Home from Hawaii

Aloha friends.  Can you believe that amazing adventure we had on Oahu last month?  

I was counting our steps, and then our miles, as we went along.  By the end of day 3 we hit 21 miles and I realized I didn’t need to continue counting, we were meeting our daily step goals and then some.  ha ha

We literally walked every square inch of the Waikiki area.  We saw oceanfront resorts, resorts that were off the beach, hotels and even a few condo’s. 

We ate in lots of area restaurants, shopped in the Waikiki stores and malls, even perused a flea market.  In fact, I found so many great Christmas gifts I had to buy an extra suitcase just to get it all back home.

After 4 days of that, we moved up to the North Shore and had a blast experiencing local attractions and excursions.  Our host resort just underwent a $300 million renovation.  I’ve been going to that resort for a couple of decades now, this newest version is literally breathtaking.

There is such a wide variety of choices when it comes to ways of experiencing Oahu.  You can go there just to relax at your resort, catch some sun on the fabulous Waikiki beach, and enjoy some of the best dining in the world.  

You can add a rental car to this beach vacation and venture out to see the main attractions:  USS Arizona, USS Missouri, the Punchbowl, hike Diamond Head, get lost in the Dole Plantation Maze, and even visit the only royal palace on American soil, the Iolani Palace.  

Or, you can opt for a “country” adventure and get into the mountains, the valleys, and the fun outside of Honolulu.  Kualoa Ranch is always a “must do” for us, as is the Pali Overlook, Waimea Valley, watching surfers on the North Shore, getting a shave ice at Matsumoto, and dining at Hale’iwa Joe’s and Ted’s bakery.  The Polynesian Cultural Center is always fun, especially for first timers.

Did you know we can split the stay and offer you a “Town and Country’ trip, very similar to what we did?  A few nights on Waikiki, and then a few on the North Shore.  It was truly the best of both worlds, and two startlingly different experiences.

If you give us a call and share with us the main things you want to see and do, or allow us to give you some pointers, we’ll be able to plan the most wonderful, customized trip to Hawaii for you, taking full advantage of current special offers.

At The Joy of Travel it’s all about designing a vacation that’s right for you.  We are not cookie cutter travel agents, we are specialists, recommending only places we’ve tried first.

Mahalo my friends,
JOY