Best place in Honolulu to buy souvenirs now that International Mkt closed

Now that the International Marketplace is closed... where is a great place for souvenirs in Honolulu? We are only there ONE day on our cruise.

I don't mean a MALL. Unique things I can't get in New Jersey, with reasonable prices.

Thanks for sharing.

Whoops... I forget to mention... we are only there on Thursday! (So the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet is not open.)

Thanks.

The ABC stores have the same quality of stuff they had at the IMP. You'll find an ABC store on just about every street corner and middle of the street in Waikiki...

Dole Pineapple Plantation has a lot of unique gifts. It is really touristy, but we enjoyed the train ride and garden.

Try HiloHatties--lots of souvenirs. There is a free shuttle from Waikiki. Check out their website for info about the shuttles.

Another vote for the ABC stores. They have a great variety of souvenirs!

Hilo Hatties was waaaaaaaaay expensive, and didn't look like it had anything especially unique. I also vote for ABC stores. Not every store is exact, either. There are a lot of them, but some of them carry different things or a smaller or greater selection of things. We checked out quite a few. We thought they were fun stores. Longs drugstore also had a good variety of candies and nuts if you are looking for things like that - less expensive than in souvenier stores.

The ABC stores have the same quality of stuff they had at the IMP. You'll find an ABC store on just about every street corner and middle of the street in Waikiki...

Another vote for the ABC stores. They have a great variety of souvenirs!

My wife can't pass an ABC store without stopping in so we end up with all the trinkets you used to get at the International Market. :p

ABC Stores, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, and Costco. In Waikiki you can take the Hilo Hattie free shuttle, and walk a couple of blocks to the K-Mart. There is a thrift store across the street from K-Mart that has some great Aloha shirts. If you do this you can enjoy lunch at Sam Choy's casual restaurant, Breakfast, Lunch and Crab which is in-between Hilo Hatties and K-Mart. Most of the hotels also have some great gift shops, I especially like the one in the Moana Surfrider. If you are on North Shore, there are some great shops in Haleiwa. The Turtle Bay Resort also has a nice shop with reasonable prices, and it's a beautiful spot to enjoy a mai tai and watch the surf. Have you checked to see if you will be on any of the other islands when they have out door markets? Kahalui, on Maui, has some wonderful things. Oh, and the farmers market in Hilo can be fantastic. Hope this helps, Cherie

ABC Stores, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, and Costco. In Waikiki you can take the Hilo Hattie free shuttle, and walk a couple of blocks to the K-Mart. There is a thrift store across the street from K-Mart that has some great Aloha shirts. If you do this you can enjoy lunch at Sam Choy's casual restaurant, Breakfast, Lunch and Crab which is in-between Hilo Hatties and K-Mart. Most of the hotels also have some great gift shops, I especially like the one in the Moana Surfrider. If you are on North Shore, there are some great shops in Haleiwa. The Turtle Bay Resort also has a nice shop with reasonable prices, and it's a beautiful spot to enjoy a mai tai and watch the surf. Have you checked to see if you will be on any of the other islands when they have out door markets? Kahalui, on Maui, has some wonderful things. Oh, and the farmers market in Hilo can be fantastic. Hope this helps, Cherie

Where do you recommend in Kahalui? We port there. Thanks!

Unfortunately, Sam Choy's Breakfast, Lunch and Crab closed last year. The end of an era. But, you can still visit Sam Choy's in Kona.....for the good food and the gazillion dollar view!!

Agree with CCCOLE, look for ABC Stores, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, and Costco. Would also add Longs Drug Store. You can get GREAT deals on Kona Coffee there, especially if you happen to walk in when it's on sale (about $3.99 for 8oz - 10oz). First timers should try the Vanilla Macadamia Nut Kona Coffee. (This also makes a GREAT gift. Warning, once you try Kona Coffee, you'll not want to go back to whatever you used to drink).

