Return to paradise! Tony and I had honeymooned in Hawaii in 1988 and returned again in October 2003. We promised each other we wouldn't wait another 14 years to return to Hawaii. We had forgotten (although always in the back of our minds) about Hawaii's beauty, the food, the friendly people, the culture, and its magic.
For this trip, we chose Oahu (of course!) and the Big Island (BI). My Mother had taken my brother and me for a weekend trip a few months before we moved to Florida back in 1979 - I grew up on Oahu, 4th grade through high school. I remember the sights we saw on the BI, but we had barely scratched the surface. Our itinerary for this trip included four nights on Oahu, six on the BI, and one last night on Oahu before our long flight home.
Hotels:
I made reservations again at the Hale Koa, which is a military-only resort in Waikiki (fronting one of the best beaches in Waikiki). I selected a garden room, $110/night. The perks are great at this resort: No taxes, $4/day to park the car in their secured garage, fabulous grounds, beautiful pools, a PX, gym, bars, casual and fine dining options. For the price of what we paid and the amenities, this hotel is equal to most other expensive resorts in Waikiki.
For the BI, we decided to stay at the Kilauea Military Camp (http://www.kmc-volcano.com/), also for military and DoD civilians only, located at the Volcano National Park. I wanted a 1-bedroom cottage, but ended up with a 1-bedroom apartment with jacuzzi at the rate of $108. Another bargain! I had read mixed reviews about the Volcano House, and the Kilauea Lodge was out of our price range.
Lastly, I selected the Outrigger Keauhou Resort (http://www.outrigger.com/hotels_detail.aspx?hotel=93), located a few miles south of Kailua-Kona Town. I read great reviews on Trip Advisor, as well as positive comments from my sister-in-law Doris. See my hotel section for my hotel review - we were displeased.
Other Planning:
I booked our flight on Continental Airlines via Houston, as well as Hawaiian Airlines for our inter-island flights. I was happily surprised to find out that Continental Airlines is a Skyteam member, so I will earn miles towards my flight to Rome next year!
I booked, via USAA, rental cars for Oahu (Avis, $93 for the 4 days) and the BI (Hertz, $245 for the 7 days - will also earn miles too). I had read various comments about the importance of renting a 4WD for the BI, but with the sights I wanted to see, we would be fine in a 2WD. I also didn't want to spend $500 on a 4WD!
Frommer's is my favorite guidebook. I still had my Frommer's Honolulu, Waikiki & Oahu guidebook from 2002. I purchased the Oahu Revealed and Big Island Revealed books, which are wonderful and packed with great information. Not only do these books provide the normal travel/tourist information, the authors also provide information on places that sometimes even the locals don't know about or places the locals don't want you to discover.
Saturday October 15, 2005:
Ugh! We got up at 4:00am. We had dropped off Lucy, our dog, at our friend's house the night before, which she wasn't too happy about. The drive to the airport was easy, as it was a Saturday. Easy check-in at the kiosk and we were off shortly after. Our flight to Houston was smooth. There was only about 1 hour between flights, but long enough to grab a bite. The food on board Continental is absolutely horrible!! I wonder if all American airline companies serve the same crap. I guess I'm used to the "real" meals on international flights. It was a LONG flight, but we were happy to be in Hawaii. We picked up our rental car and after a quick stop to a jewelry store where I had ordered a Hawaiian heirloom bracelet the previous month, we headed to the Hale Koa, our hotel for four nights.
The afternoon was spent unpakcing some of our clothes, and then enjoying mai tai's at the Barefoot while watching the sunset. We had also shopped a little at the AAFES shop. While enjoying our drinks, we met a couple. He graduated from VMI, the same year as our friend Rick. Rick and Arran had planned to travel with us to Hawaii until Arran realized how long the flight would be, so they backed out.
We walked to Tiki's, which took about 20 minutes, to meet Melissa, a fellow fodorite and friend. We had plans to meet several people, but they had to back out. Dinner was excellent, which we started with the kalua pig quesadillas. They were so good; I was ready to go back to Tiki's to order them. We all ordered a fish dish. I had Ahi. Melissa ordered their signature salmon dish, which with one taste, I knew I should have ordered it instead of the Ahi. Tiki's is a fun place and very lively. It's always a pleasure to sit outside among the tiki lights and seeing the activity on Waikiki beach.
