Mahalo! If you follow us on Instagram, you may have already seen that I was recently in Hawaii. I went for a whirlwind weekend to celebrate my grandma’s 94th birthday and my aunt’s grand open house. Despite having family in Honolulu, I haven’t been back in at least 15 years, so it was a bit of a trip (literally) to come back. With only a little over 48 hours to spend in Honolulu, we made sure to pack as much food and scenic views as we could. Luckily for me, my cousins and brother were equally as down to adventure as much as I wanted to. Hello, Ala Moana Beach!
On my first day, we polished off two meals within the span of 2 hours, and thus, decided to walk it off by walking to the nearest beach. The closest was Ala Moana Beach, a very popular spot near Waikiki that’s also across from a giant outdoor mall. With over 100 acres of golden sand and crystalline waters, Ala Moana Beach looked pretty much like a postcard.
Considering that it’s a huge beach right between downtown Honolulu and Waikiki, it is very beautiful, yet also packed with tourists. If you’re looking for a secluded escape, Ala Moana Beach is not for you. Surfers, tourists, and locals were up and down the whole shore, with no section of beach left untouched. Nonetheless, the beach was still beautiful, and not as overpopulated as I would have expected.
The odd thing about the beach was that we didn’t see any vendors selling beverages or snacks the whole time we were there. After walking about 45 minutes in 85+ degrees F to get there, we were dying of thirst and would’ve paid good money for an icy cold drink like suckers. Instead we headed to the mall (which someone had suggested we go to multiple times) to grab a snack. At first, I couldn’t understand why my cousin’s friend kept telling us to go to the mall. When we got there, it made much more sense. It’s a giant outdoor mall with lots of stores, from upscale Gucci to a Hawaiian-themed J. Crew (J. Crew on the Island, which I didn’t even know existed). With welcome relief, we explored all the stores (and air conditioning) they offered.
What’s your favorite beach in Hawaii? Let us know in the comments below!