At the end of August, my husband and I moved to Hawaii with our 4 month old baby. When we arrived, I searched online for resources about exploring and living in Hawaii with kids. I found very little to help us get started.

Since then, I have been discovering Hawaiian activities, both touristy and local. Some are fabulously kid friendly. Others have been more of a struggle. This blog will share the lessons I've learned about traveling and living in Hawaii with a baby. From restaurants to tourist destinations to living like a local, I'll include the good, the bad, and the ugly.

This is not a professional travel site, and I don't get paid or receive any perks from the companies/locations I write about.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Going to the Beach: Waikiki vs. Ala Moana Beach Park

One of the highlights of being in Hawaii is year-round trips to the beach.  It's mid-November, and my husband and sister are at the beach right now enjoying blue skies, sun, and warm water.  The beaches in Hawaii are all very different, however, and your objectives for your beach day should determine which one you visit.

The two beaches we visit most often are Waikiki and Ala Moana Beach Park.  Waikiki is by far the more famous of the two, and I recommend you make a trip there during your stay simply because it's a quintessential part of the Oahu experience.  It's also ideal if you're interested in surfing - we're not talking North Shore behemoth waves, but the surf here is good for first-timers and casual surfers.  This is also a nice place to go if your family is split over going into the water.  My husband enjoys the ocean much more than I do, so I'll typically stay on the beach with Babykins, who cries the second her toes touch the water, while my husband surfs.  The beach here offers up some great people watching, as well as a good deal of shade (Babykins is ridiculously pale, and we're doing our best to avoid her first sun burn).

If you're meeting people here, it's common to meet up at the statue of the Duke (the surfer, not John Wayne).  Nearby are public bathrooms, a concession stand (Hilton on the Beach, although for the price, I'd recommend packing your own snacks), and palm trees that offer good shade (they also occasionally turn into a hang out for Honolulu's homeless, so take a look around before you set up your blanket).

Tip: Parking in Waikiki is limited and can be very expensive. Try the metered parking along Kapiolani park. If there's none available, you can park in the Zoo's parking lot for a very reasonable $1.00/hour.
Ala Moana Beach Park tends to be more of a local's beach, and on any given weekend, you'll see large groups of friends and family set up for all day barbecues with music, games, and food.  This beach tends to be less crowded and has virtually no waves.  This is a huge benefit if your kids aren't strong swimmers or if, like mine, they're afraid of anything more wavy than a swimming pool.  The calm surface also makes the beach park a great destination for anyone looking to try paddle boarding (which I'd highly recommend).

The downside is that there is virtually no shade on this beach (you'll typically find us huddling in the little shade provided by the life guard stand).  There is a large grassy park behind the beach that has a number of shade trees, but unfortunately, these shady spots usually are inhabited by another set of Honolulu's homeless population.

Like Waikiki, the beach park has showers for rinsing off, public restrooms, and a concession stand.

Tip: If the parking next to the park is full, you can park for free across the street in the Ala Moana Shopping Center parking deck.

2 comments:

  1. Hey Mommykins :)
    My name is Jane and I'm with Dwellable.
    I was looking for blog posts about Ala Moana to share on our site and I came across your post...If you're open to it, drop me a line at jane(at)dwellable(dot)com.
    Hope to hear from you!
    Jane

    ReplyDelete
  2. love all your outfit and your travel tip is what I do when packing. I always leave room for more space cause often times, I bring just one pair of shoes then I come home with four.waikiki condo rental

    ReplyDelete