Visiting Oahu

Saturday, April 13, 2024

We woke around 07:00, and I took a quick shower to prepare for our flight to Hawaii. After quickly getting dressed, we ordered UberX and were dropped off at San Jose Airport's Terminal A. Our Hawaiian Airlines HA43 flight boarded on time (despite the light rain), and I had already checked in the day before. I had boarding passes in the Apple Wallet with TSA Precheck but without seat assignments.

At 09:00, we boarded the Airbus A321 jet. Inna purchased tickets to New Zealand (but we could not travel there, so we decided to re-purpose the tickets for a trip to Oahu, Hawaii).

Our flight was mostly uneventful, with a little bit of turbulence. On the flight, we were offered a small sandwich, a rum punch, and a cookie. (I enjoyed the rum punch!) We landed at Honolulu International Airport ahead of time at 11:45 HST, but a Japan Airlines flight occupied our gate. About 20 minutes later, we taxied to our gate and disembarked from the plane.

We proceeded to baggage claim, where we found our travel agents. They helped us board the shuttle to our Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel in Waikiki (though we had to wait about 20 minutes for all the passengers to board the small shuttle bus)

When we arrived, we checked into Ali'i Tower. Since Inna would work the whole week, we upgraded our room from a partial oceanfront to a full oceanfront view for $120/night extra. Our new room, A701, had an excellent, unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean and Waikiki Beach.

Since our room was ready, we checked in and unpacked our suitcases. We then decided to stop by for lunch at the nearby Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood. We ordered the following items:

• Inna: Ahi Poke (delicious), Coconut Water
• Boris: Garlic Shrimp, Lemonade

The Garlic Shrimp and the Ahi Poke were excellent, but the aggressive "angry" birds made the lunch unpleasant. We had to scare the birds away to protect our lunch.

After lunch, we walked to Quality Surfboards to look at the available Standup Paddle Board rental options. A few boards were available for $45/day or $225 / week, but I decided to hold off and check out other options on Waikiki Beach.

We also stopped by a nearby grocery store to pick up a few snacks for evening tea. The prices were relatively high, and Inna wanted to purchase some plain (sugar-free) organic yogurt for breakfast. However, none were available!

 

We returned to the pool, got our towels, and enjoyed resting by the pool. Inna went for a swim, and then we went for a stroll along the beach. I stopped by a few rental shops to find out about SUP rentals. I found some shops renting SUPs for $45/hr or $99/day (Crazy expensive!)

For dinner, Inna made reservations at the highly-rated Merriman's Restaurant. We boarded a short UberX ride there and were quickly seated outdoors. After looking at the menu, we ordered the following items:

• Appetizer: Bag of Buttermilk Biscuits, Organic Taro Hummus
• Salad: Mediterranean Salad
• Boris: Rooftop Pale Ale, Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi
  
• Inna: Monchhof Riesling, Makai Special (3 Scallops), 

I enjoyed the freshly baked Buttermilk Biscuits and the Taro Hummus. The Mahi-Mahi was excellent, too, and Inna's enjoyed her scallops. Our water was terrific, quick, and efficient. We enjoyed our time at Merriman's!

 

Sunday, April 14, 2024

We woke up at 7:30 a.m. I took a shower and shaved. I had a headache and did not sleep well. According to my weather app, this would be a rainy day, so we planned to visit some local museums.

 

Inna read about the highly rated Kona Coffee/ B. Patisserie nearby and boarded an UberX to the International Market Place. The UberX was a short 7-minute ride, but the long line at Kona Coffee was unexpected.

 We waited and ordered the following items:

• Inna: Latte
• Boris: Mocha (+$1 for Kona Beans)
• Pastries: Kouign Amman, Croissant

The Latte and the Mocha were excellent, and the pastries were exceptional. We wish the line were shorter.

 

 

After lunch, we strolled through the shops at International Market Place. We stopped by Tesla, shoe stores, and Odyssey VR Hawaii. I wanted to try Virtual Reality games/experiences (the shop offered 15 minutes for $30), but my headache still bothered me.

 

I was hungry and stopped by a nearby place for a Greek Wrap. While eating my wrap, Inna visited Kona Coffee/ B. Patisserie and noticed a short line. She decided to try a light sandwich and some coffee.

We enjoyed our lunch but noticed that the rain continued to increase. We visited the Honolulu Museum of Art and ordered an UberX. It was the right decision, as the light rain turned into a torrential downpour!

