First Trip to Hawaii / Aulani - Our Trip Report

A Cabana and a Luau
Friday, January 12, 2018

Apparently being succinct will not be a theme for this trip report… We will just accept that most posts will be longer than I originally planned!

This was our first resort-only day; no driving someplace or even walking across the street, just all Aulani, all day!

We had decided to get a cabana at the adult pool and I made the reservation approximately six months before our trip. I knew from other discussions that these cabanas are pretty far removed, and some say unnecessary, but we decided to give it a try. We were assigned Cabana 6, which is in the back corner of the adult pool and was the only cabana in this group of three occupied that day. Throughout the day there were always chairs available around the adult pool, however we appreciated having a home base.

The cabana had a lockable drawer, fridge stocked with mini water bottles, television, Beats speaker, ceiling fan, sofa/chaise lounge, two lounge chairs and a couple tables.

Our home for the day (from top left): view from the cabana in the morning, adult pool from the end by the cabanas, view from the cabana in afternoon, view from the adult pool looking back towards the cabana area, our cabana for the day.
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Pam had a manicure and Dave had a shave scheduled at 10:30 a.m. and Brad had a haircut at 11:30 a.m. We realized the day before how close the spa is to the adult cabanas and we strongly encouraged Pam to abandon her idea of going back to the room after her manicure before coming to the cabana. She actually took our advice! Pam and Dave went to their appointments and Brad and I hit the lazy river.

After a few laps in the lazy river we decided to try the water slide that requires a tube, which was fun and longer than I expected. After I went down I waited for Brad; I saw him at the very end of the slide but then all I saw was a raft floating. He later said he knew it would not be a graceful ending based on how fast he was going. Somehow his raft abandoned him once he exited the slide and gravity did its thing, dunking him. I was far more amused than he was.

After that fun, we went back to the cabana. Dave was back from his appointment and Pam returned shortly. This is also when the server stopped by to introduce herself and said she’d be back with our fruit tray (included with the cabana) unless we wanted it later. There may have been a round of drinks ordered but I don’t remember for sure. Which may confirm there were drinks...

Brad went to his haircut and I went to try the other slide and I believe Pam and Dave stayed at the cabana. Around 12:15 p.m. our server gave us a heads-up that the lunch rush was starting a bit earlier than normal and it would probably be closer to 45-minute wait for food. I appreciated her letting us know and we ordered food and then hit the ocean. We didn’t stay too long but everyone at least got his or her feet wet.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned water temps yet – nothing scientific since I didn’t have a thermometer, but these are my observations... The lagoon/ocean was chilly when you first entered, but your body would adjust quickly. Waikolohe Pool (family pool) was the warmest. Waikolohe Stream (lazy river) was slightly cooler than the family pool - comfortable and refreshing. Wailana Pool (adult pool) was almost perfect, somewhere between the lazy river and the family pool. Ka Maka Grotto pool was very cool; we never stayed in it very long, and we didn’t get in the grotto hot tubs. The dual-level hot tub (if it has an official name I have no idea what it is) was a good temp; sometimes hot tubs can be too hot, but this one wasn’t. Brad and I spent more time in that hot tub than I expected. Watching sunset from here was hard to be beat!

Random pics of some of the pools/water areas (from top left): dual-level hot tub, Minnie at a pool party, Mickey at a pool party, floating around the lazy river, more lazy river, the Grotto.
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One thing that surprised us was how slippery parts of the pool decks and walkways were. More than once I was sure I’d end up on my backside after getting out of the hot tub or pools. Luckily, no mishaps for us, but I do recommend water shoes or flip-flops. Brad claimed his feet were more slippery because they removed the traction from his feet during his pedicure!

Lunch arrived soon after we got back to the cabana. It was similar to most Disney poolside / counter-service options. The menu had some diversity, including things like tacos with fish, pork or shrimp. In my experience, counter service food quality can be hit or miss but this meal was good. The fries still warm and my only complaint was the quesadilla was very greasy. Overall, it was convenient and I’m glad we didn’t waste time trying to go back to the room or pack food for lunch. Our server was very friendly and attentive, checking on us throughout the day.

Lunch (from top left): kalua pork tacos, quesadilla, fruit tray, shrimp tacos, dessert tray.
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The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing: hot tubs and pools, napping in the cabana, lazy river laps, etc. Oh, and we enjoyed the dessert tray that was also included with the cabana. We left the cabana soon after 4:00 p.m. since we had a luau that night.

