Cherish the time you spend with your family. How to spend precious time in Hawaii - JAL HAWAII-Living Traveler

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Living Traveler means traveling as if you are living. In Japan, many people are busy with their daily work and don't have much time to relax with their children, wives, or husbands. That's why we recommend a long stay trip to Hawaii, where you can spend plenty of time with your family. Stay in a condominium, buy local ingredients at a local market and cook. Take a walk to Waikiki Beach with some to-go malasadas from a cafe in town. By traveling like you live and experiencing the daily life of a local Hawaiian, you may be able to create a slightly different relationship with your family than usual.

The excitement of starting a new life. "A condominium rented through HomeAway"

You may have visited Hawaii many times with your loved one, whether as a couple or as a newlywed. If you visit again after your family has grown, you are sure to find new discoveries and fun. The recommended accommodation for such a family trip to Hawaii is to use a condominium. You will rent a room that is like a room in a condominium, so you will have a spacious kitchen, living room, multiple bedrooms, and more, and you will be able to experience living in Hawaii.

You may think that it is difficult to make a reservation, but you can easily start condominium life by booking rental properties on the world's largest vacation rental site, "HomeAway," through the JAL website. It's also fun to spend time looking at property photos on the site and choosing the best one.

Click here for details on HomeAway - Vacation Rentals
*At the end of March 2020, "HomeAway" was rebranded as "Vrbo."

We recommend the Waikiki Shore Condominiums at 2161 Kalia Avenue. It's the only beachfront condominium on Waikiki Beach. Any location close to the center is great, but it's great to have direct access to Waikiki Beach from the building.

Unlike hotel rooms, these rooms have a spacious living room and kitchen, so children can relax and unwind. Also, while relaxing on the large sofa, the gentle dry breeze that is unique to Hawaii comes in through the wide open windows, making you feel comfortable.
If both spouses enjoy cooking as a hobby, the well-equipped kitchen may be the deciding factor. It comes equipped with a stove, a refrigerator with plenty of storage space, and even a large grill, so you can cook more elaborate meals than you can at home. The ingredients are, of course, locally sourced and purchased from a local supermarket. Cooking Hawaiian cuisine with the whole family using ingredients that are unfamiliar in Japan is an activity that will be remembered in itself.

Dining in the dining room is nice, but why not enjoy the spectacular view on the spacious lanai? In Hawaii, a large balcony is called a lanai, and in most cases it has a roof and is equipped with a table and chairs. If you spend time relaxing there as a second living room, you will feel like a Hawaiian resident.
This condominium has two bedrooms and is spacious enough for three generations to stay together, including your grandparents.

Shopping at the supermarket is also a fun time spent together

Long stay at a condominium. To show off your cooking skills in the kitchen, it is essential to get ingredients from a local supermarket. Whole Foods Market, which is popular among Japanese people, opened a new large store about 3km from Waikiki Shore last year. Why not go shopping there while you're driving?

Whole Foods Market is one of America's leading supermarkets. It also became famous after being acquired by Amazon. It calls itself "America's healthiest grocery store" and has a wide selection of organic ingredients. It is also characterized by its wide selection of local foods, and the shelves labeled "Local" stock locally made craft beer, alcohol, chocolate, and more. It has over 270 stores worldwide, with four in Hawaii. The new Queen store will be the flagship store in Hawaii.

The first thing that surprises you when you step inside is the size of the store. Not only is it spacious, but the variety of products is far greater than in Japan. In Hawaiian supermarkets, locals tend to use eco-bags. If you buy a limited edition eco-bag from the supermarket while you're there, you might be able to feel like a local.

Go shopping at the supermarket with the whole family. In Japan, it can be boring for children, but here they will be delighted with colorfully packaged sweets, large cakes and ice cream. Another great thing for moms and dads is that there are many sweets made with organic ingredients. However, they are so delicious that you should be careful not to fill your kids up by eating too much before the homemade dinner.

