Honolulu, HI

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.

On May 10, 2008, my wife and I went to the 16th annual Filipino Festival in Waikiki. There was also a parade which ran along Kalakaua Avenue, but we only attended the festival part of it, which was in Kapiolani Park, across the street from Queen’s Beach. We arrived at the park at around 11 AM and the festival was already in full swing. The park was filled with people celebrating Filipino culture: a musical group performed on a stage with dancers, vendors of all sorts sold food and drinks, arts and crafts, while families and people of all ages walked around experiencing it all.

After checking out the indoor exhibits, we headed outside where the aquarium’s larger exhibits are. We saw the intertidal tank, which is a long, waist-high tank right against the edge of the aquarium property, with an awesome view of the real ocean right behind it. Mangrove trees line this tank, and swimming in its waters are colorful reef fish such as needlenose butterfly fish, yellow tangs, raccoon butterflys, various corals, crabs, shrimp, sponges, and many more creatures! Also out here was one of the aquarium’s star attractions: the monk seals. These seals are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, meaning that they are from here and found nowhere else on Earth.

I have the utter privilege to house sit my friends’ place and their miniature schnauzer. It’s an extreme pleasure simply because they live in Harbor Court, smack dab on the waterfront across from Aloha Tower Marketplace and on the edge of Chinatown and downtown Honolulu. This is most fortunate for me because Chinatown and downtown Honolulu is great for walking, great for sightseeing and great to mingle with people.

It was a Friday when I stepped off the plane in Honolulu, back from four months in the Vegas desert. I am a student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and nothing was better than being at home for the summer.

Accidentally my friends and I created a nice thematic evening with having dinner at Shokudo restaurant and watching “Flower Drum Song” at Diamond Head Theater. Shokudo is great for experiencing and tasting Asian fusion style dishes. The “Flower Drum Song” is about Japanese immigrants trying to assimilate to San Francisco. It was a fun evening with food, friends and good entertainment.

I was especially excited when we spotted an area that had a little open-air market with jewelry, dresses, massage oils, and much more.

After the train ride, the staff hands out free samples of pineapple chunks, which were absolutely delicious! I then strolled over to the GIFT SHOP, where I spent almost an hour!

Something I really enjoy doing here on Oahu is going to Ko Olina. It’s a big resort, but in Hawaii, all beaches are considered public, so you don’t have to be a guest of the hotel to hang out there. I’ve spent the day there several times and it’s super fun! It’s an ideal beach for those with kids because of the fact that Ko Olina is actually several lagoons, created by big rocks that are blocking off the pounding waves. The end result is tranquil, gentle waters! Anyone who is a little freaked out by powerful waves – this is the beach for you!

One day, as I was driving along the coast of Oahu’s North Shore, I smelled the most intense and delicious smell EVER. It was time for lunch and I was hungry, so I decided to find out what could smell so amazing! I spotted a series of trucks on the side of the road, and [...]