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Northwest Airlines Flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Northwest Airlines, which operates a daily non-stop flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL) regularly scheduled to depart at 2:57pm and arrive at 6:27pm. Usually a Boeing 757-300 is flown for this route. The average travel time from San Francisco, CA to Honolulu, HI is 5 hours and 30 minutes.
During your Honolulu vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Senator Fong's Plantation & Gardens
Senator Hiram Fong, the first Chinese American elected to the U.S. Senate, served 17 years before retiring to tropical gardening years ago. Now you can ride an open-air tram through five gardens named for the American presidents he served. His 725-acre private estate includes 75 edible nuts and fruits. It's definitely worth an hour -- if you haven't already seen enough botanicals to last a lifetime.
Iolani Palace
If you want to really "understand" Hawaii, this 45-minute tour is well worth the time. The Iolani Palace was built by King David Kalakaua, who spared no expense. The 4-year project, completed in 1882, cost $360,000 -- and nearly bankrupted the Hawaiian kingdom. This four-story Italian Renaissance palace was the first electrified building in Honolulu (it had electricity before the White House and Buckingham Palace). Royals lived here for 11 years, until Queen Liliuokalani was deposed and the Hawaiian monarchy fell forever, in a palace coup led by U.S. Marines on January 17, 1893, at the demand of sugar planters and missionary descendants.Cherished by latter-day royalists, the 10-room palace stands as an architectural statement of the monarchy period. Iolani attracts 100,000 visitors a year in groups of 20; everyone must don denim booties to scoot across the royal floors. Tours are either a comprehensive Grand Tour, which is 90 minutes long and covers the Palace history, the Palace grounds, and the Palace itself; or the Galleries Tour, a self-guided tour of the Palace Galleries (complete with crown jewels, the ancient feathered cloaks, the Royal china, etc.).
Kukaniloko Birthing Stones
This is the most sacred site in central Oahu. Two rows of 18 lava rocks once flanked a central birthing stone, where women of ancient Hawaii gave birth to potential alii (royalty). The rocks, according to Hawaiian belief, held the power to ease the labor pains of childbirth. Birth rituals involved 48 chiefs who pounded drums to announce the arrival of newborns likely to become chiefs. Children born here were taken to the now-destroyed Holonopahu Heiau in the pineapple field, where chiefs ceremoniously cut the umbilical cord.Used by Oahu's alii for generations of births, the pohaku (rocks), many in bowl-like shapes, now lie strewn in a grove of trees that stands in a pineapple field here. Some think the site also may have served ancient astronomers -- like a Hawaiian Stonehenge. Petroglyphs of human forms and circles appear on some of the stones. The Wahiawa Hawaiian Civic Club recently erected two interpretive signs, one explaining why this was chosen as a birth site and the other telling how the stones were used to aid in the birth process.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Honolulu area, including:
Ingrid's
Ingrid has impeccable taste. She's decorated this cute one-bedroom apartment in modern Japanese style that could be straight out of a magazine. The pristine white walls and cabinets are accented with such dramatic touches as black tile counters, black-and-white shoji doors, and a black Oriental screen behind a king-size bed dressed in white quilts and red, red, red throw pillows. The tiled bathroom is done in complementary gray and has a luxurious soaking tub. The kitchenette even has a dishwasher. A huge tiled deck extends out from the apartment, while a small alcove off the bedroom can house a third person or serve as a reading nook. Fresh flowers are everywhere. The apartment is located upstairs, past the Japanese garden and through a private entrance.
Magnolia at Waikiki
Hidden in the high-rise jungle of Waikiki is this two-story oasis of Waikiki of yesteryear. You enter through a wooden gate into a garden with a burbling fountain to one- and two-bedroom units (ask for number 2 -- our favorite) with all the comforts of home: huge living area with TV/VCR, CD, soft, comfy furniture, complete kitchen, separate dining area, firm beds and outside sitting areas. Lots of extras: free local phone calls, free newspaper, free parking (a rarity in Waikiki), a big Jacuzzi tub and on-site laundry faculties. The hotel is located just a short walk from the beach and from Kapiolani Park, with easy access in and out of Waikiki. This is more than just an accommodation in Waikiki, it is a home away from home.
Marine Surf Waikiki Hotel
Travelers on a budget will like this hotel. Located in the heart of Waikiki, this high-rise is part privately owned condo units and part spacious studio apartments -- only the studios are available for rent. Each one has a complete kitchen, two extra-long double beds, and a small lanai. The price difference depends on the view. Hot tip: The best views are from floors 17 to 22. Located just a half-block from Kuhio Mall and the International Market Place, the hotel is less than 2 blocks from the beach.
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