October 16: Breakfast at Koko's café in the hotel. Shopping morning. We drove to the Aloha stadium and shopped a couple of hours. The swap meet is open three days a week and this day was our only opportunity to go there. I made sure I made our travel plans to be on Oahu for this. This is the best place for souvenirs, such as t-shirts, Hawaiian shirts, dresses; quilt products, arts and crafts, jewelry, luggage, various bags/purses, local foods (crack seed, jams, etc), etc. Prices here are much better than in Waikiki. http://www.alohastadium.hawaii.gov/events/swapmeet.html
It can get pretty hot in the sun, so I would recommend wearing a hat, putting on some suntan lotion, and bringing bottled water.
In the afternoon, we spent our time with Tony's sister and her husband, Doris and Bill. They live in Kailua, so we took a walk to the beach. Kailua beach is usually listed as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It was a cloudy afternoon, so we didn't go swimming. We had dinner at the Big City Diner. Apparently the one at Wards is really crowded and noisy. Oh, we did stop at the Pali Lookout before heading to Kailua. Fabulous views!
October 17: Visited an old friend in the morning; also visited the Punchbowl cemetery. Lunch at Ezogiku (ramen noodle shop) in Waikiki (fabulous soups and gyoza), and then beach time next to the Hale Koa. This beach is great: no crowds. Mai tai's at the bar before heading to the Mandarin for dinner with our friend Doris Ching. She works at the University of Hawaii, where my Mom worked back in the 1970's. Doris was my Mom's supervisor, who was always wonderful to Mom. There is a new restaurant there, Plumeria Beach House, which serves a buffet dinner. Wonderful selection of foods. Our other favorite restaurant there is Hoku's for fine dining.
October 18: Day trip around the island. We drove to Hawaii Kai, where I used to live, dropped off some film at Costco, had lunch at Yummy Korean BBQ at Koko Marina; picked up the film. Did a quick drive-by by my house and high school. Boy Hawaii Kai sure has grown!! Hanauma bay is closed on Mondays. Stopped for photo ops at Makapuu point, the blowhole, etc. Checked out the surfers at Sunset beach. Small waves, but lots of surfers out in the water. Walked around Haleiwa - cute, quaint town. There are lovely beaches and parks to visit, including Kualoa Park with Chinaman's Hat Island off shore.
We stopped at the Kukaniloko Birthing Stones, located in the center of the island in Waianae. This is where (during ancient Hawaiian times) women gave birth to potential kings (alii). What's interesting is that the stones are located out in the open field with only a small grouping of palm trees. The trees sticks out like a sore thumb - you can't miss the place. We met Lomiki, who was praying there. Quite a religious man, he explained the place to us and talked about his own spirituality. He believes in keeping the Hawaiian spirit alive.
Dinner at Keo's Thai restaurant. This was our third visit to Keo's and it's still great. Excellent spring rolls, as well as the pad thai and pork with basil. I always enjoy dining at Keo's, as it's beautiful decorated with fresh flowers.
October 19: A.M. flight to Hilo, Hawaii. Sit on the left side of the airplane for great views of Waikiki, Diamond Head, etc., as well as Molokai and Maui. I went to the rental desk to pick up our rental car (Avis), while Tony headed back to the airplane - he left his cell phone on board (he got it back) and headed to Kilauea Crater, which was about a 40 minute drive (http://www.nps.gov/havo/). We spent one night at the Kilauea Military Camp (KMC), which is located inside the national park. Lunched in the tiny town of Volcano at Lava Rock Café. Saimin for lunch - just "ok." After eating at Ezogiku, no other place compares. Ordering one of their huge salads or burgers was probably a better choice.
Overcast afternoon. We stopped at the information center to find out about seeing lava live and in action. We drove around the crater (counter clockwise) and stopped at various points: steam vents, Jagger museum, the rift (make sure you walk out to see it and not just where you park your car); and Halemaumau crater. It had gotten coller so after visiting the steam vents, we made a quick visit to the KMC general store where I purchased a sweatshirt. I was glad I had it for the afternoon.