You won't have any problem finding these stores, especially if you look them up on Google Maps online.

kapoho2 is sadly correct. Sam Choy's Breakfast, Lunch and Crab closed in March 2013. Liliha Bakery is scheduled to open in May 2014 at the former Sam Choy's Breakfast Lunch & Crab restaurant on Nimitz Highway. http://lilihabakeryhawaii.com/

If you have coffee drinkers that you are buying gifts for the coffee that Caribbean Bound recommends is a fantastic gift. In addition to Longs, I also purchase it on special at Foodland (the island Safeway). There is usually a special on one of the local brands. I fill a suitcase full. The ones with coconut are my favorite. Also gifts that friends and family have loved are the aloha shirts from the thrift stores. You can find some fantastic ones for a fraction of the price of Hilo Hatties and other stores.

I tried to find the farmers market that I go to in Kahalui but just don't know the street address. If you google farmers markets on Maui, Oahu, Hawaii, you will see all of the possibilities. As you will see, some of the hotels have markets set up on certain days with local artists. Outrigger Hotels gives a great list. Another favorite of ours is the Fort Street Mall (outdoors) in downtown Honolulu, but I don't think is on a Thursday. When you go to K-Mart and Wal-Mart many of the souvenirs are not made in Hawaii, but still make nice gifts. I always load up on stick-it note pads and pens.

I hope this helps,

Cherie

p.s. So sorry to hear about the closing of Sam Choys Breakfast, Lunch, and Crab. We had many wonderful times there, and the kids loved sitting in the boat.

If you do plan on buying some coffee beans, be sure to look at that label carefully to insure you getting 100% Kona (or Kaui) beans. Most of the flavored coffee is not 100% Kona, but just a small percentage (as low as 10%) with most of the beans being cheap Robusta or maybe better Arabica beans from Central or South America…

Look to buy small-grower bags of coffee, instead of the corporate brands (Lion, etc.) But, you'll pay much more. If you just want the bag that says "Kona Coffee" and don't really care about how it tastes, any will do ;)

I don't pay the price for real Kona coffee unless I know it is going to be exceptional. I like the flavored coffees that I can't get at home. Besides Lions, Roy's has some nice ones. Cherie

The 100% Kona coffee is really strong. That's why it is often mixed with other coffee.

Packages run about $10 to $20 for the 8oz to 10oz bags of 100% Kona coffee. Most folks are really happy with the flavored 10% Kona coffees ($4/bag on sale or about $6 when not on sale). The two most popular 10% Kona coffees are "Hawaiian Isles", and "Royal Kona". (These two also offer 100% Kona). The "Roy's" coffees are made by "Hawaiian Isles".

Be REALLY careful when you buy Lion Coffee. They have either 100% Kona or ZERO Kona. They did away with their 10% Kona years ago. While you will get a good flavored coffee from them, odds are it's got no Kona coffee beans in it.

P.S. Kauai coffee is indeed also excellent.

Dukes Lane is still open and they have plenty of vendors. You can find just about anything there.

The 100% Kona coffee is really strong. That's why it is often mixed with other coffee.

 

Packages run about $10 to $20 for the 8oz to 10oz bags of 100% Kona coffee. Most folks are really happy with the flavored 10% Kona coffees ($4/bag on sale or about $6 when not on sale). The two most popular 10% Kona coffees are "Hawaiian Isles", and "Royal Kona". (These two also offer 100% Kona). The "Roy's" coffees are made by "Hawaiian Isles".

 

Be REALLY careful when you buy Lion Coffee. They have either 100% Kona or ZERO Kona. They did away with their 10% Kona years ago. While you will get a good flavored coffee from them, odds are it's got no Kona coffee beans in it.

 

P.S. Kauai coffee is indeed also excellent.

I"ll beg to differ a little ;) The coffee is "strong" depending on how it is roasted. I've had several Konas done as medium roast that are very mellow. My last trip a year ago, I bought some excellent small-crop organic beans done medium at the KCC farmer's market. Some of the best coffee I've had. If you can find some peaberry, that's good, too!

