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Hawaii
is a great place. I spent a semester in college attending school on
the North Shore of Oahu taking classes like Marine Biology, Pacific
Natural History and Hula! Hard to believe that I let over 20 years go
by before I returned to paradise. Fortunately for me, I had some good
friends move to Oahu and gave me a standing invitation to visit and stay
with them--so I did, 3 years in a row!
Oahu is the most
populated of the Hawaiian islands, but there are so many great things
to see and do there! Everything in Hawaii has a "just go with it" feel,
so most of the time I'd get up in the morning and decide what I felt
like doing, and then doing it (Hint, most of the time it included the
beach).
Here are some of my favorite things.
Beaches
In general beaches are crazy busy on weekends and quiet during the week, so plan accordingly.
Kaiona Beach Park-This awesome beach park was never busy when I visited (weekday) and it has a parking
lot as well as restrooms and showers for rinsing off. Its on the east
side of the island, near Makapu'u lighthouse and Waimanolo. I've also
had great luck picking up sea glass here. At low tide, there are a
couple of tide pools that are perfect for bobbing around in. Are
you a fan of Magnum PI? The house used as the "Master's Estate" is
about 3 houses down the beach. Update: Somebody bought the Master’s Estate and tore it down to build 3 mega mansions.
-My
favorite beach on all of Oahu. The sand is so, so soft. The water is
clear and calm. I can just sit and stare at the water all day (and I
did). Kailua Beach Park has a couple different parking lots, picnic
tables and restrooms. You can also rent kayaks here. Lanikai is about
1/2 mile up the road, and also very, very nice--just no services and you
have to park in the neighborhood. The town of Kailua has a really nice
shopping center where you can grab lunch at FatBoys or Teddy Burger,
stop at Target for bottled water or postcards (and mail them from the
post office right next door). Kailua is super nice and not nearly as
crowded as Honolulu beaches since so many tourists never leave Waikiki.
Water Sports
SUP Yoga with Yoga Kai-This
was one of my favorite activities all week! I took the sunset class at
Ala Moana Park (near Waikiki, giant free parking lot conveniently
nearby). The beach park was pretty busy, so it wasn't your usually
contemplative yoga session, but the sunset was really nice! (And as a
bonus, there will probably be several weddings on the shore while you
are there). The morning class looks like it might be nice too. I
highly recommend this company and the activity! They provided all the
equipment and took photos for us too.
Surfing lessons--This is a blast. I've done it twice and really enjoyed it both times. My first visit, I used
Kai Sallas Surf Pro,
which is located in the Marriott lobby at Waikiki. They provided the
board, quick transport to a spot off of Waikiki that was not crowded, as
well as a long sleeve rashguard and water shoes. They had a
photographer who was in the water with us. My group had 5 people in it
and I managed to get up and surfing by my second try! They were a bit
spendy, but I loved my photos and my experience. This trip I did a
Groupon with
Big Wave Dave,
also on Waikiki. Even though it was a group lesson, I was the only
person scheduled for that time (as a bonus, my instructor did all the
paddling out for me; he just hooked his foot on my board and towed me
out to the wave spot). I had to provide my own rashguard and shoes (and
I wore capri length swim/gym tights--you will be really glad you did).
BWD also had a photographer, but he stayed on the beach and used a long
lens--he did shoot video too, but I prefer the photos I got from Kai
Sallas. Next time I go, I'm headed to Costco to buy the $100 surfboard
and just go out whenever I want! I promise you'll want to cover up your
skin for this adventure--not only for sun protection, but to keep your
skin from being rubbed raw by the grippy board and sand.
Stand Up Paddle Boarding- I did lessons from 3 Friends SUP
during my first visit- really great instructor, GoPro attached to your
board and a great afternoon. For my most recent trip, I had arranged
for a lesson/rental from another company...and they never showed up (Groupon
made it right for me)--and while I was waiting on the beach for the
no-show company, I met Matt from Paddle Core Fitness--and
I joined their group for their afternoon session. Paddle boarding is a
serious core/arm workout--but I did get to see 2 sea turtles during my
paddle time! If all you want to do is paddle around quiet water, you could arrange for rentals from
Aloha SUP Club--they
will bring the boards to you at Ala Moana Park and pick them back up
and they have good reviews online (and they promptly replied to my text
when checking on rentals, sadly they don't do Mondays so it didn't work
for my schedule).
Hanauma Bay snorkeling-It
will cost you about $10 (more if you need to rent equipment), but its a
convenient and safe place for snorkeling. Its a really popular place,
so you need to plan on getting to the parking lot before 9am or you
probably won't get a spot. I enjoyed watching the sunrise here (I was
there at 7am).
Hikes and Views
Makapu'u Lighthouse trail-Get
up early and do this hike. Its paved, 2 miles roundtrip--I've seen
folks with strollers on it, but you'd want to be careful not to let the
stroller escape! In the winter/spring you can see whales. The
lighthouse is really pretty and the view of the ocean is great. Fun
fact, you will find cactus growing here--its a windy and dry spot, so
the cactus do well. Do this hike in the morning, then drive the mile or
so down the road to Kaiona Beach to swim and relax!
The most popular is probably
Diamond Head Hike, you
get a great view of Honolulu at the top, but its a pretty brisk uphill
hike with no shade and LOTS of tourists. You have to pay to park and
its $1 to do the hike. As an alternative--drive up to
Punchbowl Cemetery of the Pacific; in addition to the many military graves, it has a super view. You could also drive all the way up to
Tantalus Round Top for a great view with no hike required.
Another scenic spot is
Pali Lookout
(on the way to Kailua)--you have to pay to park there too, but you'll
probably only be there 15-20 minutes, so its a cheap thrill.
