Hawaii- The Island of Oahu. Part One Waikiki

We have been to Oahu 15 times. It is our 'home away from home'. We have done trips here at the beginning of a trip to the Mainland, at the end, and just to Hawaii as a destination on its own. Even though we have been so many times, we still try and find something new to do each time.

When we are on holidays here, we tend to plan it that we have one day relaxing- this might mean swapping between the beach and the pool all day and grabbing meals near our hotel. It might mean we head to Ala Moana sometime during the day. It is a day where we stay local to our hotel. The next day we grab a car and head somewhere on the island. By doing this, by the end of our holiday, we have had the best of both worlds. We feel relaxed but we have soaked up the atmosphere and rich Aloha spirit of the island.


Hawaiian tax for Oahu : 4.5%

Getting from the Airport to Waikiki

Driving time: approx. 20 mins.
Taxi fare from airport to Waikiki is approx $45 with 50c tariff per bag. This is by meter only.
Limo- There are a number of limo companies that will cost you from $70 for a stretch limo. We use a company that has stretch SUV's and Hummers that are really cool. If you want a transfer that is something your family will remember forever, look into this option. I can pass on this information if requested.

The Travel Concierge tip:
We frequently organise stretch limos' and keep it as a surprise for our children. It was always a great reaction from them. Each time we got a different Stretch. They are so big that even when we travelled with multiple families we all still fit.

The Travel Concierge Opinion: 
-I would suggest not organising a large Roberts bus transfer. We did this once on a trip, as it was economical for our first trip as a family of 5 people. We would never do it again, and I tell everyone headed to Hawaii not to go this route. The reason being that there are a number of one-way streets in Hawaii, and you end up passing within easy walking distance of your hotel a number of times as the bus winds up and down streets to other hotels before they get to yours. Obviously, you can't even get off the bus and walk through as your luggage is packed in hotel order. With young children, it can add a good 1hour to the airport transfer.

Transfer from Waikiki to the Airport:
We always organise a limo service to take us back to the airport. It is very reasonably priced and there are coupons to make it cheaper. These limos aren't as flashy as the ones we get from the airport to Waikiki but they are still fun and are cheaper and more direct than other shuttles. If you would like more details, leave a comment and I can get them to you.

Getting around Waikiki
There are three main options.
1. Walk
2. Cath the bus. The bus system on Oahu is called "The Bus"

The Travel Concierge tip:
- Fares are Adult- $2.50 Youth 17 and under- $1.25 (one child 5 or under free per paying adult) You need to have exact fares and have one person feed the money into the machine while the rest find a seat. The Bus drivers are not overly friendly and will not give change. They have been known to make people get off the bus if they are not quick enough or don't have exact change. Also, do not bring food or drink on The Bus.
- A great resource to print off and take with you giving bus routes to main tourist areas is found here.

3. The Trolley- The website for trolley routes and cost is here.

The Travel Concierge tip: 
-Many hotels offer free rides on certain routes of the Trolley. Ask your hotel.
-Free trolley rides- If you keep your receipts from stores and dining at the Royal Hawaiian, you can hand them into the customer service centre and they will swap them in for tokens to get on the Pink Trolley Line for free. I save them up until I have enough for the whole family. I keep them from trip to trip. They haven't changed the look in at least the last 4 years.

Where we stay
Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach. We have stayed here 11 times. We love the location, we love that from when the children were babies/toddlers, we could just head straight down to our lobby and walk onto the sand. We didn't have to pack for a whole day and traipse blocks to get to and from the beach. Howard surfs, so he had the lock up facilities for locking up his surfboard and he could go out for a surf and know that it wouldn't be a long haul for me to take the children back if they had enough.
We really take advantage of the free cultural activities that are offered at this hotel. Hula lessons, flower, and ti leaf lei making, kukui nut bracelet making and ukelele lessons just to name a few.

We have stayed at the Hawaiian Hilton Village as well, but for us- although it was beautiful, it was too far to get to the 'hub' of Waikiki with children in tow. That is just our opinion for our family. Another hotel we stayed at was knocked down for the upgrade to Lewers St. and by then we were well established in staying at the Outrigger.

