Pacific

Honolulu-Tourist Fantasia In A Class Apart

By Judy Tudor

Honolulu has what is probably le best climate in the Pacific ut there all resemblance to any ther Oceanic resort ends. It is tourist fantasia in a class by self.

T has become the fashion amongst Pacific purists to scoff at Hono lu, mostly for the way it has turned ; Polynesian background to gim ickry. But in the tourist realms it erits a high order of the straight it fabulous and should be seen at ast once, on this account alone.

It is, moreover, a place where visi ts can have a lot of fun —from wery sophisticated pastime to the mple business of lying about on a jach.

The chief exports of the Hawaiian lands are still given as sugar and neapples but the 50th State’s real 3om is coming from tourists—few : whom ever go beyond the island I Oahu and most of whom crowd ito the restricted Waikiki area of onolulu.

As a result, real estate in Honolulu amongst the highest priced in the orld, and apartment buildings, otels, shops and eating places, in very unorthodox shape and size, >stle for elbow room and for views long the mile or two of the world’s lost famous beach.

Since the jet ge, special air ex arsion fares and jecial induce lents have been iven to Ameri ans to visit lonolulu. It has

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ecome, in the last year or so, the ivourite place for that most beloved f all American institutions—the 'onvention.

Tourists in Hawaii, then, are over whelmingly American —and over whelmingly Americans having a ball, lut Honolulu is also, currently, pre aring for a Japanese invasion and everal new hotels are being built with Japanese capital, with the ex cess purpose of catering for Jap nese visitors.

This is the result of the unfreezing if Japanese overseas funds for travel luring 1963. For the Japanese Hono-

lulu is reasonably accessible and it is also the place where most Japanese want to go when they travel abroad.

CLIMATE: There is very little seasonal variation, the temperature being around an average 75 deg. on the coast, day and night, winter and summer, but tempered by cool trade winds. (Latitude of Honolulu 21 deg. 19 min. N.). Annual rainfall in Honolulu and Waikiki is only 30 inches but it increases steeply in the mountain areas back from the coastal fringe.

CLOTHING: Honolulu invented the muu-muu and the colourful printed cotton shirt and all local fashions are variations of this theme.

In the dress sense it is probably the most informal place in the world and even its formal attire is something peculiar to itself. Visitors of more than a day or so should take a mini mum wardrobe with them and then play the rest of it by ear, leaving leeway in the holiday budget for the necessary expenditure on some local clothes.

WHERE TO STAY: The Hawaii

Visitors’ Bureau, 2051 Kalakaua Avenue, is the best place to seek in formation on this point. The main hotels in Waikiki include

the Royal Hawaiian, Halekulani, Waikiki Biltmore, Princess Kaiulani, The Breakers, The Moana, The Edgewater-Reef and The Hawaiian Village. These range from the ex pensive-luxurious (like the Royal Hawaiian) through the moderate (like the Reef), which is moderate only on American standards.

But there are, as well as these, much more modest establishments, including apartments and rooms, in the streets that run back from the beach, priced to suit more modest pockets.

Although some of the hotels have

slices of the beach within their own preserve, Waikiki’s main beach is accessible to all. Entrance to it is between the Royal Hawaiian and Moana Hotels and surfboards may be hired and instruction arranged from the Outrigger Canoe Club which is situated at this point.

DINING OUT: Like every other American town Honolulu abounds in eating places from the lowliest to the plushiest. You name the kind of food you like—American, Japanese, French, Chinese or otherwise—and Honolulu has got it. Apart from the restaurants in the big hotels, those that are considered best in Waikiki

The "Pacific Islands Monthly" is a member of AurtraHan National Travel Association (ANTA) and the Pacific Area Travel Association (PATA), which are pledged to promote tourist travel is their areas.

are Duke Kahanamoku’s in the Ii ternational Market Place (the Hone lulu version of the arcade, opposil the Royal Hawaiian Hotel; th Tropics, in Kona St., Ala Moans Lau Yee Chai’s, at Kalakaua an Kuhio Aves.; and Queen’s Surf i 2709 Kalakaua Ave. (up toward Diamond Head).

But all visitors should, at leas once, visit La Ronde, a glass, re volving, flying-saucer of a place perched 25 stories up on a skyscrape at the rear of the Ala Moana ship ping centre.

NIGHT CLUBS: Many of the hi hotel restaurants and most of th others mentioned have floor shows a night—the first performance usuall; beginning about 9 o’clock. Of particu lar interest to South Pacific resident at present is the show at Queen’s Sur where Elaine Frisbie, second daughte: of American novelist, the late Rober Dean Frisbie, has a troupe of th most eye-catching girls that eve; came out of the Pacific.

WHAT TO SEE: The Bishoi Museum, in Kalihi St., is about twe miles from downtown Honolulu anc houses some of the finest Hawaiiar exhibits of ancient art and culture the Academy of Arts, in Beretaniz St., specialises in Oriental anc Hawaiian arts; and the Queen Emmc Museum, in Nuuanu Ave., is interest ing as this old white mansion was once the summer palace of both Kamehameha IV and of Queer Emma and it has been preserved in its original state.

The Capitol or lolani Palace in King St., was once the Royal Palace of King Kalakaua but is now the seat of the State Government although the Throne Room is maintained as it was in the days of royalty and is open to the public. The Governor has his office in the building.

Punchbowl, an extinct volcano 50(1 feet high, behind the downtown area, now transformed into the US- National Memorial Cemetery for the Pacific War Dead is well worth a t visit. So is Nuuanu Pali, which is one: of the most visited beauty spots. It) is six miles from the down-town areat and consists of a 1,200 ft cliff fromi which spectacular views can be ob tained of the windward side of the; island of Oahu.

Tours And Transport:

Honolulu has a good system of buses < and an abundant supply of taxis? which, on Australasian standards, are; fairly expensive.

There are numerous tourist; agencies which run bus and car tours ; of Honolulu and Waikiki and also <

avt(inc ; w tniir „ oronnd the Sd. Tourists who visit Honolulu

Sh^h SUall Lr\ an offi«Ttyp°cal

°ugh the purser s office A typtcal ind-the-island tour °f ab °ut se e S/o 2 h s ext|) b Half day to Js of Drive-yourself cars and jeeps are

plentiful supply.

Shopping And The Cost Of

ALL; The Ala Moana Shopping ntre that covers about 40 acres — e or take a few—between downvn Honolulu and Waikiki, is reted to be the largest in the world. rtainly there are few others with varied, modern, beautiful or sophisited shops. No woman-and few n-could fail to be drawn towards like a m a gnet.

Unfortunately for Australasian ckets, the prices here, as in the rest the United States, are dear. Ac- -ding to the rate of exchange, a liar is worth about 8/9 Australian; t in purchasing power that 8/9 is irth only about 4/—in other irds, it costs a Britisher, at his rate exchange, just twice as much to e in the USA as it does an Amerin.