Oahu - Germaine's Luau

So it felt like it would be wrong to go to Hawaii and not go to a luau to get a good insight to traditional culture, entertainment and food.

There were several different luau that we could choose from. ranging from around $75 - $140. Listening to advice from others and reading online, event though cost wise it is at the lower end of the spectrum, Germaine's was still one of the most highly rated events to attend. We were not disappointed!

We got all dressed up in colourful dresses which we felt would help to reflect the mood for the evening and set off for the coach. Seeing everyone else in line we felt slightly undressed as despite them being sold EVERYWHERE we did not buy any flowers for our hair. Feeling energetic I sprinted to the nearest corner shop where I bought a selection for our group of lovely ladies and a flower each which we dutifully put in our hair after instruction from our tour guide as to which side they should be depending on whether or not you were in a relationship or available.

So first things first, you have to grab a seat. Coaches of people pile out, you have your photo taken then it is a dash and grab to get a prime viewing spot. We couldn't have done any better as we ended up with a front row centre table with an excellent view of the nights entertainment activities.

Biggest Grin Competition - having
such a fabulous night, it was really
 hard to choose between the two! :)

Once positioning is established, next on the agenda is assuring that you are catered up a a suitable beverage of choice. Now, up until Hawaii, I can't say I was a fan of pineapple drinks, but out here, the Mai Tai's converted me, and now and again will now be a tipple of choice! We even had suitable Tiki beakers which yes may be slightly cheesy, but we loved them!

Next, the drama continued with the food. First of all, everything served is traditional island fare, and the main event was the roasted pig which is cooked in the ground in a pit. The retrieving of the pig was part of the show as we all moved to the cooking area where we were given an insight into how traditional local life used to be. The pig is slow cooked in the ground for about eight hours and by the time it is done the meat is falling off the bone. I must admit, that when it was removed from the ground, it didn't really look that appetising, however it tasted amazing! If I could eat this once a week for the rest of my life I would not be complaining!

Next came the dancing - wow can those girls move their hips! Wanting to join in with the spirit, me and another friend joined the dancers up on stage to wiggle our hips, although I don't think we did the hula dancing any justice! Unfortunately due to user error, I can't upload the video footage of the girls, but they did take us on a tour of the pacific islands through native dance which you can view some of them below (obviously, my titles for the dances are not official, but they work for me so I am good with that!)

New Zealand Haka

Pom Pom Ladies

Fire Dancing

I had a great night! I would really recommend that you visit Germaine's Luau if you get the chance! :)

Yes I am grinning like a loon - and thanks go to Laura for not being able to get the camera to work
so we had to stay like this for quite a while which I can't say I was complaining about.

Snorkelling Hanouma Bay, Oahu

A must for anyone who visits Oahu is a trip to the magnificent Hanouma Bay. As we set off for our last proper excursion before we were due to head home, we drove over to the lesser visited east side of the island for breakfast.

Vista Point Heading to the East side of Oahu

Breakfast Dessert

Trying to find something different, we searched yelp and found ahighly rated little pancake/crepe place that tickled our fancy. It was amazing.And if I could remember the name of it I would tell you as I would highlyrecommend it. We started with savory which was yummy, but even though the hourwas still early, we had to split a couple of sweet delights. They were worth it- we each practically licked the plates clean!!

Volcanic Rock Beaches, East Coast Oahu

After breakfast we headed down the coast stopping off at a coupleof scenic points on the route. There were pockets of sand dunes surrounded byvolcanic rock which had formed rock pools in which crabs and little fishes could be seen. 

There were a couple of islands out to see and the water was crashing against the shore on both sides. There is something therapeutic to listening to the waves. It seem to deafen out any worries or cares - not that I had any of either when I was Hawaii anyway! :-)

Our next stop was the highlight of our day. All excited about what weare to embark on we headed off in the car. Approaching the car park our smilesdropped as our plans we temporarily thwarted as the car park full sign wasclearly displayed and a Marshall ushering on all traffic. Whilst we decidedwhat we are going to do, our designated driver pulled over into a vista pointand we started walking up the hill back towards where the turn for the car parkwas as you could get an amazing view for miles around. 

