WAIKIKI, ALOHA!

Sure, Hawaii is heavenly. But check out Honolulu’s hot tourist district for the gay scene in this island paradise

by Bradley David Williams

If you have never been to Hawaii, there’s no way you can fully grasp how relentlessly fabulous this place is. There are so many intangibles: the sensuality of a soft South Pacific breeze, punctuated by the sweet fragrance of plumeria; the “Aloha spirit” that comes over even the most jaded post-9/11 traveler; and an oddly intense vibe that counterbalances the serenity of this breathtakingly gorgeous chain of otherworldly volcanic islands.

In case you can’t tell, I am an unapologetic Hawaii freak of the first order. I first experienced the islands on a family vacation in 1980, the summer before my 13th birthday, and have returned seven times over the years, most recently this past January. I just can’t get enough of Aloha-land.

While all six of the major Hawaiian islands are spectacular, each with its own distinct personality and array of attractions, you need go no further than Oahu if you’re looking for a gay scene. Waikiki, the tourist district of Honolulu, is where the action is.

The first stop of any gay traveler arriving in Waikiki should be Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand, located on the second floor of the Aston Waikiki Grand Hotel (134 Kapahulu Ave., 808/923-0669, www.hulas.com). Hula’s is Waikiki’s legendary gay bar and serves as headquarters for many gay visitors. Open daily, the bar features free Internet usage on two computers, a pool table, a giant video screen, and an enclosed dance floor. There’s no longer a lei stand as there was at Hula’s previous location on the other side of Waikiki, but a local woman stops in regularly with a basketful of fresh leis for sale.

Sipping a mai tai at Hula’s while taking in the panoramic view of Diamond Head and enjoying the company of locals and international tourists alike is a quintessential activity in gay Hawaii. You may even spot a celebrity. Hula’s is the favorite hangout of comedian Margaret Cho when she visits. Be sure and pick up copies of Odyssey and DaKine, two free monthly magazines that give the low-down on gay happenings in the islands.

Some gay and lesbian visitors choose to stay at the Waikiki Grand, simply because of Hula’s. The gay-owned Queen’s Surf Vacation Rentals (808/923-1814) is located within the hotel and can assist you with reservations here and at other nearby properties. Eating out in Waikiki can get very expensive, so you may want to look for something with a kitchen.

Another lodging option is one of two small gay hotels located on Cartwright Road, a tiny street a block from Hula’s. The Cabana at Waikiki (877/902-2121, www.cabana-waikiki.com) and Ha’aheo Waikiki (808/923-7950, www.haaheo.com) are both popular with travelers looking for accommodations with an exclusively gay clientele. Besides their close proximity to Hula’s, these hotels are just minutes from the Honolulu Zoo, Kapi’olani Park, and Queen’s Surf Beach, the appropriately named hotspot for gay sun-worshippers. The Cabana features 15 newly remodeled one-bedroom suites, Continental breakfast, and an eight-man spa, while the Ha’aheo boasts larger two-bedroom suites accented with Polynesian décor.

At the opposite end of Waikiki from Hula’s is a funky gay enclave called Eaton Square (444 Hobron Lane). This four-story complex of businesses surrounding a courtyard houses Michelangelo (808/951-0008), a darkly lit gay cruise bar popular with locals. Located next door is P-10A, a men’s sex-club. An interior hallway linking the club and the bar allows patrons to move back and forth. Several floors up is Max’s Gym (808/951-8232), a “private men’s club” (a.k.a. bathhouse), which features a steam room, sauna, and video room. A gay boutique called 80% Straight (808/923-9996) is also located in Eaton Square.

A great place to stay not far from Eaton Square is the Ohana Maile Sky Court, a budget high-rise owned by the Ohana/Outrigger chain of Hawaiian hotels. Boasting a fun little bar by the pool and Jacuzzi, the hotel (2058 Kuhio Ave., 800/784-1180) is one of the best bargains in Waikiki. A quick Internet search on CheapTickets.com found a package with roundtrip air (on Continental, non-stop Houston to Honolulu) and five nights at the Maile Sky Court for under $700 per person, double occupancy. Hawaii is a popular destination year-round, with prices somewhat higher in the summer and around Christmas.

