The legendary story of Makua and his seal friend Kila, was the inspiration for this bronze…read moresculpture on the east side of Waikiki. The book was written by Fred Van Dyke. The sculpture is fun and makes me smile when ever I pass. According to the attached plaque, Holly Young was the artist and the sculpture was commissioned by the City of Honolulu Commission on the Arts. The book honors family and the ocean, important Hawaiian values. Visitors place leis around the necks of the boy and seal. There is some public pay parking across the street near the zoo.

I always see them in the corner of my eyes. Didn't mind reading the history of this but this time,…read moreI was curious. The pigeon made me do this. Give them a lil check but failed to read what's on the stone. It needs an update coz letters are kinda unreadable, so here comes google & read some information about this public sculpture. This bronze charmer located in the end of Kuhio Beach Park has an interesting story behind it. The sculpture shows a young surfer named Makua sharing a moment with a monk seal which is named by Kila. It was an inspiration of a children's book "Makua Lives On The Beach", a story about Hawaiian values of love & respect. After knowing all of these, I'll be looking on that public sculpture the next time 'round a lil different. Appreciating it more & give a stare for a minute. I'd be taking more photos too the next time I'll stroll Waikiki downtown. Mahalo for reading & happy juandering fellow yelpers!

For sure there's lots to see in Waikiki on the beach but here's a landmark that gets overlooked a…read morelot for other things around here. It has a lot of history for the locals. The Stones Of Life have some kind of mystical powers. A lot of this may just be stories, but have become a part of the culture. These represent Hawaii's longtime history of a place for healing and inclusion, among other things. Cool pieces of local history and worth going for a look on the way to something else. It's got a pretty interesting story. There's four stones, each representing a spirit who brought healing powers to Hawaii in ancient times. Fun to discover something pretty simple with so much history. The Hawaiian name for these is Nā Pōhaku Ola Kapaemāhū A Kapuni. A pretty significant aspect of local culture. These spirits were named Kahalo, Kapaemahu, Kapuni, and Kinohi. It was only in 1997 that these stones were placed here. They were taken from other places where they had been placed close to their favorite bathing areas according to the information on the plaque. Local officials thought it would be a good idea to put all these together in one area. This would also help preservation efforts and increase interest. Good place to find some history on the beach and learn about local history. It's located on Kalakaua close to the Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Statue. This is one of the more culturally significant things about Waikiki.

These might literally just be a bunch of stones that you end up disregarding because it's by…read moreWaikiki Beach and the restrooms. However, they have historical significance. The four stones are said to hold the power (mana) of four Tahitian healers from Raiatea. These healers traveled throughout the islands administering their miraculous cures. When it was time to go back to their homeland, they gave their names and spiritual power to these four stones. You might think they're just stones, but they are meant to represent the spirit and heritage of the Hawaiian people.

I was gifted a guest pass while in Hawaii. We had dinner our last night in Hawaii overlooking the…read moreocean. There was an event going on but it didn't bother us too much. The seating and view were absolutely gorgeous! There was a storm brewing and a little rain but it made a nice ambiance. We had chicken wings and clam chowder as an appetizer. The wings were crispy and the chowder was creamy! The burger was very flavorful and generous in size. The filet was grilled to perfection and had a blueberry compote which paired very well. Was served with asparagus and mashed potatoes. The Mai tai was a very heavy pour and delicious!

My boyfriend, Keegan Edwards, and I had dinner at the Outrigger Canoe Club on Wednesday evening…read more The setting is beautiful and the dinner itself was pleasant. However, the experience ended in a way that made me uncomfortable. After we finished our meal, a young female busser with long brown hair approached our table and asked my boyfriend for a ride home. We were clearly dining together as a couple, so the request felt inappropriate and unprofessional for a staff member to make to a guest. Situations where staff ask guests for personal favors or transportation can place diners in an awkward position and blur normal guest-staff boundaries. I did speak with a manager about the situation and was told it would be looked into and that they would follow up with me tomorrow, which I appreciate. I'm sharing this feedback so management is aware and can address it internally.

What a great cause from this small family run business. No admission price. Kids from schools are…read morebrought to see up close gems, stones, corals from all over the world to see and touch first hand. Large intricate sculpted figures on display. There is a wide variety of quality jewelry for purchase. Better priced than many other establishments I've went to. Such as 3 for $20 or 2 for $30 for bracelets, earnings and necklaces. Much better quality too. Very nice people. Parking can be tricky. If you luck out on street parking I suggest Target/international market place perhaps?

I recently had the pleasure of supporting a beautiful family-owned jewelry business, and I couldn't…read morebe happier with my experience. From the moment I connected with them, it was clear how much care and passion goes into every piece they create. Their craftsmanship is truly exceptional--each item feels unique, thoughtfully designed, and made with real attention to detail. What stood out most to me was the personal touch. You can tell this isn't just a business to them--it's a labor of love passed down and nurtured within their family. They were incredibly kind, responsive, and genuinely invested in making sure I found something perfect. If you're looking for meaningful, high-quality jewelry while supporting a local family business, I highly recommend them. It feels great to wear something that not only looks beautiful but also carries a story and heart behind it.

Visited park on my way to the beach. Crafted well and had a plaque that described his life and…read morelife's work.

