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Millions of tourists visit Hawaii each year with many spending their time on the island of Oahu and the picturesque beachfront of Waikiki. With the white sand, clear blue water, gorgeous wildlife, and Waikiki views of Diamond head falling into the sea is something that I easily got used to. I’ve been to Hawaii twice now, both trips were very different, once with my best friend & the other with my husband & step-kids. So I’ve put together this article aimed at first-time visitors to Oahu, and have also included 13 ways to have a breathtaking holiday in Hawaii on the island of Oahu.
Many reading this will be in the planning stage of your Hawaii holiday, so firstly let’s go over accommodation, food, and shopping on Oahu!
Accommodation in Waikiki:
If you’re after a hotel that is reasonably priced and in a great location you can’t go past the Ohana properties by Outrigger. I’ve stayed at the Ohana Waikiki Malia and Ohana Waikiki East. Both rooms were very spacious and the resorts were in great locations. These properties aren’t on the beach but only a short walk away. The location of Ohana East is slightly closet to the beach but still, both are very central and close to convenience stores, restaurants, shops, and bus stops.
The Waikiki Trolly is a great transport option to get around Waikiki and by showing your room key you’ll get free trips on the pink line. But to jump on any other color line it’s only $2 one way
If you come from a country like Australia, where tax is always included in the price, you need to remember that it’s not here. Hotels will charge a “resort fee”; ours was around $30USD per night and was added to our bill when we checked out.
Food:
I had heard mixed reviews about the food in Waikiki, but I’m happy to say that everything I ate was delicious. I can’t get the Cheesecake Factory avocado egg rolls out of my head…. yummmm. There are so many different dining options, we were never eating the same kind of food twice.
The portion sizes are massive too, sometimes I ordered the entree size and that was plenty. Often you’ll find restaurants have “happy hour” dining time. So eating in the late afternoon can save you a lot of money. One of my favorites is P.F Chang’s, from 4-6:00 pm daily they serve food and drinks at great prices.
Also, out of all the places I have been to in the U.S, the service we received in Hawaii was 10 out of 10, everyone was so nice and very attentive. I know they need to work for their tips but we always felt everyone was very genuine.
Shopping:
There’s plenty of big-name retail stores along Kalakaua Ave, which was within walking distance from the hotels. All the major retail stores are around this area. If you wanted even more options you could get a bus to Ala Moana Shopping Centre! This is the largest shopping mall in Hawaii and they’ll have every store you can think of.
There’s also Waikele Premium Outlets, and they have a shuttle bus service from Waikiki for $10 per person. Like most outlets, it’s hit & miss, some stores were last season with not much of a discount and some stores had massive discounts that made the trip there well worth it.
13 ways to have a breathtaking holiday on Oahu , Hawaii :
1.Waikiki Beach
The obvious one is Waikiki beach, it’s a gorgeous area with plenty of room for everyone. The water is warm and there’s always a lot going on! If you go to one of the many ABC stores in Waikiki, you can buy a floatation device, whether it be in the shape of a donut, pineapple, or a swan. Everyone had one and the water was safe enough to float around in for hours.
After you’ve enjoyed some food & drinks at happy hour prices, head back down to Waikiki beach for sunset. It’s such a beautiful view and a perfect way to end the day.
2. Hiking – Diamond Heads
One of the token tourist attractions on Oahu is hiking up Diamond Heads. Although it can get busy it’s still a great hike and very close to Waikiki. From the top, you get incredible 360-degree views of Honolulu.
It isn’t an overly difficult hike either, most people would be fine with it.
From Waikiki, you can get a bus or taxi to the entrance, and as you are entering a national park a small fee does apply.
Oahu island offers so many awesome hikes and most wouldn’t be as busy as Diamond Head. Keep in mind that a lot of hiking tracks in Hawaii, especially on Oahu are either closed to the public or are on private property, so technically it can be illegal to be there! Although I see online a lot of people still hiking them so I’d say the chances of getting caught are pretty slim.
One other hike I had planned to do during my last trip was to Manoa Falls. These falls aren’t too far from Waikiki and are where Lost & Jurassic Park were filmed. Unfortunately the day I went the track was closed as the area had recently had heavy rain and the track was deemed unsafe.
3. Hire A Car
I think hiring a car is the best way to explore Oahu. There are many car hire companies around and often you can get last-minute deals if you book only a few days out. Insurance is always charged on top of the rental’s daily price and you can pay additional for a GPS if your phone doesn’t work in Hawaii. The majority of hotels in Waikiki will have space for parking and will charge a daily rate. I was told street parking isn’t a great option in Waikiki so just check with your hotel beforehand to ensure you’ll get a park there.
(For everything listed below, it would defiantly be easier to have your own car but not necessarily essential.)
4. Beaches along the East Coast of Oahu
If you want beaches that are even more beautiful than Waikiki and much less busy, you need to check out the east side of the island. There aren’t many big hotels & resorts on this coastline, it’s much more of a locals area. But the beaches are stunning and if you’re driving it’ll take you less than an hour to get there.
These three beaches were my absolute favorites;
Waimanalo, Lanikai & Kailua.