We checked into our room, had a snack of pupu's that Tony purchased from the bowling center, and then headed down the Chain of Craters road around 5:00pm to see the lava. The drive down took about 40 minutes. Along the way we stopped to take some photos of the steam vent coming up from the edge of the water. A young couple from Romania had car problems, so I lent them my cell phone so they could verify their car rental agency was sending someone to fix the car. In the meantime, I was getting anxious to get to the end of the road before it got dark. The young man was able to confirm that someone was coming to rescue them, so we headed off.
There is a place to see Hawaiian petroglyphs, but we didn't have time to stop. I recommend you head down around 3:30pm to see the petroglyphs and to get to the end of the road before sunset. Many cars were already parked along side of the road. We walked about 1/2 mile just to get from the car to the park ranger building (bathrooms are located there). We hiked another 1/2 mile to get to the end of the road where the had lava spilled over the road. Walking along the lava is tricky and we were glad we started our hike in the daylight to see what we were really getting ourselves into. I couldn't imagine starting in the dark, not having seen any path or knowing which way to go. We followed bright orange markers for another 1/2 - 1/3rd mile. In the distance was a bright red glow. The lava was approximately 2 miles away. There was just no way to get closer. Looking up the mountain, you can see the lava flowing down in some spots, as most of it moves underground. Wear good shoes and wear pants. I fell on my shins, as I tripped while walking back. I think my legs would have been worse off if I had worn shorts. Thank goodness my camera wasn't damaged. It had fallen off my shoulder and hit the ground hard. Another person also fell. I'm sure that happens every night to someone. Take your time walking and bring flashlights for EACH person in your group. It's pitch black once the sun goes down. The sky is absolutely fabulous with all the stars. I have never seen that many stars before. Although we couldn't get close to the lava, it was a fun evening and great experience. We found out later that had we hiked closer to the water rather than inland, we could have seen the lava better.
Dinner at Thai Thai in Volcano town. Excellent food, a little slow on the service. The place filled up quickly with hungry diners. Make reservations; or do take out. Our room at KMC had a Jacuzzi, so I soaked for a while.
October 20: Since we had an overcast day yesterday, we drove around Kilauea crater again so I could take better pictures. It wasn't that much better, but some blue skys were popping out and it was warmer. We also walked thru the Thurston Lava tube and Devastation trail. Part of Devastation trail looks like the moon! Plant life is slowly growing back.
Kona was our next stop for five nights. We stopped at Punaluu Beach Park, with its black sand beach. Saw turtles in the water. Neat sight. Along the way to Kona, we could see where lava had flowed down to the sea leaving large flowing lava paths. Approaching Kona, I was amazed at how high we were (2000 feet). I expected (from looking at maps) to be at sea level. By the time I had to turn left onto Kamahameha Road to get to our hotel, we had gone down to the 500 feet level.
We checked in at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort in the late afternoon. Disappointed with our room, (classified as a "partial ocean view" room carpeting was horrible, a torn bedspread, full sized beds instead of our requested king bed) we asked at the desk for a better room. We also wanted to price a room, which was considered a deluxe ocean view room, hoping it woulnd't be too expensive to upgrade. We were given a key to room 515 to check it out. Nice room, carpeting was much better but still needed to be replaced; great views from the window: facing the pool and ocean to the left. Back at the desk we asked how much to upgrade. No charge. Tony and I were very happy about that. We quickly re-packed and moved to the new room. Thank goodness we didn't unpack everything!
The Verandah Lounge is a great place to watch the sunset, see turtles basking in the sun on the rocks, and drinking mai tai's (although the mai tai's were much better and less expensive at the Hale Koa). We enjoyed our drinks and kalua pig quesadillas (not as good as at Tiki's) while listening to live Hawaiian music. Good fish dinner later at their restaurant.
October 21: Breakfast at Kimo's in Kona. Cheap and good selection of foods. Don't leave your dish alone at the table, as birds will fly in and proceed to eat the food. Dropped off some laundry, which we picked up on a different day, and made a quick trip to Costco to drop off some film. Back in town, we walked around the outdoor market, visited Hulihee Palace (fabulous koa wood furniture, especially the 80" diamater table built from one log!), Mokuaikaua Church and King Kamehameha's restored Hawaiian temple, Ahu'ena Heiau, all must-see sights. The last three sights listed encompass Royal Hawaii, the era of Missionaries, and Ancient Hawaii.
