We Had the Best Trip Ever! Maholo WWoHP, WDW & Waikiki- A Jan 2012 TR

[OziJo]

Fantastic updates. Great to see that you had such a lovely view in Honolulu.

A view and direct access to the beach what more could we ask for?

Okay..I'm conflicted here...I'm sad that your WDW vacation is over, but soooo excited for your Hawaii vacation to start!! It looks like you guys picked the perfect place to stay. Had you gotten referrals from friends who had stayed there or did you just totally luck out with that place? Can't wait to hear about Pearl Harbor. If I ever make it to Hawaii, I would love to see that place!

We were lucky. I kept searching for apartments in Honolulu with full kitchens that sleep 5. There weren't many and I was just about to book at the Illikai, which is on the other side of the park and though it was close to the beach the apartment I was going to book didn't have much of a view. I did one more search and found this place.

I then checked reviews on Trip Advisor and while there were some negatives they were mostly positive and all agreed that the view was one of the best in Honolulu. I went through Castle and they had some excellent online deals. So I booked. The negatives are that it's an old building. There was some rust on the balcony but apart from that it was well kept. Also there were some bad reviews from people who had stayed below level 5 where there was only a view of the park. Of course those apartments are cheaper and you are still right on the beach. Also people who were expecting more of a resort were disappointed as there's no pool or cocktail service. But we managed. There is a kiosk on the beach that sold Tropicals and beer. Really it's all about making sure you do your research so you know what to expect. Isn't that right fellow DISer's

Hawaii looks awesome ! I'd love to get there some day. Looking forward to hearing more about your stay !

I'm looking forward to posting some of my pics and reliving the experience. Better get to it then...

 

[OziJo]

Day 14 Tues 17th Jan

Pearl Harbour

Today was overcast and the only day we got any rain. We had a lazy morning- bacon and eggs for breakfast and reading on the balcony.

The shuttle picked us up at 10am and we had a very interesting driver who told us stories about his life and how he ended up in Honolulu married a Japanese girl and settled down after a wild time in the 80's. He interspersed his colourful life story with a little history of the island focusing on the multicultural aspects of Honolulu.

We arrived at Pearl Harbor to be greeted by the fact that as it was a Miltary installation we couldn't take any bags with us through the gates. I couldn't even take my satchel and as I had no pockets I had to leave my wallet and phone in my bag We could take our camera but not the case. Also we had brought sandwiches for lunch and some snacks and had to leave them in the bag. There was a kiosk doing a brisk trade in lockers space and they allowed you to access the locker from inside so we would be able to get our food out when we wanted.

We looked around the Visitors Centre and decided that we would tour the Missouri first then do the Arizona Memorial. The tours for the Arizona Memorial were free but you still had to book a spot.

Our tour out to the Missouri left straight away. We took a coach that gave us a guided tour of Pearl Harbour and took us out to the Missouri.

At this time I have to point out that I had given DH the camera because I knew that this was his area of interest and he could take photos of what he wanted. Mistake. He is so stingy with the camera probably because he is still has a film mentality. We weren't allowed to take photos at the check points and the tour guide gave us warning. But DH didn't take any photos on the bus tour at all!!

Pearl Harbour is a suburb with all the usual suburby things but purely for Military Personnel. There was accommodation currently in use as well as some beautiful old bungalows that were used to house dignitaries before the war. There was a lot of construction in progress, mostly housing. There were small memorials scattered throughout the installation and each had their own story. One memorial was at a spot where a number of civilians had been killed in the bombing. That was particularly moving.

Once we were on the Missouri DH took some photos but as was the case at KSC he didn't get any of the surrounding landscape.

Anyway here a few shots on the Mighty Mo:

When I look at this photo I think of Cher's film clip for "If I Could Turn Back Time" which was filmed on the Missouri:

One day I'll show the clip to DD2. She'll probably get a laugh out of it.
If I could Turn Back Time Oh the symbolism... Oh that outfit!!

There was so much to see and DH missed it all. Here were a couple of photos from the inside:

We had lunch and then it was time for our Arizona Memorial tour. They showed a movie explaining the build up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor then took a boat out to the Memorial. This is the only way to get out there and they limit the numbers to maintain the dignity of the Memorial

This is a place that should be experienced. Picture taking really doesn't seem appropriate though a lot of people were snapping away. We gathered at the wall with the all the names of those who went down with the ship and remain entombed. A guide explained more about the history and told stories of some of those whose names appear on the wall.

