Contrary to popular belief, it is not impossible to find affordable places to eat in the Waikiki area. Yes there are very pricey and touristy restaurants but locals have to eat somewhere too, right? There are 3 great places I eat at every time I am in the Waikiki area that cost less than $15 a meal. The Rainbow Drive-In is located on the eastern end of Waikiki about a 10 minute walk north of the zoo. You may recognize it as Guy Fieri featured it in his Hawaiian edition of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives tv show. The type of food they serve are iconic Hawaiian plate lunches like loco moco, kalbi short ribs, fried mahi, shoyu chicken and lots more for under $10 a plate! The 2 best items, in my opinion, are the mix plate and the loco moco. Almost all plates come with 2 scoops of rice and mac salad, I find the portion sizes are generous and I often have a hard time finishing an order by myself. It's a great place to eat at during lunch and dinner. They also have a breakfast menu but I've never had anything from it. If you're craving a poke bowl and are on the Waikiki strip, I would suggest going to a convenience store (yes, a convenience store!) called Coco Cove. It is very close to Duke's Lane, where all the souvenir stands are. The Poke bar is right at the front entrance, usually there are more than 6 types of poke you can choose from. For those not familiar with Poke, it is raw fish (usually Ahi tuna in Hawaii) that is flavoured in shoyu, or spicy mayo, and so many other sauces. You can get a Poke bowl for about $10 and can definitely fill you up. What I like to do is order a scoop of 2 or 3 types of just poke (no rice), usually limu, masago and something else that I've never tried. I head back to my hotel room with a beverage and sit on the balcony and just relax. The last place that I always visit multiple times when I’m in the Waikiki area is Marukame Udon which is located on Kuhio Ave which is a block north of the main strip (Kalakaua Ave). This is one of those restaurants that you always see people lined up out the door and the queue is often 2 to 3 rows deep. In my opinion, the reason Marukame Udon is so busy is because they make an excellent bowl of udon at a very good price point. You order a bowl of udon which starts at around $5, and if you don’t want to add anything else to it like tempura or a poached egg, that’s all it’ll cost you. The add ons start at around a dollar each so it can quickly add up. Marukame makes their own udon noodles daily and often. Right when you enter the door you will likely see someone feeding flour into the machine. It is quite an interesting process to watch to kill time while you are waiting to put your order in. I often come here at odd times in between regular meal times like around 10am or 3pm to beat the crowds. They have a 2nd location in downtown Honolulu but I have never been to that one. If you are more of a ramen lover, I recommend Ramen Nakamura which is located on the west end of Waikiki, kiddie corner to the Hard Rock Cafe where Beach Walk branches off of Kalakaua Avenue. Like Marukame Udon, Ramen Nakamura can get pretty busy during the lunch and dinner hours but a tip I learned from the servers at the restaurant is to come during "sunset" hours to beat the dinner rush. The restaurant has a large U shape bar with about 20 seats so it is often difficult to seat large groups of people together. My favourite here is the ox tail ramen with gyoza combo which is around $18. I find the price to be a bit high for ramen but then again, you're in Waikiki. The ox tail is fall off the bone soft without being flavourless and the broth is excellent. A restaurant that is on my list of must eats in Waikiki is Hana no Sato (Japanese website). It is not a cheap place to eat but it is one of the best Japanese meals I've had in Oahu. I stumbled upon this restaurant completely by happenstance. It was pouring rain in Waikiki one night and I had already waited about an hour and a half already to see if the rain would let up. When there was a little break in the weather, I left the hotel to go to Ramen Nakamura which was on the other side of Waikiki. All of a sudden, the skies opened up again. I was too hungry and too wet to keep going so I ducked into the first restaurant I passed which was Hana no Sato. Right when I entered this quaint restaurant, I was welcomed by the owner and his wife who saw that I was drenched. Luckily, they had room at the sushi bar and seated me right away. They gave me towels to help dry me off and some hot tea. I was given a menu and my attention was brought to their white board which had today's fresh sheet. My very first meal in this restaurant was a Chirashi don, it was excellent. The fish selection was very fresh and very generous (I'm pretty sure they didn't just pity me being soaked)! Ever since that first time dining here, this has become my go to in Waikiki for Japanese food. The seafood is always fresh and portions are very generous. Staff are very friendly. They do not serve alcohol but you are welcome to bring your own, they dont charge a corkage fee. One thing that I noticed was they include a 15% service charge to your bill even when you're dining solo. If you're looking for a great place for an açai bowl, go to Island Vintage Coffee. There are a few all over the island and in Waikiki, it is located in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Centre. My first time having an açai bowl was at IVC and since then, I have tried a number of other places but feel that IVC is the best one for my taste.
