Waikiki has a well-deserved reputation as an exotic holiday destination. The very name conjures up images of sun-drenched and palm tree-lined beaches, to go with upmarket hotels and shops.
I have a suspicion the glamorous impression Kiwis have of Waikiki leads to many prospective holidaymakers overlooking Hawaii as a holiday destination, assuming exotic and popular also means costly.
That's a pity because it's not the case. Sure, Honolulu can be as expensive as you want to make it. There are beautiful places to stay, ritzy eateries and top-end stores which will gladly burn through wads of cash and send your credit card bills skyrocketing.
However, the beauty of all parts of Hawaii, including Waikiki, is the vast variety of options for holidaymakers when it comes to accommodation, dining, spa treatments, transport and shopping.
Even getting there has become a lot more affordable. Air New Zealand has had some amazing flight deals this year and at the moment there are return flights starting at $1618.
Accommodation
There is an abundance of hotels in Waikiki, and the best way to nab a good deal is to trawl the internet.
Tripadvisor.com is a great site for comparing deals and checking out reviews of various places.
Just remember that on Tripadvisor, like all review sites, Americans tend to be super critical, so don't get too concerned if there's the odd picky assessment on a hotel you fancy.
We stayed at Outrigger Reef on the Beach and had the good fortune of being upgraded to an oceanfront room.
The room was beautiful, with an excellent bathroom, luxurious bed and our third-level suite's balcony was right above the Waikiki beach.
I was attracted to the Outrigger Reef because of a $150 million refurbishment, which was completed last year.
The revamp saw the number of guest rooms reduced from 883 to 639, with the rooms gutted and remodelled to create bigger and more lavish suites.
The hotel's facilities were all revamped, with the pool refurbished, the fitness centre upgraded and other amenities added or improved.
The hotel also features a variety of dining options, free wireless internet coverage and a coin-operated laundry.
Eating out and in
You won't go hungry in Waikiki, no matter how big or small your budget.
We don't usually have a cooked breakfast so we chose to have breakfast in our room most days.
To do this we simply went to a nearby ABC Store, bought a box of cereal, a bottle of milk and some pottles of yoghurt, which did breakfast for two for four of our six mornings, all for under US$15 ($21).
Both the mornings we ate out, we took advantage of a special at the Cheese Burger - an upstairs diner in the Waikiki Beachwalk.
The name Cheese Burger is quite a bit of a misnomer, as the eatery has a diverse menu offering a lot more than just burgers, including a breakfast menu which offers a deal with two eggs (cooked to suit), potato hash, bread and either coffee or iced tea for US$26.
Lunch specials were even easier to find, with places like The Yard House, the Cheese Cake Factory and Outrigger Reef's own Kani Ka Pila Grille all offered lunchtime deals to make dining out very reasonable.
Half-price appetisers and two-course options, with the soup free, were bountiful.
As an added bonus all have a great atmosphere and service.
The Kani Ka Pila features live music each night from various local musicians and The Yard House is pumping with music playing, large TV screens around the walls displaying various sports and 130 beers on tap.
At The Yard House they do an appetiser of four baby burgers and fries for US$10, an ideal light lunch for four.
Something to remember is that American eating places generally serve big portions, so a tip if you are trying somewhere new is to watch some orders going out to tables before making your selection.
Often appetisers (what we would call an entree) are plenty big enough for Kiwi appetites. And some of the mains (what Americans call entrees) will easily feed two. After seeing the size of the burger meals at the Kani K Pila Grille, we made a habit of ordering one and having it split into two meals - which the restaurant was happy to do.
Lunch or dinner for two with a couple of drinks for under U$25, including tip, was superb value for money.
As in New Zealand, all restaurants display menus with pricing at their front doors.
Most of the eateries boast extensive dinner menus - the one for the strangely named Cheese Cake Factory was amazingly comprehensive. Again, most of the places offer reasonably priced options, with mains in the US$15 to US$30 range.
And if you get sick of eating out, you can always grab something from the supermarket or one of the ABC Stores for lunch or dinner. The ABC Stores (like super dairies) do a great range of freshly made packaged food, including sandwiches and wraps.
We latched on to the wraps, either ham or turkey, which were US$6 for two - enough for two people for lunch.
As for drinking out, if you're conscious of the wallet, make the most of happy hour.