Manoa Falls Hike-A
fairly short hike near the Lyon Arboretum near Honolulu. Pay $5 for
parking (but there is an attendant, so that makes it nice for
security). You will want insect repellent and shoes that you don't mind
getting muddy.
Places to Visit
Kamaka Ukelele
factory tour. This family owned company has been making ukuleles for
100 years. Uncle Fred, the original owner's son is your 91-years-young
tour guide (and he's awesome). Its daily at 10:30am and free--but get
there about 20 minutes early because there are only 5 parking spots in
front of the store (Note: The company is going to be moving locations
summer of 2016, so check the website for details).
Pearl Harbor-This
is a must do. You make reservations to go out to the USS Arizona
Memorial. It will cost you $1.50 to make the reservations online (its
near the Aloha Stadium swap meet, so maybe plan it for the same day)
Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center cultural activities--This
is a fancy shopping mall right on Waikiki, but in addition to the high
end stores, they offer free cultural classes every weekday. Hula and
ukulele lessons, and lei making (my favorite) and others.
Dole Pineapple Plantation-If
you are either driving back from the North Shore or have been out at
Pearl Harbor area, the plantation is a good side trip. There are
gardens where you can see real pineapple growing and some fun photo
ops. You can pay to go through a maze or take a train ride (but I've
never done that). I did however go into the store and get a Dole Whip
and eat it on the porch.
Aloha Stadium Swap Meet-This
is where you buy the cheap souvenirs for the peeps at home who are
jealous that you are in paradise. Its only open Wednesday, Saturday and
Sunday. It costs $1 per person. All the kitchsy stuff you see at the
ABC stores all around Waikiki probably buy their stuff here and then
mark it up. I bought my Hawaiian "slippahs" here as well as plumeria
hair clips, swim sarong, fabric, canvas purse and charms for my bracelet
AND a ukulele. They sell T-shirts too, 7 for $20. Wear a hat and
sunscreen, bring a shopping bag and a bottle of water. The vendors are
set up all around the outside of the stadium and you'll notice a mix of
"the same stuff" type booths along with some unique local craftsman. I
spent about 90 minutes here and had seen it all/enough.
North
Shore- There are lots of great places to stop on the North Shore. If
you are there in the winter you can watch giant waves and adventurous
surfers at
Waimea Bay (in the summer there are no waves and its a giant bathtub for swimming). Laie is a small town that has the
Polynesian Culture Center (PCC for short),
BYU-Hawaii and the
LDS Hawaii Temple.
I visited the PCC this trip; my Alamo rental car magazine that I got
for free on the shuttle bus from the airport had a coupon for 1 free
entrance. I visited some of the villages and watched the shows and did
some of the crafts. I watched the longboat dance show and called it a
day (there is a big luau night show too). I went to BYU-H for part of
my studies, so it was fun to visit the campus again. The LDS temple is
the first non-Utah temple that the LDS church completed.
Misc
Shave Ice- My personal favorite spot is near to Hawaii Kai/Honolulu--
Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha. They make all their own syrups (you must try lilikoi and pineapple) and ice cream. If you are on the North Shore, stop at
Matsumotos in Haleiwa--probably a long line, but its tasty stuff.
Costco-You
know how much you like Costco at home? Here too (and you won't get out
the door without spending $100 here either). Its perfect for buying
stuff to take home like macadamia nut treats, but its also good for
buying things like swimwear, rashguards and even surfboards! Be sure to
walk through the back deli/meat section--SOOOO different than what my
local Costco carries (poi, sushi, haupia cake, dried squid). I also
bought some large Costco shopping bags, which are decorated with
Hawaiian designs. I think there are 2 stores on Oahu, but I've only
been to the one at Hawaii Kai (near Hanauma Bay) which is east of
Waikiki.
Where to stay?
I
stayed with friends, in a great house in a neighborhood near Diamond
Head called Kahala-so I ate at home most of the time and walked to the
beach. Waikiki is the most famous section of Honolulu, but parking is
HORRIBLE (expensive and hard to find--see more below). If you can rent a
condo, I'd recommend the areas of Kahala, Hawaii Kai, Diamond Head,
Kailua or Laie on the North Shore). I haven't had a chance to explore
the part of the island called Koolina, which is where the Disney Resort
is located, but my friends with small children love it.
Renting a car
Yes,
do it! All the fun places are only accessible by car. However, if you
are staying in a downtown Honolulu hotel, parking will be outrageously
expensive (like $30 a night or more). I have had great luck renting
through Costco. About 8 weeks before my trip, I get on Costcotravel.com
and make my reservation. Then pretty much every day I check to see if
there are better rates--and usually the cost keeps dropping for 2-3
weeks. I've never paid more than $160 for a full week (that includes
all fees and an extra driver if you need it). The nice thing about
Costco is you don't have to pay for your reservation, so each time I
found a better rate I made a new reservation and then cancelled the old
one. FYI Hawaii has a law that drivers can't even hold their cell phone
while driving.
Parking
As I mentioned,
Honolulu is impossible! Predatory towing is a real problem--so if a
sign says no parking, or the hours are posted when not to park, then
don't! I watched 3 tow trucks hook up cars about 2 minutes past the
posted time. I have always parked at the
Waikiki Shell or on the street Monsarrat--its
free during the day (no overnight). You can park at the Honolulu Zoo
for $1 an hour. I hear that the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center
validates parking, so that might be an option. If you are outside of
Honolulu, things get better. The beach parks have parking lots or you
can park along the highway.
Books I've used in the past for planning
Oahu Revealed
Oahu Top 10
Aloha my friends...go to Hawaii! Relax and ignore your email and phone--you won't be sorry!
