My husband (age 60) %26amp; I (age 55) left Minnesota Dec 22 for our 10 day vacation in Oahu. Because it is such a long flight for us we wanted to unwind by treating ourselves to 2 nights at the Outrigger on the Beach before going to our less posh timeshare resort. We had reserved %26amp; requested an ocean front room ($450. per night). We were immediately upgraded to the top (16th) floor ocean front($1,000. per night). The room was small but had a great jacuzzi in the middle of it and a fantastic view of the ocean. After unpacking we went down to Duke%26#39;s Barefoot Bar (right in our hotel) for a light dinner and our first tropical drinks; Mai Tai for DH and Lava Flow for me.
The next morning we had coffee in our room and went to Burger King for breakfast. We overheard the couple next to us say.. ';Well, it%26#39;s time to leave today.... It%26#39;s going to be really hard...even after being here for FOUR months';. We spent the rest of the day exploring Waikiki. Posed in front of the Duke cam. Noted that there was at least one ABC store on each block. Ate lunch next to the railing at Lulu%26#39;s%26#39; ;an open air eatery on the second floor about a block from the zoo. We took the free shuttle to %26amp; from the HUGE Hilo Hattie store near Nimitz. After a long day of walking, we came back to our hotel %26amp; took advantage of the Jacuzzi in our room and went to Duke%26#39;s that evening for dinner and drinks.
We get up at 6:00 a.m. the next morning and watch the beach come to life as we enjoy our coffee on the lanai and discuss our plans for the day. DH is a pipefitter and suffers sore shoulders most of the time so I scheduled a spa massage for him and a pedicure for myself. The Waikiki Plantation Spa in the Outrigger is on the Penthouse floor and you can relax in your bathrobe and slippers on the roof after your treatment. It was heavenly. We checked out of our room but were able to keep our bags locked securely at the Outrigger til our timeshare check-in at 4:00 p.m. We walked to the Halekulani for drinks and later ate lunch at the Sheraton. After a bit more shopping for Aloha shirts, we pick up our bags from the Outrigger and took a cab two blocks to the Celebrity Resort on Nohonani Place (Right behind Int%26#39;l Marketplace/Duke%26#39;s Lane)
I had researched the Celebrity on TA and all the reviews were accurate. It is a three story older resort surrounded by high rises on each side. Friendly staff and very clean. Our room was on the top
floor. It had new carpet, nice linens and plump pillows. A studio unit, it had a 2 burner stover, half refrigerator, microwave and working air conditioner. Trip reports indicated that there was not enough parking for rental cars, but the lot appeared vacant most of the time. The Food Pantry grocery store was only two blocks away so we went there for food and liquor.
The next morning, the resort served coffee and rolls to the guests in the courtyard. We spent the day relaxing on the beach and had dinner at the nearby Big Kahuna (1/2 block from the Celebrity.
The following day we prepared breakfast in our unit and then took the city bus to Walmart for Aloha shirts and souvenirs. (We had originally planned to rent a car for at least one day, but ended up just taking the bus to destinations around the island. $2.00 .. you can%26#39;t beat that!
That night we went on a dinner cruise on the Alii Kai. We boarded our Roberts bus on Koa St. next to the Hyatt. On the ride to the pier, our guide demonstrated a Samoan slap dance. The view of the city from the boat was beautiful. The buffet meal we were served is what we Minnesotans would call ';Lutheran church basement cuisine'; ..An all white meal..rice, potatoes, pasta, bread, jello, steamed fish and steamed chicken and coconut cake. Pop and coffee came with the meal but you had to pay extra for an alcoholic drink. The entertainment was excellent. Young attractive dancers representing many Pacific islands demonstrated their dances to live music and encouraged guests to join them on the dance floor at the end of the evening. Our bus returned us to the Hyatt and we walked to the Celebrity.
We spent the next day on a Robert%26#39;s bus circle tour. We stopped at a number of places, the most notable, the Byodo-in Temple on the North Shore. Loved the tour and would do it again.
The next couple days we visited the Honolulu zoo, snorkled at Hanauma Bay, had drinks on the 30th floor of the Sheraton (Hanohano room..with a dress code for men) , toured Iolani Palace and Fort DeRussy Army Museum. We had toured Pearl Harbor on a previous visit. It was a lovely relaxing trip!
Trip Report-Waikiki Dec 22-31Very nice! I feel relaxed just from reading your report. Just curious, how did it feel going from Minnesota to Christmas is Hawaii?
Trip Report-Waikiki Dec 22-31When we had meals at many of the hotels, we posed for pictures in front of their beautifully decorated trees. There were a great deal of decorations all over town. Christmas music was played non-stop in most of the restaurants, stores and our resort. We didn%26#39;t miss the snow much. There was plenty when we got back home!
That sounds beautiful....by any chance will you be posting any pics?
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