High Rise Hawaii Best of Both Worlds

If you already live in the Pacific, well, south of the equator, chances are you’re in your own chosen paradise which in clichéd terms means palm trees and beaches, a warm climate in a relatively unspoilt environment that’s sparsely populated, limited shopping opportunities and not exactly architecturally sophisticated.

About 21 degrees above the equator in the central Pacific, sitting on the Tropic of Cancer, is another kind of Pacific island state, its population is around 1.4 million, it’s got palm trees and beaches and unspoilt areas but it’s pretty highly evolved with lots of stunning high-rise buildings and huge shopping malls filled with all the latest fashion items and stores usually found in some of the 48 contiguous states of the USA.

Since joining the mainland in 1959 as the 50th state, Hawaii has benefitted from the sort of infrastructure and lifestyle generally demanded by their more cossetted and urbane compatriots to the east. This has made for a unique mix of tropical informality and big-city sophistication around Honolulu on Ohahu, with a population of almost 1 million, this is where most tourists land in the archipelago.

If you’re staying somewhere near Waikiki or along Kalakaua Avenue the peachy, beachy vibe is always apparent, locals in board shorts and T shirts mix it with tourists in, err, board shorts and T shirts or American ‘leisure suits’ or Japanese kiddy-porn street-wear teamed with designer labels but the atmosphere remains sub tropical in spite of the glitzy stores and the all-you-can’t-eat fast food joints. This is shop-till-youdrop Shangri-La or a consumer’s heaven, it’s Fifth Avenue in the fiftieth state. It’s all here from Macy’s to Max Mara, from Tod’s to Tiffany. From ukuleles to you-beaut loud shirts.

Most of the downtown retail strip is concentrated along Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenues which makes for a simple and reasonably compact exploration of the big-label emporia along with the local markets and the ubiquitous ABC stores which are combination mini-marts, souvenir shops and clothing stores. There’s the inevitable DFS Galleria, the Royal Hawaiian Centre, The Waikiki Beach Walk complex, the International Market Place with its craft and food stalls and shops, and there’s any number of lavish hotels on the beachside for pit stops.

There’s so much shopping and eating the beach is just a distraction, if a welcome one when it comes to sitting down with a drink or a meal. When I was last here I don’t think I even got my feet wet in spite of staying right on one of the world’s most famous stretches of sand, probably too busy buying shoes and lounging in beach bars.

But wait, there’s more! When you’ve done the outdoor retail strip head off to Ala Moana, which is just up the road on Ala Moana Boulevard. This is home to one of the biggest multi-level malls you’re going to see for a while. There are 290 stores, 35 luxury brands and 80 ‘dining options’. Here you’ll find American favourites Neiman Marcus, Sears, Harry Winston, Nordstrum and Williams Sonoma along with a few of the usual European suspects like Botega Veneta, Chanel, and Louis Vuittton. If recreational consuming is your thing then this is the place to get serious. Although …

There’s more again, this time it’s at bargain prices, not far out of town (about 15 minutes by car) you’ll find the Waikele Premium Outlets centre which promises discounts of 25%-65% on a huge range of well known brands. There’s even a Barneys New York outlet. And when you’re thirsty pick up a bucket-sized cup of coffee and a Spam musubi (Hawaiians are reputedly the second biggest consumers of Spam in the world) and consume them in your immense rental SUV or convertible Mustang on the way out to the North Shore to finally see some of the real Oahu where the surf set come for big winter wave action.

This area is home to those places of legend, Waimea Bay, Haleiwa and the Banzai Pipeline; the name alone brings shivers to the surfing spine. The little village at Haleiwa is a picturesque slice of ‘old’ Hawaii with plantation-style wooden buildings and a cultured, crafty feel, which is completely at odds with what’s on display in Waikiki. There are surf shops and coffee shops, galleries and understated little restaurants, which contribute to the laid-back slightly in-the-know-cool ambience of area. If you’re looking for more big-scale glamour on this side of the island then just up the road to the east is Turtle Bay Resort where you can actually sit with your feet in the sand while eating lunch or dinner at the Ola Restaurant but the real charm of being in the area is the respite from the glitz and clamour of the south.

That’s not to say that big isn’t beautiful, particularly if you contrast it with the simplicity of the South Pacific, Hawaii is a wonderfully easy way to engage with the full-on US of A lifestyle on a more manageable scale. In some ways it’s American to its snakeskin Cuban-heeled bootstraps with everything from mega malls to hot rods and Corvettes, from monster SUVs and freeways to 40-story buildings overshadowing the beach, fast food, fast talk and big bottoms, hey dude it’s the real deal. But it’s also in the middle of the ocean and it’s been influenced by countless Japanese, indigenous Hawaiians and even the British after Captain James Cook ‘discovered’ the place in 1778 and named it the Sandwich Islands, the legacy of this event is the Union Jack in the corner of the Hawaiian flag. So just like mainland America it’s cosmopolitan as well as corny.

Back in Waikiki there are certain obvious attractions which are not to be missed, apart from Diamond Head, the world’s most famous crater which can be seen from almost anywhere without a high-rise in front, there are historic military sites and memorabilia connected to Pearl Harbour like the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and the Aviation Museum. The renowned Honolulu Museum of Art is also worth a visit to see everyone from Warhol to Gauguin and van Gogh up close. More obvious but equally important in the local culture is the Duke Kahanamoku statue on Kuhio Beach where the country’s greatest aquatic hero welcomes all to Waikiki with open arms.

Fortunately for those of us who like to eat and drink with a view there are a few iconic hotels along the beachfront which are definitely worth a visit. Most famously there is the Royal Hawaiian or Pink Palace of the Pacific, try the Surf Lanai for a Sunday brunch or a few doors away try the Beach Bar at the Moana Surfrider. Here you can sip cocktails or snack on Wagyu Sliders or Guava Glazed Pork Ribs under their signature, enormous banyan tree right on the beachfront and in the early evening listen to the live entertainment. The Halekulani is another landmark property on the beach with a gorgeous garden setting, live music and great atmosphere at their House Without A Key for a sunset mai tai.

So, as I said at the outset Hawaii is just like any other island, except it’s not. If you want a typical island break and you don’t want to venture out of your own ocean, it’s a great way to see the world while never being out of sight of the beach, best of both really!

Fiji Airways flies to Honolulu direct once a week, taking just over six hours. Another weekly flight goes via Apia, Samoa. The airline offers very competitive connecting fares from Australia and New Zealand to Hawaii as well and can include an overnight stopover in Nadi.

See www.fijiairways.com