Why Waikiki ? | Where to stay and What to Do

“Why Waikiki?” is the question that Aloha Bruce answers on this episode of the Hawaii Vacation Podcast. Bruce notes that the podcast has been off for two weeks due to a complete overhaul of the Hawaii Aloha Travel website and the tremendous amount of pages on this legacy site.

First up is Hawaii tourism news and the planned Wai Kai Experience water park in Ewa Beach on Oahu. Bruce says that it will feature the largest standing deep water standing surfing wave in the world and a wide variety of recreational water features. It’s being marketed as waterfront recreation and lifestyle venue, and our host notes some of the details. The park is set to open next February.

Next is Conde Nast naming the Espacio Jewel Waikiki as Hawaii’s #1 hotel. Bruce says it is a very high-end “super mucky-muck” property that he’s only booked once in decades of serving Hawaii visitors. He notes some of the details noted in the article, including thousands of dollars per night stay. 00“Who can afford this?” Bruce also reminds listeners that while there are no COVID restrictions on Hawaii visitors as we emerge from the pandemic, visitors are still encouraged to get vaccinated and boosted.

On to the main topic of “Why Waikiki?”, Bruce begins with some basics about the island of Oahu, the City of Honolulu, and the area of Waikiki. He mentions the “two-mile rule” and says that everything in Waikiki is nearby. Bruce names Waikiki’s several beaches and gives a brief history of sand replenishment efforts at those beaches over the decades.

Bruce breaks down Waikiki into three parts. The Diamond Head (southern) area and its attractions are noted. Central Waikiki contains the International Marketplace and anchor properties. The Ewa side (northern) contains Fort DeRussy and other attractions.

There are three “main drags” in Waikiki, Kalakaua Avenue, Kuhio Avenue, and Ala Wai Boulevard are discussed along with some of the popular properties and attractions they feature. Bruce says that prices drop in Waikiki the farther you stay from the beach, and he offers several boutique hotel suggestions.

Bruce moves into a discussion about the wide variety of ocean activities available at Waikiki beaches. He also discusses some nearby out-of-the way places and restaurants that are easily accessed on foot from Waikiki. “It’s nice to have things accessible!”