Another pocket of gay commerce is located in central Waikiki. A tiny little karaoke bar called In Between (2155 Lau’ula St., 808/926-7060) is often packed to the rafters on weekends and offers a fun and festive atmosphere. Hidden away down an alley off Kalakaua Avenue, Waikiki’s main strip, the bar is just steps away from two popular adult video arcades, Suzie’s and Velvet Video. Remarkably, the upscale tone of Waikiki somehow prevents this cluster of establishments from seeming overly sleazy.

While you’re in this area, check out the gay-friendly AstonWaikiki Joy Hotel (320 Lewers St., 877/997-6667), which features a Tokyo-style karaoke studio. Called The Experience, the club houses 15 private karaoke rooms. Sometimes when you’re walking down the street in Waikiki, you feel as if you’re in Tokyo. Japanese tourists make up around 50 percent of Waikiki visitors, and there are restaurants where you can’t find a menu in English. Expect to see lots of cute Japanese boys sporting bleach-blond hair and rock star duds.

Another gay bar, Angles Waikiki (2258 Kuhio, 808/926-9766), and the after-hours dance club next door, Fusion Waikiki (2260 Kuhio, 808/924-2422), can get very busy. This makes for a gay-friendly atmosphere at the Starbucks and Jamba Juice across the street.

Several Waikiki eateries are especially welcoming. Cheeseburger in Paradise (2500 Kalakaua Ave., 808/923-3731) and La Cucaracha (2310 Kuhio Ave., #102, 808/922-2288) both advertise in the gay publications and offer reliably good food at reasonable prices. My two favorite Waikiki restaurants are excellent Thai places. Singha Thai (1910 Ala Moana Blvd., 808/941-2898) features nightly performances by Thai dancers. Keo’s (2028 Kuhio Ave., 808/951-9355) is known for its celebrity clientele. A wall of photos (Tina Turner, Richard Chamberlain, Shirley MacLaine, Carol Burnett) attests to the popularity of the superb Asian cuisine.

No Hawaiian vacation would be complete without at least a small dose of sightseeing. Depending on your mood and timetable, you may want to avoid the heavily trafficked sites like the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor and the Polynesian Cultural Center, a Mormon-run educational theme park. You definitely want to rent a car (or you can take the bus for just a few dollars) and spend a day on Oahu’s scenic North Shore, where the International Winter Surfing Championships are held each year. Don’t miss spectacular Waimea Bay and the sleepy little town of Haleiwa, with its famous “shave ice” (snow cone) joints. Snorkelers and scuba divers flock to Hanauma Bay, a short trip east of Waikiki.

Major points of interest in Honolulu include Iolani Palace, which was the residence of Hawaii’s last two monarchs, King Kalakaua and Queen Lili’uokalani. After Hawaii became a state in 1958, the palace served for a time as the Capitol Building before the ultramodern current statehouse was built next door. Honolulu’s Chinatown district, with its produce markets and lei shops, is also fascinating. There is actually a gay bar in the Chinatown area, Kane’ala’s (10 N. Hotel St., 808/536-6966), but be aware that this neighborhood has a reputation for being dangerous after dark.

If you want to do something really unique and fabulous, book a tour of Shangri La, the estate of the late Doris Duke. When the eccentric tobacco heiress died in 1993, she left instructions for her Hawaii home (4055 Papu Circle) to be converted into a museum housing her collection of Islamic art. Small group tours given through the Honolulu Academy of Arts last approximately two and a half hours (866-DUKE-TIX, www.honoluluacademy.org). By the way, Shangri La was reportedly the site of a gay wedding involving Doris’s friend Paul Reubens (a.k.a. Pee-wee Herman) in 1989, at which Hawaii residents and Duke friends Imelda Marcos and Jim Nabors both sang!

Some of the best sightseeing can be done on your own without leaving Waikiki and without spending a dime. A self-guided walking tour of Waikiki’s most famous beachfront hotels is a must. Start at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider (2365 Kalakana Ave., 800/256-4280), the stately “First Lady of Waikiki,” which was built in 1901, making it Hawaii’s oldest hotel. Have a drink under the giant banyan tree in the courtyard if you wish, and don’t miss the second-floor display of historic photos and memorabilia. Next door, hidden away from the street, is the elegant Royal Hawaiian (2259 Kalakaua Ave, 800/256-4280). Known as the Pink Palace, the Royal Hawaiian was built on the grounds of what was once the Hawaiian royal family’s beach retreat. Making your way westward, take the elevator to the rooftop bar and restaurant for a sweeping view of Waikiki and Diamond Head. Next is the Halekulani (2199 Kalia Rd., 800/367-2343), the most expensive Waikiki hotel. With its austere white-on-white color scheme, this property is a favorite of celebs like Hawaii native Bette Midler. [The Halekulani’s hibiscus pool overlooking the Pacific is pictured at the beginning of this article.]

