Elvis may have left the building but his spirit remains strong throughout his beloved Hawai’i.
Even today – nearly 46 years after his death on August 16, 1977 – his name is synonymous with the Hawaiian Islands.
For Elvis, the islands were an intoxicating mix of natural tropical beauty, beach and surf culture, and friendly hospitality of the Hawaiian people.
The archipelago of 132 islands, atolls, reefs, shallow banks, shoals and seamounts became his favourite vacation destination, from his first visit in November 1957 to his last in March 1977.
But he also made three movies there (Blue Hawaii, Girls! Girls! Girls! and Paradise, Hawaiian Style) and performed nine concerts on four occasions from 1957 to 1973 – most notably Elvis, Aloha from Hawaii, broadcasted on January 14, 1973, and reportedly watched by 1.5 billion people in more than 40 countries.
Like many children of the ’60s and ’70s in Australia, I was a “Rock-a-Hula Baby”, with Elvis Presley well and truly part of the musical diet in my household.
While an older brother ensured a British Invasion smorgasbord of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin, my mother and I would devour any Elvis movie re-run on TV, complete with obligatory singalong.
So, whenever I daydreamed of travelling the world as a young girl, Waikīkī’s swaying coconut palm trees framing the shoreline of a gently curving turquoise bay with endless rolling waves was what I conjured in my mind.
I still can’t resist 1961’s Blue Hawaii (and you haven’t lived until you’ve seen it without subtitles on late-night TV in a Danang hotel room in Vietnam, adding your dialogue in English!).
Hawaiian Wedding Song always brings a tear (I have the single on my eldest brother’s original 45rpm record at home).
Can’t Help Falling In Love was the lullaby I sang my two young boys on a year-long camping trip around Australia.
Despite this affinity with the Hawaiian Islands, they remained elusive on my many adventures throughout the Pacific.
That was until recently, when a nine-and-a-half-hour Hawaiian Airlines direct flight from Sydney made my childhood dream come true.
The ensuing 17-day holiday – including a seven-night, Inter-island Cruise aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America ship, bookended by extended stays in O’ahu – proved that much of Hawai’i remains in the same pristine and natural condition as when Elvis left.
The Honolulu beachfront may have changed since he famously swayed his hips and was “slicin’ sand” at a clam bake but “the real Hawai’i” I had waited my whole life to visit still exists.
Better still, I was delighted to find my first teen idol also had come along for the ride – from his mural in Pride of America’s Cadillac Diner, to “King’s Bridge” where Elvis was photographed at the Polynesian Cultural Center in La’ie on the North Shore of O’ahu.
On a Best of Kaua’i shore excursion, our tour guide Rosario pointed out the soon-to-be-demolished Coco Palms Resort (closed since 1992 after being hit by Hurricane Iniki), where Elvis filmed the wedding scene finale in Blue Hawaii, before we boarded one of the Smith family’s open-air, flat-bottomed boats bound for the Fern Grotto on Wailua River, to be serenaded with a rendition of Hawaiian Wedding Song with hula.
So, if you’re planning a Hawaiian adventure, look beyond the bright lights and good times of Waikīkī before you say your Aloha Oe farewell, and be rewarded with an even deeper “blue Hawai’i” experience. Here are my picks for the most-visited island of O’ahu (“the gathering place”).
NORTH SHORE
Okay, you’ve paid homage to the heroes of Pearl Harbor, sipped a Mai Tai at Duke’s Waikiki (the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort’s beachfront barefoot bar), sampled the slow-cooked barbecue meats and sugar cane juice at the fortnightly Block Party food trucks, taken a refreshing dip in Prince Kuhio Beach/Queen’s Surf Beach in the family-friendly lagoon created by the Kapahulu Groin, joined a trolley tour and relished every bead of sweat on a walk up Diamond Head (Lē’ahi). What next?
Consider taking a day trip or staying a few nights on the North Shore.
Turtle Bay Resort in Kahuku (where TV series including Hawaii 5-0 and movies such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall were filmed) welcomes day guests to enjoy its extensive facilities.
We played 18 holes on the Arnold Palmer course, followed by lunch at Lei Lei’s next to the pro shop, and lingered a while at the Sunset and Off The Lip bars.
The day ended with a delightful paddock/ocean-to-plate dining experience at Beach House by Roy Yamaguchi while savouring the last rays of sunlight over two reef points and a soft-sand beach where Hawaiian royalty once swam with the turtles.
Waimea Bay, Banzai Pipeline and Sunset Beach are known the world over by surfers as the home of monster swell during the northern hemisphere winter from October/early November through to March.
Our four-night stay in an Airbnb at Sunset Beach put legendary Hale’iwa eatery Ted’s Bakery, food trucks selling coffee and fish tacos, and all that the North Shore has to offer within walking distance or just a short car ride.
