My first time going to Oahu was amazing! Definitely more sightseeing than Maui which is more for a calming getaway, I'll be writing about Maui in my next blog! Oahu has Diamond Head, Waiola Shave Ice, and many other things written down below!
Transportation
In Oahu, obviously, I had to take a plane there because it is an island after all! We took Allegiant there which had a decent price for traveling to Oahu. Since I live in California, we are already pretty close to our destination. The flight was 5 hours from LAX to Honolulu.
Where I Stayed
I stayed at a hotel with an ABC Store right next to it on Waikiki Beach Walk, Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort. It was very convenient since we could just walk to the beach and if we needed food we could buy our groceries right at the ABC store. Luckily, the ABC Store is kind of like a 7 Eleven in California, but better because they sold spam musubis for such a good price! We often bought some for snacks at the beach after a day of surfing. Additionally, Honolulu Cookies was right at the Waikiki Beach Walk shopping area.
Eateries
1. Rainbow Drive-In
This place is my absolute go to in Oahu! They have a wonderful loco moco (my favorite) and a great
2. Leonard's Bakery
If you feel like having something sweet this bakery is perfect I went here almost every morning for breakfast, they sell many sweets but what they're known for are their Malasadas. They are these sweet donuts with no hole in the center and covered in sugar, this is the "original" malasada but there are other types with fillings and different toppings and such.
3. Ted's Bakery
This Bakery serves great food, but they also have amazing pie! I absolutely love their banana cream pie, but they always run out since it's so popular so if that is out of stock I like getting the chocolate haupia pie. Ted's Bakery is on the North Shore so you can go there after looking at the turtles on Turtle Beach or after going cliff jumping at Waimea Bay (info under Sight Seeing 2 and 3)
4. Marukame Udon
I loved this restaurants while I was in Oahu because it was so convenient and a great place to get fresh, Japanese, udon noodles after a long day at the beach to warm up.
5. Giovanni's Aloha Shrimp
This shrimp truck has great garlic shrimp and I absolutely love their food!
Sight Seeing
1. Waikiki Beach
The water in Oahu is so warm and Waikiki Beach is a great place to go surfing if you are new to it. This beach has small wave for beginners so not too many wipeouts but big enough for surfing. I definitely bene
fitted from going to this beach every morning to practice, and I also recommend surfing lessons from Big Wave Dave and they are super friendly and get you to ride at least 1 wave by the end of the practice.
2. Turtle Beach
I love this beach because it's a great place to take pictures and see real life turtles up close and in person! There are no lines or anything blocking you from even touching them. I recommend not to touch them, though, because they are wildlife and you may hurt them even if its on accident.
3. Waimea Bay
If you love an adrenaline rush, love doing things out of your comfort zone, or wanna cross something off of your bucket list Waimea Bay in the North Shore is where to go. It was my first time cliff jumping here, and it looks not that bad far away from the cliff which is about 30 feet tall, but once you've climbed the cliff and get up there it's scary. Just don't look down for too long and just jump in a pencil position as you fall so that you don't belly flop which would hurt and then once you make impact with the water go into a starfish position so that you don't hit the bottom of the ocean.
4. Sharks Cove
Sharks Cove is an amazing place to take pictures and is a great place to snorkel when it's high tide. During low tide it gets dangerous because of the coral and it cuts you very easily. I got a huge cut on my toe from the coral and it can even be dangerous during high tide so watch out. Don't let teh name deceive you though there aren't actual sharks there.
5. Hanauma Bay
If you did not know already Hanauma Bay is a great place to snorkel. There are a lot of tourists here but if you go early in the morning you might be able to miss the long line during rush hour.They have beautiful fish in the ocean, the water is not too cold, and it is a must do for a good experience in Oahu.