Hawaii has been on my list of places to travel ever since my grammar school project on the islands and a great TV miniseries (remember those?) on the island’s “discovery” and founding. Not that Hawaii ever lost its allure for travelers, but now that the Obamas vacation there I thought I’d check in with some friends who once lived there on what there’s to see and do should I have the fundage to go sometime soon.
Photos Courtesy of Patricia Robinson
So this is an Insider Q&A with Max Robinson who lived there when he was stationed there as a U.S. Naval Officer. Now an energy sector consultant, he currently ives in Houston with his wife and two young children. But he really misses Hawaii. For more on Max, check out Max’s LinkedIn profile.
As always, I’ve provided internal links for spots mentioned by my guest Insider. Happy Wanderings.
MTT: How long, when and where did you live in Hawaii?
Max: About 6 years, from 1994-2000. Island of Oahu, in towns of Kailua and Aiea
MTT: For someone who has never been, why should I go to Hawaii?
Max: Duh!!! Best beaches in the world. Best year round weather in the US. Very good hiking and outdoor activities.
MTT: To get the true Hawaiian experience, where should I stay and why?
Max: Depends on what you mean by that. Most tourists are not there to get a “true” Hawaiian experience – they are there to relax and enjoy the weather. The Ko Olina Beach Club is nice because it is in a more secluded part of the island. The beach lagoons are actually man made though. There are houses and condos that you can rent on most of the islands. Rent a house in Kailua, or on the North Shore. In terms of islands, Kauai [and here's also a link to the Kauai Visitor's Bureau] and The Big Isand (Hawai’i) are less developed and hence have more of a rural or “true” feeling to them.
MTT: What’s the best time of year to go?
Max: ANYTIME. Weather is great year round. Halloween in Lahaina Maui is a really fun time.
MTT: Any insider tips on how to get the best hotel deals?
Max: Depends on how price sensitive you are, and how you feel about the trade off between price and quality. Get a friend who is an [Navy] officer on a ship and offer to house sit while they are deployed.
MTT: Describe your ideal day in Hawaii that you would recommend for a visitor?
Max: Wake up and have a leisurely breakfast – fresh local fruit & some cereal. Eat the carbs and drink water and juice. You need the energy and you don’t want to get dehydrated.
–Go surfing. Waikiki is the best place for tourists to take lessons and is relatively easy. Best time of year is summer for south side swells.
–Come back in, shower at the beach, and get a burger at Kua Aina Burger near Ala Moana Shopping Center. Let your wife browse around at Opal Fields (the owner, Tom, is a really good gemologist) in the mall there, or one of the other jewelry stores. Buy some black Tahitian pearls from the Black Pearl Gallery. My wife owns a very nice earring and necklace set I bought her.
–Head over to the Pearl Harbor Memorial. Take the tour.
–Head back to the hotel, get cleaned up. Go for dinner and dancing. Ask your hotel staff what is the best place for any given night. Different spots are happening on different nights of the week. I recommend Roy’s for dinner at least once while you’re there. Gordon Biersch is also good, and always has good seasonal brews. During the summer ask for a “cola-weisen”, half heffeweisen, and half coke. Iz gud, brah. Order the garlic fries to go with the beer.
–Watch sunset from the beach or on a boat. Maybe you’ll get to see the green spark, weather permitting.
–Stay up all night dancing, partying, etc.
–Watch sunrise from the beach. In winter time you can watch both sunset and sunrise from Waikiki. More difficult to do in summer, as you have to travel from one end of the island to the other.
–Go to sleep. Wake up at noon.
MTT: What’s the one thing visitors to Hawaii should not miss?
Max: Sunsets.
MTT: What’s the one thing they can skip or is overrated?
Max: Dole Plantation.
MTT: What would I find surprising about Hawaii?
Max: It has almost every kind of climate in the world, all in one set of islands: tropical forest, coniferous forest, arid desert, snow-capped mountains, volcanoes, etc.
MTT: What’s your favorite beach and why?
Max: Ooo. Tough one.
Longboard surfing – Near Diamond Head
Snorkeling – Shark’s Cove (summer), Hanauma Bay (winter)
Hanging out – Kapiolani Park (south shore), Haleiwa (North Shore)
Watching waves & crazy surfers – Winter: North Shore (Waimea Bay & Sunset) Summer: Waikiki
MTT: What’re your favorite breakfast spots?
Max: Cinnamon’s Restaurant in Kailua – amazing carrot cake pancakes with guava syrup. Also great restaurant for families (kid friendly) Buzz’s in Kailua
MTT: Favorite lunch spots?
Max: The fish taco shack at Shark’s Cove (literally a shack set up across the road from Shark’s Cove on the North Shore)
Kua Aina Burger – order a Mahi Mahi burger!
Jameson’s in Haleiwa
The Pineapple Room while shopping at Ala Moana Shopping Center
MTT: Favorite restaurants for dinner?
Max: Palomino Euro Bistro (Fusion cuisine)
Gordon Beirsch
Roy’s
Sam Choy’s in Diamond Head
Indigo
Jameson’s in Haleiwa to watch sunset on North Shore while eating dinner
MTT: Best overall Hawaiian dining experience? And worst dining experience?
Max: Polynesian Culture Center for both.
Great luau food
Can be crowded.
Really neat fire dancer performance.
The Luau at Germaine’s is also good and you sit right on the beach
MTT: What Hawaiian local dish should I try and where’s the best place to get it?
Max: Matsumoto’s Shave Ice – Matsumoto’s in Haleiwa
Spam musabe, available at local eateries and food shacks
Poi – not sure there is such as thing as “best place to get poi”
MTT: Where are the best photo opps?
Max: Pali Lookout
Diamond Head, hike to the top
Skydiving on the North Shore close to sunset
Across from Jameson’s on the North Shore at sunset
MTT: I know Hawaii has lots of scenic drives, what’s your favorite?
Max: Kam Hwy along the North Shore
The road to Hana in Maui
MTT: What tours do you recommend and which would you say aren’t worth it?
Max: Pearl Harbor – definitely
Dole Plantation – definitely NOT
MTT: What’s the one thing you would buy in Hawaii?
Max: Kona coffee
Macadamia nuts
Reyn Spooner Hawaiian shirt or Hilo Hattie’s Hawaiian shirt
MTT: Any recommendations for local art dealers/galleries?
Max: Wyland Galleries on the North Shore. They sponsor some really good local artists, in addition to the prints Wyland sells.
MTT: Any insider tips that you always make sure to tell family and friends?
Max: Hawaii is the BEST place in the world to go skydiving. I recommend Pacific Skydiving over Skydive Hawaii, as I always found the staff there to be a little more friendly.