Words to know
Mahalo- Thank you
Aloha- multiple meaning- Hello, goodbye and Love
Wahine- Woman
Mele- Man
Keiki- Child
The Hawaiian alphabet only has soft vowels.

Waikiki

Getting your head around it. Kalakaua Ave is the main road that runs parallel to the beach in Waikiki. It is a one-way street that runs traffic towards Diamond Head. (The Large Volcano Crater - thinking you won't miss it) Kuhio is the next street back and it runs both ways. There are a number of streets that then connect the 2 main streets. I have drawn a very basic map that can be found here. It's not to scale and only has major streets.

Need groceries?
The ABC stores on almost every corner are usually open until midnight and will stock all your basic requirements. You can purchase nappies and other baby items at Walmart which is on the mountain side of Ala Moana. Walk out through the carpark and keep walking down Keeaumoku St. and it is on the left side. We also do a trip to Foodland at one of their locations across Oahu when we have a car for the day. Locations are found here.

The Travel Concierge tip:
- There is a rewards card for Foodland. It gets you discounts on many items in the store. The first Foodland store you go into, as to apply for a Maika'i Card. They will give you a number. After you have spent a certain amount in a store, you then get a plastic card. Details are here. Store locations around Oahu are found 

Some Travel Concierge tips:
-I have never bought one of the grass mats for the beach. Every trip either someone hands me one saying they are leaving so could I use it?(Yes please) or I go and ask the attendant at our pool if they have any that have been handed to them and I will then give it back when I leave. They really stop the sand from going on your beach towels.

- At the airport, while waiting to collect your luggage, get some of the free tourist magazines. Most have coupons for Waikiki locations.

-We buy our children the inflatable rings from the ABC store across the road from our hotel. PLEASE pay the small amount to have it inflated. Friends we went with to Hawaii once thought they would save the money, and after blowing up the second one, had to go back over to get the 3rd one blown up. You are on holidays. Let the machine do the hard work. We deflate ours at the end of the trip and take them for the family to use in our pool back home, but if you are not going to take them home either hand them off to a family who looks like they could use them, give to your pool attendant and ask them to feel free to give to anyone asking or leave it on the beach on your last night, someone will come along and grab it. I sometimes grab an inflatable ring for me to float out with the kids then leave it at the end. I have done this with sand toys as well. One trip my girls were desperate to get an inflatable bed. I knew they would hate it so didn't buy one. Instead, they grabbed one from the beach at night and then by the next night it was back out there for someone else to grab. My youngest daughter once got an abandoned boogie board that we recycled at the end. Obviously this in not done during the day when someone might have put it down and are just swimming. You can tell at night which are the ones left.

- Keep your receipts from the ABC store. On your last day, hand them in to see if you are eligible for your money spent to get either a free coffee mug or tote bag. I've managed to redeem at least one each trip.

-Sunscreen discount- Every single year I have been to Hawaii when I buy my sunscreen, there are some sunscreens that have money off coupons attached to them. I specifically buy them. This has been at both ABC and Wal-Mart

The Travel Concierge Warning: Waikiki gets box jelly fish 8-10 days after a full moon. I always look up the box jellyfish calendar to see if there are days on my trip that we should keep clear of the water. Check your dates here.

Dining
We have tried pretty much every restaurant that has been in Waikiki over the last 14 years. Instead of listing them all, I am just listing the ones that we love to go to.

Restaurants at Outrigger Waikiki
2335 Kalakaua Ave.

Duke's
On the lower lobby level beach-side, you will find the World Famous Duke's. Duke's is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is really popular, so will get very long waits during regular dining times. If you are staying at the hotel, you can ring down to book. They offer buffet meals and a la carte options. Their menu is found here.
Dining at Duke's can be outside or inside. On the weekends during the afternoon and evening, they have entertainment either stationary on the beach side area near the spa or within the restaurant. You can get poolside meals if you are a guest of the hotel.

