The Honolulu Hotel strip behind Waikiki beach area is full of plush hotels or clothing retailers as well as lots of ‘ABC’ stores and many gift shops. How many shopping areas in the world is it normal to see people walking around with surf boards under their arms.

Most people are very casually dressed and many are wearing the traditional bad taste Hawaiian shirt to get themselves in the holiday spirit. Hawaii is one of the few places you can wear a shirt like that and not feel conspicuous.

There are a number of street performers of differing quality, some are excellent and should be rewarded with a few coins in their hat. What you will notice is the amount of Japanese and now Chinese tourist in Honolulu. To them it is one of the nearest western holiday destinations and therefore cheaper than going to mainland America.

The Surf in Honolulu bay is not dangerously high and is therefore an ideal location to learn the basics on easier waves before you try out your new skills on more adventurous beaches. There are many surf schools along the water front. Shop around for the best deal. You could always buy a cheap body board and just skim the waves lying down on your stomach before taking the plunge on getting proper surfing lessons.

Some of the Waikiki Surfing Schools give group discounts which is ideal if you are travelling as a group of friends or as a family. The only problem of doing this with your children is that they will take to surfing first and show you up.

Check that your holiday insurance covers you for surfing. Some don’t and may not pay out when your leg is deeply cut by the boards fins or you break an arm when the surfboard hits it during your tenth wipe-out. Although Waikiki beach does not have the big waves of the Oahu North Shore beaches it does have regular cycles of surf-able waves that can be ridden for a long time by novice surfers.

If you do not want to surf then there are lots places where you can grab a bite to eat and something to drink. Just sit and people watch. Have a sip of a cool drink whilst you study others attempts at staying on their surfboard.

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