Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [96]
SPAS
What’s a beach vacation without a little pampering? Especially with Hawaii’s traditions of lomilomi (‘loving touch’) and pohaku (hot-stone) massage, coupled with gentle aloha spirit. Call ahead for appointments, including at these places:
Abhasa Spa (922-8200; www.abhasa.com; Royal Hawaiian Hotel; 2259 Kalakaua Ave) Hawaiian massage in cabanas amidst tropical gardens.
AquaSPA (924-2782; www.aquaresorts.com; various locations) Intimate boutique-hotel cabana massages, often at discounted rates.
Na Ho′ola Spa (923-1234; http://waikiki.hyatt.com; Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa, 2424 Kalakaua Ave) Seaweed, mud and ti-leaf wraps, plus mac-nut exfoliation and coconut moisturizers.
Waikiki Plantation Spa (926-2880, 866-926-2880; www.waikikiplantationspa.com; Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach, 2335 Kalakaua Ave) Holistic Hawaiian spa therapies with penthouse views.
Kapi‘olani Park
At the Diamond Head end of Waikiki, opposite Kapi‘olani Beach Park (opposite), Hawaii’s first public park is the city’s communal backyard, hosting outdoor concerts, festivals, farmers markets, arts-and-crafts fairs and family picnics under shady banyan trees. Opposite Waikiki Aquarium there are four tennis courts lighted for night play; they’re free and first-come, first-served, but you’ll need your own equipment.
WAIKIKI AQUARIUM
Next to a living reef on Waikiki’s shoreline, this modern university-managed, kid-friendly aquarium (923-9741; www.waquarium.org; 2777 Kalakaua Ave; adult/child 4-13/child over 13 $9/2/4; 9am-5pm) features a jaw-dropping shark gallery and dozens of tanks that re-create different Pacific Ocean reef habitats. It’s a great place to identify colorful coral and fish you’ve seen while snorkeling. Check the website for special family-friendly events and programs such as ‘Aquarium After Dark.’
There are rare Hawaiian fish species such as the bearded armorhead, as well as hypnotic moon jellies and flashlight fish that host bioluminescent bacteria. Especially noteworthy are the Paluan chambered nautiluses with their unique spiral shells; this eco-conscious aquarium was the world’s first to breed these endangered creatures in captivity. An outdoor tank out back is home to a pair of rare and endangered Hawaiian monk seals, which typically breed on the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, but have recently hauled out on some of O′ahu’s beaches.
HONOLULU ZOO
This fairly respectable zoo (971-7171; www.honoluluzoo.org; adult/child 6-12 $6/1; 9am-4:30pm), on the north side of Kapi‘olani Park, features some 300 species spread across over 40 acres of tropical greenery. Although small, a highlight is the African Savanna section, next to a small petting zoo. In the aviary near the entrance you’ll spot native birds, including the ae′o (Hawaiian black-necked stilt), nene (Hawaiian goose) and ′apapane, a bright red Hawaiian honeycreeper. Check the website for schedules of family-friendly twilight tours, overnight campouts and ‘breakfast with a keeper’ events (reservations recommended). The zoo is wheelchair-accessible.
Historical Sites
The Royal Hawaiian and Moana Surfrider hotels, both on the National Register of Historic Places, are within walking distance of each other on Kalakaua Ave.
MOANA SURFRIDER
Christened the Moana Hotel when it opened in 1901, this hotel (922-3111; www.moana-surfrider.com; 2365 Kalakaua Ave; free tours usually 11am & 5pm Mon, Wed & Fri) is built in the civilized style of an old plantation inn. The Moana joined what was then an exclusive neighborhood for Hawaiian royalty and business tycoons. Early guests included aristocrats, princes and Hollywood movie stars. If you don’t join a tour, visit the mezzanine museum, which displays period photographs and hotel memorabilia,