Before you read this
Make sure you check out Part I of this Guide.
Food and Drink
There is a very heavy Japanese influence in Hawaii so food tends to be lighter and fresher and the portion sizes more realistic than on the mainland.
That’s not to say there aren’t places which serve more traditional American food and where the quantity rather than quality of the meal is paramount, for example the Cheesecake Factory but you won’t have to eat this type of food unless you want to.
Fresh seafood abounds. Hawaii’s most famous dish is poke (pronounced po-kay) which is sashimi tuna served with avocado and a soy and sesame based sauce. If you like sashimi you’ll love this. Most restaurants will serve it and have their own secret recipe for the sauce so it’s worth trying in a few different places.
I haven’t eaten a bad meal in 7 trips to Hawaii so anywhere you try is likely to be good but some favourites I’d recommend are: Roys, Bills, Tanaka of Tokyo and Morimoto Asia.
Insider tip: restaurants will include a sales tax on top of the meal price and the expected tip is 18-25%. If you want to get an idea of what a meal is going to cost you in Aussie dollars a rule of thumb is to multiply the menu price by 2.
General Supplies
The Hawaiian equivalent of the 7-11 store is the ABC store. You’ll find dozens of these in Waikiki, you’ll never have to walk more than about 50 metres to find one. They sell everything from basic grocery items to sunscreen, alcohol and souvenirs. Prices are the same in every one so it doesn’t really matter which one you go into.
They are very handy if you’ve forgotten to pack something or underestimated just how much sunscreen you’ll need but if you want to a slightly bigger shop I’d recommend going to the Food Pantry on Kuhio which is a more traditional grocery store. Prices won’t be hugely lower than at the ABS stores but the range is much broader.
There is also a large supermarket at Ala Moana on the ground floor and surprisingly Target there also sells a large range of grocery items at about half the cost of ABC / Food Pantry.
Water Sports
It almost seems a crime to go to Waikiki without trying surfing at least once. There are numerous places along the beach which rent boards of various sizes and do group or personal lessons.
Even if you’ve never tried surfing before, you are pretty much guaranteed to be up and riding in the first hour, the waves are much less steep than in Australia and you’ll be riding a very large board (usually around 10 or 11 feet).
The water is warm and crystal clear, the locals are friendly and forgiving of first timers and you’ll often see turtles swimming right near you, so it’s one of the best places in the world to give surfing a go especially for the first time.
Hire and lesson costs are all petty standard and all the instructors I’ve seen are good and very patient especially when dealing with kids and people less confident in the water so it doesn’t really matter which one you go to.
If you’re feeling less adventurous they also do rides in outrigger canoes which are loads of fun.
Insider tip: You can hire sun lounges and umbrellas from various places along the beach. A cheaper alternative is to buy a beach umbrella from the ABC stores. I usually do this on my first day and then leave it in the hotel room when I leave for the next guest.
If you enjoy snorkeling a trip to Hanauma Bay is definitely worthwhile as there is an abundance of tropical fish. I also saw a sea lion the day I was there.
The tourist booklets which are in boxes on the streets all around Waikiki include discount coupons for various companies that do day trips to Hanauma Bay which include transport and snorkel hire. They drop you off there and pick you up a few hours later, leaving you to choose how you spend the time. I was a little wary given the low cost but was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the snorkel equipment and the instructions given.
Other Activities
A walk to the top of Diamond Head gives great views of the island. However, you need to be at least reasonably fit to do it and there isn’t a lot of shade on the walk so I’d recommend doing it first thing in the morning or late afternoon. You can get a local bus to a few blocks from the start of the walk from Waikiki.