Shopping
Waikiki is an enigma when it comes to shopping. In any stretch of street you can be in an upmarket boutique one minute - where a T-shirt will cost you more than a hotel room - then walk a little further and be in market-type shopping where T-shirts are seven for US$20.
There are several market areas, including the famed International Marketplace with 130 stands and shops. A tip to remember here is that the further you go into the market the cheaper the prices become. T-shirts were selling at US$20 for five out the front and by the time we got to the rear you could get eight for the same price.
The Ala Moana Shopping Centre is the biggest shopping mall in Honolulu, just 15 minutes walk from central Waikiki. The centre boasts 290 shops and eateries. It's safe to say if you can't find what you want here, or at the nearby Walmart (like an upmarket mega version of The Warehouse), then you either have very strange needs or are high maintenance.
Cosmetics, electrical items, clothes and shoes, hardware and jewellery can all be found at what Kiwis would consider bargain prices. And don't even think about bothering to buy alcohol in duty free on your outward journey to use in Hawaii - you will inevitably find it cheaper in the local shops. We bought a 1- litre bottle of Jim Beam for US$15.
Spa treatments
Most of the major hotels host luxurious day spas, which cater for a variety of treatments for men and women. It certainly is nice to be able to go for a massage on your doorstep and then stroll back to the pool.
However, the hotel-based day spas are invariably more expensive than those you can find a few streets away.
Kalakaua Ave is the main street through Waikiki and you will find that if you venture to the streets on the inland side you will find places offering beauty and massage treatments substantially cheaper than their upmarket cousins. I had a 70-minute shiatsu massage for US$76, including tip and tax. The equivalent treatment would have cost me at least US$100 at one of the day spas connected to a major hotel.
Transport
Getting around Honolulu is easy. The buses are great and there is a trolley service which covers most of the tourist area, costing U$S1 each for a ride.
If you want to go a bit further, then check out what shuttles are available. For instance, we got the PG Plover shuttle to go to the outlet stores at Waikele from just across the road from our hotel. The cost was just U$S5 return - great value for a 30-minute transfer in an air-conditioned minivan.
There are also shuttle companies offering cheap deals for airport transfers.
Take the time to look at flyers being handed to you in the street and if there is a visitor information desk at your hotel, make use of it.
The weather
The ultimate cost-saver in Honolulu is the weather - it's consistently warm, with highs around the 30C mark, and sunny year-round. This means you are likely to spend most of your time at the beach or by the pool.
Summing up:
The best recommendation I can give Waikiki is that all the people I know who have been there have made a point of returning.
TIPS
Free turtle-watching: Walk along any of the piers early in the morning or late in the afternoon and you are likely to see turtles.
Free amenities: All major hotels in Hawaii are obliged to provide beach access and facilities for the public adjacent to their property. Some will also let you use the hotel facilities, including the pools, if you order drinks or food from their beach or poolside bars.
Tipping and tax
Tipping is accepted in Hawaii. It's all very well to say we don't tip here but the bottom line is tips are an important component of service people's income in most of the United States. In restaurants expect to add 15 per cent to your bill, for taxis add 10 per cent, for porters approximately 50c a bag and for hotel maids $1 a day.
Remember when you are looking at pricetags to add 4 per cent tax as it is not customary to include tax in the displayed price, as New Zealand does with GST.
Ordering drinks
Remember Hawaii has a one alcoholic drink a person rule, which means you cannot go to the bar and order a round of drinks for a group.
Security
Hawaii is extremely safe, but you do need to take extra care not to leave valuables in rental cars when parking them at shopping centres or tourist attractions.
FACT FILE
Waikiki is a neighbourhood of Honolulu, featuring a beautiful beachline and a long shore break popular with surfers. It was a favourite haunt of Hawaiian royalty in the 1800s and has since become a tourism mecca, dominated by high-rise hotels.
Air New Zealand operates two direct services from Auckland to Honolulu from November to April and three services a week during the northern summer period of June to October. Economy fares start from $1618 a person return.
Air New Zealand's personal inflight entertainment system on A320 and 767 aircraft now gives passengers the chance to catch up on the previous week's Shortland Street episodes, or the latest All Blacks and Silver Ferns test matches soon after they've been screened. For airfares and holiday packages visit
www.airnz.co.nz
Outrigger Group have an impressive selection of hotels and apartments in Waikiki with excellent rates. For more information go to www.outrigger.com
Say hello to happy hours in Hawaii
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