Mom was excited by the wide variety of ingredients. Most of the ingredients are made in Hawaii, and there are plenty of Hawaiian beef, colorful seafood, and vegetables, as well as fruits. As the family chooses ingredients while planning the dinner menu, it feels like we're residents of Hawaii.

Dad cooks with Mom, so they choose ingredients together. However, rather than choosing ingredients for dinner, they are more interested in finding snacks to go with their favorite beer. They find the specialty dish, poke (pickled sashimi). Whole Foods Market has a poke bar where you can buy fresh tuna, salmon, and shrimp poke by weight, all sourced from local fishing ports. They enjoy this poke with Hawaiian craft beer. There is a wide selection of beers from famous breweries, including Kona Brewing Company.

In Japan, shopping at the supermarket is just an everyday event, but in Hawaii, it is a small event that everyone can enjoy, including children, parents, and others. The dinner fun has already begun.

By the way, in addition to food, Whole Foods Market also has a wide selection of organic cosmetics, body, hair and face care products. It's also a great place to buy souvenirs to give to your mom friends in bulk. After you're done shopping, buy a freshly squeezed smoothie at Lanikai Juice, a fresh juice shop popular among locals, and drink it on your way back to your condominium.

A small moment at a local cafe

If you wake up a little late, you can have breakfast at a nearby cafe. This is a very local experience and makes you feel happy. There are many delicious coffee shops on the way from the condominium to Waikiki Beach. If you have the chance, you might as well choose a "regular" place and go there every day.

The aroma of roasted coffee fills the air inside the store. The friendly staff greets you with an Aloha! and makes you feel like a regular at the local cafe.

Speaking of Hawaiian coffee, Kona coffee is a must-try. It is made from beans harvested in the Kona region of the Big Island (Hawaii Island), but its production volume is rare, accounting for less than 1% of the world's coffee production. It is counted among the world's three major coffees, along with Blue Mountain and Kilimanjaro. Its flavor is characterized by a fruity, rich sweetness. In other words, it has little bitterness. However, its unique acidity and richness make it very satisfying to drink.

For breakfast, how about a classic acai bowl? The superfruit acai is topped with bananas and granola. It's a healthy way to start the day off right. For kids, we recommend malasadas, a local Hawaiian donut. They're fluffy and chewy, with the fragrant sweetness of vanilla sugar and cinnamon sugar that's sure to become addictive. If you're going out, why not let them order one for themselves? That alone will make it even more delicious.

Time to experience the same beautiful scenery over and over again “A walk on the beach nearby”

Staying at the Waikiki Shore Condominium. Naturally, Waikiki Beach is within walking distance. In fact, the 3km long Waikiki Beach is a collective name for several beaches. The most famous is Kuhio Beach. There are many tourists, and many Japanese families. However, if you are there, you should visit a beach that is popular with locals.

We recommend Duke Kahanamoku Beach, located at the westernmost end of Waikiki Beach. It is a cove and the waves are not high, so it is a popular spot for local families. By the way, Duke Kahanamoku is a legendary Hawaiian surfer. There is also a statue of him on the beach.

If you want to experience a more local atmosphere, head to Fort DeRussy Beach Park, which is less crowded with tourists. The nearby park also has free BBQ grills, so you can enjoy lunch or dinner using ingredients purchased at Whole Foods for a more local feel.

White sand beaches, emerald green ocean, blue skies, and Diamond Head towering in the distance are the iconic landscapes of Hawaii. If you rent a condominium near Waikiki Beach for a long stay, you can take a stroll any time of the day, morning, noon, or night, and enjoy the ever-changing scenery. This is also a way to enjoy the ocean just like a Hawaiian resident. If you could live near such a beautiful beach in Japan, you would probably be much happier.

When I visit Hawaii every year, I enjoy staying there as if I were living there, rather than just touring the so-called tourist spots. Spending my days slowly feels more like a homecoming than a trip. By taking such trips, Hawaii may become a second home for my children.

Property photos courtesy of HomeAway
Other photos provided by Pixta