Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(
923-9741;
www.waquarium.org
; 2777 Kalakaua Ave; adult/child 5-12yr/youth 13-17yr $9/2/4;
9am-5pm, last entry 4:30pm;
) Next to a living reef on Waikiki's shoreline, this
university-run aquarium features a jaw-dropping ocean predator gallery and dozens of
tanks re-creating different Pacific reef habitats. It's a great place to identify the colorful
coral and fish you've already glimpsed while snorkeling. An outdoor tank is home to rare
Hawaiian monk seals that can't return to the wild.
Among the kid-friendly exhibits, look for rare fish species from the Northwestern
Hawaiian Islands, as well as hypnotic moon jellies and flashlight fish that host biolumin-
escent bacteria. Especially hypnotizing are the Paluan chambered nautiluses with their
unique spiral shells - this is the world's first aquarium to breed these endangered
creatures in captivity.
Check the website or call to make reservations for special family events and fun kids'
educational programs such as meeting the monk seals or exploring the ocean reef at
night.
Moana Surfrider
HISTORICAL BUILDING
(
922-3111;
www.moana-surfrider.com
;
2365 Kalakaua Ave; tours usually 11am Mon, Wed &
Fri)
Christened the Moana Hotel when it opened in 1901, this hotel resembles a
beaux-arts style plantation inn. Guided tours start upstairs from the lobby with a video
screening at the mezzanine
museum
, which displays period photographs and hotel mem-
orabilia, including scripts from the famed
Hawaii Calls
radio show that was broadcast
from the banyan courtyard between 1935 and 1975.
Back in the early 20th century, when Waikiki was an exclusive neighborhood for
Hawaiian royalty and Honolulu business tycoons, early guests of the Moana Hotel in-
cluded aristocrats, princes and Hollywood movie stars. Still today the historic hotel em-
braces a seaside courtyard with a giant banyan tree where island musicians and hula dan-
cers often perform in the evenings.
Royal Hawaiian
HISTORICAL BUILDING
(
923-7311;
www.royal-hawaiian.com
; 2259 Kalakaua Ave; tours usually 2pm Tue & Thu)
With its Spanish Moorish-style turrets and archways, this beautifully restored
1927 art deco hotel is a Waikiki landmark. Dubbed the 'Pink Palace,' its guest list once
read like a who's who of A-list celebrities, from royalty to Rockefellers, plus pop-culture