The Runners!

As we approachedhowever, we say the parking marshal remove the no parking sign and was going tolet five cars only in. Chiaki and I legged it back down the hill at top speedleaving the other two behind with manic broken sentences trying to convince themwe were not driving off and leaving them behind. It paid off as we managed tosqueeze our car in and met them on the other side.

Looking down, our first glimpse of Hanouma Bay and the reef we were about to visit.

When you enter Hanouma Bay, before you can walk down to the actualbeach, you need to go through the visitor centre, and once every year (if youare a regular), you must watch the conservation video that tells you all aboutthe coral reef and how delicate it is, and how careful you need to be toprotect it and its delicate eco structure. 

When you see the natural beauty ofthe place, you really don't want to do anything which would lead to damagingit. Unfortunately not everyone felt the same and regardless some people werestill standing on the reef itself, but they did stop after we have them a pieceof our minds!

First Shoal of Fish!

So, walking down to the beach the view of the bay was spectacular. We picked out out base spot on the beach, and set about gearing up in all of our snorkel equipment which I had bought especially for the occasion.

Wearing flippers and entering the water was entertaining for others to watch with a novice like me, but after several attempts to release the sand and walking backwards I finally made it into the water and set about finding my rhythm. I was always nervous about snorkeling as I remember using my dad's snorkel at a local swimming pool when I was younger and recall that most of the time I ended up inhaling an awful amount of water, but luckily these new-fangled modern whatsits have a stopcock that blocks out the water - much to mine and my lungs delight!

Once in the water, that was it. I was off. I could spend all day in the water anyway, but now being able to breathe underwater, my Pisces fish side was truly in its element so I set of for an adventure with my underwater camera, the results of which you can see here. I know they are not great pictures, but for a first attempt I was pleased!

I found the array of different fishes fascinating, and although Iwould be unable to tell you what any of them were, they came in all shapes andsizes, and they were beautiful. I went on a mission to try and photograph allof them with my new toy. 

Unfortunately, my lack of snorkeling skills andbalance was not helped by my excitement and enthusiasm and I ended of swimmingoff like a mad thing chasing anything that moved.

It was fun I can tell you, and every now and then I would surfaceto check I was still in reach of the rest of the group before resuming myexploration. I should have paid more attention to where I was following thefish though as I found myself right over the top of the reef. 

Remembering thevideo about protecting the reef I froze panicking that any kick of my flippers,or even my stomach was going to touch the reef. All I could think of doing istaking a deep breath, spreading myself like a starfish and repeating the mantra"think thin thoughts, think thin thoughts" over and over again. Assoon as a wave came I would kick like mad until it passed and then I repeatedthe last sequence! It was a bit scary at the time, but at least I could comeaway from it knowing that I didn't harm the reef!!

I think we were in there for a good couple of hours before I realisedjust how tired we were. Exhausted but happy!!

There is one last story that I want to share with you all. When we were walking back up the hill there were hedgerows blooming with these half flowers which were very distinctive. We had met up with a local friend of one of our party that told us the legend behind the flower. There was once a Hawaiian princess who fell in love with a commoner but this would not be an accepted marriage. After speaking with her father, and noticing how happy his daughter was, he told her to seek the council of the elders. 

The princess and the commoner walked to a temple where the elders told them they would need to ask the gods for their answer. They both prayed with all their hearts, but when the heavens opened and it started to thunder and rain and it was known that their union was disapproved of. It was decided that the princess would stay in the mountains, and the commoner would have to go and live by the beach. On leaving, the princess tore a flower and gave half of it to her lost love with a broken heart. The flowers nearby felt their heartbreak, and ever since only bloomed half flowers. These plants are named Naupaka, after that princess.