 

The Honolulu Museum of Art had many exciting exhibitions, with many paintings and sculptures worldwide. We especially enjoyed the guided museum tour at 14:00, when our guide taught us some curious facts:

• Egyptian reliefs showed people with incorrect proportions and strange, unnatural poses. This was not because Egyptian artists did not know how to draw humans correctly. It was done to emphasize the divinity of kings.

We stayed in the museum until closing time (17:00). Due to the heavy rain, we ordered UberX to return to our Hilton Hawaiian Village. We had to run to the car to avoid getting soaked!

 

 

We decided to try sushi for dinner at Wasabi Bistro, located near Waikiki. As the heavy rain stopped, we decided to walk there (and avoid the $30 UberX charge) and get our fitness steps in, too!

 

When we arrived, we noticed that this area of Honolulu had lots of Japanese shops. We sat down at the table and looked at the menu. After talking to the waiter, we ordered the following items:

• Appetizer: Edamame (Spicy), Carpaccio
• Soup: Miso Soup
• Softshell Crab
• California Roll
• Baked Scallop Special
• Green Tea

The Softshell Crab and the Scallop Special were incredibly delicious. After dinner, we returned home and decided to sleep early (at 21:00), as Inna had a very early start the next day.

Monday, April 15, 2024

In the morning, Inna woke early, at 05:00, to attend her company meeting. I woke at around 07:00, showered, and made coffee using the Coffee machine in our hotel room.

 

 

The early morning looked beautiful (though a bit windy), so I walked to Quality Surfboards to rent a standup paddleboard. Initially, I rented a Tropical Blends 123-liter, 9'3" paddleboard and returned to Waikiki Beach. Once in the water, I noticed how unstable it floated. There was no way I could use this board for surfing. In addition, the paddle would not lock properly, so I needed to return it.

I returned the 123-liter paddle board to the shop and rented a 10'2" NSP Elements Cruise single-fin model. It was heavy, unresponsive, and not meant for surfing.

I tried surfing for about 90 minutes. The waves were poorly defined and coming from random directions. I could surf a bit, but it was hard to get this paddle board moving (as it was so heavy and unresponsive). I also noticed my board leash was on its last legs, so I returned to the shop to exchange it. However, paddling on the ocean got me moving and getting used to the board.

Next time, I should bring my 9'3" Fanatic Allwave Paddleboard (the rentals are expensive and low-quality).

 

 

For lunch, we decided to stop by Monkeypod Kitchen, and I made lunch reservations for 14:00. After a short walk there (along the Fort DeRussy Boardwalk), we reached Monkeypod and checked in.

 

After being seated, we looked at the menu and ordered the following items for lunch:

• Drinks: Paradise Killa Dragon (red cider)
• Appetizer: Waipoli Farms Mixed Greens
• Boris: Lamb Pizza
• Inna: Pete's Fish & Chips
• Dessert: Banana Cream Pie

We liked the Paradise Killa Dragon Red Cider and the Lamb Pizza. The Banana Cream Pie was fantastic!

 

 

We strolled around the beach for lunch and discovered an elegant Halekulani Hotel, where Inna wanted to stop by to make dinner reservations at the famous House Without a Key Restaurant. 

 

 

Since we heard about the lovely Hula Dancer swaying to Hawaiian music, we decided to order drinks and enjoy the show while eating dinner elsewhere. We returned to the restaurant at 17:00 to get the best seats, with the show starting at 18:00. We were seated at one of the best tables.

The Hawaiian band played many mellow tunes, and Miss Hawaii swayed gracefully to Hawaiian music. We enjoyed the free show. The drinks were expensive and not too bad. 

• Boris: Mai Tai, Hot Tea
• Inna: Virgin Mojito, Hot Tea

Since dinner was costly, I made dinner reservations at the well-rated Tommy Bahama at 20:00. Since it was nearby, we arrived on time and were seated on the roof/patio. We ordered the following items from the menu:

• Appetizer: Bungalow Salad
• Boris: Wagyu Burger
• Inna:  Ahi Salad

I liked the fresh bread rolls with butter that were quickly brought in. They were so delicious! 

 

 

 

Inna's Ahi Salad and my Wagyu Burger were delicious, too.

 

 

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

I woke at 07:30, showered, and dressed for SUP surfing. Inna helped me to take the long 10' NSP SUP through the service elevator outside the Hilton Ali'i tower.

 

I had an excellent SUP surfing session, catching around six waves despite using the heavy 10'2" NSP board. I surfed mainly in the "Fourth" area, less crowded, although the waves were infrequent. The "Kaisers" area was overflowing with shortboarders.

Inna made reservations for a sunset cruise, and we walked to the Outrigger Hotel, where we checked into our short 90-minute sunset cruise.

