Christmas is a time to celebrate family, tradition, and love. For some, Christmas celebration is filled with icy weather and loads of snow. If you’re one who’s looking for a change to warmer weather, and maybe even some sand, then you can stop searching today! Ola Properties offers Vacation Rentals at all price points to help you and your family combat frostbite without sacrificing any Christmas cheer. From parades and parties to visits from Santa, come join in on the Hawaiian fun and Luau your way towards a warmer Christmas in Hawaii tradition!
CHRISTMAS IN POLYNESIA – Dec 9th – Dec 22nd 2017
This mostly free event features a canoe ride for the family complete with live reenactments depicting the “birth of the savior”. For those who just want to bring the kids and have fun, there’s train rides and even a scavenger hunt! Experience these festivities with bit of Polynesian flair!
SEVEN DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS WITH ISLAND MUSIC AND HULA – Dec 19th – Dec 25th 2018
What better way to celebrate Christmas than with singing and dancing? Countdown the days until Christmas the Hawaiian way with Hula shows and a special performance, a “loving” Christmas in Waikiki, on Christmas Eve. Each night features a different performance and is sure to amaze and delight anyone!
Christmas at the Hukilau Marketplace – December 21st & 22nd, 2017
Known for transporting visitors back in time to the Hawaii of the 1950’s, Hukilau Marketplace is bursting with Polynesian culture, Christmas spirit, and intriguing adventures. From the twinkling lights Christmas is known for to flare filled performances you’ll only find in Hawaii, your nighttime adventure at the Hukilau Marketplace is sure to be one you and your family will never forget.
Halekulani Masterworks: Ode to Joy – Dec 28th & 29th, 2018
Just because Christmas in Hawaii is over, doesn’t mean Hawaiians stop celebrating. What better way to welcome the new year than with Beethoven’s Ode to Joy? Not matter your musical preference, you’re sure to be moved by this joint performance featuring the Oahu Choral Society and the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra. You can find tickets for purchase here.
Party of the Year with Eat the Street – Dec 31st 2018
End your year with a BANG, and some delicious Hawaiian style food and drinks. Enjoy Oahu’s diverse food trucks with their creative concoctions, live entertainment, and an amazing party! With delicious cocktails and decadent food, this New Year’s Bash is sure to be one for the record books!
Hawaii may be known for its sandy beaches and gorgeous nature trails, but the culture and love expressed by these islanders will surely bring your family closer together than ever before this holiday season. Come experience Christmas the Hawaiian way with Ola Properties as your guide. We’ll help you find the perfect rental for your vacation and point out the most amazing experiences you and your family won’t want to miss out on. So, don’t wait! Secure your rental today.
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and love is in the air on Oahu. Whether you and your significant other are looking for a low-key romantic night or an exciting, thrill-filled day to spice up the relationship, Oahu has ideal date spots for Valentine’s Day and all year round! Here is a list of places to go for a perfect date night on Oahu:
Enjoy a delicious Hawaiian fusion style dinner surrounded by luxury at this upscale restaurant located within Ko Olina Resort. Choose to eat inside for a fantastic view of the Ko Olina golf course from the 18th hole or dine outside on the patio while engaging in conversation and taking in the fresh Hawaiian air. Check out Roy’s Ko Olina’s website to browse its extensive menu and make sure to call ahead for a reservation as seats at this popular restaurant go fast.
Coquito’s Latin Cuisine Restaurant
If a casual, laid back setting is more of you and your partner’s style, try a dinner or lunch date at Coquito’s Latin Cuisine Restaurant. This restaurant is just a short 20-minute drive Ko Olina and offers meals and desserts native to a variety of Latin American countries for a range of tastes and flavors that will have you coming back to try more. Coquito’s is also a “BYOB” so you can you own beverages, thereby saving on costs. For dates beyond Valentine’s Day, consider going back for one of their weekend specials.
Perhaps you haven’t skated since you were a child, or even at all, or maybe you’re thinking that you came to Hawaii to get away from the cold. All of this and more is why ice skating would be a perfect spontaneous date for you and your partner. Ice Palace Hawaii holds public skating throughout the week, including Valentine’s Day. You and your partner will feel youthful and excited while laughing with each other as you glide along the ice holding hands and trying to keep balanced.
