3 minute read
Girls just want to have fun
Our home base in Hawaii was the shopping mecca and world-famous sands of Waikiki Beach. It’s the ultimate playground for a girls’ trip, mixing Pacific island beauty and a vibrant cosmopolitan centre with world-class entertainment options around every corner. In a nutshell, it’s the perfect place to relax and unwind.
I love a good dose of retail therapy and was looking forward to testing Hawaii’s reputation as a shopping paradise. But when I got there, I was still surprised by the sheer number of options available. A warning, ladies – if you’re going to put aside two or three days for shopping, I’d recommend getting a rough plan together so you don’t miss the places you really want to go to.
Waikiki catered to our every wish. Delicious cuisine, luscious cocktails, sunsets to die for, weather that had us lying pool and ocean-side for hours on end, and our personal favourite, shopping! All these ingredients made for an unforgettable vacation experience. In fact you’re bound to be planning your next trip back on the plane ride home.
Ala Moana Shopping Centre
Shop and shop some more
Ala Moana Shopping Centre.
A great place to start your shopping journey, especially when the sun is shining is Ala Moana, the world’s largest open-air shopping centre with (get this) over 350 stores. Luxury brands like Chanel sit side-by-side Gucci and Tiffany & Co. You’ll find Banana Republic, Coach plus big-name department stores like Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s. Our personal favourite was Nordstrom - the range and pricing options were amazing.
Ross Dress For Less.
If you liking hunting through rack upon rack of clothing, this is the place to go to. It is bursting at the seams with clothing, shoes and more. We picked up an amazing bargain or two here. Well worth a fossick.
Waikele Premium Outlets.
Around 30 minutes out of Waikiki you’ll find Waikele Premium Outlets, one of the picks of the trip. Home to more than 50 designer outlets, including Kate Spade, Coach and Calvin Klein, this is another bargain hunter’s heaven. As you can imagine, we took full advantage and stocked up on Christmas presents in the process.
Things to do
North Shore Eco Tours
Waikiki can get hectic, so a day trip hiking with North Shore Eco Tours was a great way to get off the beaten path and experience Oahu’s nature, history and culture. The tour runs on private conservation land above the North Shore, and there are tour options to suit your interests and level of fitness, such as guided off-road expeditions and exclusive hiking adventures.
Hiking with the North Shore
Riding with the Moniz Family Surf School
Hawaii is the spiritual home of surfing, so what better place to ride your first wave! A surfing lesson was in order, so we hooked up with the Moniz Family Surf School, owned by well-known local surfers Tony and Tammy Moniz.
Tony has surfed professionally and they have both dedicated themselves to the sport, as well as the budding surfing careers of their five children. Our instructor was one of his sons, Micah, who was experienced, engaging and provided a solid training outline for our first surf lesson.
Waikiki has a gentle surf break, so once we were out in the clear water, with a helping hand from Micah, we were all stoked to magically pop up and surf our first waves. It was an afternoon filled with fun, laughter and a few wipeouts!
Surfs up on Waikiki Beach
