The main lobby of the resort is a very open, beautiful room with live cockatoos and other birds that sit perched on rings. One of the first things I always look for is the view from the room, once we got in the room checked it out and I loved it! Outside the room was a nice sized, private balcony facing the north shore of Turtle Bay! I think that was only one of my favorite things on this trip!! I could have sat on the balcony the whole time and just drank coffee but then, I would have missed out on so much more! At night, there are no bugs or mosquitoes so we had a wooden slat door that we could close for privacy and still could feel the breeze and hear the ocean waves!
There are two beautiful outdoor swimming pools here and two outdoor hot tubs. All face the ocean and you have a great view from the hot tubs of the ocean and it's very relaxing!
One thing I especially enjoyed was the massage at the resort! There is an indoor spa and an outdoor one! Take your pick!
A small gift shop on the bottom floor is where I bought most of the souvenirs to take home for the family. There is something there for everyone I wanted to pick a little something up for.
We will have to go back, in one week we had done and seen a lot but there was so much we missed!
The first thing we did was go on a dinner cruise. After that I will list some of the other things we did during our week on Oahu! http://www.robertshawaii.com/dining-experience/alii-kai-dinner-cruise.php
Ali'i Kai means "Ruler of the Sea" in Hawaiian. The Ali'i
Kai is one of the world's largest Polynesian catamarans, and it embarks
on evening cruises every night from Aloha Tower, Pier 5. There is
nothing quite like feasting on an all-you-can-eat island buffet and
being serenaded with Polynesian music and dancing. You sail along the
Waikiki Coastline, returning to the Aloha Tower two hours later. The
view of the coastline, sailing along beside swimming, jumping dolphins
and boats passing by in a boat race were all breath taking views!
Germaine's Luau was a great experience! Once we got there, we were afraid we were in the wrong place, the parking lot started to fill up with people and no one seemed to know what to do or where to go from there, it just looked like an abandoned parking lot. Walking not far away, there were signs that took us to a little shed where they gave us all the information we and tickets we needed for drinks and dinner!
Dole Pineapple Plantation
http://www.dole-plantation.com/
Think pineapples grow down from a tree? I always did and was surprised to learn that they grow up from the ground! We took a ride on the Pineapple express, a small train that takes you around the plantation, it was a fun learning experience! If you go, you have to try the pineapple ice cream! Yummy!!
Our favorite lady from houskeeping at the resort was one that pointed us to a wonderful little restaurant called the Hukilau Cafe! This is the same little restaurant featured in 50 First Dates!! They didn't have waffles, they said that too many people were ordering them and they would run out!
I could write all day long about this trip! One I hope we can take again with better time management so we can see and do many more things!
Here is a list of links I've made of some of the other things you can see and do there!
Love history? Check out the Pearl Harbor Monument!
http://www.pearlharboroahu.com/
or the USS Battleship Arizona
http://www.hnsa.org/ships/arizona.htm
Hiking with views of beautiful rainforests & water falls
http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/oahu/Index.cfm?park_id=15
The Famous North Shore! Surfer's heaven!
http://www.northshore.com/
The best shrimp I've ever eatten!!
Fumi's Kahuku Shrimp (I couldn't find a website for this one, but this one shouldn't be missed!) It's on the North Shore along the roadside!
McDonald's things you can't find anywhere but Hawaii.
Breakfast at McDonald's is an adventure compared to the same old same old menu we have here!
Local Breakfast Platter – Offered as a regular platter with a choice of either Spam or Portuguese Sausage served with steamed white rice and scrambled eggs. Or, you can go all out and order the “deluxe” platter with both meats. You can even add-on some Pineapple – Fresh pineapple chunks are offered as a side-dish at the busier McDonald’s Hawaii locations.
Perhaps you are looking for a quick snack and would rather try a Haupia Pie – It has the same outer crust and shape as McDonald’s classic apple pie, but this version contains haupia, a traditional Hawaiian creamy coconut pudding dessert. These were delicious & I wouldn't mind ordering one here at home but then, while visiting Hawaii, it wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary and I would weigh a ton from getting in the habit of ordering them!
The only down side staying at the resort is that you are about an hour away from the city. If you would rather be closer to a lot of the main attractions and shopping, I would say try a hotel a little further south.
