This year, on March 3, I visited Hawaii. My family and I go every year, and this year, the island we chose to visit was Honolulu.
We got up by 2:00 a.m. to catch our flight which we were scheduled to board by 6:00 a.m. Boarding with me were my parents, two of my sisters, two of my cousins, two of my nieces, my brother-in-law, and my aunt and uncle.
Day one of our trip we spent the day unpacking, renting our vehicles, and getting settled into our hotel. We stayed at the Prince Waikiki hotel. I stayed in a room with my parents and my niece. The four of us went to a local supermarket to buy snacks and sustenance to have back in our room. For dinner we enjoyed food at Rainbow Drive-In. At the drive-in, we ate burgers which were very good. After dinner we were all jet lagged and spent the rest of the day back in our hotel rooms.
On day two of our trip we did the Kualoa Ranch tour. This tour educated us about Hawaii’s history, showed us breathtaking views, and even allowed us to see Kualoa landmarks that were a part of various movies such as Jurassic Park, Godzilla, and The Karate Kid. This trip was fascinating and taught us so much about Hawaiian culture and despite the rain that day the tour was excellent and the buffet provided was delicious.
Our third day in Honolulu, we decided to go to the flea market to buy all sorts of goods. There was also plenty of food to buy at the flea market. From tacos, to fried oreos, this flea market had it all! After the flea market and eating a load of food, we decided to get ready and go to the beach. To end our night, we ate tacos at Buho Cantina which were very good however, not as good as the tacos my uncle makes.
The fourth day in Honolulu was my personal favorite. We got up bright and early to go to the Dole plantation where we tried the Dole whip. It was sweeter tasting like fruit in a soft-serve ice cream. In this plantation we also went on the tour offered and took family pictures together.
After the tour, it was time to try hot pot! I had previously booked reservations the day before and this was what I was most looking forward to before the trip. We got ready and headed to Chong Qing Hot Pot. Hot pot was a new but much welcomed experience. At Hot pot you cook your food yourself and are given various meats such as pork, thinly sliced beef, lamb, shrimp, and crab, as well as vegetables such as potato, corn, chives, and enoki mushrooms to put into your pot. I enjoyed the food and especially enjoyed the atmosphere. After hot-pot my cousins and I decided to go on one last night adventure before the trip ended. We bought acai bowls and walked around the Honolulu Mall. We also walked around the beach and took photos.
Our fifth and last day of Hawaii we got a quick breakfast at a cafe and caught our flight home to Los Banos.
Overall, I had so many fond memories of Honolulu and will forever cherish all of the new experiences I was able to experience while I stayed in Honolulu. From learning about the culture to trying new foods, this trip will be one I look back on fondly.