When you’ve got a hunger to feed and want to try something different for the first time, Ono Hawaiian Foods, right on Kapahulu Avenue caters to you.  Freshly made chicken lau lau, kalua pig, squid luau, chilled lomi lomi salmon, and poi so good, your mouth will water from having a taste of this feast!  Ono Hawaiian Foods is the place for Hawaiian food in the Waikiki-area for first time visitors to come and dine.  Chicken long rice, pipikaula, and haupia desert, this restaurant is ready for your lunch and dinner accommodations.  Dine in or dine out?  Order the combination plate of kalua pig, your choice of laulau, and poi, then head off to Waikiki Beach or dine under the sky painted with gold, yellow, and bronze speckles at sunset.  Don’t worry, if you don’t know what is what, ask the friendly staff, they will be happy to help you choose the Hawaiian plate that will satisfy your cravings for exotic food.  Ono Hawaiian Foods, like how the locals say, will have you sleeping under a swaying coconut tree when you are done eating.

            When you’re done exploring the two places at the beginning of  Kapahulu Avenue, there’s more to see by walking towards the mountains. It’s a great way to walk off those dinner calerories and you’ll descover at least a half a dozen cuisines along the walk, or you can head back to Waikiki Beach and relax.  Take a dip in the cool, blue sea, relax on the golden sparkling sand.  Exploring more of  Waikiki will wait another day.

Readers Review of the Ocean Resort Hotel – Paoakalani St. Waikiki

” Got a great deal on this hotel.  It’s very well located, close to the beach, eating places, and the bus stops. May look a little “worn” in some places,

  but the hotel staff were very friendly and the room was clean. For the room rates offered, it’s well worth the price.  – sent in by Ira from Nevada  ( 7/01/2009 )

 You can explore Kauai by helicopter, tour bus, rental car, or taxi.  The people here greet you with a smile and a lei strung up of Hawaii’s fresh flowers.  This island has so much to offer for first time visitors waiting to discover this hidden paradise in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

            Kauai is circular in shape with over 113 miles of coastline accompanied by many beautiful beaches.  This island is truly a swimmers heaven.  Kauai’s warm waters and peaceful ocean tides make it a place to relax your mind, body, and soul.  This island is also a snorkeler’s paradise.  Colorful coral beds rich with many species of neon-colored fish enhance the beauty of Kauai’s blue oceans.  Stop by Ke’e Beach and Po’ipu Beach for the best in swimming, snorkeling, and beach fun!  Snorkel the Na Pali coast!  Drive to Salt Pond Beach Park on the west side of Hanapepe and discover how Hawaiians cultivated salt for their everyday uses.  While you’re there, explore the beach and tide pools as gentle waves roll-in. 

            When you have done all your swimming and snorkeling, enjoy a sunset dinner cruise.  Many tours depart from Port Allen Harbor and bring you next to the golden sunset.  Enjoy the beauty of the sunset with an appetizing dinner menu and open bar.  When the night is almost over, gaze above into the millions of stars in the night sky!

            See an old Hawaiian village community composed of a canoe house, a birthing house, hula house, and a doctors house at Kamokila Hawaiian Village.  Lush gardens grow throughout this old village and bear some of Hawaii’s perfume-scented flowers and tropical fruit.  Try a lilikoi and mango smoothie, you’ll be glad you did!  Visitors can also enjoy a 3 hour canoe trip and short hike to a hidden waterfall.  But wait, there’s more to do!

            Kauai also has its own Amazon jungle accessible by hiking, using two zip lines, or by kayaking.  Princeville Ranch Adventures has a “Zip N Dip Expedition” for the traveler in you!  Escape over a waterfall by zip line to swimming and more waterfalls.  Hike to Kalihiwai Falls and let the waterfall give you a hydro-massage as you sit beneath it.  This getaway is a hidden gem on the North Shore of Kauai where a deep waterfall swimming pool waits for you.

            Kauai is truly a first time visitors dream come true.  Come swim, explore, escape, and get a hydro-massage.  Dine at sunset on the open ocean!  Kauai is the place for vacationers to come and ease their mind, bodies, and spirits.  Let the beautiful scenery of magical Kauai carry your mind and soul off into an oasis of relaxation and bliss!  Kauai awaits you.