We all thought it was great having the cabana. Yes, it was an added expense and the crowds weren’t so bad that chairs became a problem, but it was one of those things that made the day even more enjoyable.

For ease and convenience, we decided to go to the luau at Aulani.

Coming soon… the North Shore!
In regards to the extras you booked for Aulani-cabana, luau,etc; did you book those with Aulani directly or MS? I frantically tried to re read replies to see if you answered this already, so I apologize if you have and I missed it!
 
Wow, flying first class to Hawaii - for a long flight i'm sure it was worthy every penny. I can't even imagine how expensive that is o_O

It looks like you guys really saw so much of the island. I never rent a car on vacation as I hate getting lost when I drive - is it hard to find your way around there? I have heard that people are such courteous drives there and don't drive too fast - did you find that to be true?

We paid cash for the plane tickets, which was a splurge, but it definitely made for a comfortable trip! While it was obviously more expensive, when adding on other fees - like economy plus (which we considered almost necessary when two of the travelers are over 6'3"), baggage fees (two bags up to 70 lbs each are included for first class on United) - the gap narrowed a bit.

I'm in the camp of thinking a car is necessary for a trip to Aulani. There was traffic at peak rush hour times, but I never considered driving stressful there. I'd agree most drivers are courteous and in general drove more slowly than many other cities. Fortunately, no speeding tickets for me!

If you say the sauna's are in the locker rooms, does that mean they aren't co-ed? We're having a massage on our honeymoon and we love sauna's, it'll be a dumper if we can't enjoy them together (the whole bathing suit kind of already is, we're used to co-ed, bathingsuitless sauna's and whirpools)

Yes, the dry and steam saunas are located in the men's and women's locker rooms. I believe the couples massage includes a private shower, but I'm not sure what facilities exist in that suite. We didn't choose the couples massage, so I cannot offer any specifics.

In regards to the extras you booked for Aulani-cabana, luau,etc; did you book those with Aulani directly or MS? I frantically tried to re read replies to see if you answered this already, so I apologize if you have and I missed it!

I reserved the luau online, but for the spa appointments and cabana I called Aulani directly. They requested the resort confirmation number for some reservations, so you may want to have that available when calling.
 
Love your trip report. We head out next week and your tips, especially for the North Shore, are fantastic. Thank you!
 
South Shore Tour and Dinner at Michel’s
Monday, January 15, 2018

We looked forward to spending another day exploring the island with Kenny from Oahu Private Tours. I believe if you are doing multiple tour days they try to keep you with the same guide. I forgot to mention that after our tour on Saturday Jason called to check in and see how our first day went. Besides ensuring satisfaction, I’m guessing this is an opportunity to confirm it was a good fit between the guide and the guests. Which it definitely was for us!

Everyone had breakfast in the room. I was running behind this morning so Pam and Dave headed down to the lobby a few minutes before 8:00 a.m. Pam would frequently remind us that it takes her longer… to get ready, to get to where we were going, to shop, etc. Yes, she was on island time! While Brad and I were in the elevator the cutest girl joined us a floor or two down and we had the following conversation:

Her: “I’m in the wrong tower.”
Me: “That happens sometimes. Do you know where you are going now?”
Her: “Yes, but I have to be somewhere at ten.”
Me: “You have a couple hours so you should be fine.”
Her: “Yeah, but it takes me a long time to get ready.”

This was about the time we got to the lobby level and parted ways. Once we got in the car and joined Dave, Pam and Kenny, we had to tell Pam we saw her younger self since she was in the wrong tower the day before and claims it takes her a long time to get ready!

Anyway, Kenny gave us an overview for our South Island tour as we started driving. Since it was Martin Luther King Day, Honolulu traffic was very light. I wish I could claim it was be design but I honestly didn’t even realize that when creating the schedule. Note for future trip planning: notate holidays.

Our first stop was the King Kamehameha statue and Iolani Palace. Kenney parked the van near the statue and gave us some history of these landmarks and the people behind them. One of the things we liked about the tours was the informal conversation. While visiting all of the sites we learned from a local, which we preferred over a scripted speech I’ve experienced before on guided group tours. I’d say we were at these two places 20 minutes or so. We had considered a tour of the palace early on, but it didn’t make the cut for the final plan. Stopping by and seeing it from outside was enough to satisfy us for this trip.