 

We boarded the large catamaran around 17:30 and enjoyed motor-sailing around Diamond Head. We had free drinks on board, and I wanted some rum punch. The sunset was beautiful, and the music put everyone in a relaxed mood.

 

 

For dinner, I booked Kani Ka Pila Grille at the Outrigger Hotel. From the reviews, I read that this restaurant was known for Live Hawaiian Music. On Tuesday, the Kala'e Camarillo duo was scheduled to play from 18:00 to 21:00.

 

 

The live Hawaiian music of Kala'e Camarillo was excellent, but the Grilles's entrees were decidedly average. 

 

 

We ordered the following items from the menu:

• Inna: Lave Flow, Maui Onion Soup, Tacos with Chips
• Boris: Iced Tea, Garden Salad, Makana Bowl (Poke)

The Makana Bowl Poke was not bad, but the Garden Salad was tasteless, and the Maui Onion Soup was not up to par.

 

 

The highlight of the evening was the rendition of the IZ (Israel Kamakawiwoʻole) medley of Country Roads/What a Wonderful World.

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

I woke at 07:00, showered, and dressed for SUP surfing. Inna helped me to take the long 10' NSP SUP through the service elevator outside the Hilton Ali'i tower.

I watched a few SUP surfing videos (on SUPBoarder Magazine) and hoped to improve my surfing skills. I decided to shorten my paddle so that I would naturally bend my knees and try the surf stance when getting on the wave. Both of these tips helped.

At around 08:00, I paddled out to the left of the ship channel markers in Grays Channel and headed for "Turtle Canyon," where many boats congregated for snorkeling. This was an excellent spot for catching waves and was usually uncrowded.

Today's waves started much more significant than Tuesday's (3-5 ft), and I initially had difficulty catching them. However, after a few attempts, I started to get the hang of catching and riding them.

Despite my heavy NSP 10'2" standup paddle board, I could catch and ride the waves until they curled. I had a fantastic time and caught 10+ waves. After 3.5 hours, I grew tired and returned to the beach.

I dropped off the NSP SUP board in our A701 room, showered, and made coffee.

 

 

 

For lunch, we decided to visit the Goofy Cafe. After a short wait, we were seated and ordered the following items:

• Boris: Loco Moco, Pina Colada Smoothie
  
• Inna: Benedict Kalua Pork, Papaya Smoothie
  

We had a fantastic lunch at Goofy Cafe. It turned into our favorite lunch haunt.

I spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool, reading Pete Sampras' A Champions Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis.

 

 

We decided to dine at Hau Tree & Sunset Provisions Restaurant in Diamond Head at the Kaimana Beach Hotel. Inna made dinner reservations at 19:00, and we ordered UberX at around 18:40. On the way to Diamond Head, our UberX driver (may have) run over a small dog. However, we did not see any damage to the car.

After sitting under a Hau Tree, we looked at the menu and marveled at the scenery. It was sunset, and many surfers and other beachgoers left the beach. We ordered the following items:

• Drinks: Real del Valle Blanco Margarita, Beachside Paloma
• Appetizer: Focaccia, Miso Caesar Salad
• Boris: Crab Tagliatelle
• Inna: Seared Fish
• Dessert: Citrously Nuts About You

The Focaccia bread was excellent, and we liked the Seared Fish and the Crab Tagliatelle pasta (though we had to wait a long time for them). The unique "Citrously Nuts About You" desert was unusual.

 

After dinner, we decided to walk back to our hotel. Although it took 45 minutes, we enjoyed strolling through the well-lit streets of Honolulu, looking at all the cafes with live music blaring. Honolulu seemed like a fun city. We also saw some excellent tennis courts. I could play tennis here!

 

 

Thursday, April 18, 2024

I woke at 07:30, showered, and shaved. The Surfline forecast for Waikiki was favorable, with promises of 4-5 foot waves. I was eager to get my paddle board on the water.

 

After paddling out, I noticed the waves were much smaller than the previous day (Wednesday). I could still catch a few long rides during the morning, though I had to wait a lot. I felt better in my SUP surfing, as I fell rarely and almost finished my surf rides, still standing upright. I rode about 6-7 waves before I grew bored of waiting and paddled back to shore at around 10:45.

 

On the way up to my room, I ran into Inna, and we decided to meet for coffee or lunch.

 

 

We first stopped by Chee Coffee for lunch, where I ordered a mocha and chocolate chip cookie. Once I met up with Inna, we decided to try Goofy Cafe. However, when we arrived, we noticed a very loud construction crew outside, and the cafe seemed to no longer accept new customers.