I had been going to Hawaii for 8 years and I had my first açai bowl just last year. I have seen them advertised a lot but I just didn't know what the hype was all about. You know that feeling you get when you've eaten so much the few days before and just felt like something light? That was what I was feeling when I came across IVC in the mall. When I got to the counter and ordered, I mistakenly pronounced it as "akai" and the cashier repeated my order but pronounced it as "asai". Great, I was just tagged as an açai bowl n00b! Being my first time, I didn't know what to expect other than it was highly recommended by a number of friends. After taking my first bite of it, I was hooked. IVC's açai is a perfectly blended smoothie consistency with crunchy granola and fresh fruit (bananas, blueberries, strawberries and a star apple slice) topping. I didn't find it overly sweet and I ate it fast enough (while avoiding brain freeze) that the granola didn't get soggy. When comparing IVC's açai bowl with the Honolulu Coffee, IVC's version is a lot like a thick smoothie whereas HC's is more like a sorbet. If you look at the pictures below, you can see that you get more toppings from IVC's version (on the left) for about the same price point. If you have any must eat places in the Waikiki area that I should try, let me know in the comments below. - Mahalo nui loa
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Oahu, Hawaii is one of my favourite places in the world to vacation. When I go to Oahu, I stay in Waikiki or in Laie which is near the North Shore. Last year, I decided to get one of those DNA tests done on myself to see what my DNA ancestry is. Being a quarter Filipino, I was convinced that I must have Spanish blood in light of the 333 year Spanish rule of the Philippines. When the results came back, I was surprised to learn that I had no Spanish blood. Instead, I had 12% Polynesian blood originating from the Guam/Samoa/Tonga area! Now I'm no expert in family trees but I believe this means that one of my grand parents may have Polynesian roots. It now makes so much sense to me why I always felt at home in Hawaii and why I am always mistaken for being Kama’aina when I'm there. If you want to get your own DNA test done, consider using my referral to 23andMe, they have 2 types of tests that you can do. One simply does the Ancestry and the other a more advanced Health and Ancestry report.
walk to the Ala Moana mall. The Waikiki Marriott guest rooms are in 2 towers located on the north and south ends of the property called the Paoakalani (north), and the Kealohilani (south) towers. The main difference that I've noticed between the two towers is that the Paoakalani tower mainly has city and Diamond Head views, and the Kealohilani tower has ocean views. On both my stays at this hotel, I was given a room in the Kealohilani tower with ocean views. The room has large patio doors that you can open to get that nice sea breeze and a very spacious balcony with loungers and a small table. In each room, you get the usual amenities that you would expect in a quality hotel like an inroom safe, bathroom amenities, mini fridge, alarm clock, iron Since the hotel is a little further away from all the craziness of downtown Waikiki, you can sit on the balcony at night and easily hear the surf without all (just some) of the drunken yelling! Apart from the hotel lobby, the first floor of the hotel also has 2 Starbucks Coffee shops and 2 ABC stores for your snacks, drinks and last minute souvenirs. These are located very close to the elevator banks of either tower of the property which makes it super convenient. There is also an Enterprise Car Rental, a number of souvenir shops, and a Segway of Hawaii tour office. I have never booked a tour with Segway of Hawaii but have seen them all over Waikiki and looks super neat to do. Maybe one day I will do a tour with them with some friends and do a review of it. The pools, hot tub, exercise room, dvd rental machines, and hotel restaurants are all located on the 2nd floor of the property. I personally didn't spend much time using the pools and hot tub because few times I soaked in the hot tub after a long day playing, I felt that the chlorine levels were too high and irritated my skin too much. I much prefer swimming in the ocean anyways.
One negative to the hotel is the resort fees are higher than some other hotels in the area. If I remember correctly (cuz I chose to block it out of memory) the resort fees total US$27/night. To help make up for the high resort fees, you get quite a bit of freebies which include coupons for alcoholic beverages redeemable at the pool side bar (Moana Terrace I believe?), WiFi, dvd rentals, etc. It doesn't really make up for it but its something I guess. You also have to pay for parking separately which according to their website is US$40/day. I am not sure if you get a cheaper rate if you are a guest at the hotel (I would hope so).
