In 2012 I was lucky enough to go to Hawaii twice - in April for a personal vacation and again in December for work. Everyone I know said "oh, going to Hawaii for work, I would love your job". And yes, of course it was an amazing place to go 'for work', but it was for five days and there was a clear message to what the trip was about.
If you have never been to Hawaii, but you have seen photos of Waikiki beach area, you think that it is busy, high rise buildings, big city...why would I want to go there and spend time when I live in a big city with high rise buildings, traffic, etc. That is the impression I had before I booked my personal vacation to Hawaii. We stayed two nights right smack dab in the heart of Waikiki (beside the International Marketplace). We basically did our own circle island tour, driving to Diamond Head, a very brief stop on the fabled north shore, Pearl Harbour and then we were out of there - on to other islands for the "real" vacation.
What I learned on my second trip to Hawaii was that there is so much more to O'ahu than Waikiki and Honolulu, you would need to go back several more times to really see what the whole island has to offer.
This trip was for O'ahu Master Specialists. What is that you ask? Well, before going on the trip, the agents invited had to complete a series of online courses about the Hawaiian islands, culture, history, geography, and so more much. The learning continued on the island the first day at the Iolani Palace. We learned about Hawaiian history, culture, language and more. We learned how to properly pronounce the tricky words, streets, names of historical Hawaiians that all the streets, sights and buildings are named for. We even had a spelling test at the end of the trip.
While we spent time in Waikiki, the highlights of the trip were what we saw OUTSIDE of Waikiki Beach and Honolulu. Sights like the amazing Kualoa Ranch, the Fabled North Shore, Makaha Valley Riding stables and more.
These will not soon be forgotten and I look forward to sharing my Hawaiian experiences with you. If you have been to Hawaii before, hopefully you were able to take advantage of some of what I saw and did. If you have never been, here is a taste of amazing Hawaii. And if you have been...you need to go again sometime in your future - I know I will.
'A'ohe pau ka 'ike i ka halau ho'okahi - All knowledge is not taught in the same school - 'Olelo No'eau, Hawaiian Proverb.
Mahalo for reading, and stay tuned for much more!!
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