Go Visit Hawaii

According to this video, Waikiki Beach is the best place in Hawaii to learn how to surf. I recently spoke to a friend who just learned how to surf at Waikiki Beach and she just raved over how great it was. So, if you are going to Oahu and you’ve had a lifelong dream of learning to surf, take a look at this brief video to whet your appetite.

What is your favorite four-letter word? Mine is “free”! It’s not often that you find quality entertainment that’s free, but on Oahu’s Kuhio Beach, you’ll find a beautiful free hula show.

The show includes authentic Hawaiian music and hula performances and a torch lighting ceremony. It’s offered every night except for Mondays. It begins at 6:30pm on the Kuhio Beach Hula Mound near the intersection of Uluniu and Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki.

The show lasts about an hour. If you’re going, you may want to bring a towel or a beach mat as there is only lawn seating.

Mahalo to the Honolulu Office of Economic Development for providing the free show and to the Waikiki Improvement Project for the photo.

Oahu’s North Shore is famous for big waves that attract expert surfers from across the world.  It is common to have 20 foot waves during the winter months on Oahu.  The big surf can be extremely hazardous for those who aren’t expert surfers, so don’t get any ideas that you are going to teach yourself how to surf at Sunset Beach or Waimea Bay in the winter. In this situation, I’m happy to just be a spectator. 

Take a virtual tour to see the recent (end of November 2007) big wave action as reported by KITV via YouTube.

If you are viewing this post via e-mail, click here to watch the video. 

When you are on Oahu, consider touring the USS Missouri, also known as the Mighty Mo. The USS Missouri had a deep history and now proudly resides in “battleship row” near the USS Arizona and the USS Bowfin in Pearl Harbor. Probably one of the greatest events in Mighty Mo’s history is that it hosted Japan’s official surrender to the US and marked the end of World War II. When you visit the Mighty Mo, you will see a plaque that commemorates the historic spot.

There are several Mighty Mo tour packages from which to choose.

• Self guided tours are $16 for adults and $8 for children ages 4 to 12. Children age 3 and under are not charged admission.
• You can rent an audio guide for $7 per unit. The units has over two hours of recorded information.
• Guided tours that allow entrance to extra sections cost an additional $7 per person and those tours are offered every 15 minutes. The tour lasts an hour. I’d advise this upgrade to get the tour guide’s insight and to be able to ask questions.
• There is an Explorer’s Tour that’s pretty well priced at $29 for adults and $12 for children. This 90 minute tour gives you an “insider’s” view into the battleship and what life was like there.

Here are some tips for visiting the USS Missouri:

• The battleship is open for tours daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The only days the battleship is closed for tours are on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day.
• Consider combining the tour of the Mighty Mo on the same day as a tour of the USS Arizona Memorial to save time. The USS Bowfin submarine is also nearby.
• For security purposes, do not bring any bags whatsoever as there is a strict no baggage policy, including camera cases, fanny packs, diaper bags, and purses. If you do bring any bags, there are storage lockers for rent.
• You are allowed to bring in a bottle of water and it can be quite hot on the decks, so do bring a bottle of water with you.
• Be respectful of these historic areas. You may encounter a military ceremony on your visit.
• Wear sensible, comfortable shoes and clothing as you will be climbing stairs and walking across steel hatches.
• Wear sunscreen and bring a hat.
• Bring your camera for photos.
• If you bring your rental car to the parking area, be sure to place valuables out of sight and lock your doors.

As today is Veteran’s Day, I’d like to close this post with a sincere thank you to all veterans.

I really enjoyed writing the best budget friend sights and activities series of articles over the last month. As I wrote each one, I tried to bear in mind that most people usually only have seven days for their vacation in Hawaii. So, it was quite challenging to narrow down the list to something that could be achieved within a week and still hopefully have some relaxation time to spare. I thought it would be useful to wrap up the series of Hawaii budget activities articles into one convenient spot for you. Here they are:

• Maui’s Top 7 Free or Nearly Free Things to Do and See
• 10 Best Free Activities and Sites on Oahu
• Best Free Activities on Kauai
• Best Big Island Budget Activities
  

Isn’t this photo of Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve stunning? Visit the Friends of Hanauma web site to see a larger version of this photo. It’s definitely worth the visit.