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Next we went to Nu'uanu Pali lookout, which offered beautiful views of the eastern/windward side of the island. At over 1,000 feet above the coastline, there is an amazing feeling of soaring above everything else. This was yet another moment of feeling truly in another world. There are several signs that explain each significant landmark in sight. We also saw several hikers even farther above us on the mountains/cliffs that surround this area. We were definitely not among them!

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This was one of the cooler mornings; especially up in this more shaded area. I’d guess it was in the low- to mid-sixties. We looked at Kenny, who was shivering in his tank top, and asked if he was cold, to which he replied he was freezing! Since he had shared he might move to New York someday, we told him that if he would have a new context for the word freezing! Anyway, this was a great lookout and another example of someplace that I doubt we would have gone if exploring on our own.

We also visited the Byodo-in Temple, located in the Valley of the Temples,. This is a smaller scale replica of an ancient temple in Japan. Some might consider it a tourist spot, but we enjoyed it and would visit it again. Admission was $5 per person, which was not included in the tour cost. It is very tranquil and is easy to just spend time admiring the beauty of the structures and the surroundings. There is also a massive bell that anyone may ring – which was cool! This stop was one of Brad’s favorite spots on our trip. Feeding the koi was surprisingly fun – let’s just say that none of them are underfed!

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Lunch today was at a restaurant that started out as a food truck but is now a freestanding restaurant. Trust me, it’s nothing fancy inside but has very good food. And there was a rush of locals after we got there, which I take as a good sign!

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Again today there were several beaches and shoreline vistas that we experienced. On some level you may think, ‘eh, I’ve already seen the beaches, I’m good,’ but each one is unique and offer different things to appreciate. I’d guess over the two days we visited to eight to ten different shoreline spots and don’t regret any of them. That said, I’m not going to elaborate on them individually here. But we will share pics! Some of the places we went this day included: Lanikai beach, Makapu'u lookout and Halona blowhole.

For dessert we had requested shave ice since we hadn’t tried it yet. I know Matsumoto’s is the big name, but we went to Waiola shave ice instead. Holy yum! It was so good. Later in the trip we all had shave ice at Aulani and I’d say they were pretty comparable. If I had to choose, I’d say Waiola was a little better. It looked like the same ice-shaving machine, but I feel the preparer packed them slightly differently. And the ones from Waiola were cheaper, as expected with the normal Pixie Dust surcharge for all things Disney!

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Kenny dropped us off around 2:30 p.m. and it was another relaxing afternoon at Aulani until dinner. Again, I cannot say enough good things about Kenny and Oahu Private Tours. Even now, knowing all of the places we went, there is no way we could have had the same experience on our own.

Dinner was at Michel’s at the Colony Surf. This was the last of our higher-end restaurants and is located in what I’m guessing is a condo building. I believe the restaurant has had some interior updates since ownership changed over the last year. It is a nice interior, but definitely on the ‘stuffier’ side. I do not mean that in a negative way, but it’s a French restaurant and the décor supports that. Of the restaurants we went to, this one offered seating that was closest to the water. We were seated along the wall of ‘windows’ – really just massive openings. The water was probably less than 20 feet from the side of the restaurant.

The food was amazing, and the service was great. This restaurant has a number of tableside preparation options on the menu, which can be a fun experience – just be prepared for the heat of flambé! This ended up being our most expensive meal, excluding the luau, since I consider that entertainment as much as a meal. One of the reasons this exceeded my budget estimate was that several of the tableside presentation options had a minimum order of two. Sure we could have skipped a few of those, but what fun is that? They were actually pretty accommodating with letting us split some courses. For example, we split a single order of the Lobster Bisque, which was enough for us each to sample it. Since it was very rich, this tasting size was actually plenty for me – I couldn’t imagine eating an entire bowl and still having an entrée afterwards. We also split two salads between the four of us. I believe Brad’s was the only entrée that was finished tableside. We split two desserts, but didn’t try the soufflé.

Dinner at Michels: Drinks and the view from our table
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Dinner at Michels:Starters and Salad
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Dinner at Michels:Entrées and Dessert
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Overall, it was a great meal and I’m glad we saved it for the end because it set a high bar for quality, service and experience. However, other than the very close waterfront, this restaurant seemed to be the least ‘Hawaii’ feeling. If you are seeking a local experience, I wouldn’t put this at the top of the list. We did not see any children at Michel’s and I don’t know if they even have a kid’s menu. But if you are celebrating a special occasion, or just want an excellent meal, consider Michel’s.