Some notable landmarks that are very close to the hotel is the Honolulu Zoo which is minutes away and the St. Augustine Church which is right across the street, the Rainbow Drive-In is about a 10 minute walk away, and Leonard's Bakery is about a 20 minute walk north. There are 2 GoBiki bike racks that are across the street on Kalakaua Ave which makes it even easier to get to places if you don’t feel like walking. Overall, I would rate this hotel at an 8.5/10. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone who is vacationing in Oahu and wishes to stay in the Waikiki area. On my next trip to Oahu, I will likely stay at this property again and will update this post if I find anything noteworthy. If you have stayed at this hotel, tell me what you think of it in the comments section below. - Mahalo Nui Loa One of the things to do after a long day of touring is to hang out in the Pub Street area. The sign above is located on the corner of Street 11 and Street 8 and the Pub Street area extends about 3 blocks in every direction. Here you will find many restaurants and cafes as well as food carts and bars which come out at night. It gets pretty crazy here once the sun sets in Siem Reap! One of my favourite restaurants in the Pub Street area is Khmer Kitchen Restaurant which has 2 locations that are quite close to each other. I ate at the newer location which is right on the corner of Street 9 and Hospital Street and is 2 levels. The menu is extensive with Khmer and Western dishes costing anywhere between US$3 to US$7. I loved this place so much that I came here 3 times during my 5 day stay in Siem Reap! The two dishes I would recommend are the pumpkin curry and the eggplant with minced meat.
Walking on Pub Street after dark, you will find a lot of street vendors peddling various food items from fresh jackfruit to fried bugs. And when you get even later into the night, the bar carts come out with music and drink specials. There are 3 markets all within a 10 minute walk of Pub Street. The Siem Reap Night Market and Kru Khmer Old Market Shop mainly sell souvenir items like paintings, silk, clothes, carvings, keychains, etc. The Psar Chas market, which is also known as the Old Market has the same items as the other markets but in the morning hours until around 1pm or so, they also sell produce, fish, and meats. Bargaining is expected at these markets but unlike the markets in Hong Kong or Turkey, the prices they gave weren’t that inflated to begin with (maybe about 20-25% higher).
I am so happy to have had the opportunity to cross Angkor Wat off my bucket list. The feeling you get when you walk the halls of the centuries old temples and being able to marvel at the magnificent structures built by the Khmer empire first hand is truly an awe-inspiring and humbling feeling. If you ever have an opportunity to visit Angkor Wat, do so. - Mahalo Nui Loa. I booked my tour with Siem Reap Private Day Tours who I found through TripAdvisor where they received many good reviews including mine. I opted to spread out my touring through 3 ½ days so my itinerary was very relaxed. We often started a little bit later in the morning, around 9:00am and ended at around 3 or 4. For me, this was perfect as we didn’t have to travel too much from site to site. We were able to stay longer in each site and I was able to take hundreds of pictures at different angles and was even able to wait out tour groups for shots so that it seemed like I had the whole place to myself.