In my list of Oahu’s best free and low cost activities, I mentioned snorkeling with one of the most popular spots being Hanauma Bay. After seeing this photo, is there even any wonder why?

The City and County of Honolulu has quite a bit of useful information to help you plan your visit to Hanauma Bay. The bay had been over used and neglected over many years, so now access is being restricted and visitors are educated on the importance of protecting the marine life and reefs.

If you’re going, here’s what you need to know:

• Familiarize yourself with safety tips.
• The preserve is open every day except Tuesdays. The park opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. in the summer and 6 p.m. in the winter. For more information on opening hours and evening hours, click here.
• You can get there by taking TheBus number 22 from Waikiki. If you are driving, parking is limited so there early. To see a map of the area click here.
• You must pay an entrance fee of $1.00 per car and $5.00 per person above the age of 13.
• Snorkel gear and lockers are available for rent.
• To hear the most up to date information about Hanauma Bay, call 808.848.5555.
• About eight to ten days after a full moon, it’s possible that box jellyfish will be in and around the bay, so it’s bet to plan around that time. To see the jellyfish arrival calendar click here.

This Monday must be ‘freebie day”.  Almost as soon as I published my list of top 10 free Oahu activities, I received notification of free island entertainment offered at the Waikiki Beach Walk.  The show is called Ku Ha’aheo, “To Cherish with Pride.”  This show includes adult and keiki (children) hula dancers.  It is described as follows:

A unique blending of contemporary and traditional elements focusing on island traditions, cultural beliefs, classic hapa haole tunes, and historical moments in Hawaii, all told through song and dance.

The show is held every Tuesday from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. on the plaza lawn at the Waikiki Beach Walk fountain stage on Lewers Street.  Informal lawn seating is available. 

The Waikiki Beach Walk offers several other complimentary Hawaiian cultural programs.  Click here to see the list of the current programs. 

Last week I shared my top free things to do on Maui, I continue the series with my top pick of free (or almost free) activities and sites on Oahu. If you are going to Oahu on a honeymoon or to celebrate an anniversary, many of these activities can be quite romantic. Then again, if you are going to Oahu with a friend, these activities can be enjoyed by anyone.

1. Visit the USS Arizona National Memorial in Pearl Harbor. The first time I saw the memorial, I was speechless for a while and then I was moved to tears. It is a solemn place and very much worth the time to visit it. (When you go be sure that you are prepared for the strict security rules. No bags of any kind are allowed at the visitors center.)
2. See Punchbowl National Cemetery. This is a another solemn, yet peaceful site. Where else would you find a cemetery in the crater of an extinct volcano? You will find tremendous views of Honolulu at lookouts here.
3. Take a walking tour of Waikiki. You can download a free guide with a map. (Note: it’s 21 pages long and the map is on page 21.)
4. See a free Polynesian dance and music show at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on Friday nights. After the Polynesian show, you’ll be treated to fireworks. Check this link for show times.
5. See the free torch lighting ceremony and hula show at Kuhio Beach Park. The show begins at 6:30 p.m.. This show is provided every night except for Monday nights. Follow this link to learn more about the Kuhio Beach hula show.
6. Lace up your hiking shoes and hit the trails. Check out Backyard Oahu’s lists of hikes and advice as well Oahu hiking section of the Hawaii State Parks site.. Two very popular hikes are the 540-foot straight up climb to the top of Diamond Head crater and the easy two-mile round trip hike to Manoa Falls.
7. Admire the turtles at “Turtle Beach”. You’ll find this beach on the North Shore between Haleiwa and Waimea Bay off of Highway 83. The best landmark for finding this beach is to look for south end of Pohaku Loa Way and the cars parked off the mountain side of the road. This spot would make a nice place to have a picnic lunch.
8. Go snorkeling. Some of the best snorkeling spots on Oahu are Hanauma Bay around Honolulu and Shark’s Cove on the North Shore. For more information on snorkeling on Oahu, see this guide.
9. In the winter, watch those incredibly tall waves along the North Shore. A top spot for watching the winter surf is at Waimea Bay.
10. Watch the sun sink into the ocean with a sunset picnic. You can either pick up your own picnic supplies from a grocery store or restaurant. Alternatively, many resorts will offer to-go picnic baskets. Please note that alcoholic beverages are prohibited on Hawaii beaches.I’ll cover the best free things to do on Kauai next.

