Aloha Ko Olina

Oahu, Hawaii

A vacation package to Hawaii can be a great way to enjoy a tropical paradise while still enjoying US levels of comfort, safety, service and support. A great way to enjoy the islands without the hassle of booking your own hotels and flights is to book a package vacation at a Hawaiian resort such as Ko Olina.

Ko Olina is situated on the south-west corner of Oahu – not the largest of the islands that make up the archipelago of Hawaii, but the most popular with tourists. The Hawaiian capital, Honolulu, is also located on Oahu, so the journey from the international airport to the resort is a swift one by cab or shuttle bus.

Once you’re in the Ko Olina resort - which is over 600 acres in size, and enjoys wonderful views of the Pacific Ocean and the Waianae mountain range – there’s no real reason to leave it unless you particularly want to explore the rest of the Oahu or the surrounding islands. Just about everything you could possibly want for your vacation in paradise can be found within Ko Olina.

Maybe you like golf? The resort has a world-famous 18 hole course, lovingly designed by top golf architect Ted Robinson. The 6,867 yard course offers superb landscaping, sea views, challenging gameplay and a full GPS network to help you maintain your scorecard and pick up pro tips. The club house has a full bar and restaurant and a team of staff PGA professionals to help you improve your game.

Ko Olina – like all Hawaii resorts – is a great place to go if you enjoy the ocean. Fit and active vacationers who want to get up real close and personal with the salt water can take snorkelling lessons from on-site experts. Snorkelling takes place in each of the four sea lagoons that are part of the Ko Olina resort – so beginners can have a taste of this most exciting of watersports without being exposed to the dangers of the big bad Pacific Ocean.

If you’re a little less adventurous you might consider taking a trip on the Ko Olina Cat – a 53-foot catamaran that offers a variety of short trips to take in the regional sea life and other sights. If you’re feeling in a romantic frame of mind why not take a sunset cruise on the Cat and enjoy the fabulous sight of the sun sinking into a placid Pacific Ocean?

If you want to travel a little further, there’s a lot to do and see on Oahu. In the unlikely event of golfers getting tired of Ko Olina’s own links, the island is home to some of the greatest golf courses in the world and remains the number one most favored destination for most PGA Masters. If you have an interest in American history there’s also a great deal of interesting stuff to see at Pearl Harbor. The US was pulled into World War Two on the morning of December 7, 1941, when Japanese aircraft attacked the Pacific Fleet at anchor. Today, the Harbor is still a militarily important Navy base. But there’s a great memorial at the site of the sunken USS Arizona. Half of the US servicemen who lost their lives that day were aboard the Arizona when she went down. The memorial is an floating museum, suspended over the sunken wreck of the battleship.

If you’re ready for something to eat before you head back to your room or suite at Ko Olina you would do worse than to consider a meal at Roy’s Restaurant. As you may know, Roy’s is now a national chain of restaurants with premises in many states of the Union. But when the company was started by chef Roy Yamaguchi in 1988 there was only one – in Honolulu. At the time the fashion for ‘fusion food’ – the mixing of two or more culinary styles in one dish – was just taking off. Roy’s Restaurants have grown with it.

There are six branches of Roy’s in Hawaii, all of them serving Roy Yamaguchi’s unique blend of native Hawaiian flavors with Europeans influences and Asian spices. Roy’s Restaurants may be a chain now – but they’re a long way from being fast food joints. The fare on offer here is some of the best and most exotic you’ll enjoy anywhere. If Yellow Fin Ahi Poketini followed by Lobster in Butter Sauce with Hot Chocolate Soufflé for dessert sounds like your kind of food, Roy’s is the place for you.

Hawaii is a small taste of heaven on earth. Booking a vacation there gives you the chance of a couple of weeks in paradise with all your needs taken care of – so that all your cares can melt away!