Hawaii

A whole new world is just an afternoon away

Hawaii is the perfect getaway for people in our region. It’s relatively close, at best a four-and-a-half hour flight, and good deals can be had for $300 or less if you stay alert and are willing to be flexible with times and layovers. However, the best flight direct to Honolulu from San Francisco, Oakland or Sacramento airports leaves between 8:30 and 9 a.m., putting you in Honolulu, the state capital on the island of O`ahu, just in time for lunch— a perfect way to kick off the first day of your vacation.    

When my mother and I fly to Hawaii to visit my grandparents, our usual routine after lunch is to go to our favorite sites and do some shopping. But on our last trip, I decided to start with something a little different: a Deluxe Thalasso Therapy with Color and Essential Oils, and a Coconut and Lime Body Scrub—a sensible decision since airplane rides are hard on the body.
    The treatments are on the menu at the J.W. Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa, which is part of the Ko Olina Resort and Marina (about 20 minutes east of Honolulu), along with the Ko Olina Golf Club, Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club and the soon-to-be Disney Resort. It has a few brand-new buildings and lots of construction in a pretty and still relatively vacant expanse of shoreline. It also includes four man-made pristine lagoons, perfect for beach-lounging or lazy swimming.
    We got there in time for lunch first, at Naupaka Terrace, the hotel’s outdoor bistro, which has a lovely, relaxed ambiance and prides itself on using local and healthful foods. I sampled the farmers market salad with fresh greens and a shiitake tomato vinaigrette, deliciously crunchy spring rolls and the coconut shrimp, which comes with an apricot dipping sauce charmingly served in a small, halved coconut shell. After lunch I checked into the spa.
   

The Roman baths at Ihilani Resort & Spa

The Ihilani Spa is an intimate space with a Roman bath, steam room, sauna and treatment rooms. It is one of two spas in the U.S. (New Jersey is the other) that offers the Thalasso treatment: a European-style underwater massage, with warm seawater pumped straight in from the ocean. Between the four treatment options—relaxation, circulation, toning and energizing—I opted for circulation, an unusual choice for my relaxing tendencies. Once in the huge, deep tub, the attendant massaged my feet, put an aromatherapy compress on my forehead, and turned on the jets with some soothing blue tub lights. It was like a high-tech Jacuzzi, with hard spray rolling up and down both sides of my body. The water was warm and clear; the lights and the essential oils were peaceful. After about ten minutes, the attendant returned to change the compress, adjusted the tub lights to a rotation of vibrant reds, greens and golds, and cooled the water temperature. I then knew why it was called circulation—it lowered my body temperature so much that I was shivering uncontrollably by the end of the treatment. My circulation was definitely invigorated.
    I was then led to the body scrub treatment room. The scrub room attendant showed me the tray of ingredients: Hawaiian sea salt, tiny shreds of fresh coconut, and fresh lemon zest (they’d run out of lime that day). Afterward, I was led to the needle shower, a round shower stall with 16 jets to get you at all angles. Then, I went to look at my skin in the dressing room. The exfoliation left it bright red but exceptionally smooth; the redness faded immediately, but my skin remained smooth for several days.
    After that, it was time to head back to Honolulu to resume our typical first-day activities. But while we have our own traditions, people on a new vacation in a new place will invariably create their own traditions, their own stories. Honolulu is unparalleled when it comes to catering to a cross-section of personal interests.
   

Aloha Tower, on the Honolulu Harbor (courtesy Hawaii CVB/Chuck Painter)

Usually, we have lunch at Gordon Biersch Brewery in Aloha Tower, an airy outdoor mall near Honolulu’s downtown financial district. Aloha Tower has plenty of tourist-friendly shops to browse, and the brewery’s patio, right on Honolulu Harbor where the cruise ships come in, is very relaxing. If you feel the need to walk off calamari and beer afterward, a stroll along the harbor takes you past fish food stands, where you can buy a handful of food to sprinkle into the water for the countless fish that bob up for a treat. (Traffic is notoriously bad, so it’s preferable to be mobile by foot whenever you can, but keep comfortable by wearing proper walking shoes instead of the sandals or flip-flops you might want to put on.)
    About two miles east of Aloha Tower, at Ala Moana Boulevard and Ward Avenue, is where the shopping really starts. Ward Centers—comprised of Ward Centre, Ward Warehouse and a few other Ward entities—has a number of island apparel and gift shops as well as art galleries to check out. Just a few blocks farther down Ala Moana Boulevard is the aptly named Ala Moana Center. The large mall’s stores range from Hilo Hattie’s to Gucci, and a variety of other stores for both residents and tourists. There’s Lupicia for tea lovers, the Cookie Corner for cookie lovers, and the Slipper House for when you want to get started on your flip-flop or “slippah” collection.
    Farther eastward is Waikiki, a true shopper’s paradise. Stores from Prada, Hermes and Tiffany & Co. to simple beachwear and surf shops, and the infamous ABC stores, line the streets. There are also a number of more concentrated shopping areas: The relatively new showcase Waikiki Beach Walk starts on Lewers Street between Kalia Road and Kalakaua Avenue; the International Marketplace is an open-air market of shops and artisan stands; and the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center has more than 100 shops and restaurants to explore.
    Some people might be more interested in Hawaii’s history and culture than its merchandise, and there is no shortage of places that will fulfill that desire. If there is any single must-see on O`ahu, it’s the USS Arizona National Memorial at Pearl Harbor, simply for the fact that it’s such an integral, emotional and living part of U.S. history. Guests can begin by exploring the exhibits at the Visitor’s Center. The tour itself begins with a short film about the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, followed by a boat trip to the memorial itself. The memorial sits atop the USS Arizona, which can still be seen underwater.
   

A view of Diamond Head

Museum buffs should take the time to visit the Bishop Museum. Founded in the late 1880s, the museum is renowned worldwide for its research projects, educational programs, and collection of artifacts, documents and photographs about Hawaii and other Pacific island cultures. On the local art side, Honolulu has numerous art galleries, from the esteemed Honolulu Academy of Art (honoluluacademy.org) to smaller spaces in and around Honolulu’s downtown (aka Chinatown) district that have regular hours and participate in a lively First Friday Hawaii, a monthly open-late event featuring free entertainment and special activities (firstfridayhawaii.com).
    The beauty of Honolulu, though, is that if shopping or museums aren’t your forte, stretching your legs and soaking up some sunshine, or simply wandering around—strolling down Waikiki beach, or walking down Kalakaua Avenue toward the Honolulu Zoo and the Waikiki Aquarium—is enough to fill an afternoon and more. And when it’s time to put up your feet, the Halekulani’s famous House Without a Key restaurant will welcome you for sunset cocktails with live Hawaiian music and hula dancing. With the legendary Diamond Head as your backdrop, what better way to welcome the sunset on your first day?

For more information, visit Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau.

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