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Eastern and Western traditions meet on Oahu, where savvy shoppers find luxury goods at high-end malls and scout tiny boutiques and galleries filled with pottery, blown glass, woodwork, and Hawaiian-print clothing by local artists. This blend of cultures is pervasive in the wide selection of spas as well. Hawaiian lomilomi and hot-stone massages are as omnipresent as the orchid and plumeria flowers decorating every treatment room.
Exploring downtown Honolulu, Kailua on the windward side, and the North Shore often yields the most original merchandise. Some of the small stores carry imported clothes and gifts from around the world—a reminder that, on this island halfway between Asia and the United States, shopping is a multicultural experience.
If you're getting a massage at a spa, there's a spiritual element to the lomilomi that calms the soul while the muscles release tension. During a hot-stone massage, smooth rocks, taken from the earth with permission from Pele, the goddess of volcanoes, are heated and placed at focal points on the body. Others are covered in oil and rubbed over tired limbs, feeling like powerful fingers. For an alternative, refresh skin with mango scrubs so fragrant they seem edible. Savor the unusual sensation of bamboo tapped against the arches of the feet. Indulge in a scalp massage that makes the entire body tingle. Day spas provide additional options to the self-indulgent services offered in almost every major hotel on the island.
This family-owned and -operated gallery offers the artist's functional and decorative pottery as well as the works of approximately 200 other American artisans. Jeff has worked with clay for more than 40 years and his wife, Karon, operates the gallery and selects other works, including jewelry, glass pieces, metal sculpture, wall art, wooden items, musical instruments, chimes, suncatchers, sand globes and pictures, holiday decor, and ornaments.
This gallery represents hundreds of artisans who specialize in koa furniture, bowls, and boxes, as well as art glass and ceramics. Original paintings and prints—all with an Islands theme—add to the selection. The store also carries unique handmade Hawaiian jewelry starting under $20 with ti leaf, maile, and coconut-weave designs. Home items like locally made kitchen towels and Tutu Nene hand-sewn native Hawaiian ducks make great souvenirs. A second Nohea Gallery location is in the Hyatt Regency Waikiki.
Pieces by a number of local and international artists are featured here, including original paintings; limited-edition prints; works in wood, metal, glass, ceramic, and acrylic; and handcrafted jewelry. There's another branch on Oahu, in the town of Haleiwa, and you'll also find locations on other Islands.
In addition to exhibiting the beautiful and inspiring work of the world-famous marine life artist Wyland, this expansive art gallery showcases works by a number of other artists, both lesser-known and highly acclaimed. There are also locations in the Oahu town of Haleiwa and on other Islands.
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