Day 1
Arrival in HNL (Daniel K. Inouye International Airport)
We arrived at 8pm. Our arrival process was very smooth. We flew United and made sure we were pre-cleared prior to departure. This allowed us to walk off the plane and skip the line. We decided to call Uber to get to our hotel in Waikiki, which was roughly $25 compared to the $40 we were quoted by the taxi.
Check into hotel – Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort And Spa
We decided to spend 3 nights at the Hyatt Regency and 2 nights at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for our stay because we had Hyatt and Hilton points, so essentially we didn’t spend a dime on our accommodations besides paying for the resort fees and taxes.
As a World of Hyatt Discoverist member, you get a free room upgrade to a preferred room within the same room type/category. We initially had a city view room and were upgraded to one with an ocean view.
Dinner – Marukame Udon Waikiki
It was already 9pm by the time we settled in to our hotel, and we just wanted a quick dinner. Marukame Udon was just a quick 7 minute walk from our hotel. This is one of our favorite places to get udon and we like that it’s quick and easy. There was a line when we arrived, even at 9:25pm. The wait wasn’t too long. We got our food and started eating at 9:40pm. We ordered our usual udon bowls – I got the Beef Udon and a sweet potato tempura and hubby got the Nikutama Udon with fish cake and shrimp tempura. Everything tasted pretty similar to the Marugame we had at home.
Day 2
Breakfast – Island Vintage Coffee at Royal Hawaiian Center
Island Vintage Coffee was a 6 minute walk from our hotel. We got there early around 7:15am. There wasn’t much of a line on a Wednesday morning.
What We Ordered:
– Island Latte (hot) (3/5)
I like to try specialty drinks since my hubby only makes me regular lattes at home. This latte had macadamia nut and a hint of coconut. It was just okay. The espresso wasn’t any special, and the flavors didn’t really stand out to me.
– Flat White (4/5)
Hubby said this was good, but he also has high standards for coffee.
– Original Acai Bowl (4/5)
This came in a huge cup. The quality of all the ingredients were really good. Fresh food, crunchy granola, well blended acai base. It just tasted like a standard acai bowl, and that’s probably because it was just a regular bowl with just your typical ingredients. Should have gone with one of the special bowls like lilikoi moana bowl (maybe next time when I come back to Hawaii). I also wouldn’t recommend ordering it in the morning for breakfast, as it wasn’t exactly hot yet, and we got a few brain freezes.
– Taro Bagel with Ube Cream Cheese (5/5)
This was surprisingly so good. We’ve never seen a taro bagel before nor had ube cream cheese with haupia cream. It was such a unique thing to order that we ended up going back again just for this. The bagel was the color purple, which is exciting in itself, and the ube cream cheese was an even deeper purple. Everything was more on the sweet side, than your typical savory bagel. Totally recommend trying
Lunch – Musubi Cafe Iyasume and eat at Waikiki beach
We ordered a bunch of spam musubis and a small poke bowl and walked it over to the beach to eat. On the way to the beach we did stop by our hotel since it was on the way and grabbed some beach blankets. We found a spot in the shade and laid out our blanket and enjoyed our musubis.
1PM – Hangout at hotel pool – For a weekday, I was surprised at how full the pool was. It was really hot and sunny so I needed to find a place with shade. There was pretty much no more chairs in the shade available. You have to get there pretty early to reserve one. My husband found one and I found a different one away from him. We had to wait about an hour for someone else to leave before we could sit together. We ordered drinks and they were expensive and watered down.
5PM – Dinner at Guava Smoked
We decided to walk over here. It was maybe a 15-20 minute walk from our hotel. We were looking for hawaiian bbq and found this spot on yelp with pretty high ratings.
What We Ordered:
– Smoked Mixed Plate with Kalbi and Chicken (4/5)
The flavors were on point and the meat was juicy. However, the portions seemed a bit small and parts of it were burnt and therefore inedible.
8PM – Dessert at Kulu Kulu
What We Ordered:
– Matcha Chocolate Soft Serve (3/5) – nothing special
– Souffle Cheesecake (3/5) – also nothing special
Day 3
Breakfast – Kai Coffee Hawaii – This coffee place was just downstairs from our hotel. Wasn’t anything special.
Lunch – Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin – This was also walkable from our hotel.
What We Ordered:
– Pork Loin Katsu (5/5) Super yummy. We stupidly decided to share because we wanted to eat elsewhere. Definitely regretted it because the portions weren’t that large. The katsu was crispy and the curry sauce was flavorful. Reminded me of katsu in Japan.
Liliha Bakery at International Marketplace – We walked over to the International Marketplace after Tonkatsu Ginza and tried to find something else to eat. We ventured upstairs to Liliha Bakery. Apparently they have another location elsewhere and it is highly rated so we decided to try it. We are also astounded by the variety of baked goods. We enjoyed eating outdoors, the ambiance and decor was nice.
