Pacific Islands (1/10) – Hawaii Four-O

My family never needed an excuse to vacation. However, we do appreciate those weddings and birthdays that happen overseas and “require” our attendance. Sorry clients and work buddies, I didn’t mean to ditch you again so soon but I just can’t help it.

This May, Hong’s parents celebrated their 40th anniversary. They had long been hoping for a family reunion in Hawaii, and we all agreed that this was the best time to make it happen. As we penned out the logistics last December, they also wished to spend some extra time with the grand kids, and suggested that Hong and I “go somewhere for a few days” while leaving the young ones on the island with them. Um well, there’s only one possible answer to amazing offers like that.  Overnight, we looked up all the destinations that could be reached from Hawaii, and picked another set of Pacific islands – Japan – to spend the second half of the vacation.

Hong’s parents (“the grandparents”) joined us in the Bay Area the day before. Hong’s sister (Vic) and brother-in-law (Brian) landed in SFO a few hours prior. Then all eight of us flew to Honolulu on the same flight – to celebrate the grandparents’ big 40th anniversary, aloha style.

This may have been my first time being on an airplane with so many people that I knew

 

TIME SHARE

On Waikiki Beach, we stayed at a massive resort complex where the grandparents have time share units with Hilton Grand Vacation Club (HGVC). The time share was a constant topic of conversation before, during, and after the trip.

It’s probably safe to say that there’s no such thing as a proud time share owner. The grandparents’ attitude toward their HGVC membership is best described as content but with frustrations. Hong and Vic had their minds squarely set on it being a scam.  For my love of convoluted travel logistics, I enjoyed learning about its pricing and rules, and imagining loophole opportunities.  Unfortunately, I was unable to arrive at a much different conclusion.  Aside from the few people on Earth who are committed for life to very specific vacation style and destinations, HGVC is not only inconvenient but also an inefficient use of money.

That being said, we were grateful for being invited by the grandparents to join them on this trip. The prepaid nature of a time share ownership minimizes the cash flow concerns tied to visiting prime vacation spots.  Without it, it could be difficult to convince everyone to agree to shelling out $200 per night for a week.  These properties were also equipped with amenities uncommon in hotels – such as two-bedroom apartments.  I never need to have a dining room in my hotel, of course, but when one is available and all eight of us can enjoy takeout together, it’s really quite nice.

Feast of Hawaiian McDonald’s

Balcony, grandpa’s favorite

What bugged me most about time share companies is that they don’t stop at trying to lure you in at Disneyland and Las Vegas casinos.  Even after you become an owner, they’d continue to harass you and your guests about attending more sales meetings during each vacation.  Of course, they’d throw money at you every time just for enduring the sales pitch.  When you put your vacation brain down for a second and think logically, it should be obvious that nothing of value is ever sold in this manner.

When it comes to the resort itself, it’s quite nice with lots to see and do.  It’s got several pools, a part of Waikiki beach, and a man-made lagoon.  There are restaurants and stores on site, also.  Personally, I have a fear for mega resorts where you’re surrounded by hundreds thousands of obvious tourists, but I understand that’s how a lot of people prefer to vacation.  The mega resort’s centralized mega parking garage reminds me of on-campus residential lot because it is a good 15-minute hike from our room.  Also, a substantial amount of floor space within the resort complex is dedicated to HGVC sales activities.

Waterfall at the main entrance to the resort complex

An on-site chapel… we witnessed several Japanese groups flying across the Pacific to get married here

The Grand Islander, one of the many big buildings at this HGVC complex

At the heart of the resort complex is an Asian themed commercial district where most of the restaurants and shops are.
On one hand I find the cultural appropriation quite disturbing;
on the other it is neat how they integrated Japanese-, Chinese-, and Thai-styled buildings together

Operating a time share sales office inside a fake Thai Buddhist temple is probably not the most culturally sensitive thing

However tacky the idea may be, the architecture is visually quite pleasing

This lagoon is named after Duke Kahanamoku, the guy who popularized surfing as a sport

Our room came equipped with a PS3 as a DVD player.  Neat.  But does the average time share owner know how to operate it???

Hanging out in the pool

Uncle Brian being Ava’s favorite

Chilling with the family

Having space meant that we could do stuff… such as play Settlers of Catan

The Hi-Chew was our bandit piece

Family TV time

 

PEARL HARBOR

As someone who appreciates both history and ships, I thought Pearl Harbor was a must see in Honolulu.  To my surprise, most of our family had no interest at all.  Hong was kind to accompany me on this tour, and we dragged the kids along.

Honestly, despite having been here before (like, 26 years ago), I had no idea what to expect.  TripAdvisor had it as a most highly rated destination in Hawaii, but the official website didn’t make it sound that fun: timed entry, mandatory video viewing, guided tour involving a boat… turned out that all those things were true and yet it was an amazing experience.  The film was a black-and-white history lesson, but it was composed in a very engaging manner.  We finished it in awe and boarded a boat to see the USS Arizona Memorial.  For reasons not clearly communicated, we weren’t able to set foot on the actual memorial on that day.  Still, it was memorable to see the memorial and the sunken ship up close, and the tour left us deep in thoughts.

Coincidentally, we came here on Memorial Day.  I never knew I was so patriotic.

Making the trip a bit more kid-friendly

Boarding the boat!

USS Arizona Memorial, with Battleship Missouri in the background

 

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Pacific Islands 2018 Index

1. Hawaii Four-O
2. Surf & Turf Adventures
3. Island Eats
4. On To Japan
5. Osaka via Shinkansen
6. Castle Day
7. Deer & Whale Shark
8. Osaka Urban Hangouts
9. Tasty Japan
10. Japan Favorites

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