July 2025
Hargrove Travel Goes to Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu has so much to offer, it would be a shame not to spend a little time exploring the island while you are there. We recommend at least 5-7 days while planning your stay. There is so much to do while visiting. I will take you through some of the must-sees during our stay.
During our stay, we chose the Outrigger Reed Waikiki Beach Resort from November 16-18. Then we moved our stay to the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort from November 18-25. Most of the resorts in Honolulu have a resort fee due upon check in so be sure to double check to see if your resort has one and what that includes. Parking cost additional as well. There is also not of place to park, be sure to double check before deciding where to go and eat.
While at the Hilton, we purchased tickets for their Friday Night Firework Luau on the Great Lawn. It’s their special edition of the Waikiki Starlight Luau. You can enjoy the amazing beach front Luau with Polynesian performances. It included a delicious buffet style dinner with three alcoholic drinks, a welcome drink, and a lei greeting. I had sweet potatoes, brisket, fried rice and malasadas. He picked macaroni salad, brisket, tater tots, and bbq meatballs. Then we walked to Duke Kahanamoku Beach to finish the evening with the spectacular firework show. For adults, USD $260.73 and Children USD $136.13, Children Under 4 are Free!
We also got to visit the historic Pearl Harbor Memorial. Which is also called the “Bookends of World War II in the Pacific”. It begins with the attack on Pearl Harbor and the bombing of the USS Arizona and ends with the signing of the Instrument of Surrender on the USS Missouri. It includes admission to USS Arizona Memorial, Battleship Missouri and the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.
We did take a trip to the Dole Pineapple Plantation. Also known as Hawaii’s “Pineapple Experience”. It was originally operated as a fruit stand back in 1950. It was finally opened to the public in 1989. Today it is the most popular visitor attraction and welcomes more than a million visitors a year!! There are lots of enjoyable activities for the while family. They have the Pineapple Express Train, The Plantation Garden Tour, and the Pineapple Garden Maze. We took the train ride, which is two miles of pineapple fun! It lasted about 20 mins, where we learned the story of pineapple in Hawaii, and heard how James Drummond Dole founded his world-famous empire where Dole Plantation stands today, and got to travel through the gorgeous scenery of the island’s famous north shore. If you travel there, you must try the famous Dole Whip which is to DIE for!
Here are a few other places that we did get to visit on another trip as well. We got to see Waimea Valley also known as “ahupua’a”, it’s a division of land stretching from the mountains to the sea. This region is found to have plants used to make medicine. Trees for constructing canoes, houses, and other structures. It is also where most agricultural crops are farmed, like bananas, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, and coconuts. The seaside region provides food and other resources from the ocean including fish, octopus, shells, seaweed and salt. The wailele at the back of the Valley is a sacred place. The name of these Hawaiian waterfall changes depending on the amount of water flowing. When it is gentle, the name Waihe’e means softly dripping water; when they have heavy rain, its name is Waihi, which means purging water. Wai (freshwater) is sacred to Hawaiian people.
There is also another historic and sacred landmark that should be on your to see list. The Nu’uani Pali Lookout. It’s just a 5-minute drive northeast of Downtown Honolulu. It offers panoramic views of the sheer Ko’olau cliffs and Windward Coast. Drive up the Pali Highway through the dense forest and tall trees to get to the lookout. There is no entry fee, just $7 dollars for cars. The tranquil beauty of Hawaii’s natural landscape emerges as the city disappears behind you. Perched above the O’ahu’s coastline and mid the mountain peaks covered by clouds, the stone terraces overlook the areas of Kane’ohe and Kailua, Mokoli’I and the University’s marine biology research center, and Coconut Island. You are also able to see other notable and historic landmarks. This is also apart of the Honolulu Botanical Gardens. The Pali Lookout is a site of deep historical significance. Named “Pali” meaning “cliff” in Hawaiian, the Pali Lookout was also the site of the Battle of Nu’uanu.
Diamond Head State Park is also a great go-to for sightseeing. It sits near the eastern Waikiki coastline. It is the most recognized landmark known for its historic hiking trail and amazing views and military history. It spans over 475 acres. This saucer shaped crater was formed over 300,000 years ago during a single eruption!
Another great place to visit is Aloha Tower. Aloha Tower is an iconic tourist attraction and one of the most recognized buildings in the state. More than 18 stories high, and its 10th floor observation deck offers the unparalleled views of the Honolulu harbor and the Ko’olau Mountains. It once served as a navigation landmark that could be seen at sea from 15 miles away. It is also a great place to dine and go shopping.
Among all of the traveling, we were able to stop at some of our favorite places. Eggs-N-Things is always a great go to since everything is great there. We did try L&L Hawaiian BBQ, where we ordered the Korean Style Ribs and Loco Moco!! We also ate at The Old Spaghetti Factory with our friends.
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Hargrove Travel was amazing, made every step of the planning easy and convenient. Angela was available for any questions and even answered a few questions for me while on my trip. Absolutely recommend them for all your vacation needs.
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So very helpful with my trip. We had several changes and an issues with the airline during our trip and they were on it every step of the way. Will use Hargrove travel every time I travel.
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Hargrove takes care of everything! They arranged transport between hotel and airport. They checked us in at airport and their prices are the best! Thank you Hargrove Travel for a wonderful family vacation!
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Used them for a quick last minute little trip down to the coast. Extremely helpful, informative, got everything taken care of, all we did was travel there and enjoy the rest! Will definitely be using them again in the future for any vacation we go on!
Colt L.
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Hargrove Travel was amazing, made every step of the planning easy and convenient. Angela was available for any questions and even answered a few questions for me while on my trip. Absolutely recommend them for all your vacation needs.
Jason W.
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So very helpful with my trip. We had several changes and an issues with the airline during our trip and they were on it every step of the way. Will use Hargrove travel every time I travel.
Amy S.
★★★★★
Hargrove takes care of everything! They arranged transport between hotel and airport. They checked us in at airport and their prices are the best! Thank you Hargrove Travel for a wonderful family vacation!
Tiffany F.
★★★★★
Used them for a quick last minute little trip down to the coast. Extremely helpful, informative, got everything taken care of, all we did was travel there and enjoy the rest! Will definitely be using them again in the future for any vacation we go on!
Colt L.
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