What We Ordered:
– Cream Puffs (3/5) – there was nothing special about them
– Poi Mochi Donut (3/5) – also nothing spectacular.
Afternoon Activity – Koko Head Crater Trail – We decided to rent a car so we could check out activities outside of Waikiki. We typically like to enjoy at least one scenic hike when we go on vacation and Koko Head was close enough to drive. We decided to hike right before sunset, and there were a lot of people doing this trail. The entire trail is pretty much going up a bunch of stairs. The views near the top are magnificent. They say dogs are not allowed but I did see someone bring their dog. I didn’t make it to the top, but my husband did, and the view didn’t seem that different from what I saw as far up as I could go. Going down the trail was more challenging because my legs had already gotten so tired from the climb, so I had to be extra cautious going down making sure my legs didn’t wobble too much. Overall a fun hike and worth doing if you’re in shape and want to see nice views of Hawaii.
Dinner – Volcano Skewers House and Ramen Ono-Ya
Day 4
Coffee / Breakfast – The Curb Kaimuki and Pipeline Bake Shop
We planned to drive to drive out of Waikiki and head northeast to Kailua to hike up Lanikai Pillbox and then have a beach day at Lanikai Beach. We stopped by The Curb Kaimuki to grab coffee. I was instantly impressed by the aesthetics of the shop, and knew this coffee was going to be great. There was just a small line, that wrapped around the bakery counter. The cookies caught my attention and I knew I had to grab some for the road.
What We Ordered:
– Pandan Latte (6/5) – this was one of the best lattes I’ve ever had. I love pandan, and this is the first time I’ve had a pandan flavored latte.
– Flat White (5/5) – hubby ordered the flat white as usual and said it was really good
– Miso Brown Butter Buckwheat Cookie (5/5) – never seen miso or buckwheat in a cookie flavor so obviously had to try. The combination of flavors was on point and the cookie had a great texture.
– Strawberry Matcha Cookie (5/5) – same for this cookie, never seen a strawberry matcha cookie. Also delicious.
We headed to Pipeline Bake Shop afterwards because it was around the corner and was one of my bookmarks, all the desserts looked delicious. We ordered the lemon and matcha cakebombs. These were good but super sweet.
Morning Activity – Lounging at Lanikai Beach -by the time we arrived in Kailua, we were having a hard time finding parking near Lanikai Pillbox. It was also getting later in the morning and the temperature was picking up. So we decided to skip the hike and head straight to the beach. There was a lot of beach parking, in fact we parked right in front one of the entrances to the beach. I recommend going early if you want a good spot, parking and beach. We brought our beach chairs and towels that our hotel provided us and found a nice shaded area to chill. This is by far my favorite beach in Hawaii. The sand is really white and soft. The ocean is a bright clear blue. And in the distant you can see two little islands. Tropical paradise. Being there in the morning was great because it was less crowded. We also got great photos with not much people around.
Lunch – The Hibachi – we were craving poke and hawaiian bbq and this place was nearby.
What We Ordered:
– BBQ Chicken / Kalbi Combo (5/5)
– Salmon Poke (5/5)
Afternoon Activity – Massage at Red Earth Massage & Wellness – we booked massages here about a month prior to our visit. This place had really great reviews and was very affordable. I tried to change our schedule a few days before, but their schedule was full so I would recommend booking in advance. The massage place was a little difficult to find since it was inside a business center building. The store was very small, I think there were probably just two people working there. The masseuse was also the receptionist. Was very satisfied with our service. They definitely had some technique and knew where to push.
Check Into Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort – Our second stay in Waikiki was at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. This resort was huge, when we first pulled in, there were tons of people in the lobby area waiting to check in. We got upgraded to an ocean view. It wasn’t directly in front of the ocean, we had a view of the lagoon, and if you look out left, you can see the ocean. After resting for a bit, we decided to go explore the hotel and check out the beach and pools. There were tons of people, lots of family and kids running all over the place. There wasn’t any seats for us to even sit at by the pool. We had to lay our towels on the floor next to the pool and dip our feet in the water. I wouldn’t recommend coming to this hotel unless you have kids. Even with kids, I’m not sure I’ll ever come back to this hotel.
Dinner – Wagaya Tokyo Tonkotsu Ramen – We were craving ramen again, and Hawaii being halfway to Japan, we knew that this was the closest we’ll be to Japan so the Japanese food is a must!
What We Ordered:
– Garlic Wagaya Ramen (5/5) – so good! The noodles had the right texture, the broth very flavorful.
– Potato Mochi (5/5) never tried potato mochi, and this was wrapped in seaweed, it had the perfect combination of crisp, dense, and sweet.
