Bringing Venice to Hawaii, tour company offers unique experience on Ala Wai Canal

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A Waikiki tour company is offering locals and visitors a new experience on a well-known Oahu waterway.

Hawaii WOW Tours launched Ala Wai Gondola Tours earlier this year.

“We aim to provide a unique and memorable experience surrounded by the beauty and culture of Hawaii while influenced by a World of Wonders,” said Eliot Kalmanson of Hawaii WOW Tours.

While many might shudder at the sound of gondola tours on a body of water that has historic problems, Kalmanson said the operation is completely safe and has been well received by the guests he’s booked.

The tour company hopes this extraction changes the way people think about an often overlooked part of the neighborhood.

“We realize people have a stigma when it comes to the Ala Wai, but we offer a relaxing and often romantic experience traveling along Waikiki’s beautifully scenic Grand Canal (which was originally conceived 100 years ago to be the Venice of the Pacific) on a beautifully crafted Venetian-style gondola while infusing the experience with Hawaiian inspiration,” added Kalmanson.

Hawaii WOW Tours said they focus on the intimacy of a small group setting where each passenger can be comfortably seated.

Each gondola is able to carry up to four passengers.

If you’d like to book a gondola tour or learn more, visit hawaiiwowtours.com

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