>>dinner/drinks at RumFire on Waikki Beach
You can't go wrong with delicious cocktails, fried rice, beachfront. You just can't.
>>cliff jumping @ Waimea Beach
Although the swells are large in the winter, it's usually calm and relaxing. Jumping off the cliff is pure adrenaline and safe since you can see to the bottom!
>>snorkeling in Hanama Bay with a lifeproof camera case
If you love snorkeling and tourist traps as much as I do, Hanama Bay is the place for you! Even though you have to pay and watch a conservation video, it's a sure thing you're going to see some spectacular fish and creatures. Since it's a protected bay, the waves are minimal and the government makes sure the water stays its prettiest. With a lifeproof case you can snap embarrassing snorkel pics to save as blackmail, as well as remember the underwater landscapes that you ooed & ahhhed about!
>>sunbathing on the warm shores of Lanikai
Lanikai is one of my favorite beaches in the entire world and I knew it as soon as my toes hit it's sand. Once I read that it was rated number one by Conde Nast in 2009, I knew we had to explore. We all easily determined it was the highlight of our trip. The sand is powder and the water, so clear you can see the flip flop tan on my feet. It must have been the double rainbow that cast a bliss over the entire beach because it was beyond perfect. There were kayakers journeying to the two small nearby islands Na Mokulua, beach volleyball players hitting the ball around, and kids chasing each other into the water, but somehow all you could hear was the waves lingering up the shores. Needless to say we didn't want to leave and reluctantly drug our cooler back to the car.
>>indulge in local eats:
Leonard's Bakery Malasadas > think donuts without the hole just out of the oven, a polynesian treat!
North Shore's Matsumoto's Shave Ice > fine shaved ice with every tropical flavor you can think of.
Shrimp Trucks > shrimp any way you want it, as fresh as you can get it. coconut. pineapple. BOMB.
>>get your luau on at Paradise Cove
Seeing it as a fit last hurrah, we luau-ed our last night in Paradise. As soon as they put the leis around our necks we booked it to the Piña Coladas and Mai-tais. My cousin used to hula dance in the Paradise Cove Luau, so I knew it would be a great show. It takes place right on one of the coves just down the shoreline from Ko'Olina, which makes for a breathtaking backdrop and unreal sunset. There's something about a jaw dropping sunset that makes you truly thankful for the day you just experienced. The luau encompasses a ceremonial cooking of Kalua Pig. "Kalua" literally means to cook in an underground oven. And that's what they did: plopped it in a banana leaf covered hole. This unleashed a phenomenal aroma as the hula dancers moved to live Hawaiian music. Next we satisfied hunger with a traditional Hawaiian buffet that included poi, macaroni salad, and of course Kalua pig. You'll die of taste bud overload. The highlight is definitely the dancing. There is traditional hula, tahitian dancing, the polynesian war dance: the Haka, and spine shivering fire dancing. If you want to get the full Hawaii experience you have to luau. And you have to absolutely volunteer yourself to dance on stage, whether you've had a few piñas or not.
>>don't look at your watch but don't wake up too late.
live on hawaiian time.
do it all & soak it up.
there's so much to do & see that it can be overwhelming -but with the right mindset everything is worth seeing.
xoxo