Oahu is a paradise that many first time visitors only dream of.  Where can you find blue beaches with sparkling white sand and friendly people who embody the spirit of aloha?  On the island of Oahu!  The beach is only steps away from your hotel and its teal-blue water is calling you.  Swim with green turtles and colorful fishes that form an undersea rainbow at Hanauma Bay.  See whales dancing in the Pacific ocean, swim with the dolphins at Sea Life Park, and hike to the waterfalls of Manoa valley.  Take a journey around the island and back to your hotel.  Relax your mind to beautiful golden sunsets that touch your face as you lean back on a coconut tree.  Enjoy fine dinning and entertainment after you’ve done everything, then relax again, not with the moon, but under a moon in an outdoor spa.  Oahu is a hidden paradise waiting for you.  Come visit us and enjoy your stay.  Come say “Aloha” with us.

            Oahu is called the “Gathering Place” because it was the island Hawaii’s kings and queens would come to for politics, ideas, and sports.  If you love surfing or always wanted to surf, the North Shore is a fabulous surf spot with the ever-famous “Pipeline” beach.  Haleiwa is an old town resting on Oahu’s North Shore with many restaurants and a marketplace for shopping and souvenirs.  Sharks Cove is a beachgoers dream with beach pools filled with fishes decorated with rainbow colors.  Forgot your snorkel gear in Utah?  No problem!  You can rent snorkel gear right on the beach!  With Ocean sports, beaches to relax, waterfalls, the gorgeous Waimea Bay, and tours of old Oahu, the North Shore will keep you occupied for hours.  The 50 minute drive from Waikiki to the North Shore is a sight to behold and you can pick your very own pineapple on the way out there!

            We can’t forget Waikiki and its beaches that will surely make you smile!  Have brunch on the beach or rent a kayak and get out there on the water.  Have fun!  Waikiki has so much to do, you may have to stay a day or two.  Walking on the beach at sunrise and sunset are just two of the many exciting adventures for you while you stay with us!  Enjoy Waikiki Aquarium or hike Oahu’s only old mountain crater, Diamond Head, on the edge of Waikiki.  Come and bask in Waikiki’s sun as the coconut trees smile at you and sway from above!

Do all your shopping at Oahu’s largest shopping mall, Ala Moana Shopping Center.  Only minutes away from Waikiki with over 200 stores to do all your shopping needs and a diverse food court, in the center of the mall.  Eat poi and lau lau, food of the Hawaiians, deliciously steamed for Hawaii’s visitors.  Ask for the pork or chicken lau lau!  Or have some sizzling Chinese food.  You can sit at the bar and enjoy beer, wine, and other spirits while you catch up on your favorite sport.  Bring

Watch a hula performance at sunset right on Waikiki Beach.  The ancient “hula” is the dance of the Hawaiian people.  Or take hula classes and dance with everyone.  Hula is fun for everyone! 

            Hear the ocean and whales of Maui calling to you.  First time visitors can enjoy many indoor and outdoor activities such as snorkeling and kayaking at the beach.  Nature walks and hiking tours are available.  Helicopter tours and van tours for traveling across the island are available as well.  The Maui Ocean center and Ulalena, a theatrical performance about Hawaiian mythology, are great tourist attractions.  Affordable 5-star hotels and restaurants are accommodating with a friendly ambiance.  Visit old museums with 19^th century artifacts and other historical art.  The whole family coming?  Not a problem!  Many hotels offer classes for children ranging from sewing leis to dancing hula.  They can learn how to play the ukulele too!  Maui is the ideal vacation spot for all your relaxation needs! 

            Explore Maui by tour bus, helicopter, rental car, taxi, public transportation or an old train.  To truly experience all of Maui’s beauty, renting a car is highly recommended because you’ll be enjoying Maui as much as you’re driving it.  Take a 2 hour drive to Hana and go sightseeing or shop in Kihei.  Maui has lots to do and explore for the adventure-seeker in you!

