Will the "Real" Waikīkī Please Stand Up?

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 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.)  Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.