After dinner we made it back to Aulani. I believe this was a night that we stayed in the room or on our balcony rather than venturing down to The Olelo Room.

Next Up: More Aulani time and more shopping!
 


So enjoying your TR!!! Your attention to detail sharing is wonderful. New ideas for our upcoming trip with each new entry! Thank you!!!
 
Byodo-in Temple is on my visit list after the movie star vip ranch tour....this is happening the DAY BEFORE my tour with the group you just used. Did you spend enough time at the temple or would you have gone alone and learned as much etc? Trying to determine if I should NOT go solo and just wait for the tour or go both times? Thanks!
 


Yay! Someone else that went to Hoku! That was our favorite meal of the trip!

We also really enjoyed the Heart of Missouri tour.

I like your style of travel - it's very similar to my husband & I's.
 
I am really enjoying your trip report. I am very excited to use Oahu Private tours for our trip. Thank you for all the details.
 
Oh I didn't know that! Hope somebody knows about that

Just chiming in to answer this one -- we have done several couples massages on several trips. The locker room, changing area, showers, vanity, and saunas are all single sex, so you will separate to use all of those. There is also a single sex lounge in the same area to relax in, or a coed lounge which is what we choose.

The treatment rooms that we have always had have a connecting bathroom area which does include a shower, vanity area, and toilet. However, you literally only have access to that while in the treatment room - and therefore on the clock for your services! We don't waste time with any of that when we could be getting massaged! The one caveat for us is that the 'Ohi'a Lehua "Love Story" for Two couples massage includes exfoliation, so when that part of the treatment is done the therapists will direct you both to take a shower in the adjacent room to get the scrub off (this would certainly be awkward if you weren't a couple in the "romantic" sense!) Then you'll return to the tables for the rest of the massage.

Our visits usually go something like: check in together, get your stone, etc, and separate into the locker areas to store our stuff and change if necessary. Then we meet outside in the co-ed hydrotherapy garden to relax for awhile before our treatment. After our treatment we go back to the hydrotherapy area to relax some more, then head back in to the separate shower areas to change and get ready for the rest of the day.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have other questions!
 
Sorry if you’ve mentioned this, but I haven’t had a chance to read your entire trip report yet (but I will!)

How was the weather in Jan? We have a trip planned for Jan 2018. Was the ocean warm enough to swim in?

Also, did you have any issues using your points at the 7 month mark to get your room? We’re getting 2 studios- standard or pool view, and not sure whether we should book now or wait..?

Thanks so much!!!! :)
 
Byodo-in Temple is on my visit list after the movie star vip ranch tour....this is happening the DAY BEFORE my tour with the group you just used. Did you spend enough time at the temple or would you have gone alone and learned as much etc? Trying to determine if I should NOT go solo and just wait for the tour or go both times? Thanks!

I'd say we spent enough time there on the tour. While I'd definitely go again, my suggestion would be to not plan a solo trip. The tour guide will follow your lead on how long you want to stay, so it may be more dependent on your traveling companions sense of urgency to move on to something else! But, if it is important to you, make sure you confirm in advance that it will be one of your tour stops since every tour is customized.

Sorry if you’ve mentioned this, but I haven’t had a chance to read your entire trip report yet (but I will!)

How was the weather in Jan? We have a trip planned for Jan 2018. Was the ocean warm enough to swim in?

Also, did you have any issues using your points at the 7 month mark to get your room? We’re getting 2 studios- standard or pool view, and not sure whether we should book now or wait..?

Thanks so much!!!! :)

The weather was absolutely ideal! I'm not sure if this was a typical January or not, but it was beautiful, and not just comparing to Chicago weather! We were prepared to have some rain, but I don't remember much; I know it didn't affect any of our plans. Temps were in the upper 70s/lower 80s all day most every day. The ocean was a bit chilly at first, but we quickly adapted and were comfortable.

Regarding our reservation, I had no issues with availability seven months out for our two-bedroom, ocean-view room. I'm not sure if the studios and/or standard/pool views would be more challenging at seven months, but my instinct is that January is as close to the 'slow season' as Aulani experiences.
 
