There are certain images you tend to conjure up in your mind, when you think of Hawaii. Sun kissed beaches with palms trees swaying, mesmerizing sunsets and hula dancers a plenty, to name but a few. You won't be short changed by any of these when you go.
Hawaii was the second destination on our honeymoon and as we took out of Vegas as fast as we possibly could and boarded the 5 hr flight to Oahu, we were a little hesitant to what to expect. As we drove through the back streets of Oahu, the approach appeared to be similar to that of Vegas and my heart started to sink somewhat - I just couldn't cope with another hotel like the one in Vegas! But fear not! The Hotel was wonderful, the room was great and we even had a sea view, what more could you wish for!
I had been warned that the island was very built up and not as remote as it may seem, of which it was, but somehow it doesn't take away the magic of the island - it's just so beautiful. One thing that struck me about the native people was the laid back attitude that they all had. It was so soothing after being in a pressure cooker of a place like Vegas. They have a saying 'just hang loose' and they do literally that! The only frustrating part is when you are waiting for a taxi or coach to take you there and then it arrives 45 minutes after the pre booked time - they are just so relaxed it's untrue!
Places of interest that we visited; Pearl Harbour - personally did nothing for me, found it very over rated and not worth queuing at 7:15am just to get in. I do feel compassion for all of those who died, but just didn't appeal to me! Paradise Cove - a traditional Luau, complete with tour guide that keep saying 'cheerio old chap' every time someone mentioned England? No, I wasn't quite sure what century he was living in as well! This was a wonderful experience where you got to witness at first hand the traditional games and crafts and also watch a traditional island style show. Of course we had to be sitting next to the most annoying woman ever, that reminded me of the old lady from There's Something About Mary - you know the one that looks like a wrinkled prune! Sea Life Park - probably one of the best sea life parks I've visited and gives you the opportunity to view all the sea life in close proximity. Also gave me chance to check the honesty of the people around me, as I decided to leave my brand new digital camera on a bench, of which a kind Japanese tourist handed it in to the lost & found. Hawaii Volcano Adventure - sometimes you just have to do the traditional tourist thing and this tour of the big island gave you the opportunity to view volcanoes and the terrain that NASA used to train astronauts. Oahu Island Tour - for a film/TV geek like me this was superb! Not only did this give us a tour of the beautiful island, you also got to see places that were used to film Fantasy Island, Magnum (we knew it was for this show, due to the huge moustache over the gate post), Jurassic Park and Lost. At one point we actually got to see the plane that is used to film the scenes in Lost. Wow, I hear you saying, but it made my day!
As I was dragged, kicking and screaming from Oahu, I would definitely go back . It was just an amazing place, the stuff that dreams are made of!
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