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Waikiki: Ideal Destination for Rejuvenation
At first, Waikiki fascinated me with its enchanting
sceneries. I came to know about this tourist place accidently when I was
searching for some world famous ideal beaches in the world. When I see the
magic of this South Sea in pictures, I have decided to spend a few days at
Waikiki with my family. I am from Kerala, India. My state is known as ‘God’s
Own Country.’ But, when I see the amazing pictures of Waikiki and a few
impressive articles on Internet, I have decided to visit this amazing tourist
destination.
I checked Google Earth for getting a general layout
of Waikiki and Oahu and took a paper copy of it for future references. As a
journalist, I always like to see new places. Mine is a small family with 2
kids. When we reached at airport, we could find a brochure stand. We collected
a few free maps and tourist magazines from there. Then, we grabbed a Shuttle to
our hotel. Our luggage was little heavier, so, it was difficult for us to grab
a bus, though it was cheap. So, we missed to experience of bus journey at this
place.
Kalakua Avenue is the main strip of the beach. The
Visitor Information Center is located in a Gazebo at the Diamond Head, which is
at the end of the Waikiki strip. All possible brochures are available from
here. I collected brochures including individual bus route/timetables. The
staff was very helpful and I got lots of useful information from them. Then, we
visited the ABC stores nearby and stocked up bottled water. (We have two kids,
one is aged 8 and the other is aged two. So, storing watering is essential for
keeping them hydrated). Then, we started our expedition at WAIKIKI….
In fact, Waikiki is a small, flat area of Honolulu.
Majority of visitors are coming from Hawaii for spending their holidays.
However, we could also see visitors from other countries as well. In simple
words, Waikiki can be described as the heart of Honolulu. The state’s largest
choice of hotels are located in this tiny area. You can see them either on the
beach or in the side of streets. At first, we decided to spend our time at
Waikiki Beaches.
Waikiki Beaches
When we entered Waikiki beach, we were fascinated by
seeing the sand strip along the oceanfront. You can see a series of beaches in
Waikiki. All these beaches are ideal for swimming and other types of water
sports. My children were very happy to see the serene beaches. They begin in
the west with Kahanamoku Beach. It is named after the famous Olympic swimmer.
The Hilton Hawaiian Village extends to Sans Souci Beach at Diamond Head in the
east. Royal Hawaiian Beach comes next. Without an iota of doubt, I can say that
the most crowded and famous part of Waikiki is Royal Hawaiian Beach. Khio Beach
Park is the next major attraction here. A stone built Kapahulu Wall can be seen
in front of it. But, this part is not suitable for swimming. The Kapiolani Beach
and Sans Souci Beach are the other beaches in Waikiki. There are lots of other
beaches at this place, but they are located outside Waikiki.
Queen Kapiolani Garden and Kapiolani Park
Amazingly beautiful..! This is the simple word we
can describe the beauty of this park. This park divides Waikiki from the small
residential area on southwest side of Diamond Head. This is the oldest park at
Honolulu. You can find a series of attractions in this park that include
Waikiki aquarium and Waikiki Zoo. However, the major highlight in this area is
Queen Kapiolani Garden. This area contains beautiful collection of flowering
plants. You can see plants from Hawaii
and other parts of the world in this garden. Some rare Hawaiian species can
also be seen in this garden. This is a pleasant recreational area in Waikiki.
We engaged in lots of leisure activities in this area which include jogging,
picnic, Tennis, etc.
Waikiki Aquarium
The rich colors of Hawaiian sea life are the
highlight of Waikiki Aquarium. We could see shorelines, coral reefs, and a
large variety of other aquatic creatures in this aquarium. Founded in 1904,
Waikiki Aquarium is the 3rd oldest public aquarium in the USA.
Diamond Head Crater
The Diamond Head Crater is known as the Le’ahi in
Hawaii. It is the extinct volcano on the east end of Waikiki. It is considered
as the symbol of the city. You can see a profile of it from the beach. But, you
can view it completely at Diamond Head State Monument. This is a historic
hiking trail. We also went through the historic hiking trail from the floor of
the crater to the summit.
Honolulu Zoo
The Honolulu Zoo is spread across 42 acre of land
that features hundreds of animals, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. The grounds
contain huge varieties of tropical plants. Thus, it creates a large botanical
garden setting. We could also see Hawaiian Goose, Hawaiian Hawk and Nene in
this zoo. Besides native Hawaiian plants, we could see monkeys, elephants,
tigers, and Komodo dragons.
Kalakaua Avenue
The Kalakaua Avenue is the main street in Waikiki,
it is named after King David Kaladaua. It stretches for 1 mile from Beretania
Avenue to the end of Kapiolani Park. This avenue is the heart of Waikiki, it
runs parallel to the beach. You can see countless hotels, shops and restaurants
in this area. We visited this area for getting a change from the beach. This is
a lively street, so we enjoyed wandering in this street.
Atlantis Submarines
We could see the world under the sea in Atlantis
Submarines. We also saw various sea creatures here. Our kids were very happy
and eager to see these sea animals. Scuba diving was not a good option for us
because of our small kids. So, we spent more time at this area.
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International Market, Royal Hawaiian Shopping
Center, US Army Museum of Hawaii were the other major attractions here. But,
due to the lack of time, we could not spend much time in these areas. Overall,
it was an amazing journey for our entire family. Our kids were also very happy.
We rejuvenated our mind and body with happiness, peace and full of joy. When we
left Waikiki, our mind whispered, we will surely visit this place once again.
Yes…. Waikiki is extremely beautiful and the sights are mind-blowing.
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