 

 

We decided to try eating lunch at Hatsuhana. After sitting down, we ordered the following items:

• Boris: Curry Katsu (Japanese Fried Chicken)
• Inna: Poke Don (Spicy Poke)

My Fried Chicken took a while and was mediocre. It didn't impress me too much. Inna liked her poke bowl.

 

 

After lunch, I rested in our room and walked downstairs to the main Hilton pool. I continued reading and finished Pete Sampras' Autobiography, A Champion's Mind: Lessons from a Life in Tennis.

When Inna returned from work, we walked to the beach for a short swim in the ocean. I returned to the pool to continue reading Marcel Proust's famous novel, In Search of Lost Time.

 

It started raining around 18:00, and I returned to our hotel room to shower and rest.

 

For dinner, we decided to stop by Kani Ka Pila Grille (at the Outrigger Hotel) to listen to live music and then proceed to the Monkeypod for dinner (reservations at 20:15). 

 

 

When we arrived at Kani Ka Pila, no music played, so we sat down and waited for the musicians to return from their break.

 

 

At around 19:45, Kawika Kahiapo started playing his famous songs. I immediately liked his voice and playing, but there were no unoccupied tables. We listened to Kawika for 15 minutes and then walked to Monkeypod restaurant to check in with the hostess. We were handed a pager to wait our turn.

 

After activating our page, we returned to the hostess, who showed us our table near the beach. I was immediately shocked by the noise level. Between music and loud conversations, it was deafening. Having seen the menu before, we quickly looked it over and ordered the following items:

• Drinks: Virgin, Strawberry Smoothie
• Boris: Fish & Chips
• Inna: Waipoli Farms Mixed Greens, Macadamia Crusted Mahi-Mahi
• Dessert: Strawberry Pie

While the Fish & Chips were good, the Strawberry Pie was outstanding! We enjoyed our food (despite the noise level). After we finished, we returned to our Ali'i Hilton Hotel room in a drizzle.

 

 

Friday, April 19, 2024

I woke very early, at 06:30, and dressed for SUP surfing on Waikiki. The Surfline forecast was promising strong wind, and I wanted a last chance to surf before the strong 15 knot+ wind picked up.

I rode one decent wave in the "Popular" surf spot during the first hour of surfing, but the wind picked up, making the ocean quite bumpy. I decided to swap out the large 10'2" NSP Paddleboard for a smaller version. I returned it to the Quality Surfboards shop. The manager at the store offered me a Tropical Blends 9'3" 123-liter board (and a new paddle), which I picked up.

 

I decided to practice paddling in the small, sheltered area in front of the Hilton hotel before venturing into the waves. It was quite a challenge to balance on such a small board, and I had to bend my knees and paddle to keep the board moving (and more stable).

I practiced switching to/from surf stance and fell a few times. Balancing on this board was much more challenging (compared to the 10'2" NSP).

After practicing for about an hour, I entered the waves to see if I could handle the board. The wind made the ocean choppy, and balancing the board was hard. I could not catch anything, as I need more balance practice.

I returned to the sheltered cove and practiced some more. I encountered Inna going for a swim and eventually returned to our hotel room.

I felt healthy then, but later, I developed nasal congestion and tingling in my throat—a sure sign of an oncoming cold (which lasted over a week!)

 

 

For lunch, we stopped by our favorite Goofy Cafe. We waited for about 15 minutes before being seated and ordered the following items:

• Drinks: Pina Colada Smoothies
• Boris: Hawaiian Goofy Omelette with Taro Muffin
• Inna: Kalua Pork Benedict

As usual, the omelet and the Kalua Prok Benedict were outstanding!

During the rest of the day (while Inna continued to work), I read Carol Delaney's Columbus and the Quest for Jerusalem. It was quite an exciting read.

 

 

In the evening, Inna went for a short swim while I continued to relax. She took lots of sunset photos! We returned to our room to prepare for dinner and the upcoming fireworks.

 

 

We watched the fireworks from our 7th-floor balcony room at 19:45. They were impressive but short (5 minutes)!

 

 

For dinner, I made reservations at Tommy Bahama, and we rushed there after the fireworks finished; we were running a bit late due to all the people on the beach.

 

At Tommy Bahama, we were seated upstairs on the patio and ordered the following items.

• Drinks: Blue My Mind Virgin Cocktail, Hot Green Tea
• Appetizer: Guacamole & Salsa
• Boris: Chicken Tortilla Soup, Char-Grilled Filet Mignon Salad
• Inna: Creole Shrimp and Crab Pasta

We enjoyed our dinner, as all the items were expertly prepared. I especially liked the Filet Mignon Salad and Guacamole. Inna's Creole Shrimp and Crab Pasta were also excellent.