Hello Hawaii - Oahu, Waikiki & a Sunset Cruise

So the Bestie comes out to visit and what do you do? Go on holiday of course! For her it was a holiday within a holiday but for me it was just plain fabulous. One of the places on my dream list of places to visit in my lifetime was Hawaii. It always seemed so far away and exotic. Now however with my current residence being in California, it is so much closer in proximity. When I was younger, a girls trip to one of the Greek Islands, although fun and exciting, wasn't too much of a big deal - everyone would go, but Hawaii, well Hawaii is just like that for the people out here. For me it was realising a dream!

Diamond Head and Waikiki

Four of us set out and about and headed of to Oahu, the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and whose name translates as 'The Gathering Place'. It also hosts the states capital Honolulu which is where we flew in to.


We stayed in Waikiki, and I was told that as far as the Hawaiian islands go, Waikiki and Honolulu were too populated and I might not like it, but I LOVED it! There was a great balance of laid back atmosphere, nightlife, and proximity to the gorgeous beaches and rain forests.

Waikiki Beach

Maitai's at Dukes - Waikiki Beach

As we waited for the fourth member of our girls brigade to join us (flyinng in from AZ rather than CA) we set about exploring our base location of Waikiki Beach. The white sands and blue oceans really are the colour that they appear in postcards, although the sand itself is a little sharper than I was expecting as it is the result of the breakdown of shells and coral from the reefs. Not quite as soft as I had imagined.

We went and ate at Dukes Bar and got started with a traditional Maitai cocktail - well it would be rude not to wouldn't it! Dukes named after Duke Paoa Kahanmoku, descended from royalty who is credited with introducing surfing to the US Atlantic Coast and Australia and New Zealand. There is a bronze statue of him on Waikiki beach and he also represented the US in the Olympics for Swimming for 20 years!

The Fabulous Four in the Waikiki Waters

The first thing that we needed to do after lunch was hit the water - warm and turquoise blue it really did feel like I has hit paradise, although I must admit that I did find it a little odd to have this amazing beach right in the middle of the city, the two things seemed like they should be a paradox to each other, but actually complimented the other very well in the traditional Hawaiian laid back atmosphere.

Sunset Cruise

Kicking Back and Enjoying the View

Wanting to make the most of our time, on the first night we booked a sunset cruise to around the bay. Being warned not to be there too late and wanting to shower after our dip in the (very salty) ocean, we ended up running along the beach to get to the section of beach that we were to launch from on time. Arriving there out of breath and a little on the warm side, we then preceeded to wait for a further 20 minutes for some other passengers who were running late and we ended up leaving behind.

We set sail on a catamaran boat called Maitai, and yes they did serve you mighty good maitai's for the duration of the cruise. The trip took us right out into Waikiki Bay and passed the distinctive Diamond Head extinct volcano where you would see the very dramatic city skyline of Waikiki and the colours that it changed as the sun was setting. It was beautiful.

The distinctive Diamond Head 

The ride was quite choppy when we got to sea and the waves were causing the boat to raise up and then smashing down with big splashes - much to the delight of the younger passengers on board. Standing at times was interesting, especially after a couple of the complimentary drinks. Who needs a surfboard when you have a boat to ride!

There are times in your life where you have what I describe as a moment. It is a particular pin point in time where you have a moment of clarity where you sit back and take stock of your current situation. Here I was riding the waves on a Catamaran boat in Waikiki Bay at sunset in Hawaii. It was a pinch yourself to see if it is really true moment. It was, I was there, and once again I was truely appreciative of just how lucky I was. I had always wanted to visit Hawaii and here I was. With friends. Laughing and drinking Maitai's. What better start to a holiday could you get! :-)

This is the perfect picture to sum up the first night of our hols! Pictures paint a thousand words and all that jazz!