#StayHome Travel Dreams Can Be Found In This Pacific Paradise
Just because we’re stuck #athome and can’t travel doesn’t mean we can’t dream of travel while we are stuck at home.
So to brighten your day I am presenting PubClub.com’s virtual destination of the week, the Pacific paradise of Waikiki Beach, Hawaii.
Waikiki Beach Trivia
Waikiki Beach. using sand from Manhattan Beach in California, was built in the 1920s as a retreat for officers from the naval base of Pearl Harbor. Today, it’s a retreat for people from all over the world.
And it is those people, who take pictures looking down the beach toward the tall peak in the distance, that make Diamond Head the most photographed landmark in the world. There are no diamonds there, by the way, for it was so named from rocks that shined in the sunshine that from a distance make them look like diamonds.
Waikiki Beach Basics
There are indeed tall palm trees, slow-moving waves constantly rolling onto the shore, a light breeze from the trade winds blowing and the sounds of luaus and ukuleles. But mostly what you have is a beach and lots of sunshine.
It is not a particularly large area. The beach is about two miles long and it’s easy to take a casual walk from one end to the other. The most popular beach area is in front of Duke’s, the most social social restaurant/bar in Waikiki Beach. This is the place to put down your towel, work on your tan, get wet in the ocean and perhaps even test your skills at surfing.
When it’s time to dust off the sand, Kalakaua Avenue is the main street which leads to shopping, eating and drinking. If you need anything, from suntan lotion to a beach towel to snack food, go to an ABC Store. No need to use your GPS to find one; there are more of them in Waikiki Beach than there are people in the ocean.
PubClub Tip: All the restaurants in Royal Hawaiian Center just off the beach are required to have a Happy Hour. This is an excellent (and cheap) place to have dinner and drinks. For a complete list of Happy Hours in Waikiki Beach, click here.
Things To Do On Waikiki Beach From Surfing To Snorkeling
Get off your beach towel and do these activities just off the sand in Waikiki Beach.
If you already know how to surf, then rent a board or if you don’t, take a lesson. Best place: On the Ewa – toward Diamond Head – side of Duke’s. Don’t be intimated if you’re a squid; the slow-rolling waves are idea for the wide longboards that are such a signature sight of Waikiki.
For a true Hawaiian experience, take a ride in an outrigger canoe up and over the waves. Be prepared to paddle.
You don’t have to go all the way to Hanauma Bay to go snorkeling. About a 20-minute walk – in the sand, along the ocean – mind you, is a jetty. This is a peaceful place that’s a great spot to see fish and then dry off in the sunshine.
From there you can go to the Waikiki Aquarium or the Honolulu Zoo in your bathing suit and flip-flops.
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