 

 

Saturday, April 20, 2024

I didn't sleep well due to the congestion and throat irritation. We woke relatively late, around 08:30. I am sure that Inna was tired from a long workweek.

 

After waking up, Inna decided to go for a short swim while I practiced paddling the Tropical Blends 123-liter 9'3" SUP. The ocean was beautiful, but there were intermittent strong gusts of wind. I practiced paddling and switching to a surf stance. It was still quite challenging to stay upright.

 

 

Inna swam a few laps on the beach and joined me in our hotel room. We decided to eat lunch at our favorite Goofy Cafe. After we walked there, we had to wait about 20 minutes before being seated. I did not feel well due to my nose irritation.

We ordered the following items at the Goofy Cafe:

• Boris: Coffee, Goofy Hawaiian Omelet
• Inna: Coffee, Goofy Hawaiian Omelet

The freshly brewed coffee was delicious, and the Hawaiian Omelet was outstanding!

 

After lunch, I returned to our hotel room to rest and relax while Inna decided to visit the beautiful Foster Botanical Gardens nearby.

 

 

I made dinner reservations at the nearby Bali Oceanfront Restaurant for 20:00. I was not feeling well, so we decided to have a light dinner there. Inna had photos of us eating in Bali many years ago. 

 

 

 

 

After sitting down, we ordered the following items:

• Drinks: Island Cosmo, Hot Tea
• Appetizer: Big Eye Ahi Poke, Local Heirloom Tomato Salad, Bread
• Entree: Creamy Lobster Ravioli
• Dessert: Creme Brulee

The Ahi Poke and the Salad were excellent, and the Lobster Ravioli had generous portions of lobster. Though very expensive, Bali does provide decent portions.

 

I returned to the hotel room while Inna went to the ABC Store to purchase some decongestants for me.

 

Sunday, April 21, 2024

We had a scheduled Hawaiian Airlines HA34 flight to San Jose (SJC) at 13:30 HST, so we would have a few hours in the morning to relax on the beach.

I didn't sleep well and had heavy nasal congestion. When I woke at around 07:00, I took a shower and dressed. Inna and I decided to eat breakfast at the Goofy Cafe while I dropped off the Tropical Blends SUP at Quality Surfboards (I had to pay $225 for the 7-day SUP rental).

 

After I dropped off my SUP, I started walking to the Goofy Cafe, but Inna was already returning, as there was a very long line. We decided to eat breakfast from one of the nearby food trucks.

 

 

We walked a couple of blocks to where the Food Trucks congregate and ordered from the Waikiki B.E.A.S.T. We ordered the following items:

• Boris: Hot Coffee, Lilikoi Pancakes
• Inna: Hot Coffee Burrito

My pancakes were average, but Inna liked her burrito.

 

 

We returned to our room. Since I was feeling unwell due to nose congestion and a slight headache, I decided to rest while Inna went for the last swim in Waikiki.

 

When she returned at 10:00, she showered and packed. We checked out at 10:30 and ordered an UberX to Honolulu Airport. We already had boarding passes on Hawaiian Airlines HA44. Inna purchased some fried chicken for lunch while we waited for our flight.

 

Our flight was scheduled to depart at 13:25 but was delayed due to a tire change request. The delay, originally 90 minutes, was shortened to 30 minutes. We departed at around 14:00, landing in San Jose at 22:00. 

Oahu Trip Report

Highlights

• SUP Surfing at Waikiki's many surfing spots
• Listening to live Hawaiian music:
• Kawika Kahiapo (incredible bass voice)
• Kala'e Camarillo
• House without a Key (Miss Hawaii's dancing)
• Dining at the following fine restaurants:
• Merriman's
• Hau Tree (fantastic view of Diamond Head)
• Tommy Bahama
• Goofy Cafe (fabulous lunch)
• Monkeypod Kitchen
• Eating Pastries and drinking delicious coffee at Kona Coffee/ B. Patisserie
• Swimming at Fort de Russy Beach
• Visiting the Honolulu Museum of Art
• The free 14:00 museum guided tour was excellent
• Watching the spectacular Friday night fireworks from our balcony

Lowlights

• Inability to find a decent Surf SUP to rent
• Catching a cold on Friday
• Getting yelled at for SUP surfing at "Populars."

Equipment

• Tropical Blends 9'3" 123-liter Standup Paddleboard
• NSP Elements Cruise 10'2"x 32" 205-liter Standup Paddleboard (very heavy)