Hawaii; Oahu

Oahu; the gathering place

Aptly named, as everyone from everywhere was gathered on Waikiki Beach, taking selfies.  Oahu is a gorgeous island, but it's very touristy and extremely busy in Honolulu & Waikiki.. to truly experience this island, get yourself out of town & off the beaten track - you won't be disappointed!  Some highlights from nine days on the gorgeous island of Oahu..

{hiking}

Diamond Head Crater

The island of Oahu offers plenty of opportunities for working on that beach bod (better late than never..), hiking being one of my favorites - specifically, the views which are often the reward of a good hike.  

Mauawilli Falls

First up was the Diamond Head Crater; it is a decent hike up, but it won't kill you.  Unless you go in the middle of the day with no water.  Then, it might.  But with a little planning (it's mostly shaded in the afternoons), it can be a pleasant stair climbing excursion, with a stunning overlook of Waikiki waiting for you at the top.  
Next up was Maunawilli Falls.  Which was more like the Maunawilli mud baths.  We hiked for an hour (one-way) in oozing, slippery mud before we ran out of daylight and surrendered to the realization that the only falls we would be seeing would be our own, on our butts.  In Maunawilli's defense, it's a beautiful hike following a river through the rainforest, but you should allow a good half day if you want to conquer it.

{food}

Heavenly Island Lifestyle

Let's not put this off any longer.. food ought to be first on the list of priorities, really.  There is plenty of deliciousness to get your paws on, and since we've established that it's too late for that beach bod anyways, you should definitely over indulge.  I hear the shrimp at the shrimp trucks on the North Shore is spectacular; personally I was too taken with the teriyaki chicken to be bothered (you had me at teriyaki..).  Pancakes with coconut syrup & an acai bowl should also be on your foodie-wannabe checklist.  While we're at it, it should be mentioned that Heavenly Island Lifestyle is rumored to have the best eggs benedict in Waikiki (they also have the good vibes mastered).  Jack's Restaurant on the Kalanianaole Hwy is your go-to for strawberry pancakes which will make you drool for days.  If made-in-house japanese noodles is your thing (or even if it's not your thing..), Marukame Udon is your place - go early unless you like long lines.  If you go to Makapu'u Point & you see a texas bbq truck: just do it.  Whether or not you are hungry is irrelevant.  Their pulled pork could make a vegan salivate.  Another time your hunger will be irrelevant is if you manage to find the Kapi'olani College Farmers Market (Tuesday afternoons).. you seriously can't go wrong here.  Basically, you won't starve..

{beaches}

Farrington Hwy Beach

Ahhh... it's hard to beat hawaiian beaches.  The options are (almost) endless; if you limit yourself to the overcrowded Waikiki beach, you are only shortchanging yourself.  Admittedly, Waikiki was one of the calmer and more swim-able beaches, but I prefer quieter beaches where I have space to do a cartwheel if the mood strikes..  

Sunset Beach

Some beaches worth checking out: Sandy Beach Park (gorgeous beach with some surfing), Makapu'u Beach Park (small cove - a great skim boarding spot if the tide is right) & Sunset Beach Park (high surf - surf competition spot).  There's also a gorgeous white sand beach at the end of the Farrington Hwy (west of Haleiwa)!  I'm sure there are a hundred more beaches, but these were my favorites..

{sights}

Pearl Harbor

As I'm sure you know, Pearl Harbor is located just outside of Honolulu.  They've done an amazing job preserving and presenting history & it's definitely worth the visit.  There's so much history and tragedy packed into one small harbor.. and it's free!  Well, part of it is, but you could spend an afternoon just seeing the free part!  It's very self-guided & self-paced, which makes it ideal for people of all interest levels.  

Rainbow Eucalyptus

The Dole Plantation is way too tourist-trappy for me, but it's still worth checking out for a couple of reasons.  First, if you've never seen a pineapple plant (nope, they don't grow on trees), wander around back and have a look!  Second, they have a row of the most easily accessible rainbow eucalyptus trees out front, and it's pretty hard to not act like a child with bubbles when you see these trees.  Coolest.  Trees.  Ever.  Last, and certainly not least, lychee candy.  So delicious & seriously addictive. Don't start, or you'll be making daily return trips.  I wish I was kidding..
 


{budget}

I think it's fairly common knowledge that Hawaii is not a cheap vacation, especially for those of us who have to fly twelve hours to get there.  Fortunately, I got lucky with a fare sale and got a really reasonable flight for $600 return.  Oh, but, then you have to sleep somewhere?  Well, there's a large homeless population on Oahu, so there's that.  Personally, I prefer pillows & showers... so I'd recommend finding someone to share a hotel with, or looking into staying at a hostel.  Oh, and then you want to eat too?  Unless you're happy with McD's dollar menu, you're not going to eat for less than $25/day.. and that's still being frugal.  The upside is that walks on the beach are free & the sun shines pretty much every day.  

J. 
Design Life.  Inspire Wonder.