HAWAII PARALEGAL ASSOCIATION

LOCAL SCENE

The Island of O'ahu

Where Aloha Begins

The Hawaii Paralegal Association welcomes you to Hawaii. We hope that you and your families have a wonderful time in paradise. You may be staying near Waikiki, a small section of O'ahu separated from the rest of Honolulu by the Ala Wai Canal. Waikiki is on a long stretch of beautiful beach and is the tourist mecca for this island. Everything in Waikiki is within walking distance. Transportation is optional unless you want to venture out to the many other wonderful sights around O'ahu.

Honolulu is both a major urban metropolis and a small town. You will be surprised at how cosmopolitan and up-scale the shopping centers are, catering to everyone from the locals to the tourists to the most elite of shoppers. You may be surprised at the superb quality of food and service at most restaurants. You might be surprised to find a skyline resembling a small-scale Manhattan. You should not be surprised at the Spirit of Aloha you will find everywhere. You will not hear any horns blowing. Most everything is on Hawaiian Time, which typically means slow and a little late. You will notice that our weather is conducive for a lot of outdoor activities which is why you will see thousands of folks up at the crack of dawn out walking, jogging, or bicycling. The sunrise is as beautiful as the sunset.

What should you wear? It's casual all the way. Unless you are due in court, men do not wear coats and ties - ever! Women dress casually for just about anything except for dinner at the most exclusive restaurants. Even then, men can get away with a short sleeved Hawaiian shirt and pants. Shoes are optional almost everywhere except, again, at exclusive restaurants. Most locals opt for zorries, rubber slippers, or sandals. Don't be surprised to see bikini-clad women out shopping on their way to and from the beach.

Hawaii is known as the melting pot of America where diverse ethnic cultures coexist. Caucasians are in the minority, with Asians being the most predominant. The military has a large presence on O'ahu. Because Hawaii's main business is tourism, we cater to the finest, most discriminating tastes in the world. Our restaurants are on a par with, and often surpass, the finest in the world. You can find a wide variety of ethnic dishes in Hawaii.

What follows is a brief guide to some of what you might wish to experience in Honolulu - with an emphasis on what's close to Waikiki. You can also rent a car and drive yourself around the island, take a ride on TheBus - which goes just about everywhere, albeit slowly - or sign up for a tour, if you're feeling less adventurous. Please note that everything described herein is subject to change without notice.

GENERAL

A quick glance at a map of Honolulu will tell you that there is no comprehensive grid pattern to the streets (as there is in some other cities), and that Honolulu is not neatly aligned according to the compass points. For these reasons, in Honolulu directions are usually given using four common terms: mauka (toward the mountains), makai (toward the ocean), Diamond Head (toward Diamond Head, or very roughly eastward), and Ewa (toward the Ewa side of the island, or very roughly westward). For example, the Ala Moana Hotel is on the makai/Diamond Head corner of Mahukona and Atkinson.

Honolulu's municipal bus service, TheBus, has a telephone information line at 848-5555 (for a live person) or 296-1818 x8287 (for recorded information regarding popular destinations) as well as a website with schedule and other information at www.thebus.org. One-way fare is $1.00 for adults, $0.50 for students; exact change (coins or bills) is required. The Ala Moana Center is on most bus routes.

In Honolulu you don't hail a taxi on the street: you call one or go to a cab stand. Cab companies include SIDA (State Independent Drivers Association) at 836-0011 and Charley's at 531-1333; most hotels have a taxi stand (just tell the doorperson you need a taxi), and there are two taxi stands at the Ala Moana Center (midway along the mauka and makai sides).

For general cultural information on Hawaii, check out the Hawaiian Home Page at www.geocities.com/~olelo/home.html, or the Aloha Joe internet radio show home page at www.alohajoe.com (which features internet radio LA/Hawaiian-style).

