Oahu

January 11, 2026

We arrived at our first port of call this morning, Honolulu, Hawaii. The ship was mostly empty by mid-morning. Passengers left for a myriad of excursions or took advantage of a shuttle to go shopping. My excursion left after lunch and was a mix of sightseeing and visiting two botanical gardens.

Our driver/guide was a twenty-something college student named Makai. He was a wealth of information about Oahu specifically and the island chain in general. We learned that Tahitians first arrived in Hawaii roughly 1100 years ago and replaced earlier inhabitants from another island group. Also, pineapples are no longer a viable export and are only grown for local consumption.

Our first stop was Puʻu ʻUalakaʻa State Wayside Park, which roughly translates to Hill of Rolling Sweet Potatoes. Great views of Honolulu, Waikiki, and Diamond Head. Next, we visited the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific located in the Punchbowl Crater. This was a drive-by since we were not permitted to stop. Both solemn and awe-inspiring.

The first botanical garden we visited, Lili’uokalani, seemed more like a small city park with a stream and waterfall. That day there was a group of volunteers doing clean-up. There were a few flowering plants but nothing too exciting. The bigger disappointment was Foster Botanical Garden, not the garden itself but the discovery that we arrived past visiting hours. Makai contacted the tour operator. He informed the group that the entire tour would be refunded due to the screwup. Viking confirmed the refund later that evening.

The tour had its ups and downs (literally and figuratively). The views were spectacular and Makai was an excellent raconteur. Too bad we missed the second botanical garden but the tour operator did the right thing by the group and hopefully stayed in Viking’s good graces.

Next stop: Bora Bora