5. Makapu’u Lookout
This lookout is along the coast, towards the east side of the island before you reach Waimanalo beach. You’ll see it from the main road and there’s plenty of parking.
The views are absolutely incredible and it’s a great place to get photos.
6. Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is only a 20-minute drive from the center of Waikiki. This site can get very busy with tourists and getting though security took ages.
It’s a beautiful area and I really liked the layout of the museum. I’m sure you’ll learn a lot about a very sad history.
Many of the areas have free entry but there are also tours that vary in price, (I didn’t do a tour).
7. Hanauma Bay
Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay is very popular with tourist so can get very busy. I did find this slightly annoying but it was a very safe place for snorkeling, especially if you’re traveling with children.
Hanauma Bay is a 30-minute drive, east from Waikiki. The cost to enter was $7.50 per person and kids 12 & under are free. After you have paid you will need to watch a video in the information center. The video is about the history of the bay and how we can all protect the sea life while visiting. Then the walk from there is downhill and you’ll get the most stunning views of the bay.
8. North Shore
I feel like any trip to Oahu wouldn’t be complete without at least a day trip to Hawaii ‘s famous North Shore. It’s such a beautiful and laid back area, and the vibe is completely different from Waikiki. You’ll definitely need your own car this day! When you are driving out of Honolulu, get onto the H2 North freeway. It’s a reasonably easy drive and you won’t come across to much traffic once you’re out of the Waikiki and Honolulu area.
The next 5 suggestions to having a breathtaking holiday on Oahu island in Hawaii , will all be around the area of North Shore.
9. Turtle Beach (Laniakea Beach)
If you love sea turtles you need to stop at Laniakea Beach. I typed Turtle beach Oahu into google maps and it took us straight there. Although it’s not the most obvious beach, it’s along the main road but there isn’t a car park or anything. You’ll just need to park on the side of the road and opposite the beach, there’s an empty paddock.
This is one of the only places in the world Green Sea Turtles come to the sand just to hang out and enjoy the sunshine! I’ve been to this beach twice and both times I was lucky enough to see a massive turtle on the sand. It’s important to respect the turtles and never get within 2 meters of them. The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle is protected by law in the state of Hawaii.
Also in some areas of the beach, where the waves are bigger, there’s a good chance you’ll see turtles swimming in the surf.
10. Waimea Valley Waterfall
The Waimea Valley is located on the North shore and entry is $20 for adults and $12 for children. The valley is basically a massive botanical garden with a large waterfall at the end. The Waimea Falls are very safe to swim at, even for children and it was a great place to cool off after the long walk.
Waimea Valley is so beautiful, along the walk, there are so many different types and plants and species of birds. Right through the valley, the path is paved so it’s an easy walk. This would probably be one of the simplest waterfalls to get to on Oahu as well. (You won’t have to jump any fences or take any illegal hikes to get there).
11. Laie Point
This is a lookout point at the north of Oahu and is located at the end of a residential street. There isn’t a lot of parking there either. The lookout is beautiful and will give you some incredible views of the ocean and islands coastline.
It’s also where a scene in the movie ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ was filmed. Have you seen that movies? Remember the scene when they jumped off the cliff and Peter didn’t jump far enough so ended up hanging from the plants? Yep, that funny moment was shot here.
12. Shark’s Cove – Pupukea Tide Pools
Another awesome spot on the North Shore is Pupukea Tide Pools, pretty much a massive rock pool. It’s an awesome place to swim & snorkel and just across the road are a few food trucks.
I’ve been here twice and both times the water looked very different. The first time it was the most beautiful blue color and crystal clear! Then the second time, I’m guessing there had recently been bad weather because the water wasn’t clear and more of a brown color!
If you get there and the waters looking good, it’ll be a great spot to snorkel.
13. Swim With Sharks
I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get in Hawaii’s warm, clear water and swim with some beautiful sharks. During my first trip to Oahu, my friend Crystal and I booked this tour with Hawaii Shark Encounters and apart from a slight case of seasickness, it was an awesome day.
I found it really exciting to share the water with around eight, inquisitive Galapagos Sharks. The crew had explained to us that they don’t bait the sharks, the sharks are actually attracted to the sounds of the boat diesel engine because historically fishermen had diesel boats & would throw their fish scraps off the side. Now I’m not saying I don’t believe this but I did see them throwing a couple of chunks of meat off the side!?!
When you’re in the water you are in a cage and have a snorkel and masks. The water was very calm so it was comfortable being in the cage and never once did I feel like I was in any danger.
So that’s my list of 13 breathtaking things to do on Hawaii ‘s island of Oahu ! I absolutely love Hawaii and can definitely see why Waikiki is so popular. I promise if you follow this article you’ll have a holiday in Hawaii that is full of adventure, unique experiences & stunning scenery.
I’d just like to help you with one more thing, I know that before each holiday there’s always a million things to do and realizing you’ve forgotten something just as your plane is taking off is never a good feeling! So I have put together the Ultimate To-Do List Before Any Holiday, click here to get your copy.
Thanks for reading,
Happy Travels
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Elyse is the author & content creator behind A World To Live. After traveling to over 40 countries, she has a passion for discovering new places. Elyse is a money-conscious traveller who loves writing independent travel guides to help her readers get the most out of their travels.