After 15mins we were asked to move back to the dock to re-board the boat and make way for the next group.

Back at the Visitors Centre we looked at more of the displays then it was time to catch our shuttle.

The whole experience was very moving.

 

[alicia1506]

wow. what a touching and moving experience and a great part to your holiday.

you know, i don't remember cher's outfit being quite that risque.. but wow. the woman has confidence

 

[OziJo]

Day 15 Wed 18th Jan

Sun, sand and Tropicals on the Beach!!

Today was a day to chill and take it easy. The girls where given a key and told they could do whatever they wanted.

DH and I went out for a walk. Our apartment was about 500m from the main shopping strip on Kalakaua Rd. We wandered past exclusive shopping centres such as the Royal Hawaiian Centre and DFS Galleria as well as specialty stores including Tiffany's, Gucci, Yves St Laurent, Coach, Chanel and BOSS. Beautiful stores. Fun to window shop.

Our true destination was the International Market Place, where carts are set up in an open-air setting.You can buy everything from flowers for the hair to 18c gold necklaces. There are the usual Hawaiian gifts and souvenirs as well as some beautiful local arts and crafts. We bought a few things on our many trips including a Hawaiian design iphone cover for my phone and some locally made Christmas decorations. We also bought lots of little trinkets to take home for family and friends.

We walked through the market place to the next block which had less exclusive restaurants and shops. We found a grocery store that wasn't an ABC Store and stocked up on a few basics. For those who have never been to Hawaii the ABC stores sell everything from souvenirs to grocery's, clothes, flip flops, hand lotion, alcohol- you name it they sell it. They are ever 100m in the main tourists areas. We bought a few things there including a blow up tube and a beach chair.

DH and I had some morning tea the headed back with our groceries.

The girls had a relaxing morning. They had gone for a bit of a walk up the street then stopped in at Starbucks just outside our building where, surprise surprise, they found wifi. DD1 went upstairs to get her computer and they spent the morning updating their facebook pages over iced mocha's and pork rinds ewww .

After lunch (a healthy sandwich for all) we went down to the beach and spent the afternoon swimming and as the Hawaiian's like to say, "hanging loose":

Here's me with our apartment and Diamond Head in the background. Note the Mickey sunglasses

We had Tropicals, shaved ice and Cheetos for afternoon tea. Such a good diet but hey we were chillaxin':

In the evening DH and I went for a walk up the street just as the torches and fairy lights were coming on. I only had my iphone so these shots aren't great:

These guys were playing at the Royal Hawaiian and we stopped to watch for a bit:

We made pasta and salad for dinner. A very relaxing day. We could get used to this kind of thing.

 

[dara00]

I was in Hawaii in 2001...I don't think we saw the Missouri. I do remember people taking lots of photos at the Arizona. It's definitely something you have to see once you are in Hawaii.

 

[OziJo]

Day 16 Thurs Jan 19th

Another Day in Parrot Dise!

Yes that should read "Paradise" but you see there was this guy on the beach who had a business selling photos with Parrots and the business was called? You guessed it. ParrotDise

Anyway if you passed by in the morning he would say "Aloha! It's another day in Parrot Dise".

This morning we had a breaky reservations at Duke's at the Outrigger. Duke's is a bar and Restaurant which dates back to the 60's and it's right on the beach. I was looking forward to the Pina Colada bread pudding that I had last time we were there but it wasn't on the menu this time . Still, they had the usual buffet breakfast fare and it was very fresh and tasty:

After breaky DH and I went back to Ala Moana to pick up his packages and I bought myself a few things. Two pairs of shoes, a pair of Calvin Klein shorts and 2 tops all at 40-60% off! If I was more of a shopper I could have bought more but I get bored shopping and I wanted to get back to the beach.

On the way back I took this photo of our apartment building. That's our apartment on the top floor left corner:

After lunch DH went off for a surf and I read for a bit on the balcony. One of the girls took this picture of me:

I said to get a shot from the other direction and they took this one:

I loved that we had such diverse views.

DD2 and I went down for a sunbake and a lounge in the donut. DD1&3 came a bit later and DH arrived just in time for Shaved Ice, Tropicals and Cheetos:

On the last day DD3 figured she'd had 8 shaved ices this trip but the best was from Kaki Gori at the Japanese Pavilion at EPCOT

Our plan for the evening was to try the Korean restaurant DH and I had spotted behind the International Marketplace but when we arrived it was full!! So we went to California Pizza Kitchen and got a table fairly quickly. We must have been there at just the right time because 15mins after sat down the restaurant was full!!