– Corn Tempura (4/5) this was also a great appetizer, it’s everything you’d expect fried corn to taste like
– Chicken Karaage (4/5) nothing special about the karaage but they did do a good job frying it, good ratio of chicken to fried outer skin.
Day 5
Coffee – Brew & Foam – We had to head out early this day to make our tour at the Kualoa Ranch. There weren’t many coffee shops open yet so we had to settle with this place. We both just got lattes, and it wasn’t anything special.
Morning Activity – Hollywood Movie Tour at Kualoa Ranch – My husband thought he had purchased the Jurassic Park Movie Tour, but it was actually the Hollywood Movie Tour. It was still enjoyable, we did visit some sites where Jurassic Park was filmed, but the Jurassic Park tour would have been way more fun. We’ll just have to come back with our kids in the future. The mountains in Kualoa Ranch are just beautiful. We were thinking of eloping in Hawaii at one point and I had wanted to get married at the Kualoa Ranch with the mountains as a backdrop. I would add Kualoa Ranch to your itinerary if you like very scenic places, and these mountains are very unique to Hawaii.
Lunch – Adela’s Country Eatery – there weren’t many options for food up north around Kualoa but we saw that Adela’s had great reviews and it was along the drive back to our hotel. The menu was a bit complicated, as it had multiple steps. I have indecision paralysis and was just stumped on what to order. The lady taking my order was also talking very fast, and had recommended so many options.
What We Ordered:
– Okinawan Sweet Potato Ube pasta with Lechon (Pork Belly) & Garlic (4/5) – the noodles were fantastic and the sauce was so flavorful. I wasn’t too crazy about the lechon, the meat was overly salty and a bit hard and chewy.
Afternoon Activity – Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden – since there was no where to sit at Adela’s Country Eatery, we had to take our food to go, and decided to eat it at a picnic table at Ho’omaluhia Garden. This garden was a nice oasis in the island, with the tall mountains / trees providing shade. After we ate our lunch we decided to drive up and check out some of the gardens. It was nice seeing all the different trees, and apparently they are not just Hawaiian trees, there were trees from all over the world. Entrance was also free.
Afternoon Snack – Kona Coffee Purveyors | b.patisserie – We had to return our car back at International Marketplace, and on our way out, we stumbled into Kona Coffee Purveyors / b. patisserie. We actually wanted to come here one of the other mornings, we have a b. patisserie back at home in San Francisco but the Hawaii location has flavors they don’t typically sell at the SF location. But when we drove by to initially look for parking, we saw how long of a line it was and decided to opt out. Coming here around 3pm, there was no line. And there was actually a bunch of pastries left. We didn’t get coffee, and just ordered 4 pastries.
What We Ordered:
– Black Sesame Kouign Amann (5/5) – I love black sesame flavor and this definitely did not disappoint.
– Lilikoi Bostock (5/5) – I also really love anything with passionfruit, and so this was also a treat.
– Chocolate Almond Banana Croissant (5/5) – flaked perfectly
– Mango Coconut Lychee Kouign Amann (5/5) – can’t go wrong with this combination of flavors.
Dinner – Tsuru Ton Tan – This was our last night and we didn’t really have any plans to eat anywhere in particular. So we decided to walk along Waikiki until we found something that looked good. We walked through the Royal Hawaiian Center and udon sounded delicious.
What We Ordered:
– Shishito Peppers (4/5) – wasn’t anything spectacular, shishito peppers is always an easy dish to prepare
– Curry Deluxe Udon (4/5) – we wanted katsu as well so this was the perfect dish. The curry gravy was super flavorful and the katsu was not the best, but still tasty.
– Lava Roll (4/5) – this was a little too saucy for me, but still tasty none the less.
Dessert – Island Vintage Shave Ice – we walked downstairs from the Royal Hawaiian Village and got in line for Island Vintage Shave Ice. The line was super long, I think we waited about 30 minutes. But it was our last night in Hawaii and we hadn’t even had any shaved ice yet. So we had to wait.
What We Ordered:
– Heavenly Lilikoi (4/5) Was very good, there was a lot of lilikoi and strawberry flavor. Sadly they didn’t have any more mochi that night.
Day 6
Breakfast – Island Vintage Coffee – This was our last morning, and we wanted to eat the taro bagel with ube cream cheese again. Instead of lining up, we decided to order online. The wait was long. But at least we weren’t physically waiting.
Lunch – Iyasume Musubi Cafe at Lanai – We also wanted to eat spam musubis one last time so we took an Uber to the Ala Moana Center and ordered a bunch of musubis, and saved some for the plane ride home.
Head to Airport / The Plumeria Lounge at Hawaiian Airlines – we got to the airport pretty early and were lucky enough that there was a lounge available with our Priority Pass membership. The Plumeria Lounge was nothing fancy. They didn’t have anything that looked appetizing to eat except cup ramen. But we were still grateful there was somewhere we can hang out instead of waiting by our gate.
