Why you should skip Waikiki...

I know what you are thinking..."why would I skip the most popular place in Hawaii?" Well that's just my point. When people think of going to visit Hawaii, they often try to choose from the 8 different islands and 7 out of 10 times, people choose to visit Oahu. Oahu is the most popular because Waikiki is such a tourist town. If you are not familiar with Waikiki, I am referring to Honolulu. Most tourists refer to Waikiki as Honolulu but in fact they are two different places. Honolulu is the downtown area where the locals live, work and hang out and Waikiki is the tourist destination where all the hotels, restaurants, strip clubs, bars (shall I go on?) are. We always confuse Honolulu with Waikiki but I am sure the locals forgive us for it. So why should you skip Waikiki?

It is overrated!! - Waikiki is as overrated as Paris in France or Los Angeles in California. It is one of those places that you visit just because you want to find out what the hype is all about. It is a typical beach destination with too many overpriced hotels and restaurants. I honestly question if the hotels make money because there is at least several on each block. It is cheaper to stay in Honolulu or away from the beach area. Besides the beautiful water, there is nothing else but an overcrowded town.

Beaches- Yes, the ocean is as beautiful in person as you see in pictures or on TV. But the ocean is just as beautiful on the north shore on Oahu or the big Island. If you recall, it is an island and it is the same ocean water that surrounds the entire Hawaiian Islands. lol And guess what? The beaches on the north shore and big island are not as crowded. There is room to spread out, breath and actually enjoy your time there. Many people visit Hawaii to escape the cold or simply to relax but how can you relax when there are so many people around that you cannot even hear yourself think?

Overpriced!!!!!!! - As if you didn't already know that Hawaii is pricy, it's even pricier in Waikiki. We got to Waikiki two days after my sister and her friends had been there and they were so over it already. They told us that they spent almost $200 at IHOP. $200 on 3 girls and a baby...How? I am sure you are all familiar with IHOP, the most we pay for a meal at IHOP on the east coast is about $12.99 so let's just say they each ordered two meals at $12.99, it still does not amount to almost $200. And of course the food was not anything spectacular. This is IHOP we are talking about. Instead of eating in Waikiki, find out where the locals eat. The first thing Hubby and I did after leaving the airport was going to Chinatown in Honolulu. We saw a piece on TV about their Chinatown and wanted to check it out. It was very clean and small compared to the Chinatowns I have been to around the world. It was around 10am and some of the restaurants were already opened. We had Vietnamese Pho before heading to our hotel in Waikiki and the price was affordable. I could not even tell you how much a formal dinner in Waikiki would cost because the only eating we did there was on the Sunset cruise. lol We ate in Chinatown for the remainder of our stay. Kailua-Kona on the big Island is not as expensive. Don't get me wrong, its pricier than we are used to but certainly not as pricy as IHOP. So skip the tourist trap in Waikiki.

Activities - Many people don't go to Hawaii to be adventurous, instead they go for the beaches but just in case you are feeling adventurous and want to explore. Waikiki is not the place for it. There is absolutely nothing except for the beach or maybe luau or dinner cruise to do there. There are plenty of tour companies that would get you to pay for tours that aren't located in Waikiki. My sister purchased a tour package to Pearl Harbor and the USS Missouri with Roberts Hawaii (the biggest tour company in Hawaii). If you ask me, she spent too much. We could have driven there and purchased our tickets for a fraction of the cost. Pearl Harbor was very educational and insightful. It gives you a whole new perspective of the attack that you did not learn in history class. It is worth the visit. There are lots of museums like the Polynesian museum that is worth visiting but again not located in Waikiki. Imagine my disappointment when we were given an activities map of the island at our hotel and all the things that were circled were not in Waikiki. Everything is a drive away so it is advisable to rent a car unless you want to use a tour company. If you are feeling more adventurous, Opt to visit other parts of Oahu or even the big island. There are lots of activities to choose from such as beautiful hiking trails, Volcano park, coffee plantations, submarine tour etc.

Shopping- I really hope you do not go to Hawaii to shop because prices are ridiculous. In Waikiki, you will find a whole strip of designer shops such as Burberry, Chanel, Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci...etc They have it all. Now, if you are like me, these stores do not mean anything to you. I don't shop them. Ross can be found in Honolulu for people like us, lol Following my sister and her friends around, we visited about 4 different Ross stores in Honolulu. The prices weren't different from any of the Ross' that I have been to. There are lots of small shops selling beachwear in Waikiki; again you can get the same items for cheaper in Honolulu. Also, please don't shop for sourvenirs in Waikiki as they are overpriced.

I hope this was helpful. I enjoyed my time in Hawaii. It is indeed paradise and gorgeous and has a lot to offer to people of all interests. I don't claim to be an expert on Hawaii but from my experience in visiting Oahu and the Big Island, Waikiki can be skipped. I will definitely return to Hawaii soon but Waikiki will not be on my list.

Happy Travelling!!!!!!!!!!!!

#Hawaii