Rent a bike at Bikeadelic for as little as $7 an hour for a casual, romantic trip around town, or follow a designated biking trail around sites in Honolulu such as Diamond Head and Hanauma Bay. Bikeadelic offers a range of bikes including basic bikes, sports bikes, and tandem bikes to make for a great date for nature-loving couples.
Get out for a fun, romantic night this Valentine’s Day on Oahu and continue to check our blog for more great things to do for Date Night on Oahu.
For information on beautiful places to stay while vacationing in West Oahu, visit our vacation rental page or call us at (888) 737-4188 or (808) 726-2878
Golf enthusiasts, novice players or even mild spectators of the game would be tempted to play a round at the distinguished championship golf course located at the Ko Olina Golf Club; it offers the best Ko Olina golfing! This is a challenging 18-hole course created in 1990 by the world-famous golf course architect Ted Robinson. Typical of all his previous creations, this Golf Club too has breath-taking water features, well maintained greens, huge landing areas and short lengths that ensure that the course is perfect for both beginners and experts. Located in Oahu’s West Coast and a short 20-minute drive away from Waikiki and Honolulu, Ko Olina Golf Club is home to the LOTTE LPGA Championship, sponsored and hosted by Hershey.
This spectacular golf course was selected to be one of the Play Golf America’s leading performers in 2010 by America’s PGA division. The world-famous Golf Club also consists of the Ko Olina Golf Academy, which is an amazing learning academy filled with PGA professional teachers and staff. They will readily show you how to improve your game regardless of your skill level. This fine Golf Academy is home to trained and enthusiastic professionals, who will provide personal guidance on top of being one of the best in corporate and group golf schools – all specifically created to meet individual goals in performance and delivery.
The Golf Course is incomplete minus the Golf Shop that has been identified as an accolade winning and globally-recognized golf shop. It has ranked consistently within the top 100 resort golf shops in America according to the survey conducted by The Golf World Business monthly magazine. Not only does the shop offer full-service men’s and women’s changing rooms but also the world-renowned Roy’s Ko Olina one-stop-food extravaganza filled with delicious, local, fusion cuisine, meant for all meals during the day and night. The Ko Olina golfing shop also provides rental equipment that include TaylorMade Graphite Club sets as well as Junior Kid’s Clubs and men’s and women’s FootJoy shoes. Balls for the course are also available in abundance. The golf shop operates between 6.30 am and 7.00 pm and can be reached at golf@koolina.com.
Also collecting accolades is the Ko Olina Golf Academy. It has been consistently named as the country’s finest academies for Golf by the American PGA. Here is where beginners can gain access to personalized lessons; the best in group as well as corporate golf academies and daily clinics – all designed by professionals to meet individual professional goals. The Golf Academy can be reached at Golf@koolina.com and the academy operates between 6.30 am and 7.00 pm.
Travel guidebooks are excellent ways to learn about the vacation areas we are traveling to, as they explain where to find the hottest restaurants, the most popular tourist sites, and even the best stores for souvenirs. Everything you want to know about your planned vacation destination is listed within the pages of these very informative tomes, leading the way to a trip that is jam packed with adventures.
But what if you want to visit a site that is less crowded or want to find out where the best place for a family night on the island is located? Sometimes it’s the smaller adventures and the lesser-known sights that can create the most memorable vacations, and when you stay in one of our Ola Properties tropical escapes, our staff can help with the Oahu hidden gems that make a vacation shine but just can’t be found in the guidebooks.
When you want to eat like a local, the more popular restaurants found in the guidebooks may not be the answer, and My Café, located at 563 Farrington Highway is a perfect example! Open until 2 PM, it’s the best place to try Loco Moco, a Hawaiian specialty, and although it may be crowded, the low prices are just one sign that your fellow diners are residents of Kapolei.
Yes, there is a train on Oahu, operated by The Hawaiian Railway Society and the 90-minute tours offers a glimpse into the fascinating history of the island. Plus, if you take the 3 o’clock train, it includes a stop at 2 Scoops, one of our favorite ice cream shops! Located at 91-1001 Renton Road in Ewa, this open-air train will be a fun way to kill a couple of hours on a lazy island day!
One of the most famous Hollywood kisses, that sandy embrace in From Here to Eternity, took place below the Halona Blowhole right here on the island of Oahu. You can recreate that magical moment yourself if you don’t mind a little sand in places that aren’t normally sandy!
