At A Glance
When people think of Kahala, most people associate it with the fabulous Kahala Hotel and Resort. There's a little more to the area – a shopping center, quiet neighborhoods and great beaches.
Shopping
The main shopping area is the Kahala Mall, www.ka-ha-la-mallcenter.com, located right off the H1, inland from The Kahala Resort & Spa. The anchor stores at the mall are Macy's and Longs Drugs. The center also has a Barnes & Noble Bookseller (in case you forgot your beach read!), several clothing stores, surf shops, jewelry and an 8-plex movie theater.
Adventures on Water
Dolphin Encounter
The Kahala Hotel & Resort offers a hands-on Dolphin Encounter where professional trainers from the Dolphin Quest organization help guests understand these wonderful animals. The six dolphins – Hoku ("Star" in Hawaiian), Niele ("Nosey"), Liho ("Rare and Precious"), Nainoa ("The Wanderer"), Kolohi ("Rascal"), and Kainalu ("Ocean Wave") – provide an educational and fun experience that is available only in O`ahu. Visitors and guests to the Kahala can enjoy an unforgettable experience as they come face-to-face with these friendly creatures. Carefully supervised sessions include shallow water interaction and underwater views of these amazing mammals.
A two-hour children's program is available for small groups of kids aged five to 12, including interactions with tropical fish, stingrays and turtles. If you're interested in staying at The Kahala Resort Hotel & Resort and want to get in the water with the dolphins, look on the website for the Kahala Dolphin Encounter package deal, which combines a special room rate with one adult Dolphin Encounter for two people. The package requires a four-night minimum, which, considering the opulence and privacy of this property, won't be hard to tolerate! The resort's 26,000-square-foot natural lagoon is home to six Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, sea turtles and tropical fish. For more information, tel. 808-739-8918 or 800-248-3315, or visit www.kahalaresort.com/activities/dolphin-quest-encounter.cfm or www.dolphinquest.org.
Surfing
Hans Hedemann Surf School, tel. 808-924-4778, www.hhsurf.com, is one of O`ahu's best-known surf schools and has a good reputation throughout the island. The company has branches at the Park Shore Waikiki right across from Waikiki Beach, at the Kahala Hotel & Resort on the Windward Coast and at Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore. The Surf School offers private lessons ($115 per hour, $150/two hours), semi-private lessons ($95 per hour, $125/two hours), group lessons ($50 per hour, $75/two hours), private lessons for kids ($115 per hour, $150/two hours), surf lessons with the master himself, Hans Hedemann ($250/hour), or lessons from their staff of professional surfers ($250/two hours).
Water Toys, Diving & Snorkeling Equipment
The Kahala offers a variety of water sport rentals, including kayaks, rafts, sailboats, skin diving and snorkeling equipment. Inquire at the hotel's concierge or check at the beachfront kiosks.
Where to Eat
In the Kahala Hotel & Resort, tel. 808-739-8888
Hoku's, tel. 808-739-8780, is the Kahala's signature restaurant and offers sophisticated yet contemporary cuisine, combining Hawaiian, Asian and European flavors. This is one of my favorite upscale places to eat in O`ahu. Every table in the multi-level dining room has a view of the Pacific Ocean. Hoku's is open Monday through Sunday 5:30 to 10 pm with a Sunday brunch from 10:30 am to 2 pm. The restaurant has a pleasant ocean setting and the open kitchen offers hot woks, a kiawe wood grill and wood-burning ovens. Dinner $$$$. Brunch $$$$.
Plumeria Beach House, tel. 808-739-8760, is open daily from 6:30 am to 10 pm with a Sunday brunch held from 11 am to 2:30 pm. It offers upscale versions of lunch favorites like salads, sandwiches, seafood and pastas. A breakfast buffet is offered daily and themed dinner buffets are offered on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Entertainment is provided nightly at sunset. Breakfast Buffet $$. Breakfast $$. Lunch $$. Dinner $$$. Dinner Buffet $$$$.
