Hawaii 2.0 – Waikiki, the holiday destination

My earliest memory of Hawaii was as a young girl walking through the markets. I met a lovely lady who called me a pretty young thing and proceeded to offer to paint my nails for me. She painted palm trees and a sunset on my nails….it blew my mind!

I’m pretty excited to be back in this tropical slice of paradise and kind of surprised at how little I actually remember (mind you it’s been a few years). So far my holiday has been exactly that….a holiday. Waikiki really is the perfect place to unwind and relax whether you are single, a couple or a family there is something for everyone!

The long beach line wraps around a bay and is a playground for sun lovers and surfers! As an Aussie gal, I’ve taken many moments of joy in giggling at the “surfers” heading out to catch some of the smallest waves I’ve ever seen! Apparently there are different coastlines for real surfing. I certainly hope so as the surf at Waikiki leaves little to be desired! It looks like a good training ground though and luckily for me, surf is the last thing on my mind this holiday.

Being a first time traveller with children, I am amazed at how much my travelling requirements have changed, and I can say Waikiki is a great spot for first time families!

Directly opposite the long beach, you have a run of hotel after hotel, all resort style and all sporting similar offerings to punters! There are your big name brands – Hilton, Hyatt, Sheraton etc and some lesser known ones but they seem to offer similar things! High rise towers with clusters of rooms over looking the beach, poolside areas with bars and music channelling the best in Hawaiian culture…perfect!

My holiday has taken me to the Marriott and like many hotels in this stretch it has a great pool area with a fabulous bar (that I’ve reluctantly had to sample frequently) and we’ve enjoyed some great local music which is a perfect way to dance and sing the night away.

A walk down the main street which hugs the beach for part of it takes you past endless tourist shops, restaurants and hotels. Each one promoting something new and exciting and you will certainly not be short on tasty morsels to wet your appetite. You’ll find your fair share of Hawaii paraphernalia from mini surf boards to endless Hawaiian shirts and dresses in pretty much every size, shape and colour combo! I have to say I gave into my inner tourist and bought my babies matching shirts and one for their Dad too #lametouristmoment

Make sure you head on down to the big pink hotel AKA the Royal Hawaiian where you can sit out at their beach bar and enjoy the local favourite a Mai Tai after giving your credit card a work out at the high end boutique shops including all my favourite Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuiton, Prada and the rest!

Whatever your purpose of holiday, Waikiki seems to have the perfect balance. There is something for everyone from the beach to the pool, shopping to eating or simply relaxing and doing nothing! More to come but for now a quick swim before I head off on a shopping extravaganza!