MUSIC

If you're plugged into the world/folk/traditional music scene, you'll know that Hawaiian music is the world's fastest-growing regional music (in terms of album sales). If you are not conversant with the world music scene, you probably have some serious misconceptions about Hawaiian music. Either way, do yourself a favor and sample some authentic local music. It's not hard to come by - live Hawaiian music is available at various venues in Waikiki for the price of a drink. Among the very best are:

Wednesdays (6:00 - 9:00) Ledward Kaapana and (the original) Ikona at the Hawaiian Regent's Lobby Bar

(6:00 - 8:30) Kuuipo Kumukahi poolside at the Waikiki Sheraton

Thursdays (5:30 - 8:30) Auntie Genoa Keawe at the Hawaiian Regent Hotel's Lobby Bar

(6:00 - 8:30) Moe Keale poolside at the Waikiki Sheraton

Fridays (5:50 - 8:30) Akoni at the Hawaiian Regent Hotel's Lobby Bar

(9:00 - 12:00) Cecilio at Compadres at Ward Centre

(8:00 - 12:00) Olomana at the Hilton Hawaiian Village

Saturdays (9:00 - 12:00) George Kuo and Martin Pahinui at Compadres at Ward Centre

(8:00 - 12:00) Olomana at the Hilton Hawaiian Village

Sundays (6:00 - 9:00) Slack Key Masters (George Kuo and Martin Pahinui with Dennis Kamakahi or Steven Hall) at the Hawaiian Regent Hotel's Lobby Bar

(6:00 - 8:30) Moe Keale poolside at the Waikiki Sheraton

Two of Honolulu's free newsweeklies, the Honolulu Weekly (www.honoluluweekly.com) and the Waikiki News (www.waikikinews.com), publish live music (and other entertainment listings); the TGIF section of the Friday Honolulu Advertiser does the same. For more information about Hawaiian music (and some sound clips), visit www.mele.com or www.dancingcat.com or www.alohajoe.com.

Some of the performances listed above (especially those at the Sheraton) include a taste of the hula; others do not. If at all possible, you should try to find the time to experience some real hula (another subject of much in the way of mainland misconceptions). Many Waikiki hotels offer informal lobby performances; there are also "strolling" hula performances at one or another of Waikiki's beaches at around sunset. (Check the newsweeklies for details.) Most of the Waikiki hula performances are by serious hula halau (dance troupes) -- it's how they raise money to support their participation in the major hula festivals.

To head for Waikiki, just grab a cab at your hotel, or hop on the bus.

DINING

The Ala Moana Hotel's Royal Garden Chinese restaurant offers a really excellent - yet reasonable - dim sum luncheon on weekends from 11:00 to 2:00; it's best to make reservations, because it's a very popular family outing.

For good, authentic Korean food, try Sorabol, at 805 Keeaumoku Street.

If you want to know what locals really love to eat, try L & L Drive-In, on Kapiolani off Keeaumoku Street, or at the Ala Moana Center. But be warned: this is high-fat, high-carbohydrate, no-vegetable fare!

For excellent Thai food, try Chiang Mai, Mekong, or Singha restaurants.

Ala Moana Center's food court offers a variety of ethnic cuisine - if you don't mind eating in a mall food court atmosphere.

SHOPPING

Ala Moana Center has many of the same stores mainland malls have, plus a few you won't find at home. Check out Shirokiya, the Honolulu branch of a Japanese department store; highlights include the food store upstairs, and the Sanrio section downstairs. Also of interest to tourists is Hilo Hattie's, for clothing, food, and souvenirs. See its web site, below.

Both Tower Records (on Keeaumoku, just a block from the Ala Moana Center), and especially Borders (at the Ward Center, a block along Ala Moana Boulevard past Ala Moana Center) have an excellent selection of Hawaiian music, and lots of listening stations stocked with Hawaiian CDs. Borders also offers a decent selection of books on Hawaiiana.

