Ala Moana Shopping Center, Hawaii - Shopping in the World's Biggest Open-air Mall

My Experience Shopping in One of the Largest Malls in the World

Hawaii is known for many things. We have the best beaches. We have the best hikes. We have the best surfing. We have some of the best restaurants. Tourists to Hawaii love us when they're here on a Hawaiian vacation. Residents of Hawaii, the only state in the U.S. to have been ruled by a king and queen, know it's true: This is paradise.

And what is paradise without shopping? Each island in Hawaii boats great boutiques, restaurants, shops and malls. However, the island of Oahu - home to Waikiki beach - has one up on all the other islands. Here you can find Ala Moana Shopping Center, the world's biggest open-air mall.

You can spend hours here (and thousands of dollars) without leaving. It has shops galore, as well as a food court and several expensive restaurants perfect for finishing the day with wine and a fine dinner.

In this article, I'll take you with me as we explore this shopper's paradise. I'll give you a list of some of the best stores, the best places to eat, the best places to splurge your money, and more.

The destination: ALA MOANA SHOPPING CENTER

It is located at 1450 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96814. You can use Google Maps for directions.

I arrived here on the bus, which drops you off right at the doors to the mall. When you walk in, there are four stories. They are also opening a Nordstrom and a dozen new shops, but that is not bound to be open for another year. In the middle of the shopping mall is a courtyard and stage. On both sides are escalotors and steps taking you to the next levels. The bottom floor has the food mart and lower-end shops, and the middle two floors have the high-end retailers. At the very top you can find shops and several restaurants, as well as a popular bar. The ends of the shopping mall is anchored by several stores: Sears, Neiman Marcus, Macys, and (soon) Nordstrom (Hawaii's first Nordstrom, although there's a Nordstrom Rack at another mall called Ward Shopping Center).The stores: EVERYTHING!

Ala Moana has a lot of shops. There are your staples, like Old Navy and Gap. There are also high-end designer shops and stores that you can only find in Hawaii.