Honolulu Beach Question
 

After a week in Kauai, DH has business at the Ala Moana Shopping Center the day of our flight home. My strategy is to go to the beach while he works (good plan, huh?). I'd like to rent a chair, sit and read, bob in the ocean, and walk. Concession stands would be nice, but a place to shower before the flight is a must!(outdoor is fine, I am adept at doing this modestly!) I'll be car-less, and it would be a plus to be able to walk or bus to Ala Moana Center for lunch. My flight doesn't leave till 5:30 in the afternoon, and we arrive in HNL around 9:00 am. Which beach do you recommend--Ala Moana or Waikiki? Or somewhere else close by? Thanks.

This is not a recomendation (because maybe the beach at Ala Moana would be more convenient?), but...

The stretch at Waikiki behind Fort DeRussy park has all you asked for... chair and umbrella rental, snack stands, bathroom, outdoor shower.

topping for moondoggie, because i'm pretty sure the beach at ala moana would be more convenient if it has the facilities.

if you choose the spot I mentioned above it is very easy to get to on The Bus from the shopping center. #8 or one of the others marked "Waikiki hotels" goes right there.

Personally, I'd take Ala Moana beach. The concession stands are not super close--I think there are only 2 on the whole park--but you can bring your stuff with you and then relax. Magic Island is most calm, I think. No chair rentals that I know of, though.

Does this mean Ala Moana park has chairs and showers? Can I walk to the shopping center? And where is Magic Island? Sounds interesting. Thanks.

Ala Moana park is just across the street from Ala Moana center. Magic Island is an area within the park, a (man-made, I beleive) peninsula. I've never seen chairs rented there, but my last visit there was a while back, so I will leave that question to Melissa and others in Honolulu.

no no there are no chairs at Ala Moana to my knowledge. There are showers, but no chairs--you'd need to bring your own or your own towel to sit on.