May 30th, 2007
Waikiki Beach + Things to Do for FREE
Being from the North Shore of Oahu - Waikiki Beach is not my usual location for sun and surf but I had an opportunity to do get a tour of the Moana hotel and I also wanted to walkaround the new Waikiki Beach Walk area.
Waikiki Beach is a legendary area on the south shore of Oahu; a 2-mile sweep of surf and shore below Diamond Head. Dozens of surfers play off-shore all day. Kalakaua Avenue’s winding wide sidewalk is dotted by pools, fountains, statues, and snippets of history on surfboard signs. Beachside Kapiolani Park has walkways and picnic tables.
I have to say there is something surreal about floating in the calm waters of Waikiki Beach and looking one way and seeing the majestic Diamond Head jutting out into the ocean while beautiful hotels like the Moana and the Royal Hawaiian are towering above you…
One of the things I like best about Waikiki Beach is the water is usually calm enough for even small children to enjoy…
my daughter Kiva (17 months old) - loves being on the beach!!
Things to see & experience near Waikiki for FREE or under $10 per person.
- Listen to the Royal Hawaiian Band at Iolani Palace on Fridays 12:00-1:00 p.m. and at Kapiolani Park on Sundays from 2:00-3:00 p.m.
- Relax harborside at Aloha Tower Marketplace and listen to the island’s most popular entertainers from the marketplace’s waterfront stage as boats, barges and cruise ships float past.
- Listen to Hawaii’s best local entertainers performing in the hotels and on the streets of Waikiki.
- Enjoy "Sunset on the Beach," as Kapahulu Pier is transformed into and outdoor movie theater, with live entertainment, food booths, and free Hollywood movies.
- Take a stroll through International Marketplace, a bazaar of clothes, jewelry and souvenirs from the island’s colorful merchants set under the shade of a large banyan tree.
- Stop by Ala Moana Center’s Centerstage, the hub for more than 500 performances annually, from keiki (children) hula to rock, from chorale music to street dancing.
- Take ukulele or hula lessons at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center.
- Enjoy food, entertainment, a parade of decorated beds and a race down Kalakaua Avenue for the fastest bed at the annual International Bed Race Festival in April.
- Enjoy the colorful parades that float down the streets of downtown Honolulu and Waikiki during the Aloha Festivals, King Kamehameha Celebration, Honolulu Festival and Chinese New Year celebrations.
- Marvel at the "Honolulu City Lights" which illuminate the sky from the financial district to downtown celebrating the holidays in December and then stop in Honolulu Hale to enjoy the display of decorated Christmas trees.
- Take a self-guided tour through Manoa, Kapahulu and Kaimuki, some of Honolulu’s oldest and charming neighborhoods.
- Pick a team to root for at a polo match at Waimanalo Polo Grounds.
- Meet Hawaii’s local fishermen at the early morning Honolulu Fish Auction at Kewalo Basin, where the fresh catch is displayed and auctioned off to the island’s chefs and merchants daily at 5:00 a.m.
- Enjoy one of over 100 festivals and events throughout the year that celebrate culture, community, music and art, such as the AT&T Hawaii Dragon Boat festival, Chinese new year lion dances, Hawaiian rodeo, ukulele, slack key guitar and hula festivals to name just a few.
- Cheer on the runners competing in the annual Honolulu Marathon.
- Watch top local, national and international athletes compete in any of the dozens of sporting events such as the Hawaiian Mountain Tour, Tin Man Biathlon, Waikiki Roughwater Swim and Tour O’ Hawaii Cycle Classic.
- Experience the most spectacular views of Waikiki at night from the Hanohano Room at the Sheraton Waikiki.
- View the work of local artisans at the Art Mart along the fence of the Honolulu Zoo.
- Experience the fun and excitement of the Aloha Festivals’ Downtown and Waikiki Hoolaulea Celebrations in September.
- Sit in on a Sunday service conducted in the Hawaiian language at Kawaiahao Church.
- Cheer as the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa hosted fireworks explode into beautiful colors on Friday evenings in remembrance and celebration of King Kalakaua’s Jubilee.
And there are lots more….