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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.
Shop for gifts or yourself at this cozy, independent bookstore, which feels more like a small-town library, welcoming browsers to linger. It sells new and secondhand books, and its children's section is filled with both books and toys.
The world's largest open-air shopping mall is a five-minute bus ride from Waikiki. More than 350 stores and 160 dining options (including multiple food courts) make up this 50-acre complex, which is a unique mix of national and international chains as well as smaller, locally owned shops and eateries—and everything in between. The newer Lanai @ Ala Moana Center is worth stopping at for a range of casual dining options in one spot. More than 30 luxury boutiques in residence include Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Christian Dior. All of Hawaii's major department stores are here, including the state's only Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, plus Macy's, Target, and Bloomingdale's.
This little shop offers a great selection of Hawaii-made items for adults and children. Look for brightly colored, beach-casual clothing, bags, jewelry, and accessories in soft cotton and rayon aloha prints.
The most notable tenant here is the legendary Matsumoto's Shave Ice. (You'll know it by the long line of people.) The shiny, open-air complex is also home to the locally owned Haleiwa Fruit Stand and the casual beach-chic boutique Guava Shop, as well as surf photographer Clark Little's art gallery.
This indoor mall has more than 100 stores and restaurants, with a mix of national retailers and not-to-be-missed, homegrown boutiques, clothing stores, and galleries. You can also browse local foods and products at Whole Foods. For post-shopping entertainment, see what's playing at the Kahala Theatres, where you'll also find a full kitchen and bar.
Turtle Bay Resort purchased 468 acres of prime North Shore agricultural land near the entrance to the resort and created an organic farm to supply fresh ingredients to its restaurants, as well as to support 34 sustainably farmed community garden plots. A farm stand with multiple stalls shares the bounty with locals and visitors. Pull off the highway to pick up sustainably grown pineapple, papaya, corn, and other fruits and veggies, plus locally made souvenirs. The stand is open daily 9 to 5.
While playing on the North Shore, check out this open-air plaza that includes a number of art galleries, as well as clothing, gelato, and jewelry stores. And don't miss the Silver Moon Emporium for eclectic Islands fashions. People drive out of their way for the Coffee Gallery or for happy hour at Cholo's Homestyle Mexican Restaurant or Maya's Tapas and Wine.
This water-sports store has everything you need for an active vacation under one roof. Purchase rash guards, swimwear, T-shirts, footwear, hats, and shorts. Book scuba-diving tours and lessons and rent kayaks, snorkeling or scuba gear, spears for free diving, surfboards, stand-up paddleboards, and bodyboards. Experienced surfing instructors will take beginners to the small breaks on the North Shore beaches, with their notoriously huge (winter) or flat (summer) waves. Warning to fishing enthusiasts: a fishing pole is the one ocean apparatus this shop doesn't carry.
Frequent visitors return to this store year after year for a fresh supply of unique, locally made, Hawaiian-style clothing for youngsters.
Tucked away in the Royal Hawaiian’s lobby, this tiny shop is a great place to pick up a memento of your surf lesson. It's filled with a variety of high-quality Waikiki Beach Services gear, including the best-selling logo rash guards and T-shirts of the type worn by their beachboys and surf instructors. There's also a selection of locally designed bathing suits from Pualani Hawaii, swimwear from the Colombian brand Maaji, accessories, sunscreen, and original artwork.
Heading west from Waikiki toward downtown Honolulu, you'll run into a section of town with five distinct shopping-complex areas; there are more than 135 specialty shops and 40 eateries here. The Ward Entertainment Center features 16 movie screens, including a state-of-the-art, 3-D, big-screen auditorium, and all theaters have reclining chairs and access to an extended food menu and alcoholic beverages for those of age. The South Shore Market is a contemporary collection of local shops and restaurants, plus T. J. Maxx and Nordstrom Rack. For distinctive Hawaiian gifts, such as locally made muumuus, koa-wood products, and Niihau shell necklaces, visit Martin & MacArthur and Na Mea Hawaii. Over at the Ward Gateway Center, the Ohana Hale Marketplace is worth a stop to visit 140 local small businesses, including food stalls, apparel and accessories shops, and gift and craft stands. You can hop on TheBus or take a trolley from Waikiki. There's also free parking around the entire Ward Village, though sometimes you have to circle for awhile to find a spot. Valet parking is also available.
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