I went with a Brazilian friend of mine to San Francisco on August 1st and then to Honolulu on the 2nd.
I have changed planes in Honolulu 2 or 3 times and I think this was the 5th time I stayed there for a few days. The first time, probably 40 years ago, I absolutely loved it and thought, “this is a place I could live”. I went to an excellent luau, the people were natural and friendly, and I hoped to return soon..
Unfortunately, I liked it less and less each time I went. With Hawaii Five-O and Magnum on television, Hawaii began selling itself as “paradise” to the tourists, the prices went up, and the culture seemed fake.
I was there with my girlfriend in October of last year. We stayed in the DoubleTree in Waikiki. I think we paid something like $350/night and the room did not even have a microwave or a refrigerator. The first night, we went to a Luau on the north shore … it was not good at all.
This time, I stayed at the Pagoda. It had an excellent breakfast each morning for $5 / person. The room did have a refrigerator and a microwave. It took 20 to 25 minutes to walk to Waikiki from there. If I go back to Honolulu, I will stay there again.
My friend wanted to go to a luau. I wasn’t thrilled because I have been to 3 luaus before, but since he will probably never get another chance to go, I agreed. We went to one on the top floor of one of the Waikiki Hilton buildings. It cost almost $200. Of course, it was not authentic because they were unable to roast a pig in the sand. We had to stand in a long line for an hour before we were admitted. We were given one Mai Tai that did not seem to have any alcohol in it. It rained and there was no shelter.
On the positive side, the food was good and the show was not bad.
However … that’s it … no more luaus for me!!
My friend wanted to go to Maui to see the volcano, but we did not have the flexibility with our flights to do so. It’s a good thing!! The fire in Maui started on the 8th, the day we flew back to the mainland.