After lunch at the L&L Drive in for local plate lunch, we drove to see the Painted Church, stopping along the way to pick up some Kona Coffee. The church is small with beautiful paintings inside. While Tony was waiting for me in the parking lot, he met Frank, from Baltimore. Frank had walked out the church and asked Tony, "Are you from Frederick?" Tony didn't know I had signed the guestbook, so he was a little surprised. We chatted with Frank and his wife Joanne for a while. They had dinner reservations at our hotel, so we figured we'd see them there.
With not enough time to visit the Place of Refuge, we headed back to our hotel to freshen up, stopping along the way to pick up some pupu's for dinner. Friday night is prime rib night, but we didn't want a large buffet dinner. We enjoyed our food and drink, while watching the sunset. We met up with Frank and Joanne later while we sat at the pool area. Later, we had snacks and drinks at Drysdale's, located at the Keauhou shopping plaza.
October 22: What a long day for us! We drove up to Kohala after picking up our laundry and dropping of more film at Costco. Got gas too - best prices for gas in Hawaii is at Costco. First stop of the day trip was at the Waikoloa resort. We walked along the area to see the Hawaiian Anaehoomalu petroglyphs. Awesome sight. We saw many petroglyphs. Lots of figures and circles. We also had lunch at Island Fish and Chips, located in the food court. I had Ono fish and chips, while Tony had a fish sandwich. It was very good and quite filling.
Next, we stopped at the Puukohola Heiau, which King Kamehameha had built after being told he would be able to conquer all of Hawaii if the Heiau was built. Building the heiau would favor the war god, Kuka'ilimoku. Thousands of "volunteers" helped build the heiau. See http://www.nps.gov/puhe/ for details. It was quite impressive.
Waimea is a pretty town. The hills are lush green. We shopped a little before heading north on Rte 250 to the small town of Hawi. Cute little artist town. We headed east and at the end of the road, we enjoyed the wonderful views of Pololu lookout and valley. We were told it takes 1/2 hour hike to the black sand beach below and almost an hour to get back up, so we decided against it. We stopped to see the original King Kamehameha statue. The copy is located in Honolulu.
Hapuna beach is beautiful! We didn't go swimming since it was getting late, so we just sat and enjoyed the views for a short while. With a quick stop at Costco to pick up my film (and mai tai mix) we headed back to our hotel. We had also stopped and picked up some dark rum. These two purchases was about the cost of two mai tai's at the hotel. It's a great way to save on the cost of drinks, especially if you are on a budget.
We had dinner at a Filipino restaurant in Kona - Tante's. Very good food, but they didn't have any lumpias! We were so disappointed. I found the restaurant listed in the Alternative Hawaii web site. It's a good source of information on where locals go do dine, as well as sights to see throughout the islands.
October 23: At the grocery store at Keauhou shopping plaza, we picked up sandwiches for breakfast. We didn't want to dine at the hotel and didn't want a whole lot of food. After stopping at Costco to get gas, we drove to Mauna Kea (http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/mko/) on Saddle road. It was a rainy day in that area. Once we got to the Onizuka visitor's center information center, we were told because of the rain and possible ice, we would need a 4WD to get to the top of Mauna Kea, as well as being able to participate in a caravan to tour the observatories. Free tours are provided on the weekends. We stayed to watch a movie, which lasted an hour. The other reason for the hour long movie is to get everyone acclimated to the elevation. Pregnant women, people with respriatory problems and children under 16 are advised not to go to the top of Mauna Kea. That also included anyone that had scuba dived within 24 hours. After the film, the tour guide announced that 2 couples were in need of a ride. No one volunteered. One guy said NO to Tonys request. One couple finally said to use we could ride with them (Daryl and Phyllis). Nice couple. They had overheard our conversation about not having a 4WD and said to themselves they would ask us to join them if no one else volunteered.
The first 5 miles was unpaved and within seconds of getting onto this unpaved road, we all understood the need for a 4WD. Average speed was 17mph. As we got towards the top, the sun would peek out but it still rained lightly. We saw several rainbows. The first visit was to the Keck observatories. We were allowed to see them, but behind glass. The room was quite cold! See http://www2.keck.hawaii.edu/. We also drove to see the University of Hawaii telescope. There are 13 telescopes in use today. It would have been a beautiful sight if it had been a clear day. Instead, the temperature was in the low to mid 40s. We both wore pants and I also had a sweatshirt and jacket. It was very cold up top.
