The legendary story of Makua and his seal friend Kila, was the inspiration for this bronze…read moresculpture on the east side of Waikiki. The book was written by Fred Van Dyke. The sculpture is fun and makes me smile when ever I pass. According to the attached plaque, Holly Young was the artist and the sculpture was commissioned by the City of Honolulu Commission on the Arts. The book honors family and the ocean, important Hawaiian values. Visitors place leis around the necks of the boy and seal. There is some public pay parking across the street near the zoo.

I always see them in the corner of my eyes. Didn't mind reading the history of this but this time,…read moreI was curious. The pigeon made me do this. Give them a lil check but failed to read what's on the stone. It needs an update coz letters are kinda unreadable, so here comes google & read some information about this public sculpture. This bronze charmer located in the end of Kuhio Beach Park has an interesting story behind it. The sculpture shows a young surfer named Makua sharing a moment with a monk seal which is named by Kila. It was an inspiration of a children's book "Makua Lives On The Beach", a story about Hawaiian values of love & respect. After knowing all of these, I'll be looking on that public sculpture the next time 'round a lil different. Appreciating it more & give a stare for a minute. I'd be taking more photos too the next time I'll stroll Waikiki downtown. Mahalo for reading & happy juandering fellow yelpers!

For sure there's lots to see in Waikiki on the beach but here's a landmark that gets overlooked a…read morelot for other things around here. It has a lot of history for the locals. The Stones Of Life have some kind of mystical powers. A lot of this may just be stories, but have become a part of the culture. These represent Hawaii's longtime history of a place for healing and inclusion, among other things. Cool pieces of local history and worth going for a look on the way to something else. It's got a pretty interesting story. There's four stones, each representing a spirit who brought healing powers to Hawaii in ancient times. Fun to discover something pretty simple with so much history. The Hawaiian name for these is Nā Pōhaku Ola Kapaemāhū A Kapuni. A pretty significant aspect of local culture. These spirits were named Kahalo, Kapaemahu, Kapuni, and Kinohi. It was only in 1997 that these stones were placed here. They were taken from other places where they had been placed close to their favorite bathing areas according to the information on the plaque. Local officials thought it would be a good idea to put all these together in one area. This would also help preservation efforts and increase interest. Good place to find some history on the beach and learn about local history. It's located on Kalakaua close to the Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Statue. This is one of the more culturally significant things about Waikiki.

These might literally just be a bunch of stones that you end up disregarding because it's by…read moreWaikiki Beach and the restrooms. However, they have historical significance. The four stones are said to hold the power (mana) of four Tahitian healers from Raiatea. These healers traveled throughout the islands administering their miraculous cures. When it was time to go back to their homeland, they gave their names and spiritual power to these four stones. You might think they're just stones, but they are meant to represent the spirit and heritage of the Hawaiian people.

I was gifted a guest pass while in Hawaii. We had dinner our last night in Hawaii overlooking the…read moreocean. There was an event going on but it didn't bother us too much. The seating and view were absolutely gorgeous! There was a storm brewing and a little rain but it made a nice ambiance. We had chicken wings and clam chowder as an appetizer. The wings were crispy and the chowder was creamy! The burger was very flavorful and generous in size. The filet was grilled to perfection and had a blueberry compote which paired very well. Was served with asparagus and mashed potatoes. The Mai tai was a very heavy pour and delicious!

My boyfriend, Keegan Edwards, and I had dinner at the Outrigger Canoe Club on Wednesday evening…read more The setting is beautiful and the dinner itself was pleasant. However, the experience ended in a way that made me uncomfortable. After we finished our meal, a young female busser with long brown hair approached our table and asked my boyfriend for a ride home. We were clearly dining together as a couple, so the request felt inappropriate and unprofessional for a staff member to make to a guest. Situations where staff ask guests for personal favors or transportation can place diners in an awkward position and blur normal guest-staff boundaries. I did speak with a manager about the situation and was told it would be looked into and that they would follow up with me tomorrow, which I appreciate. I'm sharing this feedback so management is aware and can address it internally.

Hidden gem! The second floor is an incredible showcase of a collection from across the world, and…read moredon't miss the full jade Buddha on the first floor. I did significant damage purchasing pearl and angel skin coral jewelry from Flora and they are now some of my favorite pieces in my rotation (and I'm normally a Cartier girl!). Really interesting that they do school field trips here to have students familiarize themselves with all different types of rocks, minerals, and other similar material. Highly recommend for folks stopping by in Waikiki, not a tourist trap for sure!!!!

What a great cause from this small family run business. No admission price. Kids from schools are…read morebrought to see up close gems, stones, corals from all over the world to see and touch first hand. Large intricate sculpted figures on display. There is a wide variety of quality jewelry for purchase. Better priced than many other establishments I've went to. Such as 3 for $20 or 2 for $30 for bracelets, earnings and necklaces. Much better quality too. Very nice people. Parking can be tricky. If you luck out on street parking I suggest Target/international market place perhaps?