The Travel Concierge Fact: "Duke" was a great Hawaiian Ambassador. Duke Kahanamoku. A Hawaiian native, he won his first Olym. pic gold in 1912. He was 21 years old. He went on to win many more medals, which is enough to make him famous. But he also introduced surfing to the US Atlantic coast and Australia and New Zealand, Being a movie star and a sheriff in Honolulu were two of many great achievements he achieved throughout his life. There are a number of photographs and memorabilia items within Duke's that you can roam and look at while waiting for your table.

The Hula Grill
Hula Grill is on the Lobby level (above Lower lobby) beach-side. It is open for breakfast and dinner. Although the food is not the most amazing food you will ever have, the kids meals are good, and the thing you are here for is the view! We always go here on our first morning in Waikiki. Again, hotel guests can book from their rooms. We always book a Lanai table (verandah beach-view) When we have gone with another family we always book the large table that is on the right side closest to the wall where there is a large cabinet. The menu is here. You can reserve a table online. The link is here.
The Travel Concierge Tip: 
-Look around at the Hula Grill doll collection that is spread throughout cabinets in the restaurant.
-Look on your receipt at the bottom. They frequently offer a free pineapple boat on your next visit.

Dining on and near Kalakaua Ave 

Cheesecake Factory
2301 Kalakaua Ave
The Cheesecake Factory is located to the right of our hotel if you are looking towards the beach. It is within the Royal Hawaiian shopping complex street side of Kalakalaua Ave. Their menu is found here. We try to avoid the 1hr+ wait by dining early. You will see people sitting on the volcanic rock wall with buzzers in hand waiting for their turn to dine here. 

The process for getting a table- Line up in the long line at the door (coming out the door) and when you eventually get to the hostess desk, put your name down for the number in your group and whether you want to wait extra time to dine outside (ask how much extra time it is at that moment) They then give you a buzzer and you sit outside willing it to go off. During this time, you will take selfie's, laugh at some sunburnt tourists walking past, and tell your children not to climb all over the people waiting with you. Saying all this, it is worth it! 

The Travel Concierge tip: When your buzzer goes off, don't re-line up. Push through the line and go around to the right side of the hostess desk to show them that your buzzer is going off. They will then get you to wait near the dessert section until they can get a wait staff member to seat you.

We love the atmosphere of the Cheesecake Factory. The meals are definitely able to be shared between two people. I have the Cobb salad and I am full by the end and that is with my family all taking some for them. The bread that comes out initially is comp. (complimentary) You can ask for more to be brought out.

The Travel Concierge tip: 
-We go early to avoid the crowds or if we go later, we get one person through the shower first (usually Dad) and then while the rest of us are getting ready, he goes down and gets the buzzer going and texts us how long we have. We usually get there about 10 mins before the time. If the buzzer goes earlier he texts again. Obviously, this works for us because we are literally 2 mins from hotel room to the Cheesecake Factory.
- When you put your name down, if you haven't dined here before, ask for a menu. The menu is HUGE and you will need the time to look through it and decide what you want to order. This means as soon as you are seated you can place your order. They will let you take it outside to look at. Its easier than looking at the menu on the wall.
- If they don't already bring it out, ask for the Keiki plate. This is a complimentary plate for younger children- Keiki and has bread and bananas in the shape of a butterfly to keep them busy while waiting for the food.
-We can never eat a meal and a cheesecake but they are so worth trying. We now have one night where we order say two pieces of cake (and cuppas) to go and then sit out on the beach. This allows the children to run around and you can sit and enjoy the cake while sharing the pieces with your family...or not. We have started to work our way through the dessert menu.

Royal Hawaiian Food Court
2301 Kalakaua Ave
Level 2 in the middle building of the Royal Hawaiian Centre (B)


The listing of dining options is found here. Options include Panda Express, Subway, The Grand Carving station, Maui Tacos, and Mahaloha Burgers. A great place to come so that every member of your family can eat what they want in one place.

Californian Pizza Kitchen (CPK)
2284 Kalakaua Ave
This CPK is located across the road from the Royal Hawaiian Centre. It is upstairs (go up the escalators and it is to the right) Foot Locker is downstairs. (to help you find where it is)
CPK has a great selection of Pizzas and pasta as well as healthier options. Their Keiki- children's menu is really good value. We often grab CPK to have to sit on the beach if we have been up the North Shore in the water all day. We are too sandblasted to actually be 'presentable' enough to sit in, so we just get take out and sit on one of the Lilo's that a leaving tourist has left on the beach. The CPK menu is found here.