Not every minute of every day has to be filled with island explorations of Oahu’s hidden gems; your Ola Properties cozy island digs offers the best place for a night of family fun! Pop some popcorn, pour the kids some juice “Mai Tais” (save the real stuff for you!), and spend an evening playing board games in our comfortably appointed living rooms, watching the sunset from the porch, or simply enjoying a night of movies on television! Reserve yours today and start preparing for the family adventure of a lifetime!
I hiked Maunawili Falls Trail this morning with the Brothers Duke. Living on the Leeward Coast in Kapolei, I sometimes forget how varied the scenery is on Oahu. You can go from an almost desert landscape on the dry Leeward Coast to what seems like rainforests on the Windward Coast.
We left Kapolei at 8:00 AM and drove across the island on H-3 to the Kailua area. I always love the view of the Windward Coast as you come out of the tunnels on H-3 heading East. Google Maps seemed to have some problems with GPS in the area so we had to turn around a couple of times but found the trailhead (which is in a residential neighborhood) at about 9:00.
The Maunawili Falls Trail is a 3 mile out and back trek and features a waterfall at the end of the trail and a swimming hole at the base of the falls below the Pali Cliffs. Although the trail is rated by some websites as being “difficult” I would have guessed it t be “moderate”. We passed several families with children and they seemed to be doing fine. The trail has several markers pointing the way to the falls, but they don’t really seem necessary. What the trail does not have, is restrooms at either the trailhead or along the way so plan accordingly.
Many people, after making the trek like to jump from the waterfall into the pool below. Those with more agility and courage climb even higher to the side of the waterfall to jump further (try at your own risk). I did not make this jump but would guess it is approximately 60 feet to the water below. The swimming hole at the bottom of the falls is perhaps 30 to 40 feet in diameter and is deep enough that none of the people jumping from the side of the falls hit bottom.
I don’t know how long it had been since the last rain in the area, but the trail was fairly muddy. My guess is that with the thick overhead foliage, the trail is probably wet and muddy most all the time. Keep this in mind, as you may want to take some bags to put your shoes in prior to getting back in the car and perhaps towels to dry your feet and legs.
Along with being muddy, the trail was also quite slippery in many areas, so if you go, be careful. There are many roots on top of the ground that are slippery when wet as well as rocks. You will have to cross the river (stream) several times. While you can usually find rocks to step on to avoid walking through the water, there’s a good possibility you will slip and end up with your feet in the water anyway. I certainly did; more than once.
It was an enjoyable hike for a Saturday morning (we were back in Kapolei by Noon) and is one that I would recommend!
Larry-O
Take a journey into the wilderness with the Honolulu Zoo, located in Queen Kapiʻolani Park in Honolulu, Hawaii. This 42-acre zoo features a variety of colorful attractions from beautiful animals to breathtaking evening tours.
Queen Kapiʻolani Park is a vast 300-acre park. It features landmarks such as the Honolulu Zoo, the Queen Kapiolani Garden, the famous King Kamehameha statue and the Aloha Tower. Here, you can jog along the scenic trails, play a game of tennis, gaze at the wildlife or visit the sites.
There are a number of reasons why you may want to visit the Honolulu Zoo. You may be enticed by the variety of programs, the guided tours or volunteering but the most fascinating thing about the zoo, of course, is the animals!
The Honolulu Zoo features a wide variety of native, non-native and endangered species. These include amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles. Some of the animals that you will meet include:
One of the most exciting programs at the Honolulu Zoo is the twilight tour. These tours are held on Friday and Saturday evenings after the zoo is closed. Here, you will be led by a tour guide for a two-hour adventure as you learn about the animals in the zoo, as well as the zoo’s role in the conversation of endangered species. For this event, it’s recommended that you wear comfortable shoes and use insect repellent.
Overall, the Honolulu Zoo is an attraction that can be exciting for the entire family! Whether you’re looking for a kid-friendly activity, have an interest in wildlife and conservation, or are simply looking for something fun to do in your free time, take a day to visit the zoo for a fun-filled afternoon.
Visiting urban Honolulu is a must when on vacation or residing in Hawaii, but who wants to deal with the hassle of driving when parking can be so expensive and difficult to find? Walking could be an option, but it takes time you might not have. Biki just might just be the solution to all your problems. But what even is Biki?
