Honolulu, Waikiki Family Destination Photographer|Things to do while you are on O’ahu, Hawaii

 

Aloha! So I have been asked numerous times by friends back on the mainland, “So -Jenn, Hawaiian Mamma, Island Girl- take your pick- if I were to visit your island, what do you suggest I do/see/visit/spend money on?”  My answer is somewhat the same, sometimes it changes depending on the latest activity I’ve tried out, but all in all I would definitely say that O’ahu is a beautiful island and only living here now for 5 months now, I haven’t even put a dent on 1/4 of the things you can do here.  With this disclaimer and the fact that I am not single and in my 20’s- meaning I have the foggiest about nightlife and clubbing, I think that question deserves an honorary blog post based on my own experiences.

A great book that I recommend is Oahu Revealed, take it with you on your plane ride here, read it and dog ear the pages for things you want to do when you are here.

First and foremost, always, always leave your mainland way of life and attitude behind… When you come to Hawaii, come with the Aloha spirit in mind.  Say Aloha and Mahalo (thank you) every chance you get, it will totally get you in the Aloha frame of mind and you will appreciate the culture and beauty of Hawaii that much more.   It takes at least 2-3 days to wind down from your life that you left behind for vacation, so plan accordingly.  Just when you have totally wound down.. you have to leave to go back home in 2 days!

 

 

A visit to world famous Waikiki is where all the action is. You will probably find yourself staying here for your lodging.  You can usually take a shuttle or taxi to Waikiki from the airport and literally spend your entire vacation here without ever needing a car rental.  There is shopping galore down the strip and a myriad of franchise restaurants to eat at.  PF Changs, California Pizza Kitchen, Cheesecake Factory, The Yard House, are all located off of Kalakaua Blvd., the main strip in Waikiki.  I’d suggest purchasing a gift card from Costco before you arrive to stretch your dining dollars if you decide to eat at one of these places.  For the coffee lovers, Starbucks is off of Lewers Street, next to PF Chang’s and the only Peet’s on the island is at the Sheraton Waikiki.   Of course there are many, many other places to eat on and around Kalakaua Blvd by foot, so many to mention.  Whatever you are craving for, you’ll find it here.  Don’t forget your phone and remember that Yelp is your best friend.

 

One place I can recommend for ambiance, ocean view, good drinks and appetizer size eats is Rum Fire at the Sheraton Waikiki.  Come here to relax and unwind, have a drink or two, enjoy the ocean breezes, the sunset and the live easy entertainment… sit inside or outside, in the evening under the tiki torches, mingle, meet some people then take a stroll along the shore.

 

If you want to head to Waikiki beach to kick back, keep in mind it’s very busy with vacationers from all over the world.  It is the busiest of  beaches on the island.  Here you can take surf lessons and paddle boarding lessons and try your hand out on the waves.  There’s a pretty good food stand  (I don’t remember the name, but next time I’m in Waikiki I’ll update the info on this blogpost) where you could get some good local fare, Loco Moco’ s and  Kalua Pork for about $8.00 of which you and a friend could totally share.  Tasty, hearty meals that will fill you after a fun day of being out on the waves.  On another note,  keep in mind that  it’s a public beach and therefore you have public beach bathrooms.  That’s all I’m gonna say about that.  Anyway, lots of shopping and people watching to be had here.

 

Heading out of Waikiki along Ala Moana Blvd is the world class Ala Moana Mall… lots of shopping, I still get lost in there… and across from the mall is Ala Moana Beach and Magic Island.

 

 

Head back into Waikiki, as the sun is setting, find a nice area on the beach and watch the sun disappear behind the water.  It’s magical.

Other places on O’ahu… if you decide to rent a car or just stay and hang on the west side, I definitely recommend vising Ko’Olina.  I absolutely love the Ko’Olina lagoons.  The water is calm, the view is beautiful, it’s tranquil and relaxing.  You will most likely find me here in one of these lagoons with my kids if we get homework finished at a reasonable time during the week.  There are 4 lagoons to visit.  If you are staying at the resorts here, it’s a quick and easy walk to lounge and do nothing all day while you saunter over into the water when you get a little warm from basking on the shore.  The resort is maintained by the hotels and they are kept up quite nicely.  If you drive over, parking is very limited.  It’s a good idea to keep it that way as it prevents overcrowding of these wonderful lagoons.

 

 

 

We spent our first Thanksgiving here… see Jensen above in his inner tube?  He was enjoying himself!

I’m pretty sure you can eat at the resort restaurants here or take a short drive over to the shopping center.. there’s a few places to eat and world famous Roy’s in there as well.  I’d recommend the Ko’Olina lagoons if you have little ones.. you can let them play and not really worry about dangerous undertows.

Head north to North Shore and you head toward Haleiwa Town, Sunset Beach, Laniakea or Turtle Beach to name a few.  That’s me and my mamma at Laniakea Beach.  Here you’ll find the sea turtles that come to shore and bask in the sand.  Lots of sea turtle conservationists rope off the basking sea turtles from vacationers, so don’t be surprised to see crowds of people stopping to see what the fuss is all about.  Traffic through here can get a bit stop and go since it’s one way each way with folks crossing the street with their surf boards to get to the other side… so just remember to drive with Aloha… you’re on vacation baby.