Eggs N Things- We  saw how many people lined up at all the outlets and so bowed to peer pressure and tried it. The line was long, the food was less than average and the place was not overly clean. Give it a go if you want, but there are a lot better options around. I honestly can't explain why it seems so popular other than people being like sheep and seeing the crowds and not knowing any better.
Located at:
2464 Kalakaua Ave and 343 Saratoga.

Hard Rock Cafe
280 Beach Walk
This well known American Music themed Cafe has an impressive collection of Surfboards on their roof to look at from famous surfers from around the world. Their menu is found here. It is located off Kalakaua heading the opposite direction of Diamond Head.

The Travel Concierge tip: 
-You can show your AAA card to get discount on food, nonalcoholic drinks and merchandise
-Buy merchandise directly from the shop. If you buy from the waitress, you will have to tip on that amount.

Chuck's Steak House

150 Kaʻiulani Ave, Honolulu,
 Chuck's is a laid back steak house. The decor is very Hawaiian, you could say dated, but the views outside the restaurant are what you are looking at. We always go on a weekend night and get in early to request a table out on the lanai at the back rather than the side. This gets us a view still of Diamond Head, but a view and the sound from the band playing downstairs. On the tables are big old black bottles that have the menu written on them. You buy your main meal, and then the 'salad bar' is included within the cost. Compared to many other salad bars, this one is tiny, but it offers what you really need to make a salad. 

The Travel Concierge tip: 
-The plates are hidden in a secret cabinet lift up door on the right of the salad bar. They are refrigerated.

Tony Romas
1972 Kalakaua Ave (this is quite a long walk if you have young children) It is almost opposite Ala Moana Blvd.
This family-friendly rib restaurant is located on Kalakaua up the end away from Diamond Head. They are open for lunch and dinner. Their menu is found here.

LuLu's
2586 Kalakaua Ave.

Lulu's is located second-storey up the Diamond Head end of Kalakaua. It is pretty much opposite the pier that goes out near the beach pool. It is across the road from the beach. I love the quirky lights that hang by the balcony windows. YES...they are real Pufferfish with lights inside! They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food is just an average diner style, but the view is great and prices are good. We always swap our hash browns to a fruit platter for breakfast and they are totally fine to do that. The menu is here.

Cheeseburgers in Paradise (Part of the Cheeseburgers chain)
2500 Kalakaua Ave.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, This laid-back burger joint is a great family friendly restaurant. The menu is found here.  The breakfast menu is here.

The Travel Concierge tip: The other locations offer Happy Hour 3pm-6pm on selected food and alcohol. I cannot get clarification that this one does. I would think they do but cannot guarantee.When I do I will update. 

Dining at the Moana Surfrider
2365 Kalakaua Ave.

This beautiful lady of Waikiki was the first hotel in this area. It is plantation style and I love the history it holds. They hold historical tours of the hotel. You don't have to be a hotel guest to go on the tours. Facing the Outrigger Waikiki, the Moana is the first hotel on its left. 

Honolulu Coffee Co.
The coffee shop is as you walk in the driveway on the right side. You walk up a few steps to get in there. We have been going to this coffee shop since our first trip. It is worth lifting the stroller up the stairs OR grab the cuppas take away and let the kids have fun rocking on the rocking chairs at the front of the Moana. As long as you are not too crazy, they will let non-hotel guests sit on these chairs. If these are all full, go up in the lift to the level above and you will find another quaint verandah that has a few rocking chairs. I am all for hotel hopping on trips. I have been into these rooms and find them a lot smaller than the Outrigger rooms or we wold possibly have been staying here.

The Travel Concierge tip:
-Grab a frequent sippers card and get it stamped each time you grab cuppas. We usually fill a number of cards per trip, but even if it is not full at the end, keep it in your travel wallet so you have the incentive to come back! They haven't changed the cards in years.
-'Our table' is at the front overlooking Kalakaua. We will seriously eyeball people if they are in our spot. LOL. We sit and people watch. Take a book with stickers your children can put in the book that you only hand out at times like this when you need some quiet time mentally picking on the clothes choices of other tourists.
- On select nights, there is entertainment at the piano in the foyer. You can hear it from the rocking chairs or you can sit on lounges inside the foyer. We have heard some great music over the years. By tipping a dollar or two you can request a song.

