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Hawaii Vacation
Phil Oleisky – Travel Specialist at
WorldClass Travel Leaders
Phil visited Hawaii for the first time,
read about his "Hawaii Vacation".
Hawaii is truly a
tropical paradise in every aspect. From the mountain greenery, the
beautiful flowers, to the blue of the ocean. Everything about Oahu,
I loved it, the scenery, the locals, the culture and the food.
As a first time
visitor to Hawaii, I decided to stay on the island of Oahu for a
week. My accommodations, the beautiful Marriott Ko Olina, a time
share property located on the west side over looking the water.
I also stayed at the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel, in the heart of
Waikiki, in a beachfront room.
At the Marriott
Ko Olina, our room included a full kitchen. We often cooked
our own meals and ate outside enjoying the gorgeous view. We ate at
the on-property restaurants and in town. My favorite and best
meal was at a Chinese restaurant, the
Beijing Chinese
Seafood Restaurant,
located in a shopping center in Waikiki - just fantastic! I
was pretty much the only 'round-eyes' in the restaurant, an
authentic Chinese restaurant.
Snorkeling at the
Marriott Ko Olina man made tide pools, in the clear water with fish
and turtles was a real treat for me. In the calm waters, I
swan into a turtle, twice. Next visit, I will make the time to
visit Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve for snorkeling. I've been
advised to go early, when the park opens, for parking (limited
vehicle parking) and to enjoy snorkeling in clear, calm water.
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Marriott
Ko Olina, Timeshare |
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Aston
Waikiki Beach Hotel |
I visited
Aiea Loop
Trail, Keaiwa Heiau State Park and
hiked on a 4.8 mile trail which winds it way up over 2,000 feet, the
smells from the wonderful fragrant eucalyptus were everywhere. I
was expecting something from Jurassic Park (parts of which were
filmed there) to come out from a cave, the incredible views of the
valleys and the ocean were a sight to behold. I had a fantastic
view of Pearl Harbor and the U.S. carriers in the Pacific ocean.
Pearl Harbor, a
tourist attraction worth visiting. I waited until the last
minute and missed my chance to visit Pearl Harbor. My advice,
if you stay at a hotel, sign up in advance for the tour and go early
in the morning. If you travel by car, driving on your own, go
early in the morning. Long lines form, and later in the day,
you're baking in the sun.
In a rented car,
we drove to Sunset Beach and Banzai Pipeline, the world’s best surf
spot, on the North Shore of Oahu. I saw surfers and the waves
coming in at over 20 feet were mesmerizing.
It was very
difficult to concentrate on the golf courses, being surrounded by
emerald mountains and the blue of the Pacific Ocean, it was like a
nice walk on a beautiful day. I played at the Makaha West Golf
Course, the greens fee was $65.00 with a cart and the Royal Kunia
Golf Course, $62.00 with a cart.
My first time at
the Makaha West Golf Course, we were the only ones on the course.
The second time on the course, we ran into a dozen other golfers, no
crowds.
Makaha West Golf Course
Royal Kunia Golf Course
The international
flair of Honolulu and Waikiki really surprised me just walking down
the beach or streets and listening and looking at people. It was
like visiting in ten different foreign lands all at once.
What a great
place to spend your vacation time! My perfect day, snorkel in the
morning and play golf in the afternoon. Next time in Hawaii, I will stay
for a much longer time, a week was not enough time in paradise.
There is so much more I want to see and explore on all the islands.
I plan to visit the Big Island, Maui and Kauai. I’ll do more of the
same, explore, golf, snorkel and hike.
Mahalo,
Phil
O.
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