 

If you come late November, you might even catch the surfing competition… see more pics here.

 

The shrimp trucks are up here… Shrimp trucks?  Our family particularly love Giovanni’s .  Don’t be surprised when you see a graffiti’d food wagon when you are expecting a fancy schmancy Italian restaurant, which is exactly what *I* expected when my cousin said he was taking me to Giovanni’s.  There’s one in Haliewa Town and one further north in Kahuku.  If you’re lucky, you might be serenaded by one of the guys in the shrimp truck who happily sings as he takes orders at the window.

At Giovanni’s, there are 3 items on the menu board, Garlic Shrimp Scampi, Lemon Butter Shrimp and Hot and Spicy Shrimp… each comes with a dozen huge, home grown, farm raised prawns (with shells on), and two scoops of rice… each plate is $13 cash only.  These shrimp trucks are not to be missed.  We love the Garlic Shrimp Scampi and highly suggest that you order.  My kids love the Lemon Butter Shrimp plate.  There are other shrimp trucks along the way, but once we were introduced to Giovanni’s, we can’t bear to try the others.

Don’t forget to ask for the Sharpie and sign your name on the truck!  If shrimp isn’t your thing, Kua’Aina Burgers in Haliewa Town is delicious… the mahi mahi burger with the pepper in it is my favorite. It’s too big for me so I always split it with my hubs.

If you go to the Giovanni’s in Haleiwa Town, 5 minutes drive away is Matsumoto’s Shave Ice stand.  The proper way to say this awesome local treat is “Shave Ice”, never “Shaved Ice”… and the best way to eat it is with ice cream on the bottom and the creamy sweet milk on the top.. so don’t forget to order it that way!!! or else you will really be missing out.

I’m holding the small size and David’s holding the large size.  There is always a line out the door, but it’s worth the not so long wait… and they close at 6pm sharp.

Again, others will say that Aoki’s a few doors down is better, but I think it’s just a matter of preference.  Shave Ice is not the same anywhere else except at Matsumoto’s or Aoki’s, so don’t even go looking anywhere else ;).

Jensen at the surf shop next to a “Jensen” surfboard.

The calendar girls were out and it was obvious that Jensen was the center of attention.

 

While you are in Haleiwa Town, visit the shopping center and local shops for some surf and island wear. If you want to try your hand at some North Shore surfing or paddle boating, hit up Surf-N-Sea Surf Shop for some rentals and lessons.

 “Sand Sledding”

My kids love Waimea Bay.  The sand is built up a little and they like to sled down in their boogie boards…

 

Of course, my oldest daughter and my husband climb the rocks at Waimea Bay and jump off, that’s my daughter there in that snap, mid jump…

 

A beautiful beach not to be missed is Lanikai Beach on the east side.. it’s ranked one of the best beaches in the world with good reason… it’s absolutely breaktaking… turquoise waters, fine white sand, absolutely beautiful blue skies…. access to this beach is through the residential alley ways… it’s a sight definitely worth seeing.  It’s a little windy on this side of the island, so don’t be surprised… the sand get’s everywhere! so zip up your beach bags and just put your phone away and relax.  When you’re done for the day, hit up Kailua town and grab some food there… there’s a Mexican Restaurant I discovered that’s pretty good… considering that Mexican Taqueria’s are scarce on the island.

Not too far from Lanikai Beach is Kailua Beach.. lots of kite board surfing.  Really cool!

Another beautiful beach on the east side is Waimanalo… it’s quiet and not at all crowded, a bit windy.

 

A wonderful scenic drive is up the H3 highway into Kaneohe… it’s absolutely breathtaking!  There’s a forbidden trail called “Stairway to Heaven” or the “Haiku Stairs” that leads you up to the most picturesque places in all of O’ahu.  It’s deemed treacherous so they closed it off… but I heard that there is a way to get on it, but you didn’t hear it from me.  Don’t forget to stop by the Pali Lookout for the view above.

 

When we went.. it was absolutely gusty… you’ll need a sweater because it does get cold from the wind gusts.. but if you can weather it, it’s definitely worth the drive and the short walk to the lookout.

Last but not least, for this post anyway,  is Hanauma Bay…  best place for snorkeling, beautiful view.  I’d recommend renting your snorkel gear at Snorkel Bob’s.  My kids love it here.

 

Also, if you have a few hours, just take a drive around the entire island and stop where you feel like it to just check it out… you’ll never know what you’ll see… like the line of surfboards above that I thought was snap worthy…

Of course before you visit, my friends, definitely look these places up and learn a little more about them and see if it fits in your itinerary… there is sooo much to see and do and enjoy… I haven’t even mentioned the Pacific Cultural Center, the Dole Plantation, the Luau’s and the swap meet….. it really all depends on what you want to do when you get here and how much time you have to spend..

Like I said, I’m a mainland transplant going on 5 months living on this beautiful island paradise… so much to see and do, I’m still learning and discovering… if you have any suggestions FOR ME, I totally welcome your suggestions.. so please leave me a blog comment on the blog or on my facebook, I’d totally appreciate it!

For the most part, I hope you just kick back and enjoy while you are here, give me a head’s up that your visiting and hopefully our schedules can mingle and I can visit with you…Most of all….

… just throw up the shaka sign and hang loose with no worries…. enjoy…

With much Aloha!

~j