Hawaii (Oahu & Kauai)

Feb 20 – Mar 2, 2023

OAHU

First 5 nights at Hyatt Regency Waikiki on the island of Oahu.

Love the trees in Hawaii!!

Iolani Palace was the royal residence of the last reigning monarchs of Hawaii.

Tobacco heiress, Doris Duke, had Shangri La built in the 1930s. She spent nearly 60 years collecting Islamic artwork, architectural elements, and furnishings for the home. In 2002 it became the Shangri La Museum for Islamic Art, Design & Culture. Tours sell out fast but I managed to book fairly early. I was heavy-handed on the quantity of pictures below. It was so cool, I didn’t want to leave anything out.

Honolulu Museum of Art

Kauai

We spent the second 5 days of our vacation on the island of Kauai staying at Hilton Garden Inn Wailua Bay. The hotel faces an oceanfront park. I wouldn’t actually recommend the hotel for various reasons, but I loved the huge reception area (that also houses the breakfast restaurant).

Kauai Backcountry Tubing Adventure through the former Lihue Plantation’s irrigation ditch and tunnel system.

East Kauai Coastal Shared-Use Path

Driving to North Kauai

Anini Beach

Anini Stream

Hanalei Valley Lookout

We walked through the “Club Med Ruins” (see photos below). That’s what they call it, but the history of this prime piece of property overlooking Hanalei Bay is more complex:

It was once a part of the Hanalei Plantation.

Scenes from the 1958 movie South Pacific were filmed here. I believe one or more other movies were filmed here as well.

The Hanalei Plantation Resort opened in 1961.

In the early 1970s, Club Med converted the hotel into one of its resorts but closed after seven years.

In 1979 a developer purchased the property and poured foundations before going bankrupt. Those foundations are what is left today.

In the meantime, the property has changed hands two more times.