The Pizza and salads were yummy and we all had room for dessert though we shared.

I'm telling you Free Dining at WDW had stretched our stomachs. If it wasn't for all the walking we were doing...

After dinner we did some souvenir shopping at the International Market Place and bumped into one of the girls dance teacher!!! DD2 is quite close to this teacher but didn't know she would be here. Apparantly her hubby had surprised her with this trip.There are a lot of Aussie's in Waikiki but it was quite a shock for DD2 to bump into someone she knew. It happens though

 

[OziJo]

(Day 16 cont)

Here are a few photos I took during this day.
This is taken from the walkway on the other side of our building:

Inside our apartment:

The sunset from our lanai:

This didn't quite turn out as I hoped but it comes up better full screen on my computer:

 

[OziJo]

Day 17 Fri Jan 20th

DH and DD2&3 went to Wet and Wild which included return bus and a sit down lunch. There were no photos because DH didn't take the camera which was fair enough as it would have been awkward for him to cart it around.

There wasn't many people there, just one other tour bus and they had a great time. DH did comment though on how different the attitude of those who worked there was compared to the CM's at Universal and Disney. These guys tended to look bored and were not very helpful. They had fun anyway.

Meantime DD1 and I had some one-on-one time. We went shopping at Macy's in Waikiki and bought some more things on sale including a new swim suit for me and some shoes for DD. Then we went to the Cheescake Factory for lunch. We had all been there for dinner on our last trip and enjoyed it though we had to wait for nearly an hour to get in. Now every time we passed by in the evening it was full. So it was nice to walk in and be seated immediately:

We had a lovely meal just the two of us.

When DH got back he and I went for a sunset walk and drinks at the Hale Koa Hotel on the Beach. I'll let the pictures tell the story:

And after the sun went down we were treated to a Fireworks display courtesy of the Hilton Hawaiian Village:

Just another day in Parrot Dise...

 

[PrincessInOz]

It might be just another day in Parrot Dise...but what a lovely day it was.

Love the sunset shots.

 

[alicia1506]

well nuts. now we have to do that disney cruise to hawaii. such a great place....

 

[ash-n-brensmom]

AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME!!! Those pics of the sunset...aaaaahhhhh!!! Glad to see that you guys had such a wonderful and relaxing time in Hawaii!! And weird running into someone you know! That usually happens to me at Disney, actually. Freaky isn't it?

 

[Moodyzblu]

What a wonderful day in Parrot Dise !

How weird to run into someone you know ! Especially in another country. How cool is that ??

 

[OziJo]

Day 18 Sat 21st Jan

After last nights Sunset walk DH and I decided we would do a sunrise walk. These photos were all taken on my iphone. Not bad:

Dragon Boat:

Sunrise over Diamond Head:

There was a beautiful mural on this building:

DH and DD2 went for a surf and I took DD3 to buy a swim suit form Macy's. I'd seen some bargains the day before and it was time for some on-on-one time with DD3. We were successful though the cossie she chose wasn't on special. It was still half the price of an equivalent swim suit in Australia!

Here's a pic of us both in our new swimsuits:

DH and went out for dinner on our own. We had seen a Sicilian Restaurant called Taorima's just up the road and the menu looked promising. My dad was Sicilian and a good cook so we can be a bit fussy with our southern Italian. This restaurant was very nice and worth the money.

We had a lovely evening tasting traditional style fare. We started with an antipasta of salami, breads, olives, marinated aubergine and baby squid. I had the Vongole Pasta as a main and the fact that they were called Vongole rather than clams was a testament to the restaurant's authenticity . It was delicious with just the right amount of olive oil and garlic which is often overdone in the case of the former or underdone with the later. DH had a very authentic tasting tomato based vegetable pasta that was rich and filling. We also had an arugula and parmesan salad, a favourite of mine at home. All accompanied by and Italian Pinot Grigio.

We were rather full but we decided to share a dessert of blood orange and champagne sorbet as Tiramisu would have been too much. I took a photo of the dessert because we were laughing at the plate to food disparity:

it was delicious though and just the way to finish off our meal.

