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about Asia Buzz
Culture on Demand: Aloha!
Part One of a two-week series from Hawaii
By STAN STALNAKER
May
20, 2000
Web posted at 11:00 p.m. Hong Kong time, 11:00 a.m. EDT
Blending is good. We like blending. Which is why we like Honolulu, the ultimate blend of Asia and North America. On reconnaisance in Oahu, we're happy to report that there are legitimately good reasons why scores of tourists on JAL,KAL and Eva still mark these volcanic islands as a top spot for an Asian getaway.
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Granted, Hawaii doesn't quite have the allure it once did for Asia's globetrotters--as any Seoul secretary will tell you, right now it's all about the Med, as in Capri, the Costa del Sol and anywhere with a fresco--but for those who want a bit of luxury without complications, Hawaii remains a comfortable choice.
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However, it does seem that visitors from Asia are coming for different reasons (and with different budgets) than they did in those halycon days of the mid-'90s when buses filled with Japanese tourists would converge on Louis Vuitton and Chanel in search of the latest monogram. Now, the buses head out to Waikele in Waipahu for the latest designer discounts--with shoppers paying 60% of what they used to pay in the high street shops. That can't be good for the tax base.
But the good news is that Oahu and Honolulu are diversifying their offerings to cater to globetrotters. Business is beginning to blend with pleasure in new settings, like the recently completed Hawaii Convention Center. Recently home to the PBEC Business Forum, it has just landed the Asian Development Bank's 2001 Spring conference, supposedly because the bank was feeling a bit apprehensive about holding it in their original choice--Seattle. Hawaiians don't really do riot gear--hides the tan.
In the blend are new galleries and a revitalized Honolulu Symphony, flourishing under the tutelage of Hong Konger Samuel Wong. The North Shore is hot, and everyone recommends the H3 highway, which passes through the Ko'olau Ranges to beautiful Kaneoke Bay. So yes, there's more to do than just hit Waikiki.
But of course, you must hit Waikiki, regardless of your shopping predilections or business conference schedule. There are of course many places to stay, but as I always say, only a few real choices. On the list is the Halekulani--a luxury hotel situated smack dab in the middle of Waikiki but strangely removed from the newlyweds and elderly folk who populate the sandy shores at more urbane places like the Sheraton. The Mandarin Oriental remains a top choice, and the W Hotel is doing a good job of bringing in the young and beautiful people, despite the, ahem, lack of a pool. But believe me, no one there is there for the pool.
The Halekulani doesn't come cheap and it was last renovated back in the 80s, but the poolside scene is the most refined on the beach. Here, you are unlikely to find the giant "redbacks," those tourists from the OTHER mainland that tend to roast like lobsters and talk about how excited they are to be in this tropical paradise. No, here the talk centers on the Onaga fillet at La Mer (the in-house restaurant), price movements of Taiwan semiconductor chips, and whether or not the crowd at sunset will be as dishy as last night.
But no weekend is good without a few cheap thrills--including the Outrigger Canoe Ride, a margarita at Duke's on the beach, or even a visit to Helena's, a locally owned neighborhood eatery run by Helen Chock, a wry little lady. Helen just won the James Beard Award (it's a food thing) for the legendary restaurant she has been running for 54 years. That's a long time in the kitchen, but the guests seem happy.
The bottom line with Honolulu comes back to that blend--Asian and Western, bar cocktails and business, symphony and sand. It's an easy place, and worth another look if you've been here before, especially outside of the tour package.
Next week: The outer islands of Lana'i and Maui.
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