Biki is Honolulu’s bike share program. Bike sharing is a form of public transportation using bikes available to anyone over the age of 16 to use for rides around town. There are 100 solar-powered Biki stops and 1,000 bikes available for use. Visitors and locals alike can use Biki to get around town easily and without the hassle of transporting your own bike along with all of the necessary locks, helmets, and lights necessary. Biki is great for exploration, one-way trips, carpooling, exercise, or quick trips during lunch.
Biki is easy to use with their mobile app available on both iPhone and Android. There is also a map of Biki stops with real-time information about how many bikes are available at each stop throughout the day. All you have to do is visit any of the Biki stops and unlock a bike using your credit card, Biki Pass, or the Biki mobile app. After your ride, you can drop the bike off at any available stop, not just the one you got the bike from. Just push your bike into the dock and wait for the green light to make sure that the bike is safely locked into the dock before you are free to leave it back in the care of Biki.
There are a number of convenient payment options for you to choose from based on your needs. A single ride around town is just $3.50, much cheaper than any taxi or ride sharing options. If you want to ride more regularly, but don’t want to be pinned into a specific amount of time for each ride, you can choose the $20 Free Spirit Plan. This plan gives you 300 minutes to use whenever you want. You get as many flexible trips as you could want over weeks or months. The last plan is the $25 Monthly Plan. This plan gives you one month of unlimited 60 minute rides. This is good for the regular rider that leaves you plenty of time for each ride so you never have to rush.
Using the Biki Honolulu Bike Share to get around town is easy and safe with 2 miles of protected bike lanes, around 50 miles of bike paths and bike lanes. It gives you the freedom to go where you want with convenience and you’ll never have to worry about parking ever again.
Hawaii is known for more than its majestic scenery and abundant beauty. Every bit of Hawaii is rich in history, culture, and a sense of community. The Iolani Palace is a Hawaiian landmark that not only symbolizes Hawaii’s past but the heritage that Hawaiians are so proud of still today. Read on to understand why the luxurious, opulent, and spectacular Iolani Palace is one of Hawaii’s most-visited attractions.
It all began on December 31st, 1879, when the cornerstone for Iolani Palace was first laid. It was designed to house the Hawaiian monarchs, the royal family, and other important officials. Completed in 1882, the palace was home first to King Kalakaua and then nation’s last-reigning monarch, Queen Liliuokalani. As a beacon of Hawaiian strength still today, she inspired her people after her brother, King Kalakaua died in 1981 by taking her rightful place.
In just a short time, the Iolani Palace served as more than the official, royal residency. It became Hawaii’s epicenter for political, social, and cultural life. It stood tall, in grandeur, until the monarchy was overthrown in 1893. After the monarchy fell, the palace went through a myriad of changes but was finally restored to its current glory in the 1970s, after being established as an American National Historic Landmark in 1962.
Iolani Palace was a truly magnificent sight to behold. It sits on the southern shores of Oahu and was designed to be the grandest piece of property Hawaii had ever seen, housing the royal family and government officials, and hosting official functions and dignitaries from all over the globe. As the center of Hawaiian culture, parties, dances, and important matters all occurred under the palace’s roof.
When completed, the massive palace had all of the up-to-date amenities you would expect and many that people didn’t expect in Hawaii at the time, like the nation’s first electric lights, indoor plumbing, and an advanced communications system. And aside from the building itself, the Palace Grounds matched Iolani’s spectacular opulence.
Iolani Palace was ahead of its time, impressed people from all walks of life, and put Hawaii on the international map. It still stands today as a symbol of Hawaii’s rich history, culture, and strength. Even today, Iolani Palace is considered the “spiritual and physical multicultural epicenter of Hawaii.”
There is extraordinary historical significance to the palace as well. Even the ground it was built on dates back to antiquity and is still believed today to be an ancient site of worship. The grounds were also home to King Kamehameha III and the first 5 Hawaiian Kings before the property was demolished to make way for the Iolani Palace.
Iolani Palace was restored to its original beauty and today houses artifacts, furniture, and pieces of Hawaiian culture that are visited by thousands of people each year. In addition to the Iolani Palace itself, visitors can enjoy the splendor of the grounds, which includes Keliiponi Hale, The Sacred Mound, and Hale Koa.
