Oahu - Hawaii with Kids - page 144

cost of shipping is more than the product you are buying. Sales tax in Hawaii is
4.16% on everything (even food).
THE SHOPPING SCENE
Shopping competes with golf, surfing, and sightseeing as a bona-fide Hawaiian
activity. And why not? The proliferation of top-notch made-in-Hawaii products,
the vitality of the local crafts scene, and the unquenchable thirst for mementos
of the islands lend respectability to shopping here.
The section that follows is not about finding cheap souvenirs or tony items
from designer fashion chains; you can find these on your own. Rather, I'm offer-
ing a guide to finding those special treasures that lie somewhere in between.
GREAT SHOPPING AREAS
WAIKIKI Nestled amid the Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Tiffany boutiques
on Waikiki's Kalakaua Avenue are plenty of tacky booths hawking air-brushed
T-shirts, gold by the inch, and tasteless aloha shirts. The International Market-
place is scheduled for a massive (much-needed) makeover; until it is transformed,
I suggest shopping at a couple of Waikiki malls: the Royal Hawaiian Shopping
Center (see “Mall Rats,” below) and the DFS Galleria, Kalakaua and Royal
Hawaiian avenues ( & 808/931-2655 ). Your kids will probably be the first to
spot “The Tube,” a walk-through aquarium complete with spotted and sting
rays, at the entrance to the Galleria. “Boat Days” is the theme of this three-floor
extravaganza of shops ranging from the superluxe (Givenchy, Coach, and many
more) to the very touristy. Great Hawaii food products include the incompara-
ble Big Island Candies. There are multitudes of aloha shirts and T-shirts, a vir-
tual golf course, surf and skate equipment, and a labyrinth of fashionable stores
once you get past the Waikiki Walk. Free live Hawaiian entertainment, featur-
ing hula styles from the 1920s through the 1940s, takes place nightly at 7pm.
On the fringe of Waikiki is Hawaii's best-known shopping center, Ala Moana.
(See “Mall Rats,” below.)
HONOLULU At the base of the Aloha Tower lies a harborfront shopping and
restaurant complex known as the Aloha Tower Marketplace, 1 Aloha Tower
Dr., on the waterfront between piers 8 and 11, Honolulu Harbor ( & 808/528-
5700 ). There are lots of unique Hawaii shops here, including Hawaiian House,
offering island-style interiors and home accents; Martin & MacArthur, a gift
shop with finely crafted furniture; and Hawaiian Ukulele Company, featuring
everyone's favorite Hawaiian instrument.
WINDWARD Windward Oahu's largest shopping complex is the Windward
Mall, 46-056 Kamehameha Hwy., in Kaneohe ( & 808/235-1143 ). The 100
stores and services at this standard suburban mall include Macy's and Sears,
health stores, airline counters, surf shops, and LensCrafters. A small food court
serves pizza, Chinese fare, tacos, and other morsels. In Kailua, the shopping
nexus is formed by Longs Drugs and Macy's department store, located side by
side on Kailua Road, where several unique Hawaii shops feature everything from
clothes to antiques.
NORTH SHORE The main town of Haleiwa means serious shopping for
those who know that the unhurried pace of rural life can conceal vast material
treasures. Ask the legions of townies who drive an hour each way just to stock
up on wine and clothes at Haleiwa stores. (Of course, a cooler is de rigueur for
perishables.) Here you'll find excellent crafts and art galleries, like Haleiwa Art
Gallery, next door to the North Shore Marketplace ( & 808/637-3368 ); surf