Day 1 – Waikiki

Last Updated on Jul 28 2023 by Sama

Go for a jog.

For those of you who like jogging and brought athletic shoes, jogging around Waikiki is a great way to enjoy the beautiful scenery and get exercise at the same time. The Ala Wai Canal and Kapiolani Park are both great places and are located on the edges of Waikiki. The Ala Wai is 1.8 miles long. Don’t go jogging on the beach. It sounds fun, but it’s much too crowded to do that.

Get surfing lessons

If you have a strong interest in learning how to surf and you are willing to schedule some of your vacation time for surf lessons, you should check out Pro Surf School. The founder is Kai Sallas, a professional long-boarder. Long boards are great to learn on because they can easily catch most waves with little effort. Like any skill, there is a learning curve, so you should prepare to commit several hours to this throughout your time here.

Enjoy the Friday fireworks

Courtesy of the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort, a spectacular fireworks show lights up the sky over Waikiki Beach beginning at 7:45 p.m on Friday. Find a nice spot at the Ala Moana Beach Park/Magic Island or somewhere between the Hilton Hawaiian Village and Outrigger Reef at Waikiki Beach and enjoy the show!

Experience the authentic food recipes of asia at | Hawaii’s Premier Asian Food Hall

Located in the Lower Level of the Waikiki Shopping Plaza, Stix Asia has entrances on Kalākaua Avenue and Seaside Avenue, as well as an internal entrance from the elevators in the building. There are so many restaurants to try in Stix Asia, and more on the way! You can experience cuisine from Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China and Singapore at 17 restaurants. From a world-class taste of Taiwan to a slice of Singapore, the sights, sounds, and smells will transport you to another country half a world away. The food is entirely authentic. Many chefs bring you their original recipes popular in their own countries. Ask questions. Immerse yourself in the culture. Indulge in the cuisine. Revel in the entire experience that will leave you wanting to return for more.

Currently, you can try:

1. Ramen Akatsuki (Experience the sensational flavors of clear Tonkotsu style broth with handmade ramen noodles)
2. HONOLULU NOODLE & CO. (Featuring signature beef ramen, a 48-hour braised bone broth that comes with choice of thin or wide noodles, tender beer, beef tendon and beef tripe.)
3. GASHOKEN (Enjoy super-rich Tonkotsu ramen with special pork marrow-based soup which has been cooked for three days!)
4. BAIKOHKEN (most authentic shoyu ramen, broth and chashu.)
5. NANA’S GREEN TEA (Hailed as the top choice among Japanese cafés, Indulge in Nana’s exquisitely crafted teas and tantalizingly frosty desserts.)
6. TEMPURA KIKI (A traditional Japanese tempura restaurant specializing in premium ingredients and serving soft, light, and crispy tempura.)
7. SHINGEN (Indulge in exquisite Soba dishes made with the finest buckwheat flour from Shintoku, Hokkaido, served hot or chilled to perfection.)
8. HK CAFÉ (the best of Western and Hong Kong cuisine to create delectable, unforgettable dishes. Expect unique flavors and textures that are sure to tantalize your palate)
9. NIU WAGYU (Enjoy premium quality Wagyu Beef at an excellent price in either signature golden broths or on the Yakiniku grill)
10. K STREET FOOD (Enjoy the flavors of traditional Korean street food! K Street Food’s mouth-watering selection explores the best of Korean cuisine, all in one place!)
11. UDON YAMA (Treat yourself to a truly authentic experience with homemade Udon and tempura specialties from the renowned broth recipe of an illustrious family in Kagawa, Japan)
12. SUSHI MATSURI (indulge in their hand-crafted sushi creations with selection of rice and natural soy sauce from Tokushima and seaweed from Setouchi, Japan)
13. NANAMUSUBI (Sensational musubis that are crafted with the finest ingredients and organic rice)
14. SHANGHAI BAR (Discover a realm of elegance, where chic vibes blend with matcha whiskey, green tea-infused spirits, Japanese highballs and a variety of other Asian cocktails)
15. AO GELATO (exquisite fusion of tantalizing tropical fruits and top-notch tea varieties)

Coming soon

1. SCRATCH XPRESS Waikiki (offering tasty comfort food with a Southern and Local Asian flare, including famous dishes like “Xiao Long Bao,” poke bowls, specialty croffles, and French toast)

Watch street performers.

At night, there will be several blocks of street performers along Kalakaua Avenue. Performers constantly change, but I usually see Mr. Basketball (he does tricks with basketballs), spray paint shows, a magic man, musicians, a kid acrobat, and Silver Men (people who paint themselves silver and stand still). Payment for performances is optional and the amount is up to you. Be sure not to confuse panhandlers for actual, working performers.

Embarrass yourself at Karaoke

Although Karaoke is not as popular with Americans as it is with locals and Japanese tourists, you should consider stopping by GS Studios if you or your friends are musical people. They serve food, alcohol, and they also keep their song selection up-to-date. Unlike American karaoke, this Japanese-style karaoke joint is 100% private – only you friends in the room will hear your singing.

As a general rule of thumb, pick songs that everyone knows and don’t pick songs out of your ability (either range or speed). Pop songs are usually great. Let me suggest some songs that usually get a lot of positive reactions:

• “Summer Nights” (from Grease)
• “A Whole New World” (from Aladdin)
• “Love Shack” by The B52s
• “As Long as You Love Me” by The Backstreet Boys
• “Umbrella” by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z
• “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen

Get drunk.

For those of you who enjoy alcohol, Waikiki has many places to drink. For those vacationing with family, restaurant bars like Duke’s Waikiki are recommended for their tame atmosphere and adequate space. For the couples out there, I would recommend a quiet place like Hau Tree Lanai, right next to the beach. For those of you in your 20s, there are endless amounts of pubs, semi-clubs, and dive bars for you to go to explore. My personal favorites are Yard House (tremendous beer selection and 1/2 yard glasses) and Genius Lounge (a small, trendy sake bar). Recently, I’ve started to like craft beers much  more, so Waikiki Brewing Company is a nice spot. As for dive bars, there are plenty around. Arnold’s Waikiki is a nice, chill spot for live music and cheap drinks. Playbar on Kuhio is a nice, dive-y hip-hop dance club. Just remember that dive bars have a lot of military patrons on the weekends and aren’t the prettiest places, even with the lights dimmed.

Get drunk… on a catamaran

Although catamarans have various trips throughout the day, the most popular trip is always the evening trip, which usually departs at 5pm and features alcoholic drinks. The trip can be relaxing if there are a lot families with you, but you may also have some rowdy young adults riding with you.

Here’s a tip: don’t wear anything nice. It’s common to get splashed by choppy waves and turbulence may cause you to spill your drink on yourself. And use the bathroom before you leave!

I recommend Maita’i Catamaran, which has a $39 sunset cruise. Also great is the Waikiki Rigger for $44. Please make reservations days in advance and be aware of weather, because it does rain occasionally in Hawaii.