Hale Koa is also known as the Iolani Barracks and was originally designed to house the Royal Guard. The Sacred Mound is a mysterious and alluring area, marked off by fences to respect those who may be resting there. This site once served as a royal tomb for kings, queens, and other important Hawaiian chiefs. Keliiponi Hale, also known as the Coronation Pavilion, was used for the coronation of King Kalakaua and Queen Kapiolani and is still used today as the location for the inauguration of Hawaii’s Governor.
Visitors can explore historical archives, browse the extensive collections within the palace, and even enjoy on-site concerts by the Royal Hawaiian Band at Iolani Palace.
As a symbol of Hawaii’s past, rich culture, and the strength of their people, Iolani Palace continues to inspire Hawaiian life today.
The best vacations are those that have relaxation mixed with a little fun in the water too! At Ko Olina you can do both in the backdrop of luxury and the pristine beauty of nature. What better way to explore the underwater world than snorkeling at Ko Olina?
Home to some of the globe’s best lagoons, Ko Olina is also home to some of the most spectacular sea life and is extremely safe to snorkel in. Most times the lagoons are amazing for first time divers and snorkelers due to the calm waters, however everyone has something to look forward to thanks to the fish and turtles that call these waters home.
The Ko Olina lagoons have a smooth and clean resort presentation to them. Each lagoon comes with its own restroom and shower with a well maintained walking path connecting them all. The path extends a mile and a half long from lagoon #4 to lagoon #1. The other three lagoons have fewer than 20 parking spots at each location. Arriving early gives you the option of parking at any lot you find space at.
Lagoon 4 is the southernmost lagoon and has the most public parking and therefore is the popular with the public. Each lagoon is created in a similar fashion. Several cuts are made into the rocky ocean barrier allowing sea water to flow in and out. The sides see currents flowing in while the flows out the middle channels. The channels that see incoming water allow for swimming right into the rock cuts until you come into the breakwater. This is safe as long as the waves arriving in from the ocean are mild. The middle channels tend to be roped off so avoid swimming them otherwise you could get caught in the current getting sucked out into the open ocean. Swimming outside the lagoons in the open ocean is highly dangerous!
Along this rocky barrier to the ocean is where some of the world’s best snorkeling takes place. These areas are not huge but the rocks creating the barrier to the ocean have a couple of corals growing within them while plenty of fish use them to hide in. Urchins burrow through them as well. A lot of immature fish can be spotted in these water with the visibility usually decent. The depths around the rocks varies between at the surface down to about 5 feet in depth.
So grab a mask and fins then explore the Ko Olina lagoons while you’re visiting.
Located on the island of Oahu, Kualoa Ranch is a private nature reserve which is owned and managed by the eighth consecutive generation descendants of Dr. Gerritt P. Judd. As a missionary doctor, Judd came to Oahu in 1828. His purchase of 622 acres in 1850 was later increased to include more than 4,000 acres by his son.
The natural beauty that Hawaii is known for is why the Kualoa Ranch continues to operate. With a goal of “protecting and enhancing the natural beauty of these lands while developing sustainable recreational, agricultural, and aquacultural enterprises that are compatible with the environment,” the owners and more than 300 employees are on a mission to “enrich people’s lives by preserving Kualoa’s sacred lands and celebrating it’s history.”
Dr. Judd first built a sugar mill at Kualoa in 1850 and, though the mill’s operation was short-lived, it still stands today. The Ranch now has a thriving and fully sustainable livestock operation with more than 600 head of cattle, and more than 200 sheep. They maintain fresh and saltwater shrimp, oyster, and fish farms, as well as tropical flower, exotic plant, and fruit tree gardens.
With 4,000 acres of land, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you want to experience the breathtaking mountain views or the pristine beaches there is a tour or activity that will give you memories that will last you a lifetime. You can experience the exotic flavors of the cultural cuisine straight from the farm to the table. As the film site of more than 70 blockbuster movies and television shows you are sure to see some sights that look familiar from movies such as Jurassic Park, Godzilla, LOST, and Hawaii Five-O.
With one guide for every six to ten guests availability is limited. Many tours sell out two to three weeks in advance so be sure to book ahead. This is just a sampling of the many experiences that await you at Kualoa Ranch Oahu, Hawaii.
There are packages of tours available or you can plan your own time and book individual tours. Accommodations in Ko Olina are available through Ola Properties for weddings, family reunions, corporate events, birthday parties and any other event you are planning.