We stayed at the Hilton Grand Waikikian (which is one hotel in a complex of various Hilton hotels sitting on Waikiki Beach), and our balcony offered great views of the other Hilton hotel buildings and the Pacific Ocean beyond.
I do not know what kind of bird this is. Maybe a dove? Birds liked to perch themselves on the balconies.
Here's a Maine Lobster Ravioli from the fanciest dinner I had while in Honolulu. The food was excellent but I tend to feel uncomfortable at upscale steakhouses. It just doesn't feel me. Regardless, I was there for an anniversary and this is what they wanted to do.
Here's some pictures and a video of the beach where our hotel was. It was nice and big, and could definitely get busy with beachgoers on a weekend.
I would walk around the city of Honolulu on some mornings, and I was impressed with how clean the city felt. Even though this is supposed to be a bustling urban area, there was an aura of relaxation around it. I did not feel any stress or anything like that. There was a mall that was walking distance from our hotel that had many high-end shops that were way out of my price range. I was able to find some novelty stores in the mall that sold Hawaiian shirts, so I bought one.
At the northwest coast of Oahu (known as the North Shore), we checked out a surfing beach in the sleepy town of Haleiwa. The sunset made the beach and the surrounding area even more beautiful than it already is. I attempted to go swimming in the water but the waves were far too rough for me. I look over to my left and I see little kids jumping into the waves like it is nothing! I guess when you grow up in Hawaii, you learn to handle yourself while in rough water.
There were also a number of people surfing on the waves as well, though I do not think I would want to try that anytime soon.
Back at the hotel, there would be luaus that would take place on the hotel complex grounds a few times a week. If you wanted to have dinner and watch the show, a ticket would cost you about $170 USD, which was an absolute rip-off. Because the show was outside, all we had to do was stand outside the perimeter and we can watch the show for free! The show itself was quite entertaining with various dancers representing the various Pacific islands. The highlight of the show was the fire dance, where performers would twirl around with sticks of fire and do tricks to the amazement of the crowd.
There is a swap meet that is held at the Aloha Stadium parking lot every week where hundreds of vendors sell clothes, food, and other souvenirs. I went and got myself the local Hawaiian shave ice, which was delightful. I was able to get some souvenirs and clothes, but when I went to the vendors that were selling phone cases, there were no vendors that had phone cases for my OnePlus 8 Pro.
Donuts and other pastries from Leonard's Bakery, which is a locally famous bake shop in Honolulu.
The main street of Waikiki Beach was full of high-end designer stores, so that eliminated any kind of shopping for me, so I went to the beach instead. Waikiki Beach itself was full of people swimming, surfing, and people just generally having a good time. I can see why this beach is one of the most famous beaches in the world. The weather was perfect, and the beach itself looked pristine.
The trip to Hawaii was amazing, and it was made even more amazing due to finally being able to travel after the easing of COVID restrictions. I am already thinking about where I want to go next year. Will next year finally be the time where I go to Europe? We will see at that time, but for now, hope you enjoyed all of the sights and sounds that was my Hawaii blogs over the past couple of months.
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