More Shopping and Resort Time
Tuesday, January 16, 2018

This was another hybrid day where we would venture out, but also spend time relaxing at Aulani. Breakfast was at Ama Ama. I originally made the reservation for 7:30 a.m., but that time was chosen when something else was tentatively planned for the morning (maybe Diamond Head?). Anyway, we decided we didn’t need to be out the door that early so we moved the reservation back to 8:30 a.m. The restaurant was pretty empty; I’d say less than a third full. We were seated in the same room as our dinner the week before.

The breakfast food was amazing. Without a doubt I’d say breakfast was the best value at Ama Ama, even with the purchased breadbasket. We went with the Hawaiian Basket and there may have been a few battles for who got what from it!

Ama Ama Breakfast (from top left): lobster breakfast sandwich, Hawaiian Flavors gift of bread, Seafood omelette, macadamia nut pancakes, eggs Benedict (off-menu item)
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After breakfast we headed to the Ala Moana shopping center. The plan was to hit the mall, then grab lunch on the way back to the airport for the rental car paperwork swap. Another benefit to moving our breakfast reservation later was that it gave some of the morning rush hour traffic a chance to dissipate. I don’t have any vivid memories, so it must have been an easy drive. I dropped the other three off at the door and parked the car. By far, this may be the most confusing mall I’ve been in. It shouldn’t be difficult, but I frequently felt disoriented there. One of the priorities for Pam was the Pandora store. She had already purchased the Aulani-specific charm at the resort gift shop. However, they had a lot of Hawaii-specific ones at the Pandora store at the mall. I think she found four or five total so she made a Hawaii-trip bracelet. Of course Brad had to offer his opinions. And, as usual, Dave found a bench outside somewhere.

I’d guess we were at the mall a couple hours before we decided we’d found all of the stores we wanted. Except for Starbucks. There was a kiosk store somewhere, but we decided to go to the actual storefront instead (no idea why, maybe merchandise selection?). The full store at Ala Moana is way off on its own, in what felt like the back corner of the underground garage. Once we got there we had several decisions to make... Brad and I have a rapidly growing collection of the ‘You Are Here’ mugs and, of course, had to add Hawaii. But they also had several other mugs to consider. And Pam and Dave had to decide on mugs. Then we had to figure out beverage orders. And who was buying with which Starbucks card/app; Starbucks points matter! Especially, since Pam has let points expire – which I consider a crime!

After we got all that sorted out and enjoyed our beverages, we were ready for the next stop. We took the elevator back up to the main level, I grabbed the car, picked up the others and we were on our way. Lunch today was Nico’s Pier 38. Again, I have no idea where we first heard about Nico’s, but we later learned it had been on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

Thanks to Waze, or I mean Brad’s navigating, we easily found Nico's. It is essentially counter service with a pager. You order your food and then find a table, once your pager goes off you get your food from the counter. Easy enough. I think this was a later lunch because it wasn’t horribly crowded. Our issue here was Brad’s desire for everyone to always have something different in order to experience it all (aka, his ability to sample everyone else’s food)! Even he agrees on some level it doesn’t matter, but there may have been an issue at a previous meal in the trip when he and his dad got the same thing. And yet, it did happen here… Oh well, clearly everyone survived. It was definitely fresh seafood and the preparation was great, especially considering it was a counter-service approach.

Nico's Pier 38 (from middle left): Tuscan breaded ahi sandwich (with brown rice and mac salad), seared ahi tuna salad, Tuscan breaded ahi sandwich (with white rice and garden salad), blackened swordfish salad with Carolina sauce
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After lunch, Pam, Dave and Brad hit the gift store while I got the car. During lunch we found there was a Honolulu Cookie Company store on the way to the airport. We knew they had a limited selection of cookies at the Aulani gift store, there was better variety of packaging and sizes at the actual store we visited when we were at Royal Hawaiian. Since we still had several gifts to buy for friends and coworkers, we decided to stop at this store. It was actually right across the street from the bakery where they make the cookies. Parking was limited, so we just kinda double-parked and left Dave in the car. We stocked up on cookies (which I’m still enjoying almost every day) and then headed to the airport for some paperwork with Hertz.

When I’d exchanged cars the previous week they told me that since it was a reward reservation I needed to come in for them to end one reservation and start the next one. But they said I didn’t need to take our stuff out of the car or even refuel, just go inside and give them the mileage. Once the return agents showed me where to park I was in and out in less than 10 minutes. A minor hassle, but worth it to save several hundred Hertz points.

