ExplorerGirls

Hawaii…all I can say is “Yum”!  This place just oozes paradise.  From the moment you step off the plane you can smell ‘tropical’ in the air.  The warm breeze fills your lungs and the humidity curls your neatly blown-straight hair.  As you look around at the open-air terminal filled with tourists wearing colorful flowered shirts and dresses, chunky beaded leis, thongs and sun-kissed faces you can’t help but just relax.

There is nothing fast paced about Hawaii.  So, you really have no choice but to shift into first gear and simply go with the flow.  Everyone greets you with a smile and offers the words “Aloha” or “Mahalo” representing a single word blessing.  Whether it’s a little boutique you enter with a shop owner or the janitor in the restroom they say it with such meaning and truth.  Perhaps it’s the Aloha spirit that spreads this feeling of content and relaxation across the islands.  (Imagine if we could spread this across the globe!)

Once you embark in a taxi or shuttle bus from the airport to your hotel in Honolulu you can see glimpses of the greenest and purest ocean.  A mural on a nearby building is made up of whales and a rainbow of color.  Hawaii has all the colors of a rainbow…no wonder it’s the symbol on each and every license plate.

Waikiki Beach is a hustle and bustle of tourists just trying to find their own Aloha spirit. Shops may line the main street of Waikiki, but it’s the green ocean that beckons your call.  You can not avoid wanting to swim, snorkel, kayak, canoe, surf or just stick your toes in the water.

And, the Hawaiian’s know this…thus setting up rental stands everywhere making it too easy to just plop your money down and take off like a professional capturing the waves and wrestling the surf.  It’s a longboarder’s wave in Waikiki most days catering to novices who have always dreamt of surfing in Hawaii. (The real surf to be had is an hour away on the North Shore.)

Depending on where you stay there are so many views to be had.  You have Diamond Head, the towering dormant volcano overlooking Waikiki Beach, the marina, the cityscape and of course the endless green sea melting into the blue sky.

Views = dollars in Hawaii and you will pay for what you get.  So, if it’s money your looking to save you might miss out on an oceanfront view. Not to worry the beach is always in walking distance.  But, if its view you’re after…then money is not important because unlike money, the view will last forever in your mind.

Hawaii is a great stop over destination when traveling between the US and Australia and with Jetstar.com you can find flights around $700 AUD from Sydney to Honolulu (one way).  So, with all the money I saved, after returning from the mainland (LAX), I decided to choose the view.

And, once I choose view I went for the Hilton Hawaiian Village.  Not knowing much more about it then what I learned on Orbitz.com and their home website I choose the ‘Oceanfront Diamond Head View” in the Rainbow Tower and what I got was quite possibly the best hotel room in Honolulu for just under $300 a night.

Gazing from my balconies…yes that’s two balconies I had a 180 degree panoramic view of Honolulu’s cityscape, Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach, the green ocean and marina (the lot).  I couldn’t take enough photos and video. 

And, to top it all off, after returning from a sun filled day of snorkeling and sunbathing, I watched the sun set looking out from one balcony while sea turtles played in the kelp below and the full moon rose outside the other balcony.

Many people define paradise in different ways…my definition for now, begins with Hawaii. 

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www.ExplorerGirls.com / Courtney Crow