You can skip the next hotel—the Outrigger—and continue on through Fort DeRussy Park and past the Hale Koa, the U.S. military hotel. Now you have reached the final stop on the tour—the grandiose Hilton Hawaiian Village (2005 Kalia Rd., 800-HILTONS). This sprawling 22-acre resort features six hotel towers, five pools, 22 restaurants and lounges, over 90 shops and boutiques, botanical gardens, exotic wildlife including flamingos and tropical penguins, a world-class spa, and a satellite of the Bishop Museum of Hawaiian Heritage. Check out the collection of photos documenting the Hilton’s own rich history—Elvis filmed Blue Hawaii here, and JFK spoke to a mayors’ conference at the hotel during his celebrated visit to the islands just months before his assassination.

There are two other hotels on the island that are well worth visiting. Within walking distance, just east of Waikiki near the foot of Diamond Head, is the ultra-hip W Hotel (2885 Kalakaua Ave; 808/922-1700). A short drive further east is the awe-inspiring Kahala Mandarin Oriental (5000 Kahala Ave.; 888/254-0637), which features a dolphin lagoon and has accommodated numerous kings, heads of state, and rock stars (a wall of fame showcases photos of past guests).

Shopping is also a major pastime in Hawaii. In recent years, Kalakaua Avenue, Waikiki’s main strip, has become like Rodeo Drive. Everywhere you look you discover outsized boutiques with names like Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Yves St. Laurent, and Tiffany. Ala Moana Shopping Center (1450 Ala Moana Blvd.), just across the Ala Wai Canal from Waikiki, boasts a Macy’s and Neiman Marcus among its over 240 stores. A free shuttle runs between Waikiki hotels and the shopping center.

If you have the time and money to visit one or more of the neighbor islands, an obvious choice would be Hawaii, which, to avoid confusion, is always referred to as the Big Island. Just a 45-minute flight away on Hawaiian or Aloha Airlines, this is where you can observe the active Kilauea volcano and pay your respects to the volcano goddess Pele. Kauai and Maui are also extremely popular (there are non-stop flights from Houston directly to Maui), while the smaller Molokai and Lanai are the least-populated and least-visited islands. You could easily spend a week on each island and not get bored, and while there are currently no gay bars outside Oahu, there is a sprinkling of gay-owned bed-and-breakfasts throughout the islands (see sidebar). A number of local travel agencies, including the gay-friendly H.I.S. Hawaii (808/330-9672), can assist you in creating a day trip or overnight stay on one of the neighbor islands.

Like our straight counterparts, many gay and lesbian couples travel to Hawaii to get married. A 1993 decision by the Hawaii Supreme Court promised for a time that Hawaii would be the first state in the nation to legalize gay marriage. Unfortunately, the next year the Hawaiian legislature amended state law, defining marriage as between a man and a woman. The Hawaii Gay Marriage Bureau (www.hawaiigaymarriage.com), a project of the Gay and Lesbian Education and Advocacy Foundation, provides a registration, referral, and information forum for those interested in same-sex marriage registration, marriage certificates, related services, and updates on the legal front.

Bradley David Williams contributes regularly to OutSmart. He interviewed Thoroughly Modern Millie writer Dick Scanlan for the December issue.

ON THE OTHER ISLANDS
A selection of gay-owned bed-and-breakfast inns across the Hawaii islands:

Hawaii
• Absolute Paradise
www.absoluteparadise.tv
888/285-1540
• The Butterfly Inn (women)
www.thebutterflyinn.com
800/54-MAGIC
• Puako Bed and Breakfast
www.bigisland-bedbreakfast.com
800/910-1331
• Hale Kipa ‘O Pele
www.gaystayhawaii.com
800-LAVAGLO

Maui
•Wailana Inn
www.wailanabeach.com
800/399-3885

Kauai
• Mahina Kai Ocean Villa
www.mahinakai.com
800/337-1134
• Mahina’s Women’s Guest House
www.mahinas.com
808/823-9364

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