We headed back to Aulani and since it was around 3:00 p.m., traffic was picking up a bit, but wasn’t horrible yet. We decided we would go to the ABC store across from Aulani since Pam hadn’t been there yet. Brad and Pam each had a basket full of purchases; Brad claims it was only full because of the 6-pack of chocolate covered-macadamia nuts… Brad and Dave decided they wanted to check out the Island Vintage Coffee store (on their quest to find the previously mentioned biscuits), but Pam was ready to go. Must find a bathroom! So I drove her back to Aulani with Brad and Dave saying they’d walk back after checking out the coffee shop.

When I got to the room, I realized I left my room key in the car. I’m honestly surprised I didn’t do this more often since you need your key to access the garage. When I got to the room the second time, Brad and Dave had returned. However, there was a bit of commotion in the room. Somewhere along the way today, Pam misplaced a credit card. So, Brad and I went back to the car to see if it was there. It wasn’t. We decided to walk across to the ABC store and see if it was found there. It wasn’t. I called the Honolulu Cookie Company since that was the last place it was used and it wasn’t there. Pam called the credit card company and they confirmed there were no additional charges and put it on hold in case we found it. We never found it, so once we got back to Chicago, Pam had it cancelled.

Early in the trip, I think the first full day, we went to the front desk and had Pam and Dave’s room keys linked to their credit card. So, of course, the card that was lost was the one Aulani had on file. So Dave and I went to the front desk to switch to a different card. Now that all of that was finished, Brad and I hit the pool, or Off the Hook and/or the beach. Dave likely read while sitting on the balcony and Pam likely was doing some combination of relaxing on the balcony, iPad time and laundry.

Dinner was supposed to be grilled steaks. The first iteration of the plan was to get steaks from Kualoa Ranch. When we removed the ranch from the plan, steaks from Costco were the backup plan. However, a few days before this day we realized we had enough leftovers and we would skip the steaks. While it would have been fun to grill out, I did notice the grills to be busy several nights we walked by that area.

There was a mildly traumatic moment when the wine bottle Brad opened somehow slipped out of his hands and didn’t survive the landing on the kitchen floor. So, we cleaned up the shattered glass and spilled wine. Luckily, no permanent damage or stains. Just a lost bottle of wine and one roll of paper towels down.

We had a relaxing evening in our room and prepared for our Zipline adventure the next morning!

Since this post was light in pictures, here are a few random shots of Aulani and the island:

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I’m just going to keep your TR bookmarked :love: The gorgeous views are making me so excited! And all the food reviews are giving me awesome ideas! Honolulu Cookie Company, here we come! :dancer:Oh and thanks for tip about the cabana reservations I booked ours for our trip today!
 
I have lived here almost 3 years. Ala Moana is my go to mall, which is great because it has everything I could ever need and it doesn't take me long to get there. But, I still don't think I've found every store in that mall and I always park in the same location so that I can find my car again later. It IS a confusing mall. There are places that you can only access from the garage and then there are places that have both a garage entrance and a mall entrance, and there are "you can't get there from here" places where you feel like you've walked a mile just to get to the part of the mall behind where you just were. Then there are places where the street runs through the mall, so you're walking along and "woah, car!" And then there are half floors and half escalators. There's is one part of the mall that I swear is like Hogwart's staircases.

So rest assured, the mall is ridiculously confusing. It's not just you. (The starbucks small kiosk store is in macy's..sort of ..)
 
Sunday Brunch and the Spa
Sunday, January 14, 2018

Another restaurants that we heard about early on was Hoku’s, which was one of the nicer/pricier places we were considering. When looking at menus online we saw they offered a Sunday brunch that sounded amazing. Since we were only going to be there one Sunday, if we wanted to experience this buffet, that was the day. Luckily, it actually worked out well with our ‘avoid weekend pool craziness at Aulani’ plan.

Back to Hoku’s, we originally made a brunch reservation for 11:00 a.m. However, the afternoon plan was Laniwai spa for Pam, Brad and myself. We agreed that with massages (i.e. someone pushing your body into a table) scheduled

While still eating what we got on our first trip the appetizer from the kitchen arrived. The appetizers were Crispy Soft Shell Crab and Ahi Poke Musubi. I believe this is also when Brad and Dave each ordered a Kahala Mary. They both agreed this was the best Bloody Mary they ever had.