Tea Selection at the Banyan Verandah Afternoon Tea

Banyan Verandah
2365 Kalakaua Ave.
Again, in the white pillared Moana, you walk through the lobby and go out to the open area. The Banyan Verandah is to your left. Here you can have breakfast and lunch, but why we come here is for the Banyan Afternoon Tea. With the beautiful food on offer as well as the view, we rate this afternoon tea in the top 5 that we have ever been to.
The afternoon tea menu is found here. The Keiki (children) menu is found here. I love the selection of tea here and the way they take the time to explain each tea and pass it around to each person in your group to smell- even the children.

The Travel Concierge tip: If you know that your children won't like the afternoon tea, they will let you order a bowl of chips. This will allow you to have your afternoon tea without having to pay for an afternoon tea that won't be eaten.

Dining down Lewers St. (Beach Walk)

PF Chang's

2201 Kalakaua Ave. (this is the address for the Royal Hawaiian. The entrance is midway down the street on the left (if you are headed towards the beach)

PF Chang's is Californian Chinese. So would it be weird to say one of my favourite things to have here is their "Great Wall of Chocolate" cake? Their menu is here. We usually order a selection of appetisers and all share. As with a number of restaurants in this area, we try to go when we can get a seat upstairs overlooking Lewers St.

The Travel Concierge tip: 

-Happy Hour runs from 4pm-6pm daily. It is a great time to go when you have children, There are great happy hour specials. We still go during Happy Hour now as it is such great value. We just get there at about 5:30. They will do a last walk by at about 5 to 6 and ask if you want any more happy hour priced items.We have dinner early and then go for a walk along Kalakaua Ave then get a cuppa at our coffee shop. We like the dumplings, egg rolls, Salt and pepper Calamari (can ask for no pepper) and crab wontons.

- Keep your receipt and take it to the Customer service centre at Royal Hawaiian to get tokens for the Pink Line Trolley. This will take you to Ala Moana)

Giovanni Pastrami New York Deli

227 Lewers St. (left side if walking to beach)

This is a great place to kick back and enjoy the yummy New York Italian food while watching one of the many TV's to see sports around the World. Their menu is found here. They are open breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The Travel Concierge tip: Happy Hour here is Mon-Thurs 3-6. They have a great selection of food and drinks at reduced Happy Hour prices. Here is their Happy Hour menu.

Subway

226 Lewers St. (On ground floor right side heading to the beach)

Ok so sometimes you need a quick bite to eat and most kids will eat a kids subway meal.

Cheeseburger Beachwalk. (Part of The Cheeseburger Chain)

226 Lewers St. (Upstairs on right heading to the beach)

There is a lift further past the escalators, or you can head up the escalators. Their menu is here. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The breakfast menu is found here.

The Travel Concierge tip: Happy Hour is from 3pm-6pm. Food and alcohol menu available upon request. There is no specific menu online.

Ruth's Chris Steak House

226 Lewers St.

Ruth's Chris is renowned for their steaks and plates that are heated to 500 degrees F

We have taken our children here, but only when they were old enough to understand not to touch their plates (youngest was 10) You can ask for the children plates not to be heated. If you are able to get younger children minded or are without children, this is a great non-touristy restaurant. Dress codes apply here. The menu is found here. This location is only open for dinner.

Roy's Hawaii

226 Lewers St. (All the way down the beach end on the right)

As per Ruth's Chris, this restaurant is less touristy and more adult focussed. Lovely food and atmosphere. The menu is found here. Roy's is open for lunch and dinner.