In Cambodia you are required to have a certified tour guide to bring you inside the temples/ruins or you can explore on your own. If you hire a private tour company to take your group around, most of the drivers are not certified tour guides and you may need to hire a separate one. I strongly recommend doing so as each temple/ruin has its own unique history and may not be captured in a travel book. Siem Reap Private Day Tours is able to arrange one for you in your preferred language. Just advise them at the time of booking. The main Angkor Wat temple is as magnificent as the pictures portray it to be. The complex is about 400 acres big, and give yourself plenty of time to explore it all, you will not be disappointed. We arrived at 5 am to watch the sun slowly rise and illuminate the 5 towers of Angkor Wat in a gentle orange and pink glow. Do not pass up the opportunity to climb the main tower of Angkor Wat. The views you get at the top is not something you want to miss. Apart from the main Angkor Wat complex, my favourite sites that I visited are Ta Prohm, Bayon, Banteay Srei and Neak Pean. Ta Prohm was featured in the 2001 Action Adventure film Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie. While not a very large complex, the main attraction are the trees that have started to grow out from the walls and buildings. In many areas, you see the complex weave of tree roots, climbing all over the walls of the structures. When I visited Ta Prohm, my guide suggested that go during the regular lunch hour and go while the large tour groups were eating lunch. Because of this suggestion, there were maybe 12 -15 people in the temple complex instead of the usual 100+. We took extra time exploring the ruins and examining the carvings that are all over the place. Bayon is a very mystical place. There are 2 walls on the main floor of this complex that have very intricate carvings that tell the story of the Khmer of old. They appear to show people doing everyday life activities and as you move down the wall, the scenes start changing to show mythical or historical battles during times of the Khmer Empire. In the terrace area above, you see numerous smiling stone faces on the towers. Some say the faces are a representation of King Jayavarman VII and others say that those are the faces of Buddha. Banteay Srei is a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and is one of the temples that is outside of the city of Siem Reap. You need to travel about an hour north to get to it and if you only had time to do one temple that is outside the immediate area of Siem Reap, this should be it. Banteay Srei is built primarily with red sandstone which, depending on the light of the day, will give the buildings a very rich reddish, and pinkish hue. There are very intricate carvings all over the walls of each building and statues that still stand intact after years of being exposed to the elements. Thinking back and looking at my pictures, I would have loved to have been in Banteay Srei during sunset, the colours must be absolutely amazing. Neak Pean is a temple built on a manmade island on the manmade lake Jayatataka. It is believed to have been a hospital of sorts and the central pond inside Neak Pean is said to be a representation of Lake Anavatapta in the Himalayas whose waters are thought to cure all illnesses. The temple area itself isn’t too big but it is still a neat place to visit. It’s amazing how they were able to make these lakes and temples without modern machinery. It must’ve taken years and hundreds or even thousands of people to do it.
Arriving in Siem Reap during the early afternoon from Hong Kong, I was picked up by Siem Reap Private Day Tours at the airport and brought my hotel, the Prince D’Angkor Hotel and Spa. During the 15 minute drive from the airport, I was afforded my first look at the city of Siem Reap and was quite surprised at how modern it looked. Because of the pictures I have seen in the past, I had envisioned unpaved roads, and shanty type homes lining the streets. Instead, what I saw were buildings ranging from 2 to 15 floors high, many businesses, and electricity! It looked very similar to a street you would find in Manila or Taiwan. When I arrived at the Prince D’Angkor Hotel and Spa, I was very warmly greeted by the staff who offered a me seat on one of the many couches and given a cold beverage while they checked me into my room. This experience was a stark contrast from other check in experiences I’ve had where I would line up, wait my turn (which would sometimes be over 30 minutes) and stand in front of a counter twiddling my thumbs while staff typed into a computer. After what seemed only to be a few minutes, I was all checked in and a bellhop was ready to show me to my room. Along the way, the bellhop gave me a rundown of where the hotel amenities are, and the hours for the buffet breakfast which was included with my stay. The room I was assigned had a balcony facing the inner courtyard of the hotel complex which overlooked the pool. I was glad that I spent a little extra and went for the deluxe room when I booked as the superior rooms face the parking lot and it seemed like most do not have a balcony. Not really a big deal as most people who come to Siem Reap do not spend a very long time in their rooms but I like having the option of sitting and relaxing in my balcony after a day of touring. The room itself was quite spacious and had the normal amenities that one would expect (wireless internet, a/c, fridge, tv, dvd, kettle, coffee, tea, etc). The hotel gives you 2 complimentary small bottles of water which they replenish daily. However, please be aware that the large Evian bottles are not complimentary. I felt that the bathroom was a little bit dark and could be a little cleaner. Not having an exhaust system for the moisture makes it feel damp inside but that is quite typical of bathrooms in Asia I find. There is a separate shower stall and tub so it felt a little cramped as well.
the places I wanted to go. There is also a modern mall called Lucky Mall that is across the street where there were a few retail shops, restaurants and a super market.
The famous Pub Street, where most of the restaurants are located, is only about a 10 minute walk away and from there, you can get to all the different shopping markets very easily. I will make a separate blog post regarding Pub Street and the surrounding area in a future blog post. I plan to also include a "travelling tips" section for the Angkor Wat area to hopefully help other travellers coming to Siem Reap for the first time, stay tuned. In my next post, I will talk about my tour the temples and ruins. - Mahalo Nui Loa. |
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