After we left we decided to wander around the hotel grounds and shoreline. The Kahala has their own koi ponds, as well as a couple sea turtles and a stingray. We walked towards the water (it felt good to walk a bit after eating) and took some pictures. Before long we were heading back to Aulani. Side note: remember to have your parking validated before leaving the restaurant.

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It was a great meal and we’re so glad we went. While it was expensive, I’d say it was a very good value based on what they offer, however ‘worth it’ is very subjective and is different for everyone. Regardless, Hoku’s is a higher-end restaurant that I’d recommend to anyone looking for a fabulous meal. If, or maybe when, we make it back to Oahu, we will try dinner at Hoku’s.

Once we got back to the resort we had an hour or so before Pam’s spa appointments began. Pam had a massage at 1:00 p.m., followed by a facial at 2:00 p.m. Brad and I had massages at 2:00 p.m. followed by facials at 3:00 p.m. Initially we had planned for everyone to start at the same time, but that wasn’t an option – either on account of treatment rooms or staffing, I don’t remember which. But this actually worked out well because Pam was not interested in experiencing the outdoor hydrotherapy garden. So, the three of us got to the spa around 12:30 p.m. That would give Pam time before her treatments started and Brad and I could enjoy the showers, pools, etc.

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The spa experience starts with everyone selecting a smooth stone that has a word etched in it. The concept is for you to focus on this word during your time at the spa. All three of us selected stones with the word ‘Balance’. I asked if that basket had anything else! The spa attendant seemed surprised, almost flustered, that we all got the same word. Any way, we threw the stone in the water and then were shown the facilities. Since Pam would be finished an hour before us, we asked if she was going to stay in the lounge area of the spa or go back to the room and she said she was fine getting back to the room on her own.

I believe Brad and I experienced everything in the Hydrotherapy Garden, which included six different showers, two soaking pools, a whirlpool and a cold-plunge. The showers were fine but nothing I’d have to repeat. The whirlpool was very nice, and almost a necessity for anyone who opted to try the cold plunge – at 45 degrees it was freaking cold! We enjoyed the soaking tubs more than we expected. My initial thought was, 'why do this here when I’ve got a bathtub at home or in my guest room?'. However, the environment and temperatures created an amazing, relaxing experience. I think the only things we did not try were the steam and dry saunas in the locker rooms; we are not heat people so there was no interest in experiencing these!

Finally, we grabbed lounge chairs outside and just relaxed. It must have worked because I think we both fell asleep. At some point the attendants came to tell us that we had five to ten minutes until our treatments and our technicians would meet us in the coed lounge inside.

In terms of our spa experience, Brad and I thoroughly enjoyed the Hydrotherapy garden. I’m glad we experienced it before our spa treatments and for us, I’d say the 60-75 minutes we spent there was enough. Could I have stayed there longer? Probably, but we didn’t feel it was too short. Regarding the treatments, Brad and I both agreed we enjoyed the facial the most. I ranked the massage next and Brad ranked the pedicure next - even though it was technically a salon service, not a spa treatment. His massage was not bad, but just not amazing. We both prefer a stronger, deeper tissue massage, but we wanted to experience the traditional Lomilomi massage. Pam enjoyed all of the services she had, but ranked the facial first.

I’ve been debating between the lomilomi massage and a facial. I was leaning towards the lomilomi to try something different. I’ve had and enjoyed hot stone massages before but you’re tempting me with the facial. Any more details about these treatments would be helpful in making my decision. I’m also wondering how far in advance did you book your spa appointments? Thanks
 
I’ve been debating between the lomilomi massage and a facial. I was leaning towards the lomilomi to try something different. I’ve had stone massages before and enjoyed them but now you’ve got me thinking a facial is better. Any additional details about these treatments would be helpful in making my decision. I’m also wondering how far in advance did you book your spa appointments? Thanks!
 
I’ve been debating between the lomilomi massage and a facial. I was leaning towards the lomilomi to try something different. I’ve had stone massages before and enjoyed them but now you’ve got me thinking a facial is better. Any additional details about these treatments would be helpful in making my decision. I’m also wondering how far in advance did you book your spa appointments? Thanks!

I am wondering same thing too..I get massages very often and fear for the price at Aulani I will be disappointed. Facials I am open too as well as the mud wrap thing?
 

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