Will the "Real" Waikīkī Please Stand Up?

Unpacked by AFAR

AFAR senior deputy editor Jennifer Flowers—who heads up all our hotel content—has a deep familiarity with Waikīkī, the two-mile stretch of sand known for its hotels, waves, and tourists. Her mother is from Hawai'i, and her parents (both in the hospitality industry) actually met while working in a hotel. She played on Waikīkī as a kid, but for years, she's seen it as a kinda shiny, glitzy place—a place that seems a little, well, inauthentic.

So on a recent trip to O'ahu, she met with four different locals who helped her see a new side of Waikīkī.

Meet this week’s guests

• Jennifer Flowers, AFAR senior deputy editor
• Misty Thompson Tufono, executive vice president of Tihati Productions
• Dylan Ching, vice president of operations for TS Restaurants, which includes Duke’s Waikīkī
• Aunty Luana Maitland, director of cultural experiences at the Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort
• Bonga Perkins, world-champion longboard surfer
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Resources

• Read this episode’s show notes, including a full transcript of the episode.
• Read Jenn’s story about the cultural experiences she had on Waikīkī.
• Check out the Royal Hawaiian and its luau, run by Tihati Productions.
• Explore the menu at Duke’s Waikīkī.
• Discover the cultural center at the Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort.
• Watch Bonga surf! (And check out his surfboards.)