The girls made themselves mac and cheese with mince and a salad. DD1 often cooks at home but I was still a little worried they might burn the place down. I stopped worrying around about my second glass of pinot

 

[OziJo]

Day 19 Sun 22nd Jan

Today was the only day we hired a car as we were heading off to the North Shore. We had looked into taking a bus tour but they were quite expensive for the 5 of us and we would have been locked into the tour itinerary.

We had an early start as a shuttle picked us up to take us to the car hire place picked 7:30am. We were on the road by 8:30am. Once we figured out how to use the GPS we were pleasantly surprised that as we headed in the right direction it gave us a guided tour of all the main places of interest along the route. This justified our choice in hiring a car because the main draw of a bus tour was having a guide. Here we had our own personal guide. On top of that it was an easy pleasant drive and we could do it in our own time.

We headed out of Honolulu and onto the Kamehanaka Highway. As we were coming across the Dole Pineapple Plantation we were all discussing whether we wanted to stop there. It would be interesting but is almost a day trip on it's own. We'd decided that we would just stop for morning tea but when we got there the sign said it didn't open until 10am and at this point it was only 9am. So that solved that and we kept driving.

At about 9:30 we came up to the Historical town of Hale'weia and stopped there for morning tea. The town dates back to the early 1900's and was settled in support of the sugar plantation in the area. Now it's old buildings are preserved and the town is devoted to the surfing culture of the North Shore. there are some excellent cafes in the Marketplace and we stopped at a little place and ordered coffee and smoothies to go with our byo oreos:

I had to laugh when DD3 said "Oh this reminds me of Disney!!" I said "Honey open your eyes this is the real thing"

Our next stop was a beach where turtles come up to sunbake. It was beautiful and there was a group of ladies from a conservation society who answered questions about turtles. There were a few people on the beach and one lady said that they were waiting for the turtles to come up but that she didn't think they would because the surf conditions near the shore were too messy. She said they might be out around 3pm and we thought we would go back:

Looking out for turtles on the waves:

It seems in retelling this tale that we weren't having much luck but in reality the scenery was so beautiful and the drive so pleasant that those things didn't worry us at all. We just drove on

Next up- North Shore beaches and Kauloa Ranch.

 

[OziJo]

(Day 19 cont)

We drove along until we came to Waimeia Bay and stopped to check out the surf. There were no giant waves but there's defiantly more surf than at Waikiki:

No Big Wave surf carnival here today:

Our next stop was Sunset Beach and there was a bit more surf here though it was a bit windy:

DD2 tested the water:

No that's not the Australian Crawl. It's an arabesque en attitude

We continued on and suddenly it was ocean to the left of us, Mountains to the right and not much in between I snapped some photos as we drove:

Our GPS told us this was Mokolii also know as Chinaman's Hat:

We were coming up to Kualoa Ranch which was our next stop and ultimate destination.

 

[miss.potatohead]

That's it, I've decided to add Hawaii to the list of places I want to visit! All your photos are so beautiful; I get so excited when there is an update (or multiple!)

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Joining in! I'm looking forward to your Hawaii days, but I'm enjoying the first part of your trip as well!

 

[OziJo]

well nuts. now we have to do that disney cruise to hawaii. such a great place....

A cruise around the islands would be amazing!! I'm going to look into that for the future.

AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME!!! Those pics of the sunset...aaaaahhhhh!!! Glad to see that you guys had such a wonderful and relaxing time in Hawaii!! And weird running into someone you know! That usually happens to me at Disney, actually. Freaky isn't it?

What a wonderful day in Parrot Dise !

How weird to run into someone you know ! Especially in another country. How cool is that ??

It was cool & freaky for DD2.

That's it, I've decided to add Hawaii to the list of places I want to visit!

I should get a commission from the Hawaiian Tourists Board

Joining in! I'm looking forward to your Hawaii days, but I'm enjoying the first part of your trip as well!

Thanks for joining in!

 

[PrincessInOz]

I'm glad that you got the rental car to explore Oahu. Lovely pictures. I'm guessing you're looking for the polynesian experience!

 

[Mum from oz]

I am loving your Hawaii portion. Thanks to you we are definitely going back there within the next 12months. Your location was amazing. (I looked it up) When I was there in 2007 we walked to the Shore Bird Restaurant for breakfast twice all the way from back on Kuhio Bvd. The views from your lanai are spectacular.

I'm glad you enjoyed hiring a car. We loved being able to drive around there, so easy and great to do it at your own pace. It is so easy to fall in love with Hawaii. Just another day in parrotdise.