Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
By Trolley
It's fun to ride the 34-seat, open-air, motorized
Waikiki Trolley
(
&
800/824-8804
or 808/
593-2822;
www.waikikitrolley.com
), which looks like a San Francisco cable car. It loops around
Waikiki and downtown Honolulu, stopping every 40 minutes at 12 key places: Hilton Hawaii-
an Village, Iolani Palace, Wo Fat's in Chinatown, the State Capitol, King Kamehameha's
Statue, the Mission House Museum, Aloha Tower, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Hawaii Mari-
time Museum, Ward Centre, Fisherman's Wharf, and Restaurant Row. The driver provides
commentary along the way. Stops on the new 2-hour, fully narrated Ocean Coast Line (the
blue line) of the southeast side of Oahu include Sea Life Park, Diamond Head, and Waikiki
Beach. A 1-day trolley pass ($19-$25 for adults, $15-$20 for seniors, and $9-$13 for kids ages
4-11) allows you to jump off all day long (8:30am-11:35pm). Four-day passes cost $52 for
adults, $31 for seniors, and $20 for kids 4 to 11 (check online for discounts).
TIPS ON ACCOMMODATIONS
Hawaii offers everything from simple rooms in restored plantation homes and quaint cottages
on the beach to luxurious oceanview condo units and opulent suites in beachfront resorts.
Each has its pluses and minuses, so before you book, make sure you know what you're getting
into.
Types of Accommodations
HOTELS
In Hawaii “hotel” can indicate a wide range of options, from few or no on-site amen-
ities to enough extras to qualify as a miniresort. Generally, a hotel offers daily maid service
and has a restaurant, on-site laundry facilities, a pool, and a sundries/convenience-type
shop. Top hotels have activities desks, concierge and valet service, room service, business
centers, airport shuttles, bars and/or lounges, and perhaps a few more shops.
The advantages of a hotel stay are privacy and convenience; the disadvantage is gener-
ally noise (either thin walls between rooms or loud music from a lobby lounge late into the
night). Hotels are often a short walk from the beach rather than right on the beachfront (al-
though there are exceptions).
RESORTS
In Hawaii, a resort offers everything a hotel does—and more. You can expect direct
beach access, with beach cabanas and lounge chairs; pools and a Jacuzzi; a spa and fitness
center; restaurants, bars, and lounges; a 24-hour front desk; concierge, valet, and bellhop
services; room service (often round-the-clock); an activities desk; tennis and golf; ocean
activities; a business center; kids' programs; and more.
The advantages of a resort are that you have everything you could possibly want in the
way of services and things to do; the disadvantage is that the price generally reflects this.
And don't be misled by a name—just because a place is called “ABC Resort” doesn't mean
it actually is a resort. Make sure you're getting what you pay for.
CONDOS
The roominess and convenience of a condo—which is usually a fully equipped,
multiple-bedroom apartment—makes this a great choice for families. Condominium prop-
erties in Hawaii generally consist of several apartments set in either a single high-rise or a
cluster of low-rise units. Condos usually have amenities such as some maid service (ran-
