^TM

Best Places to get Lei’d in Oahu

By Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady

One of the most iconic symbols of Hawaii is the lei. It is the symbolic greeting for visitors and lei scholars know the meaning of each flower.

Like Hawaii, leis and pure and natural. And it is hard to take them home with you. It is an enjoy-it-in-the-moment pleasure like so many of the wonderful experiences in Hawaii.

Here are a few of my favorite places to get lei’d:

Outrigger Waikiki and Outrigger Reef both offer once a week lei making class, complimentary for guests....most frequently the lei are made with either plumeria or orchid blossoms.

Hawaiian Lei Making
Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach
Year-round, every Friday at 10:00 a.m.
Learn how to make the beautiful and fragrant flower garlands that make Hawaii special at this free weekly workshop that is ideal for families. All materials are provided, and workshops are open to hotel guests.

Weekly Aloha Activities
Outrigger Reef on the Beach
Year-round, daily from 10:00 a.m.
A variety of complimentary guest programs offer a festive glimpse into Hawaii's rich island culture. Activities may include lei-making, hula lessons, ukulele lessons, Hawaii choirs, hula performances and a lot of opportunity to "talk story" with local residents about what makes Hawaii special.

Lei Making, Hula & Ukulele Lessons at Hilton Hawaiian Village
Lei making, hula and ukulele lessons are fun and easy for the entire family. Guests will string a floral lei and experience the colors and scents of exotic flowers. They will learn the hula, accompanied by the sounds of the ukulele, which they will learn to strum. Wednesday and Friday, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday 10 to 11:30 a.m., at the Shell Lounge (24 hour advance registration required).

Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa is Waikiki’s only self-contained destination resort. A vacationer or conventioneer finds everything necessary for a visit to paradise, yet is also within walking distance of everything Waikiki has to offer. The resort spans 22 acres, offering the widest stretch of beach on Waikiki, a beachfront lagoon, waterfalls, five pools, gardens, an exquisite art collection, and exotic wildlife, as well as nightly entertainment including the weekly King’s Jubilee, a Friday evening Hawaiian music and dance celebration that ends with a brilliant fireworks display on the beach. The finest dining, shopping and entertainment center on Waikiki’s best beach, the Village features more than 20 restaurants and lounges, with fine cuisine ranging from Italian to Asian to traditional steak and seafood menus. The Village also boasts more than 90 shops, as well as the full-service Mandara Spa and the Holistica Hawaii Preventive Medicine Center.

For reservations, call toll-free at 1-800-HILTONS (1-800-445-8667) from the U.S. and Canada or visit www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com  or call the resort directly at (808) 949-4321.

About Outrigger Enterprises Group
Outrigger Enterprises Group is one of the largest and fastest-growing
hospitality services companies in the Asia-Pacific region. Outrigger is a
family-owned company with nearly 60 years of hospitality experience and runs
a highly-successful, multi-branded line of hotels, condominiums and vacation
resort properties, including Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, OHANA Hotels &
Resorts, Outrigger Condominium Collection, Outrigger Resort Club by
Fairfield and Embassy Suites®-Waikiki Beach Walk™.* PBH Management LLC is an
affiliate of Outrigger Enterprises Group. Outrigger currently operates
nearly 60 properties representing more than 12,000 guest rooms in Hawaii,
Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti and Guam. Outrigger Enterprises Group
also operates and develops hotel properties and hospitality-related retail
and real estate opportunities for partners in Hawaii, the Pacific, the
mainland USA and Asia. For on-line information, log on at
www.outriggerenterprisesgroup.com and www.outrigger.com.

MORE ABOUT HAWAII

People interested in travel to Hawai'i on business or holiday can contact:
Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau
2270 Kalakaua Ave, 8th Fl.
Honolulu, HI 96815
Toll Free: 1-800-GOHAWAII
Helpline: 1-800-353-5846
Web Site: www.gohawaii.com (this site has links to individual vendors for weddings, accommodations and travel agencies)

Neighbor Island Web Sites:
Big Island - www.bigisland.org
Kaua - www.kauaivisitorsbureau.org
O'ahu - www.visit-oahu.com
Maui (includes Maui, Moloka'i and Lana'i) - www.visitmaui.com
Lana'i Company (handles Lodge at Koele and Manele Bay Hotel) -
www.lanai-resorts.com
Moloka'i - http://molokai-hawaii.com

GET THE TASTE OF HAWAII

TASTING PARADISE
By Karen Bacon
Restaurants and Recipes of the Hawaiian Islands
Coastal Impressions Press

The Hali’imalile General Store Cookbook
Home Cooking from Maui
Beverly Gannon with Bonnie Friedman
Ten Speed Press
www.tenspeed.com

Author Bev Gannon was one of the original gang of chefs who started offering Hawaiian Regional Cuisine

Madelyn Miller is a food and travelwriter who loves Hawaii. Read her stories on www.travellady.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.teaAtlas.com, and www.carladynews.com

Back to TravelLady Magazine