Aqua's Blog » Things to Do On Oahu

Restaurant Week Hawaii

Lori Downes — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:56:42 +0000

The second annual Restaurant Week Hawaii starts today and goes through Sunday, November 22. From fine dining to fast food, participating restaurants will feature special menu items, promotions and discounts. Restaurant Week is a reminder that Hawaii is a culinary destination with top chefs, farm to table dining, wonderful wine and a lot more to discover and explore.

A portion of the proceeds from Restaurant Week Hawaii will support the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head.

Find participating restaurants.
(Many near our Aqua Waikiki Hotels!)

Photographer’s Night at the Waikiki Aquarium

Lori Downes — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:36:42 +0000

Whether you live here or are just visiting this is a great opportunity to get nature photos of some of Hawaii’s marine life. This program is for amateur photographers to snap pictures without the crowds. Professional photographers will be on hand to offer tips. Attendees can then send in their favorite photos which may get posted on the Aquarium’s website.

Where
Waikiki Aquarium
2777 Kalakaua Avenue
(808) 923-9741

When
Tuesday, November 10, 6-7:30pm

Cost
$8 per person (members) or $10 per person (non-members)
Recommended for photographers 16 and up.

Halloween in Waikiki

Lori Downes — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:20:20 +0000

Halloween in Waikiki is a one of kind experience. Every year, people in the most creative costumes fill Kalakaua Avenue and it is quite a sight. Whether you dress up or not, Waikiki is a fun place to be on Halloween and this year, Halloween falls on a Saturday. That means no work the next day so why not just stay the night! Aqua has several affordable hotels on and near Kalakaua Avenue so you can come out, join in the festivities or just watch from your private balcony.

Waikiki isn’t the only place to find a Halloween celebration. The Hallowbaloo Music and Arts Open Air Street Festival takes place in the Downtown Honolulu Arts District. The festival will have five stages featuring world class music, thousands of costumed revelers and food, cocktails and beer available in the street. Aqua’s Waikiki hotels are just a few minutes by taxi from the Arts District so enjoy the festival and then just a catch a quick cab back to your hotel – no driving required.

Find the right Aqua Hotel for your Halloween!

Free Green Aloha Concert

Lori Downes — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:14:03 +0000

This weekend we celebrate National Make A Difference Day and to kick it all off, there will be a free Green Aloha Concert this Friday, October 23 at 5:30pm at Waikiki Beach. In addition to the concert, visitors can enjoy food booths and other local entertainers and musicians as well as information booths on recycling, storm water, urban forestry, water and wastewater. All this great local fun is sponsored by the City & County of Honolulu and The Wild Hawaiian, Henry Kapono. Plus, bring your Hi5 cans and bottles and help Keiki O Ka Aina raise money to develop a green space for exploration and imaginary play on its pre-school campus in Palolo Valley.

Enjoy the concert and don’t forget to be green when you travel too and stay at green hotels like
Aqua Hotels and Resorts®, a proud member of the Hawaii Ecotourism Association.

Have your next meeting in Waikiki … Really!

Lori Downes — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:50:22 +0000

Aqua’s own Park Shore Waikiki Hotel has 800 square feet of meeting space and plenty of valet parking to help you with your next meeting. And Park Shore’s location is great! It’s right next to Kapiolani Park, right across the street from Waikiki Beach and has easy access to H-1. Park Shore’s meeting rooms are available to both guests and the public and are equipped with AV digital projector and pull down screen.

Contact the Park Shore Waikiki Hotel
to find out more about how they can assist you with your next meeting.

Surfing Wirelessly with the Aqua Island Colony

Justin — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:29:21 +0000

Do you want to look up a good hike, and get directions there instantly? Want to do it from your hotel room, the city bus, or from the beach? Now you can! The Aqua Island Colony is proud to offer its guests Hele Wireless Broadband Internet access by Mobi PCS!

We understand that you’ve got a busy trip ahead of you, and that every savvy adventurer needs access to the worldwide web. How else are you supposed to coordinate a snorkeling trip, get tickets to a Tahitian fire-knife show, and find a shuttle back to the Island Colony while you’re enjoying shaved-ice on the north shore?

The Aqua Island Colony knows that finding great value and having a summer blast can all come together with the click of a mouse, and if you are reading this blog, you probably know that too. So bring the ol’ laptop after-all, and Aqua will be sure you’ll make good use of it. Ask the Front Desk about getting island-wide internet access for only $9.95 per day with Hele Wireless Broadband on your next stay at the Aqua Island Colony!

June Event Round-up

Amber — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:50:17 +0000

Something is always going on in Hawaii!

50th STATE FAIR, May 21 – June 21, 2009

Lots of food, games, a midway of E.K. Fernandez rides, and booths. Running four consecutive weekends at the Aloha Stadium parking lot. Hours: Fri. 6pm-midnight, Sat. & Sun. 12pm-midnight.

PAN-PACIFIC FESTIVAL – MATSURI IN HAWAII, June 5, 2009 – June 7, 2009

Events held during the festival include: Performing Arts Showcase, Pan-Pacific Hoolaulea, Art & Craft Fair, Annual Pan-Pacific Hula Festival, Kaze (Wind) Festival, Performing Arts Showcase, and Pan-Pacific Matsuri Parade.

KAPALUA WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL, June 11-13, 2009

This renowned event convenes all-star winemakers and sommeliers, celebrity chefs and connoisseurs from around the world in a series of exceptional wine tastings, festive evening functions and gourmet cooking demonstrations at the Kapalua Resort. Paid admission.

