Home : 50 Ways to Love Oahu : Girlfriend Getaways
Hawaiian
Music Hopping
For a fun night on the town,
enjoy the free entertainment offered by the hotels in Waikiki.
While you enjoy sampling some great food and drinks and mingling with
the locals, you will be treated to the sounds of the island from contemporary
Hawaiian to the more mellow melodies of the ukulele or slack key.
The newly opened Kani Ka
Pila Grille at Outrigger Reef offers some of Oahu’s best Hawaiian
music concerts with performances by some of Hawaii’s greatest island
musicians, hot new local talent and island artists of international
renown. In Hawaiian, Kani Ka Pila means “let’s make music,” and
the entertainment hot spot delivers on its name with a weekly lineup
of Hawaii’s musical greats, entertainment nightly from 5:30 p.m. to
8:30 p.m. www.OutriggerReefWaikikiBeachwalk.com.
Outrigger's Na Mele
No Na Pua Kamaaina Concert and Sunday Showcase music series offers
an array of musical stylings that include jazz, Hawaiian, hula performances,
contemporary island sounds and ukulele. Na Mele No Na Pua signature
concert series is held bi-monthly on the final Sunday of the scheduled
month. The concert time is from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. on the Grand Lanai
of the Embassy Suites-Waikiki Beach Walk hotel. Each concert is free
and open to the public while seating allows. www.embassysuiteswaikiki.com
Indulge in sunset cocktails
and Hawaiian music at Halekulani’s House Without A Key
and the Moana Terrace at Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa.
Immortalized in a 1925 Charlie Chan novel, House Without A Key
is Halekulani's popular indoor/outdoor gathering spot for informal breakfast,
lunch, cocktails, appetizers and entertainment. One of the favored traditions
of the original Halekulani - cocktails and Hawaiian music under the
century-old Kiawe tree - has been faithfully preserved here. Have
a relaxing night with your friends enjoying beautiful sunsets and classic
Hawaiian music accompanied by a graceful and traditional hula performance.
Live music nightly from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Enjoy poolside cocktails
at the Moana Terrace at Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort &
Spa, with Waikiki Beach sunsets and local Hawaiian entertainment
nightly 6:30pm – 9:30pm. Visit www.halekulani.com & www.marriottwaikiki.com for more details
For a bit more contemporary
island music, visit the Hilton Hawaiian Village’s Tapa Bar,
the "Home of Hawaii's Music". With groups like the incomparable
Olomana, Beach 5, Piranha Brothers, Wasabi, Typical Hawaiians and Na
Kama you are sure to be entertained every night of the week. Visit www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com for this month's schedule.
Arts
& Culture Scene
Fabulous Fridays in the
arts & culture district of Historic Honolulu
Fridays are a great time to
be downtown on Oahu for arts lovers. On the first Friday of each
month, First Fridays is a free event that invites all ages to
downtown Honolulu’s galleries and studios to view work by various
artists. More than 20 galleries participate, and the evening includes
live music, street entertainment, wine tasting and antique stores. Following
the free gallery walking map, guests can also stop along the way and
experience the many bars, clubs and restaurants that make downtown a
unique destination. On the last Friday of every month, ARTafterDARK
offers a new twist on pau hana (happy hour), as the Honolulu Academy
of Arts presents an evening that invigorates the senses with a combination
of food, art, music, dancing, and drinks. Every event’s theme is based
on around the museum’s current feature exhibition and provides a fun
and socially active way to view art in a festive atmosphere. www.artsatmarks.com www.artafterdark.org
The Great
Outdoors
No better way to bond than
by doing something wild...wet and wild. Surf lessons, kayaking
and wild dolphin swims are all great ways to be adventurous and create
stories to tell again and again.
