I haven't really had time to write about the family trip to Oahu. I finally took some time to fill out the survey on Expedia, which is the service I used to book our flight, hotel and rental car. I thought it was the least I could do to let other people know about our wonderful trip. So without further adieu, please enjoy a somewhat brief summary of our experience.
ASTON WAIKIKI CIRCLE HOTEL check-in:
Showed up. Signed in. Room was ready. At 1st, didn't have available parking under hotel but by the time I unloaded car, they said they had something available. Immediately headed up to room (13th fl). I expected a little more/different but it turned out to be pretty decent, albeit sparse, accommodations.
ASTON WAIKIKI CIRCLE HOTEL review:
Very nicely located. About 2-3 blks from Intl Market area near the Zoo but right across from beach with "closed-in" lagoon-type area. Ocean front balcony (extra $) made all the difference from the 13th fl. Just awesome! The room was smaller than expected but we weren't there to spend time in our room--just needed a safe, good place to stay overnight & why pay extra for in-hotel bar/restaurant when the point is to enjoy the island. It was basically a tiny efficiency apt w/o the kitchen. Very close to convenience stores & restaurants. Having parking underneath the hotel was a blessing as well as being 50 ft from the beach. Complimentary Kona coffee from 6:30am-9:30am but would be nice to have it go later. The wife & I definitely missed "anytime coffee" like at home. We didn't know what room we'd have until arrival which could have made the stay different but 13th fl was the best (only goes to 14 floors)! Will definitely request in the future if possible. High enough to help drown out late night street noise but insulation to the outside was lacking. It didn't wake me but it was noticeable. Able to check out free beach towels, boogie board, beach mats, air mattresses & surfboards (I think). We donated 2 pairs of cheaply-priced goggles & snorkels. Only big issue--some guests would smoke on the balcony which I believe was illegal & the hotel didn't police that well. Other than that, we had a blast & would recommend for motel/inn-type dwelling because of the sparsity of the room. In our opinion, it was worth it.
WHICH AREA/NEIGHBORHOOD IN THIS CITY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO YOUR FELLOW TRAVELERS:
Keneke's in Waimanalo - great food and good serving size for the price. Also, the shave ice is one of the best (according to them and also my kids)!
Nuuanu Pali Lookout - on a clear day, great views and photo ops. Can see "Chinaman's Hat" from here.
Polynesian Culture Center - especially the Rainbows of Paradise and evening shows, like Ha. Individual "villages" time shows were not spaced/scheduled properly so have to hope you pick and choose the good ones and the good ones are dependent on what you personally think not anyone else.
Diamond Head - heck of a hike but well worth reaching the top. Great views.
Hunauma Bay - very nice beach and snorkel area.
Makapuu Point or here - another hike but not as strenuous as Diamond Head. Great views.
Snorkel dolphin excursion in the wild versus captive. Can't ride or touch the sea life but we saw 100s of spinner dolphins and 5-7 sea turtles. Also, got to have the dolphins swimming and jumping along the boat at a good 30-40 mph. The kids loved it.
Aloha Flea Market - save your money for the Flea Market rather than buying near your hotel. Only open Wed, Sat, Sun, but can get twice as many shirts or whatever than at a convenience store or the International Market Place. Trust me on this one! If wasting money is okay to you, then you can forgo the Flea Market.
Pearl Harbor/Arizona Memorial - I think this is self explanatory.
So, much more we wanted to do but didn't get to and we were there for 12 days.
GETTING AROUND:
We rented a car as part of our package but they do have daily rentals of scooters all along Waikiki Beach for what I would say minimal costs. We walked around most of the places near our hotel. I'd say we probably walked about a 2-mile radius to window shop at stores, find restaurants or just plan walk around in the gorgeous weather because it's much faster than driving a vehicle, especially an automobile. They do have very good bus transit according to our hotel desk.
SHOPPING
Aloha Flea Market is the best place to find the cheapest prices on this and that, knickknacks, T-shirts, Hawaiian shirts, necklaces, bags, etc. You name it, you'll probably get it there and cheaper!
International Market is second in price. Still not as good as the Aloha Flea Market but better than local stores and shops. It's also more convenient than the Flea Market as it's open all day, every day and is probably more convenient to most of the hotels on Waikiki Beach.
DINING
Almost every big restaurant has a buffet. There are some that are just as costly as a buffet but you get small portions. I like to get my money's worth but also didn't want to eat a buffet for each meal every day. Fast food restaurants are a wash as you can get an entree at a "fancy" restaurant for about the same price or a few dollars more. Sometimes getting out of the touristy area will help find a "hole-in-the-wall" place like Keneke's that produces some of the best food I had on the island at a very reasonable price! There was also L&L Hawaiian BBQ restaurants (which has come to the mainland--in fact there is one in Plano, TX). L&L is good food but it's not as authentic as they think it is. I think the chain concept has diminished their quality or people on the mainland just don't know authentic "Hawaiian" cuisine. I'm not saying it is bad food. It had a lot of food choices compared to Keneke's but it wasn't better tasting.
