Oops, I may have disappeared again. But not completely! If any of you follow me on Instagram, you’d know I was in Oahu just last week. This was my first trip to Hawaii and it was amazing. Sun, sand, water that’s not too-close-for-my-liking-to-freezing-temperature… AH-MAZING.
I stayed in Waikiki, at a hotel just a five minute walk from the beach. There’s no denying Waikiki is a very touristy place (see the Hard Rock Cafe, P.F. Chang’s, and Cheesecake Factory on Kalakua Ave), but then again you’re in Hawaii. Not exactly off the beaten path. 🙂
That said, Waikiki’s not a boring place either. If you like swimming, surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, or any other kind of water sport, it’s the perfect place to be to do all of the above and more. The beach is huge, so while it may look busy you can almost always find a patch of sand to throw down your towel for some R&R if you walk a little bit.
Though I wanted to get up and go as soon as my bags were unpacked — just kidding! I never unpack my bags #lazy — due to a little jet lag my first couple days of vacay were spent either at the hotel pool or the beach: swimming, relaxing, taking morning walks by the water, sipping coconut mojitos, and relishing the fact that I didn’t need to put on a sweater until the sun went down. It was glorious.
I found a really cool surfboard… locker(?) in one of the many alleys that take you from Kalakua Ave (and the widely popular shopping area) straight to the beach. The number of people walking around barefoot or carrying surfboards on the street took me right back to my days in Bondi. *wistful sigh*
One more of the surfboards, because surfboards are cool.
I would also like to add that it’s so nice not to have to keep an eye out for jellyfish while walking along the beach.
What’s better than hanging out on the beach? Hanging out on the beach with fireworks! On Fridays around 7:45pm the Hilton Hawaiian Village puts on a little show right there in the sand. Since everyone and their mum loves fireworks, either head to the beachside of the village a little early or be prepared to stand the whole time.
Of course there is so much more to Oahu than Waikiki Beach. Like other beaches that are only a short drive away (and much better for snorkeling). 😀 There’s also plenty of trails for hiking, dirt biking, zip lining, horseback riding, or whatever strikes your fancy. Or you can rent a car and go on a road trip, which is what I ended up doing. More on that next time!
-C