And even though the spring swells are a gentler option for beachgoers, stand up paddleboarders, bodyboarders and surfers, they also ensure the wide, patrolled beaches are much less crowded for long walks at the water’s edge and that essential “sunset at Sunset” selfie.
The Polynesian Cultural Center, covering 17 hectares with a lagoon, is Hawai’i’s No.1 tourist attraction, bringing together the Pacific’s ‘ohana (family) in six different villages with their own exhibits, shows and demonstrations.
The proud heritage and quaint customs of Hawai’i, Tahiti, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Fiji, Samoa and Tonga unite in this “cultural theme park”.
Step back in time for a history lesson that all ages will enjoy, with more than a sprinkling of humour.
On a fully guided tour, we took an outrigger canoe ride, watched a haka and Maori dancers rhythmically swinging pois, stood mesmerised by Samoan fire throwers and coconut palm climbers, gazed up at a six-storey Fijian temple, tried traditional poi (a Hawaiian staple made from the fermented root of the taro that is baked and pounded to a paste), enjoyed masterful Tongan drum-beating and even took part in a Tahitian wedding vow renewal ceremony.
But the highlights were yet to come: the breathtaking drone photography in The Hawaiian Journey cinematic experience, the bountiful Ali’i Lū’au featuring music, song and gentle hula in the ‘Onipa’a show honouring Hawai’i’s last monarch, and the Broadway-worthy Hā: Breath of Life – a “circle of life” story of Mana and his beloved Lani, as their lives take them across the Pacific.
The cool and colourful surrounds of Waimea Valley are also worth a day trip to swim at Waimea Falls/Waihi Falls wailele (waterfall).
Wander the botanical gardens with 52 themed areas and more than 5000 documented tropical and subtropical plants, including the yellow hibiscus state flower, and marvel at the living archeological site dating back 900 years, where generations of kupuna (ancestors) lived as a community in traditionally built hales (houses).
EASTERN BEACHES
Just an eight-kilometre drive north-east of Honolulu, up the Pali Highway and through dense forests before its entrance, Nu’uanu Pali Lookout offers a unique perspective on Hawai’i’s untouched beauty.
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The location – with the sheer Ko’olau cliffs and unforgettable views over the lush Windward Coast – shows the relatively small concentration of communities and Waikīkī coastline amid a vast natural landscape.
A day-long road trip or half-day tour along the eastern beaches can take in a variety of picture-perfect landmarks that are uniquely Hawaiian.
Head to Kailua, Sandy Beach or Waimanalo for uncrowded sands and waves.
Or visit the scenic point overlooking Koko Head and other coastal wonders such as Halana blowhole and Mokoli’i (a small island locally known as Chinaman’s Hat for its shape).
Plan ahead to secure limited daily entry tickets to snorkel and swim (while keeping a safe distance) with marine life, including green sea turtles, at popular Hana’uma Bay Nature Preserve (closed Mondays and Tuesdays).
The bay is formed within a volcanic cone and protected by vertical crater walls and a peripheral reef that keep the water calm for a tranquil aquatic experience.
GETTING THERE
Hawaiian Airlines flies from Sydney to Honolulu five times a week. Flights depart at 9.45pm so Aussies land in Honolulu about 10.35am (the same day).
- Its Airbus A330 aircraft has 278-seats, including 192 Main Cabin, 68 Extra Comfort and 18 lie-flat Business Class seats.
- Hawaiian Airlines has an industry-leading free checked bag allowance of 64 kilos per passenger (2 x 32kg bags).
- The airline offers more than 170 domestic flights a day within the Hawaiian Islands.
- Via Honolulu, the airline offers convenient flight connections to 15 US gateway cities making a stopover in Hawai’i an attractive option when flying between from Australia and the US mainland (hawaiianairlines.com.au/destinations/north-america)
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WHERE TO STAY
The Twin Fin Hotel: 2570 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu. Phone (+1) 808 922 2511 or visit twinfinwaikiki.com.
Queen Kapi’olani Hotel: 150 Kapahulu Avenue, Honolulu. Phone (+1) 808 922 1941 or visit queenkapiolani.com.
WHERE TO PLAY
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America: 521 Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu. Phone (+1) 866 234 7350. In Australia, call 1300 255 200 or visit ncl.com
NCL’s award-winning 7-day Inter-Island round-trip itinerary departs Honolulu every Saturday, 52 weeks a year, and visits O’ahu, Maui, The Big Island and Kaua’i (with overnight stays in Maui and Kaua’i). NCL is the only major cruise line to offer year-round, island-hopping cruises in Hawai’i, and has more than 70 shore excursions to choose from to truly take in Hawai’i’s lush scenery, pristine beaches and rich cultural heritage.
*The writer was a guest of Hawaiian Airlines but paid for all her other expenses.
MY BLUE HAWAI’I
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