Waikiki - Honolulu, HI

Whenever making a decision to travel I always ask myself 3 questions. Have I been there? Would my family want to hear about it ? Is it far enough from work?  Hawaii definitely was the answer to all those questions. I didn't know anyone who had gone so in all honesty I wasn't sure what to expect. When doing research about where to go I stumbled on some negative experiences people shared with locals and their treatment of tourist. Based on the beautiful scenery I had to go see for myself.

I made the decision to stay at the Hilton Waikiki Beach hotel for two reasons, a roof top pool and it was located a block away from the beach. Although I did do some light research I wanted this vacation to be an adventure. I wanted to be able to have everyday be a surprise. Sometimes when planning a vacation building a giant itinerary can take away from enjoying the moment. I don't regret this approach.When I walked into my room I was greeted by an amazing view of both the mountain and the city. Since I was so drained due to the flight I spent the rest of my first day in my room enjoying my stunning view.

Lucky for me Hawaii is 5 hours behind my local time so waking up at 4am was really like waking up at 9am. It gave me the chance to work out enjoy breakfast and still have an entire day to do whatever called to me. While visiting I had the opportunity to hiked to the Diamond Head State Monument, which is actually a 300,000 year old crater. The Waikiki Aquarium offered a relaxing place to learn about local plants and fish. Across the street is the Honolulu Zoo which is home to all kinds of amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles from all over the world. Even the local mall, Ala Moana, was a great place to enjoy the natural beauty of the outdoors even if your someone who would rather be indoors.

Over all my experience in Hawaii was amazing. The original concern about how the locals would treat me vanished the first day I arrived. The people were super friendly and always willing to help to make sure I enjoyed being there. Everyone always had a back story to show how traditional Hawaiian culture is preserved even in modern times. It was an amazing experience in both the beautiful scenery and rich traditions that Hawaii had to offer. The one drawback I personally had was the 10 hour travel time to get there and then the 14 hours travel time back. It would most likely be made easier with someone you wouldn't mind sharing personal space with. So go to Hawaii don't think to much about what your going to do and just enjoy.