Restaurants in Halekulani

Halekulani
2199 Kalia Rd
This beautiful hotel is located directly at the end of Lewers St. (beach end)

House Without a Key
Located beachside, this open spaced bar and restaurant is a favourite of our family. We go multiple times near sunset to sit and listen to the band and watch a former Miss Hawaii or the  reigning Miss Hawaii hula to the music.They are famous for their Mai tai. We don't drink, so I cannot vouch for them. Our favourite drink is the Frozen lemonade. The views of the sunset are amazing from this vantage point of the beach and the 'green flash' at sunset can be seen from this vantage point.
Entertainment begins at 5:30pm daily. Complimentary crisp chips are brought to eat with your drinks.

The restaurant section is behind the seating only area. It has become our tradition that on our last night of every trip we have our last meal here. There are two menus. Every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday it is the Sunset Kiawe Grill menu, found here. On all other nights, the menu is found here. The lunch menu is found here.

The Travel Concierge tip: If you are planning on listening to the music and then dining afterwards, ask to be seated at the table at the front so you can enjoy the best of both worlds. 

The Travel Concierge Opinion: Ok so more like a demand...you HAVE to try the Halekulani signature dessert- Coconut Cake. You can download the recipe from their website. I have made it before, but it is never the same as what it tastes like here. Halekulani Coconut cake recipe

Orchids

Sunday Brunch
This is another one of our Hawaii traditions. We always plan our trip to include at least one Sunday so that we can go here. They have a number of 'sittings'. I would strongly suggest you book this well ahead of time as they do book out. A strict dress code applies here. No 'flip flops' and men and boys must wear collared tops, not t-shirts. This will be enforced and they will make you wear a borrowed dress shirt.

The Travel Concierge tip: 
- Request a table beach side on the verandah for amazing views.
- We always take family portraits here each year. Line your family up against the trees on the right (facing the beach) and angle the camera to include Diamond Head in the background. You just need to wait until there are no people behind on the pathway.

Afternoon Tea
We alternate each trip between having afternoon tea here and at the Moana. They are both equally as nice as each other. The menu is found here.

The Travel Concierge tip: To reserve a table, e-mail via this e-mail address.

Fast food in Waikiki

McDonalds is found at 2476 Kalakaua Ave. It is just past the Duke Statue on the corner of Kalakaua Ave and Liliuokalani Ave.

Hungry Jack's is found at 131 Kaiulani Ave at the King's Village.Kaiulani Ave.  is at the lights just past the Moana heading in the Diamond Head direction.  Go down the street and King's Village is on the right side. Also here is KFC and Subway.

The ABC store also has pre-made meals. It would take me too long to write all the locations because they are on virtually every corner.

Dining at Ala Moana (Shopping Mall)

Ala Moana is located on Ala Moana Blvd. The address is 1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
 There are two main areas for dining. The food hall which is located on the street level on the beach side of Ala Moana. If you arrive by bus or Pink Trolley, you will enter the Mall from this side. The other dining hub is on the rooftop level (4) Here you will find The Olive Garden. There were other restaurants but they have closed with COVID 19

Jet-lagged and hungry at 2am?
Try Mac24/7 opened as the name says Always.

2500 Kuhio Ave in the Hilton Waikiki Beach. Their menu is found here. Also on that same page are details about the 'Mancake' Challenge that was featured on the TV show Man Vs Food. We ordered the pancakes as a family (not eligible for the challenge just to try them) 5 of us (3 adults and 2 children) couldn't even get through half the pancakes. They had to be wheeled out on a trolley they were too heavy.

Dining at the Ward Centre
The Ward Centre is further up Ala Moana Blvd. than Ala Moana Mall. You are headed further away from Waikiki, towards the Aloha Tower. You can walk but it is a better option to jump on the bus.

For a full list of dining options look here.

Attractions in Waikiki

Duke Statue
Kalakaua Ave beachside. The statue is just past the Moana and the Police Station.

This 9ft statue is to represent Duke Kahanamoku. People pose in front of the statue. There are usually always lei's thrown over Duke.

Who is Duke?: "Duke" was a great Hawaiian Ambassador. Duke Kahanamoku-A Hawaiian native, won his first Olympic gold in 1912 when he was 21 years old. He went on to win many more medals, which in itself is enough to make him famous. But he also introduced surfing to the US Atlantic coast and Australia and New Zealand, Being a movie star and a sheriff in Honolulu were two of many great achievements he achieved throughout his life. There are a number of photographs and memorabilia items within Duke's that you can roam and look at while waiting for your table.

