I have recently returned from the Aloha Hawaii trip .
We flew to LAX on Oct 7th,although it was a long flight,United provided plenty of inflight entertainment and service throughout.After a relatively short time in immigration(see posts elsewhere about delays at other airports) we boarded a coach for the 2 hour trip to San Diego.
The Crowne Plaza Hotel was a change to the advertised hotel,it was very comfortable,once you worked out the layout,and had a free shuttle to a nearby mall or the Old Town.The next day,there was a tour of the city,in the morning,visiting the Gaslamp District,Hotel del Coronado and Seaport Village.In the afternoon,there was a cruise around the north part of the Bay,past Navy ships and the lighthouse at the Cabrillo Monument.
The second day was free,most went to the Zoo,and others took the Trolley tour.
We had a very early start back to LAX,on the Thursday,for the flight to Honolulu.On arrival,we received Kukui nut leis,on the coach to Waikiki.The Princess Kaiulani Hotel is a big resort next to the International Marketplace and a short walk from the beach.
Due to the US Government shutdown,the local guide arranged a trip to the battleship USS Missouri,which was close to the Arizona Monument
so that at least we could see it.In the afternoon,there was a submarine trip off Waikiki Beach,there was plenty to see,even if the pictures I took did not show much.
On the Saturday,we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center,touring the various villages,in the afternoon,followed by a luau,and the "Ha,Breathe of Life"show.It was very interesting and well worth going to.
The next day,we had a tour of some of Oahu's beaches,the Pali lookout
(where the battle to unify Hawaii took place),and the Punchbowl Cemetery.In the evening,we went on a catamaran dinner cruise past Diamond Head and Waikiki.
Monday morning,there was a short flight to Maui,followed by a visit to the Iao Valley,and the Needle,then on to Lahaina,an old whaling port,before reaching the Royal Lahaina Resort at Kaanapali Beach my favourite of the hotels.In the grounds,there are 3 swimming pools plus the beachfront which was great for viewing sunsets.
Tuesday was a free day,the hotel had a shuttle to a nearby mall,Whaler's Village where there was a bus to Lahaina.
We were unable to go to Haleakala because of the shutdown,so the local guide arranged a trip along the road to Hana,a scenic drive of bridges, sharp bends,beaches and forests.After Hana we completed a circular tour of East Maui,including the lava fields from Haleakala's last eruption.
On Thursday,we flew back to LAX,for a couple of nights at the Courtyard Marriott in Culver City.This is the best hotel I have stayed at in LA,the staff were really friendly,and there was a mall within walking distance.The next morning,most of the group went to Hollywood,and in the afternoon,there was a trip to Venice Beach and Santa Monica.
Thank you to everybody for their company,especially Angie,Carol,Chris, Hazel and Lynne
