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It’s been years since my last visit to Tahiti and the surrounding islands. But the opening of a new Four Seasons on Bora Bora has put the area back on my radar.  While visiting the area on the MS Paul Gaugin, (watch YouTube video - view My Photos) , I felt that Bora Bora was definitely an island I would want to visit again.

Earlier this month the Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora opened and initial online comments have been “living in a postcard”, “Incredible Resort!!”, “literally heaven on earth”.  I can’t substantiate these comments, but they seem authentic based on my personal experiences at other Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts properties.

For more details visit their Official Website

Photos from Four Seasons; Top Photo by: John Sinal / Lower by: Peter Vitale

“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.”

- Samuel Jackson / American Philosopher

OK… OK… That’s enough on Hawaii… I’ll move on….

Spa Olakino is located at the Diamond Head end of Waikiki in the Beach Marriott Resort and Spa. As the wife of the great MurrayOnTravel I’m a spa buff and seek out spa treatments whenever possible. I would suggest you may want to book a treatment here.

The Spa Olakino is managed by the Paul Brown companies, a local salon in Honolulu. There is definitely a “local style” happening at this spa…..no one is in a big hurry….and that’s not a bad thing when you are in spa mode! The services and prices make up for any lassitude at the front counter.

The greatest feature about the Spa Olakino is the quiet area. Lava rock, island flowers and an eye level view of Waikiki Beach will captivate you as you relax and wait for you treatment. This lounge area has 8 or so comfy chases, a full tea service and plenty of fashion magazines. Plan to hang out here—it’s a peaceful place overlooking the turquoise water and you don’t have to put on sun screen.

The sitting area is fabulous and I could stay there all day, however, the shower, bathroom area is not up to par with other spas. Perhaps that is why the Spa Olakino describes itself as a “boutique spa”. There is only one shower, two bathroom stalls and one sink and a tiny area to undress. You won’t have much privacy in this area; however, over the years I’ve been to this spa 3 times and rarely see more than one or two people at a time.

The Spa Olakino features a Magic Island Massage, 80 minutes for $160, body wraps with pure Hawaiian spirulina, 75 minutes include 25 minutes LomiLomi massage for $155 and Papaya Pineapple facial, 60 minutes for $130.

If these prices are too much for your budget, then you have to check out the Early Bird and Night Owl spa specials! Great treatments for great prices! The Early Bird Specials will suit you well because you will probably be waking up at 5:30 am because of the time change; take advantage of it. I had a 25 minute scalp massage and a 25 minute mini facial for about $100. The specials are from 8 am to 10 am or 8 pm to 9 pm everyday.

Each treatment room is decorated with a Hawaii theme. For example, lava rock walls, stone sinks and a dark décor adorn each room. All spa treatments incorporate Hawaiian-influenced products and there is a small boutique to shop for products. I have never been “sold’ to after a treatment and I like that about the Spa Olakino. The last thing I want is to be pressured to buy a mud pack after a relaxing, expensive spa experience.

The Spa Olakino also offers full Salon services at reasonable prices.

Online at: www.SpaOlakino.com- Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort, 2552 Kalakaua Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96815 - Telephone: 808.924.2121

I’ve been writing about the problems that Norwegian Cruise Lines has had operating ships in the Hawaiian Islands since the first ship arrived in the islands in July 2004. You would think that cruising and Hawaii would be a match made in paradise, but it hasn’t been. 

Over the years NCL has had four different ships working the islands, today only one remains, the Pride Of America.  The other ships have been relocated and renamed the Pride Of Aloha is now the Norwegian Sky and is sailing three- and four-night Bahamas cruises out of Miami.

I’ve cruised on several of the ships, but I’ve written mostly about my interviews of exiting passengers.  I lived for four years not far from Honolulu Harbor and started to despise my weekend trips to greet the arriving passengers.  It wasn’t easy.  Especially later in the morning as I would start to meet cruisers waiting to board the ship just after have interviewed angry exiting passengers.

During my recent trip to Honolulu I decided to stop by the harbor again and see what passengers had to say.  The Pride Of America no longer arrives at the beautiful Aloha Tower complex but at Pier 2.

You can read my comments about the Pride Of America cruise ship. Photo Copyright Bruce Murray.

Pocket Express is a software application that runs on smart phones like the iPhone, Blackberry, and the Treo.  The services give you fast access to flight times, news, sports, weather and other information.  Some of the services are offered for free, but the majority of the services require subscriptions.  A discounted bundle of subscriptions is available for 6.95 per month or $70 per year.

Try out the FREE options, click here.  The thing I like about this service is that it is customized to your device so it displays data that websites may not render well on a mobile web browser.  NOTE: It can also run on other WiFi connected devices like some of the HP iPAQ units.

This is my second posting about the Waikiki Beach Marriott, don’t miss part 1. This posting is mostly photographs of the resort, and beach.

View from “Partial Oceanview” room on the 23rd floor of the Kealohailani Tower.

View of Diamond Head from room 2314 Kealohailani Tower.

Marriott’s pool is small but offers a large sundeck. A second small pool is also available toward the back of the resort.

Pool looks larger here than it is….

 

Two great restaurants in the Marriott are “Sansei” and “D.K. Steak House”. (NOTE: for breakfast head down the street to “Cheeseburger in Paradise”. Skip the buffet at the Marriott.)

Small gym offers machines and free weights but can become quickly crowded.

Hotel as seen from the water.

Beach just in front / across the street from the Marriott. The protection of a seawall makes it great for a relaxing dip. Also great for kids. Beaches with direct ocean exposure are just steps away.

On my last day I told the Marriott that I was writing about the property and asked to see a Oceanfront room. This is the room.

This oceanfromt room has windows looking south toward the beach, and a side balcony with a great view.

 

Bathroom is larger than the standard rooms, offering separate bath & shower. But our smaller room had a seperate toilet/tub room which I like.

Eva (west) facing oceanview balcony in the Kealohailani Tower. This is a oceanfront room but I suspect most of the rooms on this side of the Kealohailani Tower, above the 10th floor would have excellent views. Also note that Waikiki is a busy city, the higher you get the less street noise you will hear.

View out southern / oceanfront side of the Marriott

Great View! You can see that the Waikiki Beach Marriott isn’t right on the beach…you need to cross a busy 4 lane street at the crosswalks.

This is my second posting about the Waikiki Beach Marriott, don’t miss part 1.

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Italy, India and Indonesia - by Elizabeth Gilbert

From the Publisher: This beautifully written, heartfelt memoir touched a nerve among both readers and reviewers. Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali. By turns rapturous and rueful, this wise and funny author (whom Booklist calls “Anne Lamott’s hip, yoga-practicing, footloose younger sister”) is poised to garner yet more adoring fans.

“I have never had any idea what goes on with other people–but I have found that my major concern in traveling in foreign parts is where is the ladies room.  Now, in an airplane it always seems that it is as far away from me as possible.  And that the more complicated and embarrassing the trip, the more frequent my desire to make it.”

- Katharine Hepburn / American Actress

Park West Gallery which operates art auctions on 85 cruise ships has announced that they will give customers 40 days to return their art purchases and 40 months to exchange them.  For details click here. 

This action may be the result of a recent New York Times article that focused on the Park West Gallery no returns policy.   The story featured cruise passengers who stated the art they purchased  was not worth what the Gallery claimed.  Read the article “Art Auctions on Cruise Ships Lead to Anger, Accusations and Lawsuits“.   You can read more about problems here.

I wonder if cruise operators will pressure their art auction vendors to offer similar return policies.

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