I think the drive down the mountain was worse than going up. I kept thinking the jeep would go over the side. Back at the information center, we warmed up, and then headed down the road. Along the way, I stopped to take photos of the sunset. It was beautiful! We were about 2,000 feet high and we could see all the way towards Kona. Since it was getting late, we decided to have dinner in Waimea. We found the Waimea Ranch House, which had excellent steaks. It was expensive, but well worth it...well, except for my $9 glass of wine. I should have asked to see the wine list.
October 24: Breakfast consisted of bagels at the Internet café at the Keauhou shopping plaza so Tony could check his work schedule. Ran into a guy that Tony used to work with at USAirways 15 years ago. We talked with Rick for about 40 minutes. I was anxious to head out for the day. Once on the road, heading to the Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (http://www.nps.gov/puho/home.htm), we stopped at the little town of Captain Cook and picked up a plate lunch for the road. Grocery stores are a great place to pick up inexpensive lunches, especially the plate lunches. The trunk of the car would be hot enough to keep the chicken and kalbi ribs warm. The historical park entry fee was $5. Sitting along the ocean, the park grounds are beautiful. The skies were blue and just perfect for picture taking. Turtles sunned themselves while they slept either on rocks or the beach. Everyone must stay at least 15 feet away from any turtle. Hawaiians who broke any laws (kapu) could go to this place of refuge and be saved from death. A lot of the area has been restored, including some of the thatched buildings. There is also a part of remains of a structure, which the waves had destroyed. Long gone is the name of this structure.
Next to the park is a great place for snorkeling, just right of the boat ramp. We had lunch there while watching people snorkel. For $7.50, we had four sections of Kalbi ribs, 3-4 shoyu chicken thighs, two large scoops of rice and 1 scoop of macaroni salad. It was very good.
I should have bought my mask and snorkel when we first got to Kona. I wanted to see Kealakekua Bay, so we headed there after lunch. People were kayaking and swimming. The area was clouding up, so we drove back to our hotel and hit the beach next door: Kahaluu. It's one of the best places for snorkeling. There are only two small areas to enter the water that is sandy; the rest is lava rocks. We wore our reef shoes, which is highly recommended. We had a nice swim and laid out in the sun for a short while. I decided we would purchase a mask/snorkel in the evening to use the next day.
For dinner, we headed to town and dined at Rios Seafood restaurant. My dinner was excellent; however, Tony was very disappointed with the portion of his fish. It was quite small. The waiter took off a few bucks, but that didn't appease Tony's stomach. Not thinking about it, we should have returned his plate for another order.
We walked around Kona, purchased a few things, including the mask and snorkel from an ABC store. I bought one set since we would have to take turns watching our things on the beach anyway. I also bought a large floral bag for my purchases. After Tony paid with his credit card, he noticed the man didn't return his card. We checked his wallet and the guy just stood there and stated he did return the card. Not so. Well, he had it under the register drawer, but had pretended to look around for it. We felt he was just hoping we would walk off without the card.
October 25: This was one of my favorite days and I kick myself for not snorkeling the first day we got to Kona. We snorkeled at Kahaluu beach and it was such an awesome experience. Turtles were everywhere. One just "hung out" and munched on coral. I was only a few feet away from the turtle who didn't mind being watched. Another one swam directly towards me, so I just floated and let the turtle decide which way to turn. She (or he) turned to the right and brushed my arm with its flipper. Cool! I saw many types of fish: Yellow tangs, puffers, Moorish Idols, butterfly fish, trigger fish (Humuhumunukunukuapuaa - the state fish), etc. I would have snorkeled every morning and afternoon had I known how great Kahaluu was with the abundance of fish. I felt it was better than at Hanauma Bay on Oahu. Oh well, lessons learned: Don't wait for the last day to do something special. AND bring an underwater camera!! I totally forgot to buy one.
After our showers and checking out, we drove to Kona for lunch at Lulu's. Again, Tony had a bad meal. His burger was way overcooked, so he had it returned. The second one came out better; however, he thinks it was one of those pre-cooked patties that just get heated up. My spicy chicken quesadillas were pretty good. Service was very slow - only one cook - yet there were only 6 customers when we arrived.
