The streets of Waikiki. The shopping. The hawkers. The sidewalk performers. The islanders, the mainlanders, the internationals. It’s one part Rodeo Drive and two parts circus sideshow, played out on a hardbody-beach-bar backdrop, punctuated by a Hawaiian slack-key soundtrack. In truth, the percolating amalgam that is Waikiki always reminds me of some exotic tropical cousin to New York’s Times Square. It can overwhelm, if you let it. That’s why pausing for a Mai Tai at sunset is one of my favorite Waikiki activities. 

Surf and SUP boards stowed along the Outrigger alley on the steps to Waikiki.

If you take a quick turn into the alley off of Kalakaua and stroll by the SUP and surf boards securely stowed along the walls of the Outrigger property, a quick snake to the right beyond the Waikiki Beach Cafe will lead you somewhat unexpectedly onto the historic, hallowed grounds of the Royal Hawaiian Resort. In a flash, all the opulence and kitsch and aspiration and broken dreams that define a frenzied Waikiki come to a sudden, jarring halt. You stop. You exhale. You take a deep, lingering breath and surrender to the beauty and peace of the lush tropical garden and pink stucco walls that now envelop you.

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You stand facing perhaps the most luxurious and most famous hotel fronting the sands of Waikiki – the famous “Pink Palace of the Pacific.”

Yesterday as I took that right turn, I lingered but a moment. I was on a mission, needing to secure a beachfront table for the main event – sunset on Waikiki Beach. As we made our way through the Royal Hawaiian Resort to its aptly named and legendary Mai Tai Bar, my sister Glenda (here from Georgia to visit her son Brian and his family in Wahiawa) and I basked in the graceful stateliness of the hotel that has anchored Waikiki since 1927. Walking a little too briskly through the wide breezeway towards the manicured “wedding lawn”, the most iconic of all O’ahu landmarks greeted us; this very spot offering one of Waikiki’s best views of Diamond Head. The crater was bathed in the magical light that filters across the island in the hours before sunset.

Diamond Head Crater.

Legendary Mai Tai Bar.

We quickly snagged a table hugging the lawn and were welcomed by an easygoing but efficient waiter who had our drinks to us in no time, along with chili-infused citrus garlic edamame sure to keep us thirsty. Glenda and I enjoyed the quiet calm of the late afternoon and the perfect 73-degree breeze as we sampled each other’s drinks. Hers, some frozen pineapple and rum concoction; mine, the original Royal Scratch Mai Tai with fresh fruit juices, orgeat, and the requisite light and dark rums. Such a good one – sweet, but strong!

Mai Tai’s the main thing.

Serious sunset-watching cocktails.

Glenda sipping her frozen drink.

We were so caught up discussing our grandchildren, life after divorce, growing older, our earliest memories of the Royal Hawaiian and life on O’ahu, that we failed to notice the preparing musicians and graceful hula dancer, or the rapidly gathering “sunset spectators.” Within minutes, as the sun quickly descended, throngs of sunset groupies (just like us!) had crowded the sands of Waikiki or seized every open table at the Mai Tai Bar.

Sunset spectators crowd Waikiki for the daily show.

It didn’t matter – the sunset, of course, was spectacular, as were the drinks, the music and the aging hula dancer. In my ongoing quest to find the island’s most pleasing, sweet-but-strong Mai Tai, I am also finding a sweetness and strength that springs from my love of the island, the memories Glenda and I share of our parents and their happiness here, and the reassurance that through Glenda’s son, Brian, and his beautiful Hawaiian family, that my connection to this place will live on. 

As will my love of the Mai Tai. Like they say, Hawai’i didn’t invent the Mai Tai, but they sure have perfected it.

Please note:  On Diane’s Mai Tai evaluation scale of 1 to 10, the Royal Hawaiian’s Royal Scratch Mai Tai achieves an 8.5(+) for balance, sweetness and strength. Cheers! (Kāmau kī`aha)

The Royal Hawaiian “Royal Scratch” Mai Tai – sweet but strong.