Unicorns!
Wait…
Knowledge is King. Curiosity is Queen.
Honolulu Ocean View Retreat was like a clipping taken straight from the Home & Garden magazine.
Like the place we stayed at on the Big Island (link), I found our Oahu accommodation through Airbnb. I turned my eyes to Airbnb because I found the rooms and facilities in most big shot hotels in Waikiki dated and unflattering. The common theme with these big old hotels seemed to be: dark patterned carpet, yellowish vanity set and an ancient TV set that is as thick as the mini fridge. Ugh.
What to eat in Oahu? Here’s my list of the glorious food we had:
The Dole Food Company is the world’s largest producer of fruit and vegetable. Mr James Dole opened the first pineapple plantation on the island of Oahu in 1901. Nowadays, the iconic Dole logo has become synonymous of pineapples worldwide.
When I was researching our itinerary, Dole Plantation was under my “skip if no time” column due to my fear of it being a tourist trap. Turned out, I probably should have skipped it.
This trip was actually not my first visit to Hawaii – My parents had taken Ju and I on a family holiday….maybe 20 years ago? To be honest, I didn’t remember a thing. Not until we were ushered to our first-come-first-serve seats at the long table for our Luau dinner at the Polynesian Cultural Centre, with a fresh flower lei around my neck, I had the deja vu moment: “I had been here before”. Just like my dad said I would.
If you know me, you will know that I am not a morning person. I live in Sydney CBD, I set my alarm for 8:20am and snooze to 8:22am (yes, every minute counts) every morning before my 9am start at the office.
That’s why in the wee hours on the day we were scheduled to visit Hanauma Bay, I thought to myself as I desperately fought the urge to hit that snooze button: This, better, be, worth it!