The Veranda, tel. 808-739-8895, designed to bring visitors back to the romance of old Hawaii, is open daily from 2 to 10:30 pm for snacks and 2 to 5 pm for afternoon tea. The tea service offers a selection of 13 hand-blended teas, along with homemade scones, pastries and other delectable treats. The tea sandwiches include smoked salmon and cucumber, watercress and tomato, prosciutto and Maui onions or roasted Peking duck with hoisin sauce. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating and is also open from 2 pm to midnight for cocktails. Live jazz music and an intimate dance floor complete your evening at the Kahala Hotel & Resort
Tokyo-Tokyo, tel. 808-739-8901, offers authentic and elegant Japanese cuisine nightly from 5:30 to 10 pm The restaurateurs combed Asia to find furnishings, artwork, porcelain, pottery, crystal, silverware and linens for the restaurant. Only the highest-grade ingredients are used, including "Koshihikari" rice produced in Uonuma, Japan, natural unprocessed salt from Izu Oshima, organic soy sauce aged to perfection in special Japanese cedar barrels from Izu Oshima and Wagyu beef directly imported from Kogoshima prefecture – the highest grade beef (A-5 grade) that Japan has to offer. This delectable beef is only available in Hawaii at Tokyo Tokyo where five ounces will cost you $150! (24-hour advance reservations are need to enjoy this special dining experience). $$$$.
Seaside Grill, tel. 808-739-8770, is a casual spot with a direct view of the Pacific Ocean, open from 11 am to 5:30 pm for lunch and 10:30 am to 6 pm for cocktails. They put a special twist on traditional "paper plate" fare such as French fries with bacon, white cheddar cheese, onion rings and a macadamia nut pesto ranch dressing. $-$$.
At the Kahala Mall
California Pizza Kitchen, tel. 808-737-9446 (next to Macys), www.cpk.com. Open Sunday through Thursday 11 am to 10 pm; Saturday and Sunday 11 am to 11 pm. This popular upscale pizza chain focuses on over 25 specialty pizzas (such as the famous Original BBQ Chicken pizza) but they also have chicken entrées, pastas, focaccia sandwiches and a large dessert selection. They also offer a children's menu for ages 10 and under, including salad, fruit, pasta, pizza and scaled-down desserts. $$.
L&L Drive-Inn, tel. 808-732-4042, has fast food Hawaiian barbecue cuisine with many combinations of pork, fish, chicken and beef. L&L also has burgers, sandwiches, saimin and musubi (a block of rice with your choice of meat in the middle and then wrapped in flavored, dry seaweed). $.
Chili's, tel. 808-738-5773, www.chilis.com. This American favorite has a little bit of everything – soups, salads, steaks, burgers, chicken, Mexican entrées and a great kid's menu. $$.
Where to Stay
Resorts
The Kahala Hotel & Resort, 5000 Kahala Avenue, tel. 808-739-8888 or 800-367-2525, www.kahalaresort.com, is considered by many to be the most fabulous resort on O`ahu and is a favorite among the rich and famous (and me!). Located on the outskirts of Honolulu, the resort has 343 rooms and suites, six restaurants and lounges, private cabanas on an amazing beach and excellent service all around. Only 11 miles from Honolulu, it's a whole different world. There are no rows of fancy hotels or highrises. Located on 6.5 acres in a posh neighborhood, the 10-story Kahala sits on a gorgeous 800-foot-long crescent-shaped beach and overlooks both Diamond Head and Koko Head Craters. Opened by Conrad Hilton in January 1964, the hotel became independent in March of 2006. The resort also has an efficient shuttle service, which will take you to the Kahala Mall, Waikiki and the Ala Moana Shopping Center.
The 312 standard guest rooms are a spacious 550 square feet with a plantation style décor. Courtyard, Garden View and Mountain View Rooms $$$$. Mountain Lanai, Dolphin Lanai, Ocean View, Beach Front $$$$$.
The resort also has five gorgeous Spa Suites, each 550 square feet with a personal relaxation area, changing room, private shower and a signature infinity-edged soaking bath. Thre is a state-of-the-art CHI Fitness Center at the Kahala as well, with a steam room, sauna and Jacuzzi. $$$$$.
Vacation Rentals
Mele Manuku is a three-bedroom, three-bath property that sleeps six. This island-style house fronts Kahala Beach and is great for families. The house is air-conditioned, with a pool, gourmet kitchen and free parking. If you're interested, check out www.triphomes.com and look for Property 41568. The price is $1,000 a night with a minimum one-week rental.
VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner), www.vrbo.com has many vacation rentals throughout the islands. Check out #45464 (Hale Koa Falls) for a four-bedroom, four-bath vacation home in Kahala that sleeps eight. The house has a lava rock spa and steam bath, a rooftop putting green and a 600-foot glass atrium. The rate for this home is $900 per night. tel. 808-371-4881 or inquire through the website.
Shortly after leaving Kahala, you'll cross over the Hawaii Kai Marina Bridge.