            The Maui Ocean center contains many of Hawaii’s exotic and wild marine life.  See turtles up close and personal or walk through a water tunnel while sharks swim right above you.  Watch penguins eat and sea lions perform tricks.  The kids will love it!  Don’t worry, you won’t get wet, if you don’t want to!

            Visit the world famous Kaanapali Beach ranked #5 in the world of “The 10 Best Beaches in the World!”  Soak in the golden sunshine or wait for the sunset.  Bathe in the pristine blue ocean and get a tan.  The golden sand here goes on for miles and the cliffs of Kaanapali Beach are magical and breathtaking.  Enjoy wine, spirits, and beer at this resort.  You might plan your wedding here or renew your vows, it’s that beautiful!

            Beach activities are always fun and so is hiking for the adventure seeker in you!  Sail a sunset at sea.  Rent a boat for the whole family!  Go on a whale cruise and come back to the beach.  Take a bike ride down Haleakala crater or ride on horseback.  Hike up to waterfalls and see magnificent rainbows!  Explore a lush green forest with some of Hawaii’s most beautiful birds.  Hike to the famous Iao Needle, a towering rock monument reaching up to 1200 feet.  Ask about the Seven Sacred Pools hike on the west coast of the island and have fun on your adventures. 

             When the day is over, dance the hula and dine at an evening luau in Lahaina, Maui’s largest town.  Learn the hula dance then eat like how the Hawaiian people did, in a big feast, called a luau, with lots of friendship and laughter.  Enjoy Hawaiian music and entertainment!  Take a cocktail or dinner cruise to a magical sunset!  Listen to a symphony or go star gazing, Maui has it all, day or night, take your pick!  You will have so much fun on Maui that you’ll have to bring all your friends on your next visit.  Don’t forget your camera! 

            The Big Island is home to some of the worlds most beautiful and exotic beaches.  From Hilo all the way to Kona, the beaches here are your peaceful getaway to relax and unwind.  Sit on the sand and get lost in the beaches of this beautiful, tropical island.  Hapuna Beach is a beautiful long white beach with cabins you can rent.  Waipio Valley Beach is a sight worth seeing and the trip to this beach makes all the difference as you ride on horseback past waterfalls and black sand on your journey out here.  So many beautiful beaches await you!

            Watch dolphins or swim with them.  The Dolphin watch and Dolphin Quest are sure to appease your sense of adventure.  Take a picture with them and enjoy memories that will last a lifetime.  At the Hilton Waikoloa Village, Dolphin Quest brings you up close and personal with these amazing creatures.  A picture of you kissing the dolphin is a rare opportunity and treat, for you!  Hold their flippers and dance with the dolphins then ride on their backs through the water.

Hike or trek on a bike through 333,000 acres of land created by lava in Hawaii Volcano’s National Park.  This lava wilderness is fun for hikers and bikers too!  Pack a lunch and a bottle of water for this trip to an active volcano.  Kilauea Volcano is a great treat for visitors that want to discover this ancient piece of history.  Since 1983, this volcano has not stopped erupting and currently the most active volcano in the world.  This volcano is just one of five volcanoes you can discover and explore here on the Big Island of Hawaii!

            Visit Kealakekua Bay and snorkel pristine ocean lagoons with fishes colored so brightly, you’ll have to put on your sunglasses!  Swim with schools of yellow tangs and prism colored butterfly fish.  Watch their slender bodies dart in and out of coral reefs.  Then be surprised by a sea turtle waving “Hello!” to you!  Kealakekua Bay is a starting point to fun in the ocean. 

Have fun with family and friends at a sunset bar-be-q!  Ride off into the sunset on horseback with your special someone.  Tour the active Kilauea Volcano by helicopter.  Snorkel all day and enjoy an afternoon sunset that paints the sky pink, yellow, orange, and gold.  Sit in the front row of Hawaiian food and entertainment at Royal Kona’s Luau.  Drive around the island in your dream car, a Hummer, a convertible Corvette, or a two-seater moped.  Go fishing for big game or kayaking, or do both!  Bike, hike, drive, golf, but most of all, enjoy!  The Big Island awaits your next big adventure!