10 Spots That Prove Waikiki Is Beautifully Weird and Wonderful

Step into The Laylow Hotel, and you’ll feel as if you’ve time-traveled back to Waikiki circa the 1960s. The lobby evokes mid-century modern tropical nostalgia with kitschy hula figurines and black-and-white surfer photos. Each room has a curving lanai and a statement wall, bursting with turquoise and pink monstera leaves. Lounge on the refurbished furniture, including pin-leg chairs and surfboard-shaped tables, and strum on the little wooden ukulele provided to each guest.

The ‘Alohilani Resort is located right across from Waikiki Beach, but there’s no need to leave the hotel to encounter Hawaiian sea life. The lobby has a dramatic two-story saltwater Oceanarium, containing more than 1,000 marine and coral species in a 280,000-gallon aquarium. Sip on an ocean-themed cocktail at the adjoining O Bar, and be dazzled by the bright creatures that swim by. At 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., you can watch the staff feed the fish and ask them questions about the impressive Oceanarium.

You may be puzzled to come across a cluster of four gigantic stones not far from Waikiki’s Duke Kahanamoku Statue. This historic landmark is connected to a legend about four wizards who supposedly sailed to the island around 400 AD and shared their healing powers with the locals. Before departing, the quartet placed their “mana” energy into these boulders, which weigh over a ton each. Today, residents visit the Wizard Stones and place flower leis as offerings to the four ancient healers.

Hang loose with Hawaiian drag queens at Wang Chung’s, a small and spirited karaoke bar that attracts a regular “ohana” or family. Every Sunday, the venue hosts a Drag Queen Brunch. Feast on mimosas and breakfast dishes while the ladies perform witty lip-syncs and comedy routines. At night, you can get tipsy on cocktails inspired by local drag queens while belting out karaoke tunes on-stage next to the Godzilla and geisha murals.

Banyan trees, which are associated with the Buddha’s enlightenment, are found throughout Honolulu. One of the oldest and most dramatic specimens takes up the entire courtyard of Waikiki’s Moana Surfrider Hotel. This banyan tree has multiple trunks with twisting roots and branches that hang dramatically over a view of the ocean. Planted as an infant in 1904, the tree now rises over 75 feet high, with offshoots spreading 150 feet wide. Cool off under its leaves in the daytime, and gaze up at the filtered moonlight after dark.

Since 2015, artist Victor Ving and photographer Lisa Beggs have been traveling and creating murals for their “Greetings Tour” project. In 2019, they painted a 75 by 50-foot floor mural on an empty lot at the ‘Alohilani Resort. The artists completed the ground mural in three weeks, using 35 gallons of paint. You can see the vintage-styled “Greetings from Hawaii” postcard mural from Swell Pool Bar or one of the hotel rooms above.