Honolulu, HI

When my wife and I go to Hamauma Bay, we like to walk all the way down to the far end of it, where there are few—sometimes no—other people, even when the main beach is crowded (which is most days). Hanauma Bay is the well-known marine preserve on Oahu’s east end, popular with snorkelers. If you would like to know more about the main beach and getting into the preserve itself, then please see this post on Hanauma Bay in general, since I won’t duplicate that information here; I will just cover our experience with the far end of the bay.

A quiet evening on a bench at Magic Island - Ala Moana Beach Park with bottle of wine and food to good watching the fading sky and the city lights.

I lived in Las Vegas the past two years and there is one thing I’ve realized that is better than the gambling there – and that is their amazing concert line-up. Bands brush through Vegas nightly like wildfire and while I’ve seen big names such as The Police, Celine Dion and Sir Elton John, nothing compares to the good times I’ve spent sitting on the lawn at the Waikiki Shell, celebrating life and good music with thousands of other people who feel the same way.

My wife and I live in Waikiki, and one of our favorite beaches is Sans Souci, which translates to “without a care” in French. This beach is next to Diamond Head fronting the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel. The beach is protected by a coral reef out front, which makes for gentle waters suitable for family swimming, although there is a lifeguard tower here. There are showers as well as a nice restaurant (The Hau Tree Lanai) right on the beach in the hotel. The beach is also a bit wider here than on the main Waikiki beaches.

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My boyfriend and I had a wonderful 4th of July spent in Waikiki. We were both tired from having walked from one end to the other of Waikiki with the sun upon us. We drove back to his place in Kaimuki, took a shower and a refreshing nap. When we woke up we were both very hungry.

Ali’i Beach Park is located on Oahu’s north shore. Situated just at the edge of historic Haleiwa, Ali’i Beach Park is within walking distance of the boat harbor, gas station, and grocery store. There is also a surf shop on the beach itself for snacks and drinks. There are also three sets of restrooms, conveniently placed throughout the beach.

Last weekend I hunted for treasure at Waikiki Beach. I wasn’t even the only person doing it. My only tools: a waterproof metal detector and a sand scoop. By now the image of an old guy wearing headphones walking Waikiki Beach sweeping a metal detector over the sand as he goes is a familiar sight. After watching people do this over the years, I decided to try it for myself—with a slight twist—I wanted a fully submersible detector so I could go snorkeling, or even scuba diving with it—and I must say it has been a fun hobby.

For first-time visitors to Hawaii, the luau is almost considered a rite of passage. My wife and I have been to several luaus since we have been living on Oahu. Each has its own unique blend of food, entertainment and setting. There are many different luaus on the island of Oahu, but I will writer here about three of the more popular ones. My wife and I recently attended each of these luaus with friends and family.

Whales! We were about three miles offshore from Waikiki Beach—the pink Royal Hawaiian Hotel was visible as a small dot in the distance. Outside on deck, people were pointing toward shore. A Humpback mother and her calf cavorted not far from our boat. Then the mother slapped her huge tail (called a fluke) against the water, before diving beneath the surface. Cameras were clicking like crazy. Suddenly the mother Humpback erupted from the water—a full breach—leaping into the air! People screamed, and I was lucky enough to point my camcorder just in time to catch it.