SIGHTSEEING

www.gohawaii.com This is the main site for the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. It is loaded with information about all of the islands.

www.tgimaps.com This site provides maps and general island information for all of Hawaii. You will receive a copy of the Oahu map in your confirmation packet.

www.hawaiiplanner.com Click on Tours & Activities.

www.visit-oahu.com This is a great site with lots and lots and lots of information and great pictures.

www.kualoa.com Kualoa Ranch is situated on the NE shore of Oahu on the way to the North Shore. It's a 4,000 acre ranch offering horseback riding, ATVs, jet skis, scuba diving, helicopter tours, movie set tours.

www.hawaiianwaters.com 25 acres of safe, clean family fun and excitement located 30 minutes west of Waikiki. Hawaii's only water park.

www.alternative-hawaii.com Lots of nice pictures and suggestions for things to do, like hiking Diamond Head Crater.

www.alohapostcard.com

www.castle-cooke.com Dole Cannery Square.

www.hilohattie.com Hilo Hattie. Value shopping for muumuu's and local gifts.

waquarium.mic.hawaii.edu Waikiki Aquarium. First class aquarium featuring many tropical species common to the islands.

www.dole-plantation.com Dole Plantation. Dole has long had a showplace at the roadside in the middle of the pineapple plantations, and adjacent to the plantation is the world's largest maze.

www.atlantisadventures.com This takes you to a page that offers the Atlantis Submarine site, Sealife Park, Waimea Valley and the Battleship Missouri site.

BEACHES

Beaches - counterclockwise from Waikiki around the island

Do not leave any valuables in your car at any time. You should visit beaches only during daylight hours. Exercise all precautions and respect the power of the ocean.

ISLAND & INTERISLAND TOURING

E Noa Corporation will be available to offer you and your families wonderful tour options for the Island of O'ahu, including such tours as the Circle Island Beach and Waterfall Adventure tour (which includes snorkel equipment and instructions, lunch stop, and admission to the Waimea Valley and Adventure Park), Royal Circle Island Tour, Pearl Harbor tour, Battleship Missouri Excursion, Pineapple North Shore, a 2 Circle Island Tour, and much more.

E Noa Corporation also offers the very well known "Waikiki Trolley" tours. The trolleys will take you on tours of the Honolulu City and Waikiki Shopping, and offers an Ocean Coast Trolley ride, and more.

Roberts Hawaii offers other services including round trip transfers from the Honolulu International Airport to your Hotel and back, with lei greeting on arrival. The cost for the transfers is $18.00 round trip. Add an additional $11.00 for lei greeting. (If this will be your first and maybe your last time to Hawaii, splurge a little and get the lei greeting!)

Roberts also offers other tour options such as the Ali'i Kai Sunset Dinner Cruise, Magic of Polynesia Dinner Show (one of the best illusionists in the country performing his illusions with a Polynesian flavor), Germaine's Luau, HOT Hawaiian Ocean Thrills and more. And, for those of you wishing to take day tours or over-nighter trips to the outer-islands, Roberts Hawaii offers one-day trips to the Big Island of Hawaii, Maui and Kauai, as well as over-nighter packages to the islands of Maui, Kauai, the Big Island of Hawaii, Molokai and Lanai.

For more information, contact Roberts Hawaii Central Reservations at (808) 539-9400 or toll free at 1-800-831-5541, or visit their website at www.roberts-hawaii.com.

Also contact E Noa Corporation at (808) 591-2561 or toll free at 1-800-824-8804, or visit their website at www.enoa.com.

Hawaiian Airlines $49.75 one-way air fare to and from any island. You may book your reservations through your own travel agent, by calling the airline directly, or by making last minute bookings when you get here. Reservations are typically not difficult to get and flights leave on the average of one every hour all day from Honolulu International Airport. Late night flights are limited.

Aloha Airlines $50.00 one-way air fare to and from any island. You may book your reservations through your own travel agent, by calling the airline directly, or by making last minute bookings when you get here. Reservations are typically not difficult to get and flights leave on the average of one every hour all day from Honolulu International Airport. Late night flights are limited.