Waikiki

Two days in Waikiki was perfect. While still in the busy city, we were able to find a more relaxed aura within the grounds of the Hilton and still find a variety of tastefully decorated shops, of delicious restaurants, and even of water activities.

The Shops.
Within the grounds of the Hilton, little convenience stores, pearl shops, knick-knack carts, spas, vacation club info stores, and gift shops were quite rampant. Though a bit of a tourist-trap, we loved exploring the unique beauty each afforded. Our Munchkin, of course, was quite content with the freedom to explore and find new "toys" to play with.

 

 

No bird excaped his curiosity either. There must have been some feed in the sand because these birds kept gathering together so we could run through and scatter them again. Some bystanders taking pictures of the beach became intrigued as well and even asked us to do it again. Quite the enjoyable morning activity I'd say.

The hotel room itself held many wonders and activities for a young mind as well. The cords and drawers quickly found themselves claimed by drool (a baby's way of marking territory?), and the toys we brought with us paled in comparison to the new noises and fixtures calling out for attention. Cat and mouse anyone?

The Food.

Eating a buffet breakfast, looking at the beach and smelling the salty breeze was perfect. I loved not having to worry about what to make :) As for other meals, the Village provided a wide variety of cuisine for tasting pleasure, including an outdoor grill, a grab-and-go convenience shop, Benihana's, Dairy Queen, and an exquisite (yet expensive) treat shop.

The Water.

The question was never, "should we go to the pool today?" but instead was, "which pool ought we to grace with our presence for a time?" or even "is it pool or ocean time?" All options provided a wonderful scenery for playing in the water. No hard concrete surroundings with only white lounge chairs and towels to break the monotony; the lush, green foliage and rock created a more natural feeling for the pools. Of course, the ocean was almost as natural as it comes. The calm, warm salt water was very family friendly and the sand was a joy to play in.

 

  

The Activities.
Consistent with the rest of the Village, other activities and accommodations were charming and relaxing. Nightlife was quite active at the Village, especially on Friday night. The hotel hosts a poolside luau, poolside Hawaiian music and dance, and a firework show on select evenings. As Munchkin fell asleep for the night before these activities began, I had the quiet pleasure of listening to the music and watching the fireworks from the balcony of our hotel room. A sizable tower obstructed my view of a good portion of the fireworks, however, what I did get to see was stunning.

As for day activities, the Village offered many rentals such as boogie boards, surfing lessons, snorkel gear, sand cruisers (imagine an enormous child's plastic tricycle), and much more. Group tours of the city, shoreline cruises, and other guided activities were also offered through the Village. Though we did not participate in any of these opportunities, there did seem to be a lot of options to choose from. We mostly stuck with the cheaper options: pool time, standing in the ocean, warming in the sun on the beach, the complementary gym to ensure we didn't lose our health entirely while on vacation. My personal favorite, while adjusting to the time difference, was the complementary DVD "rental" - like Redbox, but free. :) This became quite convenient when Munchkin was asleep and someone needed to stay and watch him.

The hotel and all aspects of it provided a wonderful, relaxing getaway for the whole family for those two days. We loved it and became more excited to venture on to other parts of the island.