137TH ANNUAL KING KAMEHAMEHA CELEBRATION, June 12, 2009 – June 27, 2009

Events and activities to honor the life and times of King Kamehameha the Great. He is honored each year by the citizens of the state of Hawai‘i with parades, pageantry, sports, hula, music, dignity and respect, a legacy to a great man, to his life and to his accomplishments.

93rd ANNUAL KING KAMEHAMEHA DAY PARADE, June 13, 2009

Watch floats, Pa’u riders, and marching bands parade the streets of Honolulu at the 93rd Annual King Kamehameha Celebration Floral Parade. The parade begins downtown at 9:30 Saturday morning, goes down Ala Moana Boulevard, merges into Kalakaua Avenue, and ends at Kapiolani Park.

King Kamehameha Day Parade,
photo by Flickr user cperis

MAUI FILM FESTIVAL, June 17-21, 2009

World-class culinary arts events, filmmakers panels, A-List tributes and private parties are heading Wailea’s way as the 10th annual Maui Film Festival at Wailea brings its five-day-long under-the-stars ‘Cirque du Cinema’ to the Wailea Resort from June 17th thru June 21st.

WAIKIKI ARTFEST, June 20-21, 2009

The Waikiki Artfest is located in Kapiolani Park across from the Honolulu Zoo at the Diamond Head of Waikiki. The event is scheduled from 9am to 4pm both Saturday and Sunday, and admission is free. We feature the fine art and handcrafted products of more than 75 Hawaii artists, including all types of jewelry, clothing, ceramics, stained glass, wood products, soaps and candles, quilts and bags.

For more upcoming events and entertainment, please check out Hawaii’s official tourism website or one of our favorite blogs, Honolulu on the Cheap.

Annual Floating Lantern Festival

Amber — Thu, 28 May 2009 01:01:57 +0000

Each Memorial Day thousands of floating lanterns are set off from canoes at Ala Moana Beach Park. The festival has its origins in Japan, where lanterns are used to honor ancestors and remember loved ones. This free event attracts about 40,000 spectators and it’s best to arrive early for a good view.

The official Floating Lantern Hawaii website is here: www.lanternfloatinghawaii.com

lanternfloatinghawaii’s *stunning* Flickr slideshow is here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/37175635@N08/show/

Kay’s photos from 2009:

My photos from 2008:

Tip: I hear you can get a unique perspective from atop Punchbowl, the National Cemetary of the Pacific or from one of the many high-rises in the Ala Moana area.

Join us and celebrate Lei Day, Hawaiian Style with Aqua.

Justin — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:35:58 +0000

Celebrating May Day with Music, Crafts and Lei making in the Lobby of the Aqua Palms & Spa. In Hawaii, May Day or Lei Day was started in 1929 and is celebrated with the tradition of Lei. Be sure to check this out event on Friday, May 1st at the Aqua Palms & Spa located at 1850 Ala Moana Blvd.

Schedule of Events:

9:00am – 1:00pm: Crafts and Bake Sale in the Lobby

9:00am – 12:00pm: Lei Making Instruction “Make a lei and give a lei”

10:00am – 12:00pm: Hawaiian Music and Hula by Sam Makua and Friends

Hawaiian Crafts and Lei Displays throughout the Lobby.

Top 10 Favorite Attractions on Oahu – #7: Polo at Mokuleia on the North Shore

Amber — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:29:14 +0000

Last Sunday I attended the first polo event of the season at Mokuleia Polo Farm on the North Shore of Oahu. Talk about getting away from it all!

Mokuleia Polo Field

The polo field is about an hour’s drive from Waikiki via the H-1 and H-2. We got there at about 1:00, and the game started at 2:00. Forget all the Pretty Woman-influenced preconceptions you have about polo being exclusionary and haughty; like so many things in Hawaii, polo is different here than on the mainland. At Hawaii Polo it’s more like an afternoon-long tailgate party. People back their vehicles right up to the field, break out the grills, lawn chairs and beverages, and enjoy a lovely day in the sun with fabulous entertainment. And it’s affordable! Admission is $8 ($5 for military and students) and kids under 16 get in free.

These guys make it look easy

Festivities started with a short game featuring some beginner-level players (the “Junior Varsity squad”, as it was explained to me). Then the “varsity” players came out – Team Equus vs. Team Mokuleia – and you can see why this is one of the most dangerous sports in the world. It’s tempting to think “Oh, I could do that. How hard could it be?” But simultaneously trying to hit a little ball with a mallet, avoid contact with other players, and put together a strategy to win the game while, you know, riding a HORSE, is not easy!

To celebrate opening day, 10 skydivers from Skydive Hawaii landed on the field during halftime.

Incoming!

Between chukkah

Mike Dailey led Team Equus to a 3-2 win over Team Mokuleia

We cheered for Team Equus, as team member Mike Dailey is also the owner of The Equus, an Aqua Boutique hotel. This equestrian-themed hotel is located near Ala Moana Shopping Center and the Hawaii Convention Center. Not only are the rates affordable, but guests receive free polo tickets during polo season!

Tip: Make a day of it: head to Haleiwa in the morning, visit shops and walk around, grab some burritos or Thai food, then drive 20 minutes to Mokuleia and enjoy a picnic and an afternoon polo match. Moluleia Polo Farm also offers oceanfront trail rides.

I slacked on my photography that day, as there was too much going on. Many cool photos, the complete schedule, directions, history of polo in Hawaii and more at HawaiiPolo.com.

Hawaii Polo Club

Mokuleia Polo Farm

Games 2:00 PM every Sunday through August 16

Admission: $8 per adult ($5 military & student), kids under 16 free