The Travel Concierge tip:
- If you make a flower lei, and like us, get all sneezy when it is in a hotel room, suggest that your children take them down to throw over the Duke statue.
-There is a Webcam at the Duke statue. With your back to the statue, look up at the pole near the street. We always get family and friends back home to save the link to the webcam on their devices and then we text them when we are headed there (line it up with time back home) and then they can see us live on a webcam from half-way round the world. Once when Brendan was back home, we lined the girls in front of the statue and texted to ask if he could see them. When he said yes we texted back "Great, we are headed to grab a cuppa...can you watch them for the next half hour??" (Obviously we were joking) The webcam link is here. (You may need to download Media Player for this to work.)

The Travel Concierge Fact: A number of Hawaiians don't like the statue position. They say that the Duke would never have had his back to the ocean. Obviously, it was placed to have the ocean as a backdrop.

Outrigger Rides and surf lessons
My husband is a surfer, and says that the Outrigger is probably one of the closest experiences a non-surfer will have like surfing. We go on and outrigger most trips but not all- I would highly recommend doing it at least once! There are a number of places on Waikiki beach that you can do it.

Surf lessons also can be haggled, especially if you have more than one person that is wanting lessons. Also negotiate whether you can use the board after the lesson to free surf on your own. Often after you hire from them a time or two, you can then negotiate a lower rate. 

The Travel Concierge tip: 
-Don't accept the first offer of price. Walk up and down the beach and compare costs. Cost will vary depending on what the waves are doing, whether it is high or low tide and whether they are busy or not. Haggle for cost and waves. We always get 3 waves. 

- Check with your hotel whether they have any deals with any of the company's. (But still compare to know it is not higher than other ones)

Honolulu Zoo
151 Kapahulu Ave.

Walk down Kalakaua Ave towards Diamond Head. When you get to the end where the park area starts the street curves to the left and you will see the Zoo.
I must admit to being a total Zoo snob, but when your local Zoo is Taronga Zoo can you blame me? We have never done the Zoo here, but if you want details of it, look here.

Waikiki Aquarium
2777 Kalakaua Ave
The aquarium is found right down the Diamond Head end of Kalakaua Ave. Details can be found here.


World Marine Life Conservation District
How to get here: Head on the pathway down Kalakaua Ave towards Diamond Head. Keep going until you get to the Sans Souci Park. Go past the Zoo.You will see a stone wall but keep going until you get to the second stone wall where there is a Lifeguard tower at the front. If yu get to the Barefoot Beach Cafe you have gone just a bit too far.

My family loves to snorkel. This area is a great place to snorkel and see a great variety of sea life. It is not suitable for young children. You really need to have reef shoes as the entrance is full of rock and volcanic rock. We always go right in front of the Lifeguard tower to know that we are being watched if we got into trouble. If you look at the link here, you will see the wall out past the water. We swim on the left side of this. (facing the ocean) We never go out alone. We hold hands with our snorkel buddy so that we don't end up swimming off to another island.

Ala Moana Shops
1450 Ala Moana Blvd

How to get here:
The Bus- 8,13,19,20,23,42, E
Waikiki Trolley- Pink Line

This multi-storey open plan shopping mall is the shopping 'mecca' of Waikiki. The anchor stores here are Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus.
Ala Moana has been undergoing major renovations for the last few years. The wait has been worth it. The store directory is found here.

The Travel Concierge tip: 
-Print off the directory and map and prioritise the stores you want to visit first.
-You will most likely arrive via either The Bus or the Pink line Trolley. You arrive on the beach side of Ala Moana. To get back to Waikiki you will need to exit Ala Moana on the mountain side of the shops. You walk through the carpark to the street and the bus stop.
-If you shop too much and need to get another suitcase (um yes I am so guilty of doing this on a number of trips) DON'T buy a suitcase from Ala Moana if you intend to travel back to Waikiki on the bus. They will not allow you to take it on the bus. You can take it in a taxi, but you will be paying a lot more for the trip. You can buy suitcases from a number of shops in Waikiki including Ross which is in Seaside off Kalakaua on the right-hand side.