The Horizons Show at the Polynesian Cultural Center is phenomenal.  I have seen other Polynesian shows in Hawaii and Tahiti and this show was by far the best.  

We saw this evening show on our first full day of our recent trip to Oahu.  We had flown to Hawaii from the East Coast the day before and we were extremely jet lagged.  We had had a full day touring the islands of the center and taking part in the Ali’i Luau.  By the time the show started, it was well past our bedtime at home.  So, we were a little concerned that when the lights dimmed for the show, that we might end up watching the back of our eye lids instead of the show. Our concerns were not warranted because the show captured our attention the entire time.  Not only were we wide awake watching the show, but when we got back to our hotel at the Turtle Bay Resort, we kept awake for a while talking about how great the show was.

All of the major Polynesian islands are represented in the show.  Over 100 dancers and musicians participate in the show. You won’t find this many performers at any other luau or Polynesian show in Hawaii. Some of the show’s highlights include a Samoan fire knife dancers and men who dance over a fire in grass skirts.  The following video is a montage of clips from the show that will just give you a small taste of the show.  (Click the image to play.)

Click To Play

The colorful costumes are beautiful.  One aspect that I appreciated was that the female dancers wore very attractive costumes that weren’t risque.  Some shows I’ve seen at other places, have costumes that might as well be found in a strip club.  So you can feel comfortable bringing the kids to see this show. 

The 90-minute show is held in a covered open air auditorium.  The stadium-style, wrapped seating arrangement insures everyone has a good view of the show.  The evening show is included in admission for several of the ticket packages.  If your time is limited, you can purchase a ticket to see the evening show only.  Ticket prices start at $55 for Adults and $40 for children up to 11 years old.  You can save 5% off your ticket price by completing a brief survey. 

The show is presented Monday through Saturday, normally at 7:30 p.m., but during peak seasons they may have one performance at 6:00 p.m. and another at 8:00 p.m.  There is an intermission that makes a great time and excuse to get an ice cream. 

Have you seen this show?  Please share your thoughts and tips in the comments. 

While staying at the Turtle Bay Resort on the North shore of Oahu,  I had the opportunity to try a couple of spa treatments at Spa Luana. The resort’s spa offers many services including, massages, facials, body treatments, manicures, pedicures, and salon services.  Several treatments use Hawaiian methods and products.

The spa is tucked away in a quiet area of the ground floor of the resort.  The spa is relatively small having only five indoor treatment rooms, plus an outdoor hut for massages. The spa also has a fitness center, a hair salon, locker room, and an al fresco relaxation area with ocean views. 

I was warmly greeted when I arrived at the spa.  One thing I particularly liked about Spa Luana is that everyone encountered was very welcoming and unpretentious.  Most spa employees seem to have an attitude of intimidating superiority, but that is certainly not the case at Spa Luana.  The staff at Spa Luana show the lovely spirit of aloha. 

After I signed in and completed a questionnaire, I was shown to the locker room.  I was issued spa slippers and a nice silky robe.  The locker rooms include saunas, so I took advantage of that to warm my muscles up for the lomi lomi massage.

The massage room had ocean views though when you are face up or face down, you really don’t get to enjoy the view that much, but still it was nice to know I was that close to the ocean.  I very much enjoyed the massage.  The therapist made me feel comfortable and asked questions so that he could better target the massage where I needed it the most. 

After the massage, I had a limu (seaweed) wrap that is supposed to remove toxins.  Though I quite liked the therapist who provided the treatment, I can’t really recommend that treatment.  I didn’t really feel less toxic. 

Tips to Know Before You Go

• To get the treatments that you want when you want them, you should book your treatments before you arrive.  You can schedule an appointment by calling 808.447.6868.
• A “service charge” of 18% is tacked onto your bill.
• Plan to get to your appointment about a half hour early so that you aren’t rush.  You’ll be able to sit in the sauna before your treatment and/or sip some cucumber or citrus water in the relaxation area.
• See this article for other

tips on making the most of your spa treatment in Hawaii.