For sure this is just one of many statues of the nonviolent protestor, so it's not like it's that…read moreinteresting of a tourist attraction. In this case though you may wonder why Hawaii has one. Mohandas K. Gandhi was from India, but his activism went worldwide. A pretty simple but true explanation. This is a nice stop on the way to other areas at least. Cool story about the statue and how it got here. Its name is "A Fistful Of Salt" and was sculpted by Stephen Lowe. This was a gift to Honolulu by the Gandhi Memorial International Foundation and the Jhamandas Watumull Fund, and they placed it here just because, it seems. A good way to bring attention to the Foundation. They're involved in promoting Gandhi's nonviolence through educational programs. Have a look at a statue of a famous figure. It's located close to the intersection of Kalākaua Avenue and Kapahulu Avenue not a long walk from Waikiki hotels. This is also close to the Zoo.

Waikiki seems like an unlikely place for a statue of the great Indian leader, Gandhi. But there he…read moreis, in front of the Zoo, walking towards the sea. Inspirational quotes and stories of Gandhi are memorialized on plaques on the base of the sculpture. Parallels between his teachings and the Aloha spirit are drawn on the plaques. Gandhi is depicted making a great walk to the sea for salt. The bronze sculpture was created by Stephen C. Lowe in 1989 and dedicated in 1990. The statue was sponsored by the Jhamandas Watumull Fund. Jhamandas Watumull was a successful Indian born, merchant in Hawaii. Watumull built an empire of Hawaiian wear stores during the first half of the twentieth century. The Jhamandas Watumull Find was established to promote the arts in Hawaii. The statue is well done and worth a visit for those interested in history. There is public parking nearby.

Would absolutely recommend, our two tour guides, David and Eden(sorry if I spelled her name wrong)…read more Made our UTV tour so wonderful, had all the information you need, answered all of our questions with no hesitation. Very family friendly, and brought out the most of our tour. 10/10 would recommend.

Kualoa Ranch was one of the highlights of our Hawaii trip. We booked the 2-hour UTV raptor tour,…read moreand it was such a fun way to experience the ranch's incredible scenery. The route takes you through some breathtaking landscapes, with panoramic views of the Ko'olau Mountains and the ocean. It's easy to see why so many movies and TV shows have been filmed here - every stop feels like a postcard. Along the way, our guides, Iven and Van, were knowledgeable, friendly, and always happy to answer questions while sharing stories about the ranch's history and famous filming locations. A couple tips: it gets very hot during the summer, and the trails can be quite dusty, so wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty. It's all part of the adventure! Overall, this was an unforgettable experience and one I'd highly recommend to anyone visiting Oahu. Just be sure to book your tour early, as popular time slots tend to sell out in advance.

What an experience!! Highly recommend! Lopaka is a great guide and story teller…read more The tour is engaging and mysterious. We started off sitting on the steps of the bandstand in Waikiki. Walked over to Kapiolani park, then the tennis courts. Lopaka told us stories throughout the entire tour. You do get to participate, I don't want to give too much away. You'll walk away with memories and stories to share. There is walking involved on this tour. Bring a jacket. Park at Waikiki Shell or the metered parking between the bandstand and the tennis courts (Kalākaua Ave). I can't wait to go on the next tour!

What a fun thing to do, whether your visiting or a local. A great guide and even if you don't…read morebelieve in Night Marcher's of spirits, there is a lot of history related in the tour. Allow about 90 minutes, come a little early for parking if needed. Can't say much more as I don't want to ruin the tour. Great guide with 30 years experience.

Great visit to site where Elvis made World History. Cannot believe we got to be that close to…read morewhere it happened in 1973.. Long live the great Memories he created that night.

I love Elvis! I was so happy to learn there was a cool statue to go visit. I thought it would be…read morebigger but it was just as magnificent the size it was. it took a minute for o find it's location between the two building and water structure but we found it. Took some picks and headed off to our next adventure. Worth a stop to take some pics If you are an Elvis fan. Aloha!

Last two visits...had a gander at the April and May exhibits from Sasha and Sienna. at ARS Cafe…read more Last week, I had a cortado...excellent.

Definitely a lot of tourists here really don't know if this is what I wanna be surrounded by. LOL…read more But the cafe is beautiful. I love the art gallery and it gets pretty busy here. It's almost like you're transported into a different world when you walk in. Definitely more subdued and darker lighting which I don't mind at all, makes it very relaxed. Service was great at recommending me what drink to get and when I got there it was swamped. Props to the baristas for being able to handle the huge rush of people in the morning because I was shook at how crowded it got. The lavender latte I got was perfect mix of sweetness and bitterness of the coffee. Barista recommended me hot latte so I'm glad he did. Really enjoyed it and will definitely be back. Hopefully when it's not too crazy. Lol