One of my biggest traveling dreams came true on our honeymoon thanks to my loving husband and I travelled around half the Earth to Hawaii! We stayed few days in Honolulu, swimming and sunbathing on Waikiki beach, trying to surf on a paddle board, enjoying nightlife and trekking on Diamond Head. We also visited Pearl Harbour, the famous harbour where incidents that led to USA joining the WWII happened.
Honolulu isn´t much of a charming city, it´s full of tall hotel buildings and crowded by tourists.
But still, you can make a good stay out of it for a few days. Plus, if you travel so far, you just have to see the famous Waikiki beach. You want to try surfing, but you´ve never done it before and don´t have time for a course? Borrow a paddle board! Paddle board actually originates from Hawaii, where local tribe chiefs rode it. You can, as we did, watch a few tutorial videos on YouTube, and then go for it. Try it for a while on calm waters and then you can also try some waves as well. It will do for a funny morning on the beach.
Wondering where to spend your evening? Even though your guide will tell you Hilton Hawaiian Village has the best bar, it is actually quite posh. Cocktails are good but you can get the same elsewhere with nicer service. So what we found the best? Surprisingly the Hard Rock Café. We don’t like them much in other cities, but this one really rocks. We went there several times and it was great at all occasions – life music, nice atmosphere, good food and drinks. It’s mandatory they also serve Mai Tai, the original hawaiian cocktail. Dark and light rum, orange curacao, pineapple juice, orgeat sirup and lime. It is sweet, but here you somehow don’t mind. Plus, you need to try the local cocktail at least once, right?
If you have seen the Honolulu skyline from the beach, you must have had noticed the part with no buildings but a hill instead. It’s protected by law, it’s forbidden to build there and spoil its view. It’s the Diamond Head, an old volcano. You can climb it from the parking lot built directly inside the crater and discover the beautiful view from the top. There you will also find quite preserved military bunkers and artillery positions which guarded the US soil.
Once on Hawaii, a total must see is the Pearl Harbour. The famous site where the US were attacked by the Japanese on Dec 7, 1941 and thus entered the WWII. It’s better to plan your visit and book your tickets online. Reserve a whole day at least. We visited the USS Arizona Memorial, which is truly impressive overlooking the fallen battleship under the water. We were told that everyone from the crew, who survived the attack but died since then, are burried in the remains of the ship, together with their fellows.
Then we came aboard the USS Misouri, on which the peace between Japan and the USA was signed. It was then renovated and served in Korea and in Gulf war. There is also a very well done airplane museum, featuring the japanese zero as well as some more modern pieces. Remember that Pearl Harbour is still an active military base and as such you can’t move around on your own, but you have to take the tourist bus from one site to another.
