Aloha

Blonde shaggy hair, flower-print trunks and chilled out slangs like ‘brah’ (that may in fact be the most irritating phrase anyone could ever say to me). These characteristics resonate the stereotype of the very familiar ‘surfer dude’ (that each and everyone of us  desired to be at some point in our idealistic lives). It all originates from Hawaii, land of Elvis and hula dances. Honolulu was also our first stop during our winter break.

While the rest of the world was struggling not to freeze to death, we were gleefully sunbathing and swimming in the ocean without a care in the world other than trying to get the ‘perfect’ tan that half of the population of Earth wishes they had. Evidently, our various attempts were not very successful but we still managed to have a great vacation (mostly consisting of surfing and reading on the beach)

Despite being such a popular destination for a beach getaway, Honolulu has so many cultural events and activities that you can participate in. Try learning the style of hula dancing and start playing the ukulele! If you have time, definitely check to see if you can visit Doris Duke’s home as it only opens on certain weekends. Doris Duke was the heiress to her fathers empire and was known as the richest girl in the world. She decided to build a home in Honolulu when she fell in love with the island so go take a look for yourself. Also, there is a Polynesian Cultural Centre that offers a wide variety of activities all to do with the lifestyle of the Hawaiians as well as many other cultures.

The thing about Hawaii is every single beach/island you go to feels so different and has a totally different landscape from the other. I suggest you just spend a day or two island hopping with a camera by your side in case any photo opportunities arise!

Here’s three essentials you must bring when you come to Hawaii:

1. Camera – the most important thing in the world to make sure you remember your holidays even 20 years down the line (and please don’t rely on your iPhone camera. Get a real one!)

2. Sunglasses – with the sun glaring in your eyes 24/7, shades are mandatory if you would like to survive against the sun.

3. A great book – when you are on the beach, all you want to do is be immersed in the pages of a book. In my case, this was ‘The 100-foot Journey’ (but that will be another review in a post up soon!)

Go explore all parts of Hawaii, from Maui to Oahu. Once you arrive on the island, you will never want to go back!