There is no better place to
learn to surf than at its birthplace. Along the calm waters of
Waikiki, take part in a tradition that stretches back through Hawaiian
history as a sport of royalty. Hawaii beckons to surfers around
the world. Surfing can be an exciting, exhilarating, awe-inspiring,
spiritual experience. Learn with a pro at Hans Hedemann’s
Surf School. www.hhsurf.com
From the rainforest to the
reef, explore Oahu’s great outdoors. Hike to hidden waterfalls
in tropical rainforests and learn about the native flora and fauna,
or go on a relaxing downhill scenic bike ride and then end your day
in the refreshing waters of the Pacific Ocean with some sailing and
snorkeling. Have fun, stay fit, learn something new and make memories. www.bikehawaii.com
Just offshore from the powdery
white sand beaches of Kailua and Lanikai Beach are the Moku Lua Islands.
Kayak along the gentle waters of Kailua to the "Twin Islands"
- larger Moku Nui and tiny Moku Iki; bird sanctuaries and a great destination
for kayaking adventures. Guides will share the pristine beauty
of these waters and as you paddle along, you may even see honu (green
sea turtles) swimming through the crystal clear waters. www.twogoodkayaks.com
Venture to Oahu’s Leeward
Coast to swim with dolphins and green sea turtles with Wild Side
Specialty Tours. The company’s twin hulled vessel leaves from Waianae
Harbor with a crew that includes a marine biologist who shares her extensive
knowledge of O'ahu’s waters and marine life. Before long, spinner,
bottlenose, rough-toothed, and spotted dolphins may surround the vessel.
You can don snorkeling equipment and swim with the dolphins. Later on,
the vessel will go closer to shore near the coral reef where you can
snorkel among green sea turtles and colorful tropical fish. www.sailhawaii.com
Indulgences
Lomi lomi is a Hawaiian
massage offered at most spas on Oahu. The technique is meant to
open the heart and let the mana - one’s life energies – flow evenly
through the body. Lomi lomi can be a true healing experience and
realign a person’s body, mind, and soul. Kukui nut oil, is often used
in massage and skin treatments. Ancient Hawaiians knew of its
healing powers and have used it for centuries to stimulate the body
to heal. The old saying goes, “Ola Mai Iliko Mai,” which
means “health comes from within.”
Enliven your senses, and enjoy
an evening with the tastes of aloha at a James Beard award winning restaurant.
Roy’s has 3 locations for island-wide access to the culinary creations
of Hawaii’s first ever James Beard Award Winner (1993). Local
legend, Roy Yamaguchi has restaurants in Ko olina, Hawaii Kai, and Waikiki.
Menu sneak peak: Roasted Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi with Lobster
Cognac Butter Sauce www.roysrestaurant.com
Alan Wong’s
(1996) has 2 great locations, the more casual Pineapple Room at Ala
Moana Center and the original fine dining restaurant along South King
Street. Year after year, Alan Wong’s restaurant wins kudos from
residents in local restaurant awards. Come see what all the fuss
is about. Menu sneak peak: Macadamia Nut-Coconut Crusted Lamb
Chops www.alanwongs.com
Chef Mavro’s
(2003) is the only Hawaii restaurant listed in the Gayot Top 40 Restaurants
in the U.S. Known for the excellence and quality of his fresh
ingredients and his passion, this celebrity chef is just as well-known
for his charm. Menu sneak peak: kurobuta pork “a la malais”,
roasted rack, crispy shank, sweet and sour watermelon, ginger dressing,
caramelized pork jus www.chefmavro.com
For a night of amazing island
fusion cuisine AND legendary music, make your way to the Aloha Tower
Marketplace and make a dinner reservation for Chai's Island Bistro.
From the Brother's Cazimero to Jerry Santos to Melveen Leed to Raiatea
Helms, the music goes hand-in-hand with Chef Chai's Thai-inspired Island
Fusion Cuisine. Let your senses go wild! www.chaisislandbistro.com
For a beautiful, delicious
way to start your Sunday on Oahu, Orchids
at Halekulani is a casually elegant oceanfront restaurant that serves
breakfast, lunch and dinner in a peaceful idyllic setting. Specialties
include ahi-seared sashimi with Cajun spices, island-raised moi with
hearts of palm, and oriental style steamed onaga. Orchids' Sunday
brunch is legendary and is called "Oahu's Best Brunch," by
Honolulu Magazine. www.halekulani.com
