|
|
|
|
E-mail pageWaikiki
Waikiki is all that is wonderful about a resort area, and all that is regrettable. On the wonderful side: swimming, surfing, parasailing, and catamaran-riding steps from the street; the best nightlife in Hawai'i; shopping from designer to dime stores; and experiences to remember: the heart-lifting rush the first time you stand up on a surfboard, watching the old men play cutthroat checkers in the beach pavilions, eating fresh grilled snapper as the sun slips into the sea. As to the regrettable: clogged streets, body-lined beaches, $5 cups of coffee, tacky T-shirts, $20 parking stalls, schlocky artwork, the same street performers you saw in Atlantic City, drunks, ceaseless construction -- all rather brush the bloom from the plumeria.
Modern Waikiki is nothing like its original self, a network of streams, marshes, and islands that drained the inland valleys. The Ala Wai Canal took care of that in the 1920s. More recently, new landscaping, walkways, and a general attention to infrastructure have brightened a façade that had begun distinctly to fade.
But throughout its history, Waikiki has retained its essential character: an enchantment that cannot by fully explained and one that, through diminished by high-rises, traffic, and noise, has not yet disappeared. Hawaiian royalty came here, and visitors continue to follow, falling in love with sharp-prowed Diamond Head, the sensuous curve of shoreline with its baby-safe waves, and the strong-footed surfers like moving statues in the golden light.
At a Glance
SIGHTS
WHERE TO EAT
WHERE TO STAY
- Aloha Punawai
- Aqua Palms at Waikiki
- The Breakers
- Castle Waikiki Shores
- Diamond Head Bed and Breakfast
- Doubletree Alana Waikiki
- Halekulani
- Hawai'i Prince Hotel Waikiki
- Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa
- Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort and Spa
- Ilima Hotel
- Marc Hawai'i Polo Inn and Tower
- Ohana East
- Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel
- Ohana Waikiki Malia
- Ohana Waikiki West
- Outrigger Luana
- Outrigger Reef on the Beach
- Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach
- Pat Winston's Waikiki Condos
- Queen Kapi'olani Hotel
- Radisson Waikiki Prince Kuhio
- Renaissance 'Ilikai Waikiki
- ResortQuest Coconut Plaza
- ResortQuest Pacific Monarch
- ResortQuest Waikiki Banyan
- ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Hotel
- ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Tower
- ResortQuest Waikiki Circle Hotel
- ResortQuest Waikiki Joy
- ResortQuest Waikiki Sunset
- Royal Grove Hotel
- Royal Hawaiian Hotel
- Sheraton Moana Surfrider
- Sheraton Princess Kaiulani
- Sheraton Waikiki
- Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort
- Waikiki Parc
- Waikiki Sand Villa
ENTERTAINMENT
SHOPPING
- Na Ho'ola at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa
- Newt in the Village
- Noeha Gallery
- Norma Kress Gallery
- Paul Brown's Spa Olakino at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa
- Philip Rickard
- Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center
- Sand People
- Serenity Spa Hawai'i
- SpaHalekulani
- Vera Wang Boutique at Halekulani
- Waikiki Shopping Plaza
- Waikiki Town Center
-
1.
2100 Kalakaua
Get your glam on in this high-style shopping venue.
-
2.
Diamond Head State Monument and Park
On a clear day, you can see forever from atop this 760-foot extinct volcano.
-
3.
Duke's Canoe Club
An oceanfront hangout for hipsters, surfers, and singers (including Jimmy Buffett).
-
4.
Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian
Sip this famously strong drink in Waikiki's most famous bar.
-
5.
Waikiki beaches
Big, small, crowded, desolate -- there's a beach for every taste in Waikiki.
NEIGHBORHOOD
RATINGS
- Sightseeing *
- Nightlife ****
- Dining ****
- Lodging *****
- Shopping ****
- Beaches ****
EXPLORE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS
Visit the Travel Talk forums for help on planning your trip
- All-Inclusives: What's Included? When it comes to all-inclusive getaways, it pays to ...
- 8 Tips for Cruising with Your Teenager As any parent will tell you, teenagers aren't the easiest...
- Hawai'i's Top Tables The dining scene here is becoming increasingly sophisticated...
- more >>
