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Injecting some "aloha" spirit into your Spring Break!Apr 15 '00 (Updated Apr 28 '00) Write an essay on this topic.A Bikini, a Jeep, and Miles of Sandy Beaches Take these three items, and mix, to get an absolutely fabulous Spring Break trip! But the question is--does it matter which beaches? Yes, especially if you are at all concerned with other things like, nightlife, people-watching, scenery, and culture/social environment. Hawaii, and specifically, the island of Oahu, offers ALL these things and is one of the ideal places for Spring Break. So perfect, in fact, that I spent two consecutive Spring Breaks there! Money, Money, MONEY! Yes, going to Hawaii takes money. This is a trip you need to save up for, especially if you're not flying from the West Coast. But for those of us lucky enough to live here on the West Coast, you can secure some AMAZING package deals to Hawaii! After all, how else could I have afforded TWO Spring Break trips to Hawaii? First question--which island? I had been to Hawaii with my family twice before my first Spring Break trip, so I knew all about the tourist sites and had been to Oahu and Maui. Yes, Maui is beautiful, with its "Road to Hana" drive, the lovely town of Lahaina, and absolutely gorgeous views of everything. But it's NOT a Spring Break-type locale. Oahu, on the other hand, is the home of Waikiki and its "strip" of high-fashion stores, clubs, and restaurants. THIS place is just as lively as any mainland city and it has many gorgeous views and awesome beaches, as well! For those who have money to burn and want to see another island as well, I would suggest booking a package to Oahu that includes a hop to one of the other islands. I have never done this before, so I can't really give more details as I've only seen the advertisements. Planning the nitty-gritty details My first Spring Break trip to Hawaii happened by accident, almost. I was going grocery shopping with some friends at 99 Ranch, a specialty Asian grocery store in Monterey Park/Alhambra (a city near downtown LA), when we spied a travel agency tucked in a corner of the strip mall. We walked in and casually asked about a trip to Hawaii. The travel agent quoted us a FABULOUS price--something around $300--for round-trip airfare, hotel, and a rental car! We couldn't believe it, and subsequently booked the package after getting 2 other friends. The second Spring Break trip to Hawaii was deliberately planned (after we had such a great time the year before!). We lucked out because my friends' sorority sister's mom is a travel agent. She booked us a suite with a kitchenette for about $60 per night (TOTAL)! But we didn't get a rental car included with the package this time, possibly because the more expensive airfare already raised the package price to about $300. However, we ended up renting a Geo Tracker (a smaller, less powerful sport utility vehicle that is MUCH cheaper than a Jeep Cherokee) for 2 days and paying about $60 total. This is a worthwhile expense, because you must get out of Waikiki if you really want to see the good beaches and get away from all the tourists (usually an older, more sedate crowd). And I would recommend a Geo Tracker or Jeep because: 1. You're on Spring Break--this is your chance to live in a bikini, stand up while someone else is driving to feel the wind in your hair (note: we held on to the "rollover" bars, but this isn't exactly the safest pasttime), wave to cute surfers and get a tan (watch for seatbelt tans, as we got those because we're used to the California law that says all passengers must wear seat belts). 2. When the weather is this nice, you don't want to enjoy it by hanging your head out the window. As mentioned above, you really need to feel the wind in your hair and feel the sun. And while a convertible would fit the bill, it's just a little too yuppie for Hawaii. We were college students who wanted to look cool--SUVs are cool, a cheesy convertible looks too wannabe-Miami-Vice. 3. You NEED the SUV for a real Spring Break trip. Enough said. Planning what to do - the first time around During the first Spring Break trip to Hawaii, we went with a few recommendations from friends who had spent their Spring Break in Hawaii earlier. Depending on your preferences (clubbing, bar-hopping, surfing, tanning, shopping), there is an amazing array of choices. Here's what I remember we did our first Spring Break trip. I apologize for the lack of more detail, but I went 3 years ago. 1. Restaurant Row As the title suggests, Restaurant Row has many restaurants but it also has 2 clubs. We had dinner there, and then chilled until around 10 when we went to a club at the other end of Restaurant Row. I can't remember the name of the 18-and-over club, but the 23-and-over one is called Oceans (I think). Unfortunately, we weren't 23, so we never went in, but I heard great things about it. The 18-and-over club was lame, so we left after one drink. 