I"ll beg to differ a little ;) The coffee is "strong" depending on how it is roasted. I've had several Konas done as medium roast that are very mellow. My last trip a year ago, I bought some excellent small-crop organic beans done medium at the KCC farmer's market. Some of the best coffee I've had. If you can find some peaberry, that's good, too!

I agree, we bought Kona coffee a couple years ago and it wasn't strong in my opinion. What I enjoy about this coffee is that it can be made stronger but it doesn't taste bitter. Love, Love, love it!

Another poster said Kauai coffee is good, too. We did buy some when we were there. We went right to the farm and bought it there and we had some when we got home and it was very good! Sorry, I cannot remember the name of the place.

I was going to start a new topic because I feel like I am always hijacking everyone else's, but apparently I haven't enough "permission", LOL.

OP, I hope you don't mind me putting this here as it is coffee related.

We LOVE Starbuck's and have mugs from all over the world since Bill is military and we have been on many recent adventures. I have read the Marriott in Maui has a beautiful Starbucks location. I do not want to spend a lot of time in Starbucks since we have extremely limited time in port (although Maui is an overnight stop). Would anyone have an opinion as to whether or not this Marriott location is one of the best ones to visit? We really enjoyed the one in Curacao that had a boat pull-in inside the mall, very unique. Any suggestions as to where we can purchase the "Hawaii" Starbuck's mugs? I know not all locations have them and they are jacked up rather high on eBay. thanks!

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Funny. My original post said nothing about coffee. My fiance' and I don't even drink it.

Funny. My original post said nothing about coffee. My fiance' and I don't even drink it.

Yes, I didn't say you started that discussion, only hoping you wouldn't mind if I added my inquiry to the coffee discussion. Wonder how I ever got along before CC....

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Sorry OP, I'll just continue the hijack here for a second....we got some fabulous coffee at Belcastro's Coffee Outlet in Kailua-Kona. It was on Alii Drive beside the Fish Hopper restaurant (where we had a very nice lunch BTW). We tried several flavours and the owner, Tom (Cherry Hill Coffee), offered us a deal on shipping if we bought a certain amount. He had different sizes too so you could buy smaller amounts for gifts. I think it was around $16 a pound. Anyway, we had it shipped to Canada and it arrived about a week after we got home. We just ran out a couple of weeks ago and we were definitely spoiled. It was the best coffee ever. I wish I were rich enough to order coffee from him all the time. If you go there and buy from him, buy lots - you won't be sorry.

Back on subject! I think it is terrible that the International Market Place is closed. That was a part of Honolulu. I first visited there around 30 years ago and have been back many times. I didn’t realize it was closing until we stopped in Honolulu on a cruise in January. We had been to Pearl Harbor and the only reason we went to Waikiki Beach was for a return visit to the International Market Place. There are enough high-end, chain stores in this area without using the IMP space for more of the same crap. Yes, I know you can buy some of the same souvenirs at the ABC store, but it’s not the same. I will miss the ambiance of the outdoor stalls under the trees.

Ron

Back on subject! I think it is terrible that the International Market Place is closed. That was a part of Honolulu. I first visited there around 30 years ago and have been back many times. I didn’t realize it was closing until we stopped in Honolulu on a cruise in January. We had been to Pearl Harbor and the only reason we went to Waikiki Beach was for a return visit to the International Market Place. There are enough high-end, chain stores in this area without using the IMP space for more of the same crap. Yes, I know you can buy some of the same souvenirs at the ABC store, but it’s not the same. I will miss the ambiance of the outdoor stalls under the trees.

 

Ron

If you cruise Kalakuana Ave, you'll see plenty of people carrying bags from those high-end stores. Old hotels are being gutted, renovated, and re-opened charging high-end prices. As long as that happens, more high-end stores will be built and the "cheap souvenir" outlets will die out. Then, it will recycle when things change again… But, since everyone uses ABC, they won't go away ;)