Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mall Rats
Oahu is also a haven for mall mavens. More than 1,000 stores occupy
the 11 major shopping centers on this island. From T-shirts to high
fashion, chain stores to down-home local, avant-garde to unspeakably
tacky, Oahu's offerings are wide-ranging indeed. But you must some-
times wade through oceans of schlock to arrive at the mother lode.
Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd. ( & 808/955-9517 ),
Hawaii's largest and most prestigious shopping mall, features main-
land chain stories like DKNY, Old Navy, Eddie Bauer, Neiman Marcus,
Gap, Banana Republic, and Macy's. Your teens will be thrilled by all the
other teens hanging out here (and it is generally a safe place for them
to wander off by themselves). There are practical touches in the cen-
ter, too, such as banks, a foreign-exchange service (Thomas Cook), a
post office, several optical companies (including 1-hr. service by
LensCrafters), Foodland Supermarket, Longs Drugs, and a handful of
photo-processing services. Nearly 400 shops and restaurants sprawl
over several blocks (and 1.8 million sq. ft. of store space), catering to
every imaginable need, from over-the-top upscale (Tiffany, Chanel,
Versace) to local stores like Islands' Best. Splash! Hawaii is a good
source for women's swimwear; and Reyn's is great for men's aloha
shirts. The food court is abuzz with dozens of stalls purveying Cajun
food, ramen, pizza, plate lunches, vegetarian fare, green tea, fruit
freezes (like frozen yogurt), panini, and countless other treats.
Chic, manageable, and unfrenzied, Kahala Mall, 4211 Waialae Ave.,
Kahala ( & 808/732-7736 ), is home to some of Honolulu's best shops.
Teens will be in heaven as this is a great hangout, and safe for them.
Located east of Waikiki in the posh neighborhood of Kahala, the mall
has everything from a small Macy's to chain stores such as Banana
Republic and Gap—nearly 100 specialty shops (including dozens of
eateries and eight movie theaters) in an enclosed, air-conditioned
area. You can take the younger kids to a movie and meet up with the
teens later.
In Waikiki, the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, 2201 Kalakaua
Ave. ( & 808/922-0961; www.shopwaikiki.com), is essentially upscale.
The more than 140 shops range from drugstores, lei stands, restau-
rants, and food kiosks, to the most conspicuous European designer
boutiques (Chanel, Cartier, Hermès, and more) that cater largely to vis-
itors from Japan—there is something for everyone here. However, this
is not a great place to let your kids wander around by themselves.
Ward Centre, 1200 Ala Moana Blvd. ( & 808/591-8411 ), is a standout
for its concentration of restaurants and shops. Ryan's and Kakaako
Kitchen are as popular as ever, the former overlooking Ala Moana Park
and the latter with lanai views of the sprawling Pier 1 Imports across
the street. The megaplex cinema here is so popular with teens that you
will be hard pressed to find anyone over 25 here on a Friday night.
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