If you follow me on Instagram, you'll have noticed that I've been in Hawaii a lot lately. It all started back in the fall of 2020, when my kids were Zoom-schooling in LA--i.e., firmly planted in their bedrooms doing everything from eating breakfast to sweating through PE to socializing with their friends. Right before Thanksgiving break, we decided to pack up our surfboards and bathing suits and remote-learn from the shores of Oahu instead. We planned to stay for three weeks but ended up there for a month and a half, splitting our time between Honolulu and the North Shore--and we could not have been happier and healthier. The kids woke up at 6AM and joined their classmates online at 6:20AM. They'd jump into the ocean during breaks and finish school by 1PM. Afterward, they'd body-surf Waimea, or skateboard around Kapiolani Park, or play volleyball, surf Kaisers, Pupukea and Velzyland. Some days they'd just make acai bowls in the back yard. Meanwhile, I reconnected with a longtime friend and former Conde Nast co-worker and spent days with her exploring private waterfalls, locals-only hiking trails, canoe-surfing, and boating. In short, it was a world away from pandemic-stricken LA. It was heaven--or at least the land of double rainbows, below. One that also inspired me to brainstorm more content sites like Le Catch with my friend. In fact, we are now vigorously working on a new site--hence my constant crisscrossing the Pacific this past year--and plan to unveil it in a few months, so stay tuned! While working--and, okay, playing--in Honolulu recently, I've made so many new friends, become well-versed in the best sunset-watching (Outrigger Canoe Club, La Mer) and vegan-dining spots (Beet Box), and I've learned how to make lei and wake surf on a tow-in surfboard off a Jet-Ski. I've even earned a Hawaiian moniker: Tia Malia! (Because I've been called both Malia and Tia in the line-up at Sandbar several times. LOL!) I also know the best place to stay in Honolulu: The Kaimana Beach Hotel (second and last pictures below). I now think of it as my home away from home, and my "ohana" there has even extended the code MARLIEN20 for my friends to receive
20% off full-priced room rates on all categories including suites (my favorite is Room 917 with view pictured below, followed by 910). Book now through March on Kaimana.com. Discount offer expires May 31. Here are some highlights from HI!
Above are my boys jumping into the ocean post-Zoom school on the North Shore, just outside Haleiwa. Below, I'm in the picturesque open-air lobby at The Kaimana Beach Hotel in Waikiki, where I tend to float around in dresses like this, this, this and this. I love the avocado toast and salads at the hotel's Hau Tree Restaurant.
Check out my friend's backyard view in Lanikai, immediately below. An invite to her house always includes a paddle out to the mokes! On the North Shore, below, I stick to a strict bikini-and-cover-up dress code. Think casual and uncontrived like this, this, this and this (cute with a wrap skirt)! (FYI: My Hawaiian friends avoid beading, ruffles and OTT embellishments on their suits.) Simple rubber slippers, like these are a must!
Aloha! More highlights to come!