King's Village
The King's Guards no longer perform at King's Village. Why have I added this? So you don't think I missed it or don't hear someone telling you that you have to go and see it and you waste precious Aloha time waiting down there for them to come out! You're Welcome!

Diamond Head
Entry to Diamond Head is $5 per car and $1 per person if you walk in.

How to get there:
You can drive to Diamond Head-personally I think this is the safest with children.
You can catch the Green Line Trolley ( details are here.)
You can walk from Waikiki (if you are super keen!)
You can catch the Bus here. Catch bus 2, 23

The view from the top of Diamond Head is breathtaking. The walk up there is hard, but you can take it as fast or slow as you want to. There is a new section that cuts out what we call "heartbreak steps" This also allows people who cannot get through the narrow ledge of the original path a way to get to the top easier. The suggested time is 1 hr each way. Our best time is 11 minutes but we were running. If you have small children, just take your time. Take a torch or use your torch app on your phone to go through the tunnel. Take water and a camera to record that you made it to the top.

The Travel Concierge tip: When you go through the tunnel and to your right see a very steep set of stairs, go left and you can take the easier route. If you go the steep stairs, you then have sets of circular steps and a ledge you have to crawl through to get to the top.

International Marketplace
The old International Marketplace was knocked down and the new one is due to open in August 2016. Here is the official website.  The anchor store is Saks 5th Avenue.

Complimentary Cultural Activities. There are a number of places in Waikiki that offer complimentary Hawaiian Cultural activities that are not just exclusively for hotel guests but for the general public. Below are a few and their details.

Royal Hawaiian Centre
Kalakaua Ave.

Waikiki Beach Walk
Lewers St

Kuhio Beach Park (near the Duke Statue)
Every Tues, Thurs and Sat night (weather permitting) Nov-Jan 6pm Other months 6:30pm

Ala Moana Centre
Ala Moana Shops Centre Stage.

King's Village
Kaiulani Ave.

Iolani Palace
364 S King St. Honolulu
How to Get There: Catch The Bus- 2,13, 42, E or 19, 20 to King or Alakea (nearby)
Details of tours, cost and hours are found here.

The Iolani Palace is the last Royal Palace of Hawaii before it became part of the United States of America as the 50th State. It is a very interesting place to visit. The fact that you can walk through the halls of a Royal Palace is very special. I would really recommend the tour as there are a lot of things that I learnt, that I wouldn't have picked up on a self-guided tour.

You may notice that the Palace has rooms that are very sparsely furnished. When it was taken by American ruling, they took most of the Palace furniture outside and sold it off for prices that were equivalent to if you sold it in modern day at a Garage/Yard sale. When restoring the Palace, the decision was made to only put back into the Palace furniture that had originally been there. they had enough photos of each room to know what was in them. Each room has a photo on an easel showing the room, and you can see what is still missing. Over the years, pieces have been found as far away as Australia. On the year we visited, a family had been clearing out the home of their Grandparents that had recently died and found a suitcase stored away. When they opened it, they found a quilt cover with the Royal crest on it and had returned it to the Palace.

King Kalakaua (this is where the main street in Waikiki gets its name) was very keen to explore the world and adapt to modern technology. He had a telephone and electricity installed in Iolani Palace before the White House and Buckingham Palace. To see what the Palace looks like look here.

Queen Liliuokalani was ruling when the Monarchy was overthrown in a political revolt. (1893)She was imprisoned in the Palace in an upstairs room. You can see the room and see the sewing she did while imprisoned. The Tour is suitable for children as long as they will stay with you and not run around under ropes etc. Everyone who goes into the Palace wears the slippers over their shoes (see below) to make sure they don't damage the floors. Our tour guide told the girls it was their job to polish as much of the floors as possible so she didn't have to later.
Under 5 are free. They need to either be strapped to the parent via a carrier or you can use one of the Palace strollers for free. Their strollers are designed to protect their beautiful wooden floors.

Disclaimer: Always be very careful on beaches and in the water. Never swim or snorkel alone. Keep an eye on your children at all times and never enter water that is beyond your swimming ability or when lifeguards post signs stating dangers.