2. Maharaja/Scruples Two clubs on Kuhio Ave. (within walking distance of most Waikiki hotels) that were regular tourist attractions (though we did meet locals there). Scruples also had lots of military men there. Maharaja is the more upscale club, where some boy-toy group even performed the night we were there (I can't remember their name but they had a Top 40 hit). 3. Shopping In addition to the huge Ala Moana mall, we also went to the International Marketplace, stores on Kuhio Ave. and Kalakaua Ave. (like crazyshirts, Local Motion, and the ever ubiquitous ABC convenience stores), and other stores in different parts of Oahu (like Haleiwa on the North Shore). Souvenirs, distinctively Hawaiian clothing, and other tourist-y things are easily available in Waikiki, but predictably more expensive. See below, regarding information learned on my second trip, for better deals. 4. Hawaiian luau, courtesy of Paradise Cove (at $60 each!!!) Yes, this is something all the tourists do. My family and I had gone on the Polynesian Cultural Center's dinner show that featured Hawaiian food, but this luau featured Polynesian arts & crafts (we strung our own leis), the Hukilau fishing ceremony, a show, and unlimited Mai Tais with the luau dinner. This was overpriced, in my mind, and we didn't do this the second time around (even though 2 new friends were with the 2 who returned). 5. Beach-hopping We had a rental car included in our package, but we upgraded to the Jeep Cherokee. I'm SO glad we did, because that car made all the difference! We drove all over the island, trying all the beaches where there was parking (and nearly dying--see my epinion on "Near Death Experience in Paradise") and searching out places where locals were. We never really found them, but we did get to Matsumoto's and Kua Aina on the North Shore for shaved ice and hamburgers, respectively. 6. Turtle Bay Inn & Resort on the North Shore A friend of a friend invited us to a weekend party at this resort, and it was FABULOUS! Gorgeous views, practically unspoiled environment as it's somewhat isolated. We walked out of the condominium and were smack dab in the middle of a beach. It was truly like having a private beach. The second time's the charm... The second time around, one of the "new" girls was very familiar with Hawaii, having lived there a summer. So, we got the "local" tour and partied with University of Hawaii students. Also, we had our suite, which consisted of two separate rooms (a bedroom and a sitting room with a kitchenette). 1. Liquid and other bars, local hangouts Instead of the touristy clubs, we went to bars where the locals hung out. We stood out as I think we are a little louder and crazier than others, partly because we didn't know anyone and partly because it was Spring Break for us. The other bar patrons seemed more subdued, and it wasn't really a pick-up scene like at the touristy clubs. We also ate REAL Hawaiian food, going to Zippy's (a "fast-food" type restaurant that also serves a daily fish and has sushi, I think), Rainbow Cafe (?), and some other little restaurant where we got the best plate lunch! Real Hawaiian food isn't as overdone as the luau food we had the year before--instead, it's a delicious blend of tastes from Asian cultures, native Hawaiian cultures, and European/American cultures. For instance, we had laulau (similar to a Chinese zongze, forgive the sad attempt at pingying, where rice and meat is wrapped inside leaves and steamed), lomi-lomi (a cold salmon/tomato garnish/salad), poi (mashed taro root), and kahlua pig (roasted!). 2. Duke's on the Beach While this is a tourist hangout located on Waikiki Beach, it was fun to go during Happy Hour for their drink specials and enjoy the sunset. Duke's is named after a famous old-school surfer so there is a lot of memorabilia decorating the place. 3. Aloha Flea Market The friend who knew Oahu better than us also brought us to the Flea Market, which had loads of souvenirs and distinctively Hawaiian items MUCh cheaper than Waikiki prices. It was a fun day, as we enjoyed the sun and talking to the local vendors. My Final Advice Regardless of whether you take the tourist route or the "local" route, Hawaii, and Oahu specifically, is a great place to party it up for Spring Break. Take your credit card, suntan lotion, a pre-paid calling card, your 21-and-over ID (real or fake--some bouncers just let us in without looking, but only at the tourist clubs), and plenty of enthusiasm!  |
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