The Kahala and Oahu Dec 2011 by Willow Schultz

My 3 night getaway to Oahu was quick but relaxing.  Todd Darling offered me comp shuttle service as a thank you for all of the business we send their way and it was such a great experience.  More legroom than a luxury coach, and we didn't have to navigate parking in Sac which was a huge plus.  The flight was smooth and Hawaiian offered excellent service.  The Kahala is about 5 minutes away from Waikiki, a little difficult to locate as it's in a residential neighborhood with no signs saying "This way to the Kahala".  The resort itself is very homey for a luxury property.  It's elegant without having that ultra modern/chic feel.  The rooms are large with feathertop mattresses and although we had an Ocean View, next time I will definitely go for one of the 2nd floor rooms overlooking the Dolphin Lagoon, as this is definitely a highlight of the resort.  They have 5 male dolphins right now and offer tons of interactive programs for children, adults and families.  On site there are also a couple of turtles and a manta ray, along with a huge waterfall that pulls water directly from the ocean, keeps all of the ponds filtered with fresh water and is an energy source for the hotel (very green). 

 

My sister and I went snorkeling in Hanauma Bay and were extremely thankful to be there during the off season, I can't imagine how hard it is to snorkle there during the summer! You have to watch a quick video on being careful and taking care of the environment (don't play with the turtles, don't stand on the coral, etc...), and it took about 30 minutes to even get into the theatre for viewing, as the theatre only allows about 20-30 people at a time.  Once you get down to the beach (there's a shuttle that runs up and down for a small fee) you can rent snorkeling equipment and at the top of the hill there's a snack bar.  The highlight of this snorkle experience was seeing a HUGE sea turtle about 2 feet away from us!

 

I spent a little time shopping in Waikiki, still busy and not my thing personally, but the stores and the beach were absolutely packed, and with the warm sunny weather we had, December is definitely still a good time for clients to visit.

 

Long story short my sister and I had a wonderful stay and I would love to go back to the Kahala!