Hawaii, anywhere in Hawaii, has been on my bucket list for ages. It’s been a few months since me and Jeff visited Oahu and I can honestly say I think about this getaway often. Everything about it was perfect! Keep reading for my favorite activities and restaurants.
See
Explore Beaches!: The beaches of Hawaii are what I grew up seeing on the travel channel and they did not disappoint.
- Fort DeRussy Beach Park located in Waikiki was near downtown, very busy, and lively. Definitely a fun environment for our first outing!
- Waimea Bay was intimate and felt cozy. Within a short walking distance is a cliff to jump off of, which I did! It was exhilarating and frightening and I would do it again. This one was my favorite of the ones we visited.
- Haleiwa Beach Park was on our way to Waimea. I’d say to make these two separate trips because you could spend all day in Haleiwa! It’s a small surf town with everything walking distance from restaurants, to shops, and the beach. We didn’t get to visit but I know I would have loved it!
- Kalaeloa Beach Park is more of a campsite with a stunning beach next to it. This is where I took the above photo and went surfing. It is an honorable mention for those who are looking to surf.
Chief’s Luau: It’s a must in Hawaii and Cheif’s was highly rated. The food was average and Jeff especially enjoyed the serving sizes (men, am I right?). The highlight for me was the fire part of the show. I would do this again!
Hike: I did my research on All Trails looking for something about 5 miles long that wasn’t highly trafficked. I found this hike and another one I can’t remember, but the important thing here is that you do not go there. The starting point on All Trails led me to a naval base that we clearly could not drive through, and the other starting point led me to a residential neighborhood. It was frustrating and I felt bad leading Jeff to two different hikes that were a dead end.
Instead, we did a quick google search of a place highly trafficked and found Manoa Falls. You pay to park and part of the route is paved, but then it vanishes and the trial is quite muddy. I’ll also add that there were a lot of people who were always at least 20 feet in front of me and behind me. I was sad I didn’t get to complete the hike I wanted to initially, but Manoa Falls was beautiful!
Surf: A must-do if you’re even a little sporty. The lovely folk at HNL were extremely patient and hands on with me and Jeff throughout our private lesson. Each of us had an instructor and led us through technique out of the water, and then again in the water. They did so much heavy lifting shoving us around on the surfboard and if it weren’t for them, me and Jeff wouldn’t have been able to get up on our boards. We both successfully stood up a few times and it was so fun! I would 100% try surfing again even if not in Hawaii.
Pearl Harbor: History buffs, get your tickets 30 days in advance. It was hard to get tickets to the memorial and I wish we would have gotten an earlier time in the day. There is so much to see, learn, read, and explore that I didn’t get to because of my lack of planning. I had prepared for the trip watching a docu series on the attack to feel educated, so I don’t feel completely robbed of my experience, just wish I could have planned better.
Dole Plantation: It was nice to see pineapples growing from the ground, but I wasn’t very impressed. I did enjoy my time and especially my pineapple flavored soft serve, but would have made the most of the day at Haleiwa Beach Park if I’d had the chance.
Dine
I dined at several restaurants throughout the week and my experiences were all wonderful. Service was always good and Jeff especially enjoyed the Hawaiian cuisine. The first 3 restaurants listed below were at the Four Seasons and they were spectacular.
Noe: I’m an Italian food girlie and this place was easily my favorite dining experience of the trip. The ambiance was airy and romantic. The cocktails were one of a kind.
La Hiki: A very costly $100/person brunch and worth it! I’m a small framed female who finds it hard to spend that amount on single meal, but even I felt like my dollars were well spent. They had everything and if they didn’t, they’d make it for you. The fresh juices were delicious and I still think about them!
Mina’s Fish House: They had a separate vegan menu I was able to order from. I appreciated that and very much enjoyed our dinner here.
Roy’s: Not memorable for me as a vegetarian, but Jeff loved it so much we went there two nights in a row.
Stay
I don’t see how there could be a wrong place to stay in Oahu, but I will say I truly loved staying in Ko Olina. It was further away from the hustle and bustle of Honolulu or Waikiki and was exactly what we were looking for. The Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club had it’s own private beach access referred to as a lagoon, which was serene and inviting. The entire property felt friendly and I would absolutely stay there again.
If you have been to Hawaii, did you enjoy the same activities? Let me know in a comment below.
XO,
Vivian