ASTON WAIKIKI CIRCLE HOTEL check-in:
Showed up. Signed in. Room was ready. At 1st, didn't have available parking under hotel but by the time I unloaded car, they said they had something available. Immediately headed up to room (13th fl). I expected a little more/different but it turned out to be pretty decent, albeit sparse, accommodations.
ASTON WAIKIKI CIRCLE HOTEL review:
Very nicely located. About 2-3 blks from Intl Market area near the Zoo but right across from beach with "closed-in" lagoon-type area. Ocean front balcony (extra $) made all the difference from the 13th fl. Just awesome! The room was smaller than expected but we weren't there to spend time in our room--just needed a safe, good place to stay overnight & why pay extra for in-hotel bar/restaurant when the point is to enjoy the island. It was basically a tiny efficiency apt w/o the kitchen. Very close to convenience stores & restaurants. Having parking underneath the hotel was a blessing as well as being 50 ft from the beach. Complimentary Kona coffee from 6:30am-9:30am but would be nice to have it go later. The wife & I definitely missed "anytime coffee" like at home. We didn't know what room we'd have until arrival which could have made the stay different but 13th fl was the best (only goes to 14 floors)! Will definitely request in the future if possible. High enough to help drown out late night street noise but insulation to the outside was lacking. It didn't wake me but it was noticeable. Able to check out free beach towels, boogie board, beach mats, air mattresses & surfboards (I think). We donated 2 pairs of cheaply-priced goggles & snorkels. Only big issue--some guests would smoke on the balcony which I believe was illegal & the hotel didn't police that well. Other than that, we had a blast & would recommend for motel/inn-type dwelling because of the sparsity of the room. In our opinion, it was worth it.
WHICH AREA/NEIGHBORHOOD IN THIS CITY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO YOUR FELLOW TRAVELERS:
Keneke's in Waimanalo - great food and good serving size for the price. Also, the shave ice is one of the best (according to them and also my kids)!
Nuuanu Pali Lookout - on a clear day, great views and photo ops. Can see "Chinaman's Hat" from here.
Polynesian Culture Center - especially the Rainbows of Paradise and evening shows, like Ha. Individual "villages" time shows were not spaced/scheduled properly so have to hope you pick and choose the good ones and the good ones are dependent on what you personally think not anyone else.
Diamond Head - heck of a hike but well worth reaching the top. Great views.
Hunauma Bay - very nice beach and snorkel area.
Makapuu Point or here - another hike but not as strenuous as Diamond Head. Great views.
Snorkel dolphin excursion in the wild versus captive. Can't ride or touch the sea life but we saw 100s of spinner dolphins and 5-7 sea turtles. Also, got to have the dolphins swimming and jumping along the boat at a good 30-40 mph. The kids loved it.
Aloha Flea Market - save your money for the Flea Market rather than buying near your hotel. Only open Wed, Sat, Sun, but can get twice as many shirts or whatever than at a convenience store or the International Market Place. Trust me on this one! If wasting money is okay to you, then you can forgo the Flea Market.
Pearl Harbor/Arizona Memorial - I think this is self explanatory.
So, much more we wanted to do but didn't get to and we were there for 12 days.
GETTING AROUND:
We rented a car as part of our package but they do have daily rentals of scooters all along Waikiki Beach for what I would say minimal costs. We walked around most of the places near our hotel. I'd say we probably walked about a 2-mile radius to window shop at stores, find restaurants or just plan walk around in the gorgeous weather because it's much faster than driving a vehicle, especially an automobile. They do have very good bus transit according to our hotel desk.
SHOPPING
Aloha Flea Market is the best place to find the cheapest prices on this and that, knickknacks, T-shirts, Hawaiian shirts, necklaces, bags, etc. You name it, you'll probably get it there and cheaper!
International Market is second in price. Still not as good as the Aloha Flea Market but better than local stores and shops. It's also more convenient than the Flea Market as it's open all day, every day and is probably more convenient to most of the hotels on Waikiki Beach.
DINING
Almost every big restaurant has a buffet. There are some that are just as costly as a buffet but you get small portions. I like to get my money's worth but also didn't want to eat a buffet for each meal every day. Fast food restaurants are a wash as you can get an entree at a "fancy" restaurant for about the same price or a few dollars more. Sometimes getting out of the touristy area will help find a "hole-in-the-wall" place like Keneke's that produces some of the best food I had on the island at a very reasonable price! There was also L&L Hawaiian BBQ restaurants (which has come to the mainland--in fact there is one in Plano, TX). L&L is good food but it's not as authentic as they think it is. I think the chain concept has diminished their quality or people on the mainland just don't know authentic "Hawaiian" cuisine. I'm not saying it is bad food. It had a lot of food choices compared to Keneke's but it wasn't better tasting.
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