We had time to top off our gas tank, pick up my last roll of film, and then head to the airport. We didn't wait too long for our flight. I liked the openess of the airport. It reminded me of an outdoor shopping area. We sat separately, since I wanted to be at a window seat on the right side. Tony sat a few rows back. It was neat seeing Kahoolawe, the smallest island in the chain, which is uninhabited. Coming into Honolulu, the views weren't as good as leaving from there.
Since we were spending one night only in Honolulu, we didn't rent a car, as it was not cost effective. Instead, we took the Airport Waikiki express bus ($14 per person round trip). No need for advanced reservations - just head outside and to the bus stop (pay on board). There are workers in bright yellow shirts to assist passengers.
Back at the Hale Koa, we checked into room 839, a room at the end with a corner balcony. We had views towards the mountains and on the other side towards the ocean. Not bad for garden view prices. We had to have one last round of mai tai's at the barefoot bar. Ran into Geri, one of the waitresses.
Last minute shopping at the PX, then off to Duke's for dinner. Doris, Tony's sister, arrived an hour late. We had appetizers (ahi poke rolls - the best!) and a round of drinks to tie us over before Doris arrived. Both of us ordered the Opah, which was prepared with a macadamia/breadcrumb crust and pan fried. Yum! Tony wanted the Ono, but they were out of it. In fact, the waiter knew we were waiting for Doris, so he put two Opah's on hold for us. There is also a nice salad bar, which I enjoyed the Caesar salad and fresh baked bread. There is live entertainment nightly. We had made our reservations the week before; otherwise it would have been a very long wait. For dessert, we all shared the hula pie. Save room for that!
October 26: Before heading to the airport for our 6:30pm flight, we spent the morning on the beach, checked out and stored our luggage and had lunch at Tiki's (yes, we went back for their kalua pig quesadillas). Window shopped on the way back to the hotel; showered a second time, as it was a hot day, even though we check out. We were allowed to use the showers in the gym, where towels, soap, etc. were provided. We only had to show our checkout receipt.
We were the only ones heading to the airport at 4pm, so we had the van to ourselves. The driver, from America Samoa, was very friendly.
Knowing the food is lousy on Continental, we had an early dinner - saimin soup. Yes, Ezogiku is the best! Smooth flight home. Dinner on board was pizza - it was worse than a store bought frozen pizza. Do all American flights have such lousy food? I must be spoiled with my international flights. We enjoyed the last of our mai tai mix, which we placed in a large water bottle and brought on board in our carry on bag. Saved us from the $5/drink charge.
Our vacation is over. I wish we had a few more days in Hawaii. I wish I had snorkeled every day at Kahaluu beach and other snorkeling spots. I wish we could have gotten much closer to the flowing lava - like 10 feet away! I wish I shopped more at the flea market or at least gone back a second time - prices are really the best there. However, I don't regret a single minute of our trip. We had a great time with what we did and saw. Hawaii will be there for our visit again in a few years. Lastly, since we saw so many sights on the Big Island, the next time we go there will be a lot more relaxing and plenty of time for the beaches and snorkling.
Aloha!
Monica
Web sites:
http://www.gohawaii.com/
http://www.frommers.com/
http://www.bestplaceshawaii.com/
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/destinations/Hawaii_Volcan oes_National_Park/
http://www.fodors.com/
http://www.top-10-hawaii.com/
http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/index.html
http://www.thisweek.com/ 'This Week On Oahu' They will send up-to-date brochures for a few bucks. Also This Week Maui, Kauai, Big Island.
http://www.spotlighthawaii.com 'Oahu Gold' They will send up-to-date brochures for a few bucks. Also Maui Gold, Big Island Gold, Kauai Gold.
www.101thingstodo.com
http://www.visit-oahu.com Oahu Visitors Bureau, for free brochure 1-877-525-6248
http://www.hawaii.com Good site for comparing hotel locations, prices, etc.
