you. It’s a bit rocky out there.
WEAR SUNSCREEN! That Hawaiian sun is brutal. And you, my friend, are not a local.
If this is your honeymoon, I’m jealous. Eat lots of hula pie for me! I’m living vicariously through you.
E.