I didn’t love Waikiki Beach.
There. I said it.
I still don’t understand what the big deal is about this place.
But I just didn’t love Waikiki. I thought I would. But alas.
Let me back up a bit.
I visited Oahu in February/March 2021 after scoring some majorly discounted flights. I was ecstatic.
The last time I was in Hawaii was for a friend’s wedding in 2016. The venue was on Maui, and then my other friend and I island-hopped over to Molokai.
I fell in love with the spirit of aloha, the concept of island time, and the idea of being on one of the most isolated archipelagos in the world.
So when I booked my latest trip to the rainbow state, I wanted to visit a new island – Oahu.
I was eager to see the famous Waikiki Beach that everyone always seemed to talk about. Deify, almost.
When I researched for things to do on Oahu, visiting Waikiki Beach was always on the top of each list. Although I’m not always one to follow the crowd, I was going to be staying around the corner from the south end of Waikiki.
When I landed on Oahu and finally made it over to my hostel, I had just enough time to walk to the beach and catch the sunset.
The sunset was beautiful, there’s no way to deny it. I’m a sucker for chasing the sun and it was an out-of-this-world welcoming gift to my visit.
But as I sat and watched the sun dip under the horizon, I couldn’t help but notice the whiffs of cigarette smoke, vapes, and other recreational drugs creeping towards me.
Within minutes of the sun setting on that first night, I was offered a smoke.
As I started walking back to my hostel, I was approached twice more (I was only 2 blocks away) by people looking for a light and to bum a smoke.
Although this wasn’t the first time I’d ever been approached like this, it definitely killed the tropical paradise feeling that I was experiencing.
When I left, I couldn’t shake the thought that I just didn’t love Waikiki Beach. I tried going back a few time, trying to give it the benefit of the doubt. But each time I went, I was accosted by rude people, crazy tourists, and more transient people than I thought possible on an island.
I felt like I was back in Venice Beach in California.
Waikiki Beach felt like a Monet – looks great from a distance (like from atop Lion Head), but up close it’s more of a mess.
Was there something wrong with me? Here I was on a tropical paradise, watching the sunset on an idyllic beach, the iconic Waikiki skyline at my back.
And I wasn’t loving it.
I didn’t love Waikiki Beach.
But that’s okay. We don’t always have to love the “must-see” locations. We don’t have to love what the masses are telling us to.
We all have our different tastes and interests. Honestly, I’d be worried if we liked all the same things as everyone else.
Have you ever been to Waikiki Beach? Did you or didn’t you love Waikiki Beach?
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