http://www.hawaii-hotels.com Compare hotels
http://www.bookit.com Compare hotels
http://www.alohafriends.com
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com one of two main Honolulu newspapers, has dining & entertainment guides, TGIF calendar
http://www.starbulletin.com one of two main Honolulu newspapers, also has dining & entertainment
http://www.alohatower.com
http://www.konaweb.com/
http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/
http://www.budgettravelonline.com/bt-dyn/content/article/200 5/08/19/AR2005081901179.html
http://www.driveguidemagazines.com/hawaiimaps.html
Hiking on Oahu:
http://www.hawaiitrails.org/
http://www.backyardoahu.com/
http://home.hawaii.rr.com/oahuhikingtrails/home.html
http://oahuhiking.com/
Dining:
Oahu Dining
Tiki's Bar
Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel
Second Level
2570 Kalakaua Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815
http://www.tikisgrill.com/home.html
Kalua Pig Quesadilla: Grilled taro tortilla filled with Kalua pig, Pepper Jack cheese and island corn relish served with guacamole, caramelized Maui onions and sour cream. This was an excellent appetizer that Tony and I shared with our friend Melissa. I wouldn't wait to return to Tiki's to have it again! This is a definitely "must order" dish. For my main entrée, I ordered the Ahi w/cajun seasoning and kalua mashed potatoes. Tony ordered the Opah. The bill was very inexpensive, as Melissa had a coupon for the quesadillas and the manager came by and took off $20. Total for the two of us came to about $40, which included a round of Mai Tai's.
Big City Diner
108 Hekili St.
Kailua, HI 96734
Tony and I dined here with his sister Doris and her husband Bill. The place was packed with locals enjoying the variety of food that the diner serves. I enjoyed the pan-seared salmon with fresh sautéed spinach, along with fried rice and a salad. Tony ordered the meatloaf, which he liked. We all shared some appetizers, including the calamari and steak appetizer. My sister-in-law likes this location better than the one at Ward avenue (less crowded and friendlier service). Portions were large, with the exception of the appetizers - better for 2 people than 4.
Duke's Canoe Club
http://www.dukeswaikiki.com/
At The Outrigger Waikiki Hotel
2335 Kalakaua Ave., Suite 116
Honolulu, Oahu, HI
tel. (808) 922-2268
This was our second visit to Duke's. We ordered the ahi poke (raw ahi with Maui onions and sautéed in rice paper), which was wonderful! Tony wanted to order the Ono, but they ran out, so he ordered the same dish as me: Opah, lightly covered with a parmesan cheese/macadamia nut/breadcrumb seasoning and pan seared. With the salad bar, which we enjoyed the Caesar salad, and fresh baked bread, I couldn't finish my dinner. The dish also included rice. We ended our meal with the Hula Pie. Yum! We had a nice table facing the beach and enjoyed the live entertainment that went from table to table. The next time we're in Hawaii, we'll head back to Dukes. Since this place is always packed, be sure to make dinner reservations. The bill with a few round of drinks (and included Doris' dinner - Tony's sister) came to $140.
Keo's Thai Restaurant
2375 Kuhio Ave.
Honolulu, Hawaii
This was our third visit to Keo's and enjoyed our meal. We started with their famous spring rolls, which you wrap in lettuce and top with chopped peanuts. Our other appetizer was their shrimp, which was wrapped in a pastry with mushrooms, water chestnuts and chives and deep-fried. We shared the Pad Thai and Pork with Basil dish. Everything was very good and tasty. With wine and beer for our drinks, our meal totaled $66, which we felt was quite reasonable.
Ezogiku
2146 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii
This is a ramen-type noodle shop filled with Japanese tourists. In addition to the many noodle soups to choose from, they have fried rice, gyoza, and fried noodle dishes. Tony had the lunch special: Charsui ramen, which came with fried rice and 4 gyoza for $9. I believe my soup was close to $8. The lunch special was a great deal but there was no way I could eat all that food for lunch. $22.
Plumeria Beach House at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel
5000 Kahala Avenue, Honolulu HI 96816
We dined here with Doris Ching, who treated us to a wonderful meal. This restaurant had an excellent buffet. We had sashimi, which included tuna, salmon, shrimp, etc; main entrees were baked salmon and prime rib. There was a nice selection of salads, fresh baked bread fresh fruits, and of course desserts Our table faced the ocean. Part of the restaurant is under roof, while the rest of the tables are under large umbrellas. Service was exceptional. I believe the buffet was about $35 per person.
Yummy Korean BBQ
Koko Marina
Hawaii Kai Shopping Center
Excellent plate lunches here. I ordered the Kalbi ribs and spicy chicken and Tony ordered the Kalbi ribs and an egg battered steak (thinly sliced). The place lunches include 2 scoops of rice and four choices of vegetables. There must have been 15 vegetable choices. We had the kim chee, pickled sprouts, tofu, pickled cabbage, pickled radish, etc. $19.
