Hawaii Vacation Blog

I have lived here for 15 years now and I really never get tired of the great food. the Asian influence is everywhere. I have a group of culinary students coming here in April from Ohio, so it got me thinking about some of the some great restaurants here on Oahu:

Dukes - Waikiki beachfront "happening" restaurant and bar. Don't miss Hawaiian music on Sunday afternoons! Beach casual atmosphere.

Eggs'n Things - Funky coffee shop on the edge of Waikiki. Great local color and crowded. Go early for breakfast or great for "after hours' munchies.

Cheese Burger in Paradise - Located on Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki featuring burgers and such plus live tunes during the evening hours.

Alan Wongs - Simply considered the finest cuisine in Honolulu. Expensive and worth it.

Roys - Hawaii Kai The original, where the legend began, you must go to Roys and experience the best asian/hawaiian fusion in the world.

Havana Cabana - Located on Nuuanu Street in Chinatown and offers smokes, drinks, and music.

Indigo - Also located in Chinatown on Nuuanu Street. Has the best atmosphere in town and features "Eurasian Cuisine". Valet parking available.

3660 On The Rise - Found in the Kaimuki area of east Honolulu. Elegant atmosphere and excellent menu.

Good To Go Hawaii - Located in Kailua on the east side of the island and has great take-out food for picnics at Kailua Beach Park.

Zippy's - Local fast food and bakery. Prices are very reasonable plus you've got to try their chilli and rice. It's famous throughout the islands!

Dining Places on Oahu - The premier searchable database for restaurants in Honolulu and surrounding towns on the Island of Oahu.

A lot of shifting and consolation is taking place in Hawaii, especially on Oahu. Here is a list of all of the name changes and properties changing hands as well as new management companies taking over.

-ASTON Coral Reef will be the AQUA Wave for 2007
-Hawaii Polo Inn & Tower will be the Hotel Equus (managed by AQUA) for 2007
-Marc Suites Waikiki will be Castle Hokele Suites Waikiki for 2007
-Radisson Waikiki Prince Kuhio is now the Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio
-The Wyland Waikiki (new to us for 2007) - I don't know what it was
before.
-Ocean Tower Hotel at Waikiki Beach (not in 2006 book) will be the Hotel Renew (managed by AQUA) when it opens sometime in 2007
-Outrigger Regency on Beach Walk (part of the new Beach Walk
project) - I don't know what property this was before
-Embassy Suites Hotel Waikiki Beach Walk (part of the new Beach Walk
project) - I don't know what property this was before
-Kahala Mandarin Oriental, Hawaii is now The Kahala Hotel & Resort
-Embassy Vacation Resort Kaanapali is now the Kaanapali Beach Club
-Courtyard by Marriott Kauai is now the ResortQuest Kauai Beach at
Maka'iwa
-Hawaii Naniloa Resort is now the Naniloa Volcanoes Resort
-The Lodge at Koele will be the Four Seasons Resort Lana'i, The
-Lodge at Koele for 2007 (unless they have already re-branded)
-The Ilikai Hotel is back to just being the The Ilikai Hotel.
-Outrigger Regency on Beachwalk, opens in December, completely rebuilt, was the old Marc Suites.
-Outrigger Waipouli Beach in Kauai, brand new, Kapaa area, opens in December.
-Outrigger Aina Nalu in Lahaina, all redone and open now, was the Maui Islander.
-Outrigger has also purchased the Pacific Beach Hotel in Waikiki

Yaling and Bruce are joined by Dennis Odom and Levi Sanchez from their Hawaii preferred wholesaler Blue Sky Tours. They discuss ways to save money booking packages and how they do it making them the industry leaders for Hawaii packages. They also review packages submitted by HAT users and offers ways to make them better. They review the Grand Wailea, Hilton Hawaii an Village and the Hilton Prince Kuhio hotels.

Hawaii is still the most preferred dream travel destination for Americans based on a recent Gallup poll. Yaling and Bruce discuss top reasons drawing people to the Islands and discuss all the benefits of a Hawaiian vacation. They also review packages submitted by podcast listeners.

Roach motel ? or Good value Budget hotel ? In this podcast Yalnig and Bruce reveal the UNDER HUDRED CLUB list of hotels Under $100.00 in Hawaii. They mini-review each of the properties and help you choose which one is even worth staying at if you decide to go budget.

Learn ways to save money booking your cruise to Hawaii. Yaling and Bruce go over special pricing and discuss how to book a cruise effectively. They talk about air specials from the cruise line and offer helpful advise. They also review packages created by agents Christine and Tara.

What do the rise in Hotel prices mean for people travailing to Hawaii in 2007? In this podcast Yaling and Bruce talk about how the rising prices may mean more specials and deals for 2007, especially if visitor counts are down, which is what is expected. They also review and critique packages submitted by podcast listeners and HAT agents.

Almost everyone coming to Hawaii wants to attend a Luau and with over 15 choices it's hard to figure out which one is best. Yaling and Bruce talk about the history of Luau's and how to choose the best Hawaiian Luau for you and your family. They also review packages submitted by podcast listeners

Yaling and Bruce talk about how to choose and offer recommendation on activities to enjoy if you're planning on taking a cruise. The go over the do's and don't's and help you decide. They also review itineraries sent in by podcast listeners.

Today Yaling and Bruce talk about the many ways to budget and pay for your Hawaii vacations. They discuss cost saving tips once you get here and things you need to remember when planning your trip. They also review packages submitted by HAT users.

We just got word that the Embassy Suites-Waikiki is now available for sale starting DEC 22. The Embassy was originally scheduled to open January 5. This could very well be your answer to a Last minute Christmas booking in Waikiki.

Also.....................

The Outrigger Waipouli Beach..............a NEW property on Kauai is now available to book on DEC 22 as well. More Christmas availablity.

In this episode Yaling and Bruce talk about some of the unique VIP services which can be added to your Hawaiian vacation. They also talk about what to do if you are going to miss your airplane on the day you leave