Before departing from Hawaii, my colleague and I thought we should at least spend a day in Honolulu. Our flight left at night, so we could spend the whole day in Hawaii’s capital city. We wandered the city starting near the royal palace and ending at Waikiki. I’ll say up front here, I preferred Laie to Honolulu.
Our day there happened to coincide with the Honolulu Festival, which brought more people to town. It was a bit crowded, especially in Waikiki. I couldn’t help comparing sitting on the beach the day before in Laie with no one anywhere nearby to the crowds on the beaches in the city. Why would anyone find it relaxing to rent a lounge chair that is surrounded by fifty others? It looked like storage more than a peaceful place to unwind at the beach.
The positives to our Honolulu day trip included the historic sites we found early on and watching the Honolulu Festival parade. Oh, and I can’t forget some yummy burritos before returning to China. I’m sure Honolulu could make for a better trip if you have the time and money to spend several days there and take day trips to other parts of the island. Otherwise, I prefer the seclusion and limited amenities of small-town Laie any day.
Susan
I agree! We spent a few days on the North shore and enjoyed having a beach to ourselves.