Big Island Dining
Lava Rock Café
Volcano, Hawaii
http://www.volcanovillage.com/LavaRock.htm
We both had the saimin soup for lunch. Just average. Certainly not as good as at Ezogiku. $20
Thai Thai
19-4084 Volcano Road
Volcano Village, HI 96785
(Volcano District)
Tel. (808) 967-7969
Tony only had their spring rolls, as he wasn't very hungry. I had a curry dish with chicken (or pork - I didn't write it down), which was very good. It wasn't the typical panang curry that you can order in most Thai restaurants. This had a unique flavor. $32.00.
Keauhou Resort- Veranda Bar
We snacked on the kalua pig quesadillas. Not as good as Tiki's in Waikiki, but still enjoyable. We had a bunch of drinks, so the bar bill was expensive: $48 A couple of days later we bought a large bottle of Mai Tai mix and dark room and were able to save on our bar bills.
Keauhou Resort - Main dining room
I Ordered Ono, which came with mashed potatoes and sautéed bok choy. Tony ordered the fish and chips.
Kimo's at Uncle Billy's Kona Bay Hotel
Breakfast buffet. Decent food for breakfast and cheap! $16
L&L Drive In
75-5595 Palani Rd., Unit A-6, Kailua-Kona
http://www.hawaiianbarbecue.com/
Good plate lunches, especially the chicken katsu served with 2 scoops of rice and macaroni salad. Tony had the pork cutlet, which had a gravy on top. Sodas. $13.
Drysdale's Two
Keauhou Shopping Village
78-6831 Alii Dr., Keauhou, Hawaii
Late evening snack of chili nachos (average) and drinks. $27. This is a sportsbar, which wasn't crowded the evening we were there. This place was recommended to us by a waitress at the Keauhou resort. The hotel's dining rooms were closed for the evening.
Tante's
75-5591 Palani Rd, Kailua Kona, HI
ood Filippino food but they didn't have any lumpias! We were very disappointed with that. I ordered a combo of squid in a tomato sauce and chicken adobo. Tony had the pork adobo. Salad and rice were included. Lots of locals were dining here. This is located/attached to a bowling center. $17.50.
Waimea Ranch House
65-1144 Mamalahoa Highway Kamuela, HI
Very good dinner here. Expensive but worth every penny...with the exception of my $9 glass of wine that I had at the bar while waiting for our table - I switched to a house wine for dinner. We started with a baked mozzarella and fontina cheese with marinara sauce appetizer. With this dish, we knew the portions would be huge. I had their filet mignon, topped with gorgonzola and merlot sauce. It included mashed potatoes and zucchini. Tony had the NY strip. It wasn't as thick as he likes them but he stated his steak was cooked perfectly. Salads were extra, but we certainly need need anything else. $90.43. I highly recommend this place.
Choice Mart
Captain Cook, Hawaii
This grocery store had a small selection of plate lunch options. We ordered one to share: kalbi ribs and shoyu chicken. As usual, it came with two scoops of rice and macaroni salad...all for $7.80! Grocery stores are a good option for inexpensive lunches. We had picked up some sushi another night for about $6 and there were 12-14 pieces. Very reasonable.
Rios Seafood Grill and Bar
Coconut Grove Marketplace
75-5805 Alii Drive, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Tony was disappointed with the size of the fish (Wahu) he ordered (although he liked the flavor). The waiter stated he always checks to make sure everything is correct, but apparently didn't see Tony's dish. The waiter took of the price of my Mai Tai. I had the macademia pesto Opakapaka, which was excellent, and mashed potatoes. Dinner and drinks: $64.08.
Lulu's
75-5819 Alii Drive. Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Average food and slow service (only 1 cook working). I had the spicy chicken quesadillas with a tomato tortilla and Tony ordered a burger topped with peanut butter. The burger came out over cooked and very dry. We were getting impatient, as we wanted lunch before our flight back to Honolulu, so we asked the waiter if they could make another burger in a timely manner. No problem with that and the burger came out properly cooked: however, the burger looked like it was one of those pre-made patties that they just heated up in a pan for a few mintues. $26.15.