For sure this is just one of many statues of the nonviolent protestor, so it's not like it's that…read moreinteresting of a tourist attraction. In this case though you may wonder why Hawaii has one. Mohandas K. Gandhi was from India, but his activism went worldwide. A pretty simple but true explanation. This is a nice stop on the way to other areas at least. Cool story about the statue and how it got here. Its name is "A Fistful Of Salt" and was sculpted by Stephen Lowe. This was a gift to Honolulu by the Gandhi Memorial International Foundation and the Jhamandas Watumull Fund, and they placed it here just because, it seems. A good way to bring attention to the Foundation. They're involved in promoting Gandhi's nonviolence through educational programs. Have a look at a statue of a famous figure. It's located close to the intersection of Kalākaua Avenue and Kapahulu Avenue not a long walk from Waikiki hotels. This is also close to the Zoo.

We had a wonderful experience on the Jurassic tour with Wonka! He was knowledgeable, conversational…read moreand welcoming. Gave some great post tour food tips too! Mahalo Wonka!

Kualoa Ranch is gorgeous so be prepared to take lots of pics haha. The view of the mountain and…read moreoceans is amazing. The UTV Raptor tour was the highlight of my trip! Highly recommend visiting Kualoa Ranch and doing this popular tour! The land is ginormous and offer sooo many different tours. I'll def come back and book one of the tour activities for horseback riding and zip-lining. The UTV tour is two hours long and you can either self-drive the UTV or book one with the tour guide. Each UTV has enough room for up to 6 people I believe. We paid $162.79 per person. They make you arrive 45 min beforehand but we showed up 25 mins beforehand and it was fine. You check in with the folks behind the counter and then they'll lead you to the area with the numbered table benches. They still made us wait for the group before us to leave before we even could line up by those tables. Once you check in, they give you a neck scarf (which you can keep) and try on helmets and goggles. You can bring your own goggles or wear sunglasses too. They make you sign waivers and also check your IDs if you're driving. Each time slot has up to 10 groups and you drive in a line, stopping at about 3-4 stops. Our tour guides were awesome and very knowledgeable in telling us facts about the different film stops. I'm a big movie/ TV show fan so it was really cool seeing some of these places in person! They had infamous sets from Jurassic World, Jumanji, King Kong, etc. They gave us plenty of time to check out some of the stops and take pictures. They're also really nice and offered to take multiple pics for us, including one with a big dinosaur in the background (they carry a dinosaur toy for these pics lol). Make sure you book in advance because they fill up the time slots quick! You will get dirty from the UTV drive so I recommend wearing something that you don't mind getting messy. Also bring a mask or wear their neck scarf so you don't breathe in the dust. At the beginning of the tour, they take your picture and then sell printed copy as a souvenir at the end for $20. They have a food court, gift shop, and bathrooms inside. There's also plenty of parking which is a plus!

What an experience!! Highly recommend! Lopaka is a great guide and story teller…read more The tour is engaging and mysterious. We started off sitting on the steps of the bandstand in Waikiki. Walked over to Kapiolani park, then the tennis courts. Lopaka told us stories throughout the entire tour. You do get to participate, I don't want to give too much away. You'll walk away with memories and stories to share. There is walking involved on this tour. Bring a jacket. Park at Waikiki Shell or the metered parking between the bandstand and the tennis courts (Kalākaua Ave). I can't wait to go on the next tour!

What a fun thing to do, whether your visiting or a local. A great guide and even if you don't…read morebelieve in Night Marcher's of spirits, there is a lot of history related in the tour. Allow about 90 minutes, come a little early for parking if needed. Can't say much more as I don't want to ruin the tour. Great guide with 30 years experience.

A visit to see the Elvis Presley Statue at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center was fitting since NBC will…read moreair the "Elvis All-Star Tribute" today, February 17, 2019. It has been 50 years since his 1968 comeback special! The bronze statue is a tribute to Elvis since he brought a great deal of attention to the state. He filmed three movies and performed multiple concerts on the island. TV Land sponsored the statue and is designed after his performance of the "World's First Satellite TV Concert" in Honolulu on January 14, 1973. Even though I wasn't old enough to ever see him in concert, his presence has always been around. From listening to my dad sing Elvis songs on his karaoke machine, seeing the Elvis impersonators in Las Vegas and in Hawaii, or visiting Graceland in Memphis, the King of Rock and Roll lives on! The Elvis statue was unveiled in Honolulu on July 26, 2007, and is located near the ticket box office off of Ward Avenue. Stop by to honor "The King" by draping a fresh flower lei around his neck. "Thank you. Thank you very much!"

Great visit to site where Elvis made World History. Cannot believe we got to be that close to…read morewhere it happened in 1973.. Long live the great Memories he created that night.

Last two visits...had a gander at the April and May exhibits from Sasha and Sienna. at ARS Cafe…read more Last week, I had a cortado...excellent.

Definitely a lot of tourists here really don't know if this is what I wanna be surrounded by. LOL…read more But the cafe is beautiful. I love the art gallery and it gets pretty busy here. It's almost like you're transported into a different world when you walk in. Definitely more subdued and darker lighting which I don't mind at all, makes it very relaxed. Service was great at recommending me what drink to get and when I got there it was swamped. Props to the baristas for being able to handle the huge rush of people in the morning because I was shook at how crowded it got. The lavender latte I got was perfect mix of sweetness and bitterness of the coffee. Barista recommended me hot latte so I'm glad he did. Really enjoyed it and will definitely be back. Hopefully when it's not too crazy. Lol