KLM, May 2007: Hotel Ala Moana
To get to Hawaii was not very easy. We flew
Bergen-Amsterdam: 2 hours
Amsterdam-Seattle: 9 hours
Seattle-Honolulu: 6 hours
When we came to Seattle we were tired of the traveling and it was not very funny to think about sitting at a plane for six more hours. The plan was to stay awake the last six hours, to get into the timezone, but it was impossible. Not because we were very tired, but because it was so very boring. We managed to get through that last trip, and it was really worth waiting for!
Somebody had told us we would get "leis" (the flower decorations you get around your neck) when arriving at the airport in Honolulu. We were very disapointed when we didn't get any...
To get to the hotel we hired a taxi. There were lots of people going to Ala Moana Hotel and we tried to take a taxi together. We were told this was NOT the way to do it at Hawaii! However, we managed to take the taxi with a woman. She was used to go to Honolulu and she told us a lot of what we could do. She even showed us a map with all the important sights!
The hotel was nice. Not exclusive, but nice. The pool was ok but the best thing, no crowd! There were always lots of sunbeds. We didn't have breakfast but there was a Starbucks at Ala Moana shoppingcenter and also a nice Japanese bakery. Both opend 7 or 8 in the morning. The hotel had free wireless internet access!
The sun was shining, the skies were blue and the waves were big. Wikiki beach was... a beach... overcrowded... BUT you just have to go there, just to say you've been there... :) However we found a less crowded and nicer beach closer to our hotel, the Ala Moana Beah Park.
Our hotel was very close to Ala Moana shoppingcenter., the biggest shoppingcenter at O'ahu (the island we stayed at.) It was HUGE! Chanel, Luis Vitton, Jimmy Choo, Salvatore Ferragamo (YES!), Burberry, Dunhill... all the big designers were represented. You could also find lots of local shops there. I found a very nice shop: "White label, Black market", only black and white clothes! Really nice! I got lost at Sephora... :-D
If you want a cheap dinner/luch you can go to the foodcourt at Ala Moana shoppingcenter,. You can get everything there! The place is not nice, but the food is nice if you get plenty.
There were lots of Japanese, both living and visiting, at O'ahu. All the big designers had a Japanese line, exclusive made for Hawaii!
We rented a car for three days. I highly recommend "Dollar car-rental". The cheapest is to rent it over the internet, you get a better deal than at the office.
One day we went to the Dole plantage, where the pineapple grow. I have always believed the pineapple grown high up in the trees, like the coconuts. Here is a picture....
To get to Hawaii was not very easy. We flew
Bergen-Amsterdam: 2 hours
Amsterdam-Seattle: 9 hours
Seattle-Honolulu: 6 hours
When we came to Seattle we were tired of the traveling and it was not very funny to think about sitting at a plane for six more hours. The plan was to stay awake the last six hours, to get into the timezone, but it was impossible. Not because we were very tired, but because it was so very boring. We managed to get through that last trip, and it was really worth waiting for!
Somebody had told us we would get "leis" (the flower decorations you get around your neck) when arriving at the airport in Honolulu. We were very disapointed when we didn't get any...
To get to the hotel we hired a taxi. There were lots of people going to Ala Moana Hotel and we tried to take a taxi together. We were told this was NOT the way to do it at Hawaii! However, we managed to take the taxi with a woman. She was used to go to Honolulu and she told us a lot of what we could do. She even showed us a map with all the important sights!
The hotel was nice. Not exclusive, but nice. The pool was ok but the best thing, no crowd! There were always lots of sunbeds. We didn't have breakfast but there was a Starbucks at Ala Moana shoppingcenter and also a nice Japanese bakery. Both opend 7 or 8 in the morning. The hotel had free wireless internet access!
The sun was shining, the skies were blue and the waves were big. Wikiki beach was... a beach... overcrowded... BUT you just have to go there, just to say you've been there... :) However we found a less crowded and nicer beach closer to our hotel, the Ala Moana Beah Park.
Our hotel was very close to Ala Moana shoppingcenter., the biggest shoppingcenter at O'ahu (the island we stayed at.) It was HUGE! Chanel, Luis Vitton, Jimmy Choo, Salvatore Ferragamo (YES!), Burberry, Dunhill... all the big designers were represented. You could also find lots of local shops there. I found a very nice shop: "White label, Black market", only black and white clothes! Really nice! I got lost at Sephora... :-D
If you want a cheap dinner/luch you can go to the foodcourt at Ala Moana shoppingcenter,. You can get everything there! The place is not nice, but the food is nice if you get plenty.
There were lots of Japanese, both living and visiting, at O'ahu. All the big designers had a Japanese line, exclusive made for Hawaii!
We rented a car for three days. I highly recommend "Dollar car-rental". The cheapest is to rent it over the internet, you get a better deal than at the office.
One day we went to the Dole plantage, where the pineapple grow. I have always believed the pineapple grown high up in the trees, like the coconuts. Here is a picture....
What a joke! :-D Now I wondered how the coconuts were growing... :-D Luckily we saw a coconut-tree later that day... And yes, the coconuts were growing on the top, hight up in the sky! The Dole plantage was fun and they had a very nice pineapple ice-cream. After the visit of the pineapples we drove to the North Shore and Sharks Cave. We were told we could swim with the turtles there. We didn't see any turtle before we were on the way home.
When I first saw this, I couldn't believe my own eyes! It was very close to the beach and it was HUGE!
Another day we visited Pearl Harbour. We were told to go there early in the morning to avoid the crowd. We came at 1030, too late... We had to wait 2 hours to get into the cinema (a 15 min. video) and to be driven in a boat to the memorial place (about 30 min.). While waiting we could visit the museum and buy some snacks. I can't believe they didn't have a nice cafee! When we were finished with the boat-trip and were going home, there were no queue... Maybe going there in the afternoon would be better?
The last day we rented the car we went to Haneuma Bay to snorkle with the fish and the chorals. Highly recommended! I saw this strange animal there...
We went to eat, but can't remember all the places. California Pizza Kitchen has the best pizza (both at Ala Moana shoppingcenter and at Waikiki beach). We also went to a Japanese restaurant, Shokudo. Fantastic food, great atmosphere and lovely people working there. Not very expensive either. The restaurant is behind Ala Moana shopping-center.
To get around in Honolulu is easy. You can either take a free shuttle-bus (between the shopping-centers) or take another shuttle-bus for one pound each.
If I would go back? Maybe... not, don't think... It was too much hassle to get there... I would rather go to antoher exotic place!
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