After an 8-hour flight from LAX (I know, it shouldn’t have taken that long if I didn’t spend 2 hours sitting in the cabin waiting to get on the runway), I landed in Honolulu on a Friday afternoon, welcomed by warm, breezy weather. My hotel is a block away from Waikiki Beach, so after I checked in, refreshed, grabbed a quick bite at a place called Me B-B-Q (the food was awesome, by the way), I was immediately greeted with a beautiful sunset. My 6-day vacation on Oahu, which was much needed, had officially started!

This is my very first time in Hawaii (or as the locals say: Ha-vai-ee), and let’s just say, it was a blast and I enjoyed it thoroughly! I took a massive amount of photos and learned a lot about the place, the people, and especially, the food. Without further ado, let me share with you some interesting things I’ve learned on the trip, as well as a few of my favorite snapshots.

First and foremost, Hawaiians love their scenic beauty. They work hard to preserve their scenic beauty and they expect everyone to do the same. How do I know that? Well, here’s how. Before entering, I had to fill out a Plants and Animals Declaration Form to make sure that I’m not bringing in anything that might hurt their environment. As far as I know, Hawaii is the only U.S. state that does this. What else? Currently, Hawaii is one of only four states (Vermont, Alaska, Maine) that ban all outdoor billboards. Talk about “unmarred scenic beauty!” If you’re not convinced, here’s another one. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, where world renowned Hanauma Bay is located, requires you to watch an 8-minute video to learn about the bay and what NOT to do while you’re there. That sounds a bit strange but makes absolute sense given the fact that many species we see here we will never see anywhere else in the world!

And the people here are very friendly. From a bus driver to a restaurant owner, they all seem very pleasant. Through them I picked up a few Hawaiian words and learned an intriguing story about their language. There was a time when the Hawaiian language was dying; however, about 30-something years ago, the Hawaiian descendants opened a school where they only teach in the Hawaiian language. The result is now the ones that are fluent in Hawaiian language are those that are in their 20s or 30s. These individuals then take on the responsibilities to teach their elders and invent new Hawaiian vocabulary for new words, such as CD, Facebook, Bluray, etc. Coming from an ethnic Vietnamese background, I find this rather arresting since we have the opposite problem.

And finally, the food. I was lucky enough to have dined at many places, from hole-in-the-wall shops to fine dining restaurants. Though it did hurt the wallet, it was so warm in the stomach! 🙂 There are two places I’d recommend to anyone who comes to Honolulu. The 1st one is Ono Hawaiian Foods (btw, ‘ono’ means ‘good tasting’) on King Street. It’s the best place for you to get authentic Hawaiian food on the cheap. The Laulau dish here is said to be the “best in the world” by many celebrities who have their photos posted inside. My favorite dish is the Combination Plate, which has Kalua Pig and Laulau, Pipikaula, Lomi Salmon, Haupia, and Poi. The 2nd place is Alan Wong’s. It’s a bit pricy but the food is top-notch. My favorite dish is the Char Siu Colorado Lamb with Cardamom Greek Yogurt Sauce. I’ve never tasted a better lamb in my life. ‘Nough said.

Last but not least, and this is my most favorite: did you know that in Hawaii, we can ride on the back of a pickup truck as long as we are sitting down? Isn’t that awesome?!

Anyway, that’s it for today. Here are a few photos for your viewing pleasure.