A short and sweet stopover was had in Hawaii on our way to Canada and Alaska. Had about 36 hours which was enough time to rest and get out exploring. And explore we did!
Waikiki Beach
Obviously Waikiki beach is a must and it was very beautiful – very instagrammable! Lots of spots that are great for families (lagoons) and a little bit of surf on the beach for those wanting to learn. Various boats scattered around, water a beautiful blue colour.
Our first taste of American food here, however, was a bit disappointing. Ordered a pulled pork bun which I would normally love but it was spoilt with great dollops of tomato sauce.
Honolulu Zoo
We also discovered the local zoo – which is just near the end of the main beach! Everything so close – really great for a short stopover. It was very good but it was so hot that we didn’t explore the whole zoo. But we found an air-conditioned spot across the road with delicious fruit juice and fruit salad. We scoffed the lot in record time! Just what we needed to boost our energy (the waffle cone might have helped too!)
Early evening we wandered through a farmers market and had some mango, thai fish patties and rice paper rolls. Yum!
Visited a couple of beach bars and of course the most famous one is Dukes Bar which is named after the legend Duke Kahanamoku (try saying that fast with your mouth full of beer nuts!). Bed early and slept like a log.
Diamond Head
Next morning took a taxi to Diamond Head. It takes about half an hour to walk up the very steep tracks and stairs and there are a lot of people. I would suggest going early if you can. The view at the top is just spectacular! Really worth it!
Then we head back to our room, showered our sweaty bodies, put our feet up a bit before checking out. We organised a late checkout – 1pm – which was so worth it!
Museum
Still had a bit of time before our flight, so we wandered into a little museum about a Leper Colony in the 1800’s: Father Damien Museum which was interesting (and nice and cool). Then lastly found ourselves relaxing with a drink on the verandah of the very beautiful Moama Hotel. We were in rocking deck chairs which, no surprise, allowed to John to nod off. I relaxed and people watched. Great end to our Hawaiian stopover. I would really recommend doing something similar if you have to travel from Australia to North America it’s well worth it!
Tips:
- Think about Hawaii as a stopover if you are not good with long-haul flights. Well worth it.
- Organise a late check out at your hotel if you have a late afternoon/evening flight. Gives you time for a shower and rest before leaving.
Useful Links: