Guide to Oahu

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Justine

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Spending two months on Oahu for a summer internship was short enough to enjoy the island as a tourist but long enough to experience a taste of life there as a local. Oahu is the third largest island (behind Maui and the Big island) even though it is the most densely populated. Oahu offers so much more than relaxing beaches and gorgeous sunsets – from the amazing food and culture to the beautiful hikes, there is much to do and enjoy! These recommendations are based on my experiences as well as ones I received from friends who are from Hawaii. I grouped them by food and activities, but towards the end of this blog I dedicate a separate section to Waikiki since I spent the most time there during the summer.

General Tips:

  • Bring reef-safe sunscreen (can get it here too) — save the reefs!
  • Bring cash (some places only take cash and there are no mainland banks here, so you would have to do cash back at grocery stores here)
  • If you’re renting a car, download the Turo or Hui app — Hui is nice in that you can rent by the hour rather than the full day. The bus is also a good option if you’re just traveling around Waikiki/downtown (the bus system here is better and more reliable than in any city I’ve lived in!) — it’s $3 a ride (one of the places where you’ll need cash since they don’t give change)
  • In the summer, it stays warm all day and night — I was perfectly comfortable wearing a tank top and shorts into the evenings!

If you’re island hopping while you’re here, be sure to also check out my guides to Kauai and Maui!

Table of Contents

EXPLORE

Arts, Culture, & Outdoors

Iolani Palace (royal palace): Highly recommend if you want to learn more about Hawaiian history and all the royals; the tour is very informative. Recommended to reserve tickets in advance.

King Kamehameha Statue: There is a lei-draping ceremony on King Kamehameha Day (June 11 – there are a lot of state holidays here!) where they drape several fresh leis over his statue.

Bishop Museum: Designated the Hawaiʻi State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, this is the largest museum in Hawaii with one of the world’s largest collection of Polynesian cultural artifacts and natural history specimens. If I had time, I also would’ve done the Wayfinders Planetarium show.

Pearl Harbor and Arizona memorial tours: A must-do for your first time here

Dole Plantation: Grab some delicious dole whip (with pineapple topping) and find some cute red pineapples growing out of the ground (they don’t grow on trees!).



James (Jim) Dole was born in Boston and arrived in Honolulu after getting a horticultural degree from Harvard. He acquired 61 acres and began experimenting with various fruits and vegetables before finding that the red soil suited pineapples extremely well. Jim founded the Hawaiian Pineapple Company in 1901, which is known today as the Dole Foods Company.
While Jim Dole pioneered the industry and became known as the “Pineapple King,” it was Captain John Kidwell who founded Hawaii’s pineapple industry, importing a number of varieties in the 1880s before selecting the Smooth Cayenne, the type sold in most stores today. At its peak in the 1930s, Hawaii produced 2/3 of the world’s pineapple! Today it’s more like 10%.

Honolulu Art Museum (open late at night on Fridays!): Was recommended by a friend for a good selection of Asian art and good espresso.

Lu’au: Recommend Paradise Cove! Super touristy but worth doing at least once. I loved the food, music, and dancing, and it’s the perfect location to see a gorgeous sunset on the beach.

We were given a mai tai, a tiki-culture rum cocktail, and seashell leis. We played a rock/stick throwing game and spear throwing (which was much harder than it looked – the wooden spear was way too light!). They taught us how to hula dance and put on Hawaiian music and dancing performances throughout the evening. We had a buffet-style dinner: kalua pork, beer-battered white fish, steamed vegetables, dinner roll, steamed white rice, macaroni salad, and lomi lomi salmon salad, with sweet potato and haupia (coconut jelly) for dessert — it was ono (delicious!). While we ate, we watched graceful dancers and fire dancers perform. The luau is about cultural exchange and about celebration — we celebrated birthdays, honeymoons, anniversaries, and new graduates throughout the evening. The music, the dancing, the palm trees swaying in the breeze, and the gorgeous sunset view over the ocean (my first Hawaiian sunset!) made for a memorable evening.
The bus tour guide was also extremely hilarious and entertaining, arguably a highlight of the lu’au. He taught us about the “hang loose” shaka sign to express friendship and goodwill. He also told us that putting a lei flower on the left side of your head means you’re taken and the right side of your head means you’re single and ready to mingle (and putting a flower on both sides means that you’re taken but looking for an upgrade). On the way back he had us sing happy birthday to the many people on our bus who happened to be celebrating birthdays, but we sounded so terrible that he led us through a “vocal warmup” and then went through the song speedy fast. Then he played more remixes of popular songs, throwing in humorous comments every now and then, and lip-singing sometimes — this lady near the front was cracking up so hard she couldn’t stop.

I was recommended the Polynesian Cultural Center but also heard it’s similar to a lu’au and pretty touristy, so maybe check it out if you want more after the lu’au!

Karaoke: GS Studios (decent prices at $15/hour with a wide selection of music, can just walk in!), also heard Gangnam Café is good

Nu’uana Pali Lookout: Breathtaking view of Kaneohe and Kailua and all the lush greenery surrounding it. The breeze is immensely strong and refreshing up here too.

Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens (Kaneohe): One of 5 Honolulu Botanical Gardens. 400-acre garden planted with rainforest trees and shrubs from tropics around the world. Developed with the US Army Corps of Engineers to provide flood protection for the community. Ho’omaluhia means to “make a place of peace and tranquility.” With a majestic Ko’olau Mountain backdrop and a 32-acre lake, it was a very peaceful and beautiful place indeed!

Temple Byodo-In (Kaneohe): Replica of a temple from Japan

Kualoa Ranch (Kaneohe): Take a tour of famous movie sites and view the beautiful Kualoa valley up close! For lunch, stop at the Waiahole poi factory on the road back to Honolulu.

If you’re here in July, check to see if the Mo’ili’ili Summer Fest is happening — food trucks + traditional Japanese bon dancing that everyone is invited to partake in, no matter your dancing level!

If you’re feeling extra ambitious, Oahu is a great place to go skydiving! Highly recommend Skydive Hawaii — I went very impromptu and was able to walk in the day of. It was an incredible experience — got an amazing view of the North Shore.

Beaches

Kailua Beach Park / Lanikai Beach — arguably one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. The aqua blue water is so clear, you can see some reefs and fish and swim out to the bird island. You can also see the green mountain peaks majestically jutting out of the water. Pair with a smoothie bowl or lunch from the Beet Box Cafe!

Laniakea Beach: good chance you’ll see sea turtles (honus)! They are endangered unfortunately — they were once sought for their meat and suffered a sharp population decline from over-harvest in the early 20th century, but today seem to be doing better thanks to state and federal protections and the efforts of community members. The turtles here are huge!! We saw a couple swimming around in the shallow waters, another one on the sand sunbathing.

Do a North Shore day: Check out the surf at the famous Waimea Bay. In winter you’ll see all the famous big waves – too big to swim in, but awesome to see. In other seasons go to Waimea Bay for the beach and jump off “the rock” (didn’t get to do this but was definitely on my list). Spend an afternoon watching the waves and surfers at Pipeline Beach (grab some poke for lunch, then shave ice or drink out of a coconut!).

Swim in a waterfall at Waimea Valley and spend some time in their botanical garden — more touristy and costs $

Hanauma Bay: popular place for snorkeling, but you have to make reservations and get there by 1.30pm so plan ahead!

Kawala Bay Beach Park: a less crowded beach where TV shows like Lost and movies like Pirates of the Caribbean: Stranger Tides and Catching Fire were filmed! Also great place to take a nap – I drifted in and out of a peaceful sleep listening to the soothing waves lightly caressing themselves onto the shore while lying down on the sand beneath a tree…

Hikes

(I was warned that most hikes are not smart to do if it’s been raining, so make sure the weather is good)

Diamond Head: Touristy easy hike, go early — we went at 6.30am and it was already pretty busy. It’s about a 30-minute paved hike to the top of the hill, where you can get a 360º view of the crater, ocean, and Waikiki resorts. Costs a small fee. Also need to make a reservation to enter but can do it at the gate.

Makapu’u Lighthouse (Waimanalo): Easy/moderate, 2.4-mile out-and-back paved and uphill road but pretty accessible for all levels; amazing ocean view with a sea breeze that was soo clean and fresh, and made the summer heat much more bearable. If you’re really adventurous, you can also scale down the side of the cliff to get to the Makapu’u tide pools (but only go at low tide, otherwise very dangerous!).

Koko Head: A great sunrise hike. We started walking to the trailhead around 5am, and by the time we started up the stairs it was 5.15. The goal is to get to the top of Koko Crater in time for sunrise. It was dark when we started, although the sky was already starting to lighten. The trail was 1048 steps, about 1.5 miles, up an abandoned railroad track. It was a very efficient workout; within a few minutes I was panting and sweating. I was motivated by an urgency to get to the top before 5.50am, when the sun would rise. Only stopping to drink Gatorade, I was able to get to the top at 5.40am. It felt good to feel the burn in my legs and be out of breath, and then to be rewarded with a nice breeze and gorgeous panoramic views of Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, and the blue ocean.

I would highly recommend going at sunrise since there is no shade on the trail, you don’t have to worry about a scorching sun, and you’re rewarded with a beautiful view of the sunrise. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen the glowing ball of the sun jump out from underneath the horizon like that, it was quite stunning. There was a group of us at the top as it came up, and we watched in silence, as someone played calm yoga music. Soon I was squinting and trying not to look directly at the ever-brightening orange ball as it rose out of the ocean, but I was in awe of how beautiful it was. The brilliant, warm orange glow also provided really nice lighting for photos. We met two guys who also showed us a bunker, a cool abandoned tunnel in the mountain with lots of debris inside.

Going down in a sense is harder than going up, especially for the knees and if you have a fear of heights. My legs felt like they were shaking, and my neck was sore from craning downwards the whole time to make sure I didn’t trip on the stairs. Some people are crazy fit though – we saw this old man three times on the way back down: he had come up, come down, and was on the way back up all while we were going down! That’s next level stuff.

Pillbox (Lanikai): Gorgeous views of the aqua blue ocean and surrounding hills, while enjoying a strong breeze. This one is under 2 miles so not too long, but a bit steep going up and knee-exhausting coming down, especially the short stretch that is sandy and gravel-y and slippery.

Lulumahu Falls: Was told this one was more of a waterfall than Manoa Falls and a slightly less muddy trail — the waterfall was pretty legit, and the trail was still muddy but also very tropical and beautiful. The websites say it’s private property, but lots of people do it and it’s fine.

Ka’ena Point Trail (Waialua, near North Shore): About 8 miles — not a touristy hike but has pretty views of the hills and ocean.

Was also recommended these:

  • Hawaii Loa
  • Kuliouou Ridge
  • Wiliwilinui trail (only go if it hasn’t been raining otherwise dangerous) 
  • Pink Pillbox near Makaha (fun hike on the westside)
  • Stairway to Heaven (the longer legal way) — supposedly amazing views

EAT

  • Kaka’ako farmers market: 8-12 on Saturdays — local produce and yummy treats! They had everything from lilikoi juice and lychees to mochi and chicken manapua
  • Good plate lunch: Rainbows drive in; Zippy’s (sit down restaurant — amazing chicken katsu, can also try their Korean Fried Chicken + chili); St. Louis Drive In; L&L (fast-food chain around the island that is pretty solid)
  • Happy Days (Honolulu): Apparently the best dim sum. Dine in
  • Young’s Kal Bee (Aiea, near Pearl Harbor and the airport): Was told that the “meat jun plate” for lunch will blow your mind
  • Highway Inn (Kaka’ako): delicious traditional Hawaiian food
Squid lu’au combo: lomi salmon salad, ‘uala (sweet potato), haupia, squid, poi (taro)
  • Manapua (char siu or chicken curry) from Royal Kitchen in Chinatown or Chun Wah Kam
  • Korean food from Sadie’s: was recommended the Meat Jun or cold noodles (upstairs at H-Mart in Kaka’ako)
  • Boston’s Pizza (Aeia): was recommended their spinach garlic pizza
  • Thai Issan: was recommended their Krapow and pad thai

North Shore:

  • Haleiwa Bowls (acai bowls): Blue Majik bowl – pineapple, banana, & blue majik spirulina topped with granola, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, maui bee pollen, and raw honey. Tastes like ocean!
  • Giovanni’s food truck: Probably the most flavorful garlic shrimp I’ve had – the perfect amount of garlic, oil, salt, and lemon. Paired it with a passionfruit lemonade.
  • Poke from Kahuku Superette (try their tako poke)
  • Stop in Kahuku: stands selling freshly cut fruit and baked goods and a Kula Shave Ice truck. We came for the fresh fruit — mango, pineapple, papaya — and the lumpia, a slender, long, crunchy, and sweet Filipino fried roll consisting of a banana sprinkled with sugar and fried in a paper-thin flour wrapper.

Dessert

  • Shaved ice from Matsumoto’s (after watching the waves at Pipeline beach) or Kula Shave Ice in Haleiwa
  • Best shave ice: Waiolas 
  • Best boba: taro yogurt milk tea. Substitute rice for boba 😛
  • Best malasada (Portuguese donut): Leonard’s Bakery (see one of the many trucks that are now all over the island!)
  • Best carrot cake: Sunset Bakery (also for a north shore day trip) — they don’t have it every day so call ahead. May have to order ahead 
  • Ice cream at Via Gelato — also check out Da Shop bookstore
  • Dark chocolate covered macadamia nuts (can buy at any grocery store) — yum so good, also make great gifts

Drinks

  • Off the Wall Brewery: haven’t been but can pour-your-own locally sourced beers, ciders, etc.

Grocery Stores

  • Foodland: Can’t go wrong with the poke and spam musubi
  • Don Quijote: While the name doesn’t suggest it, it is a large Japanese grocery store. The snacks were very tempting, and there was a full sushi and poke section!

WAIKIKI

Since I stayed in Waikiki, I have to dedicate a section to Waikiki. It is touristy as heck there but I loved it and fully embraced the Hawaiian vibes ~

Beaches

Waikiki Beach: the famous touristy beach — it’s been crowded every time I’ve been, but I love wallowing around in the decent sized waves and watching the sunset from the water. There are not many seashells or rocks in the sand, and though the water can be murky I still was able to find some reefs with fish swimming around.

Took a surfing lesson with Mickeys Surf School, which I highly recommend — Mickey provides the surfboards and takes videos of your technique, and gives really useful tips that actually work and help you learn the why, not just the what, behind the technique.

Ala Moana Beach: I spent many mornings swimming and jogging here — the waves are calm, and it’s not very crowded, especially in the early mornings. You might see turtles here too – one morning I almost swam right into one!

Pleasant place for a jog along the beach and Magic Island — the mornings are incredibly peaceful and beautiful, and many people are out running, dancing, swimming, doing yoga and tai-chi. The view of the coastline and the city from the ocean is quite magnificent – it will be hard to forget the reflection of the buildings in the water, the clear ocean where people swam and paddle boarded and surfed, and the calm music playing as a group of senior ladies slowly moved their bodies and swayed to the music.
Passed by the Ala Wai Canal many times on the way to the beach. Here, the sun shines behind the clouds, its rays striking the clear water and the lush green hills in the distance. Sometimes there would be canoes gliding tranquilly over the water.

Kahanamoku Beach: Fireworks every Friday night! And sometimes fire dancers come out right after and perform – they are quite amazing! It’s incredible how crowded the beach gets and how everyone lines up in a row to watch the sunset. Sometimes the hotels nearby will also have lu’aus with dancing and music performances that you can watch. Also did my first night swim here, which was a little sketch but totally worth it (the best part is that when you come out of the water it’s still quite warm!).

Catamaran sunsets in Waikiki — heard the sunset dinner cruises are amazing

Parasailing in Waikiki — did this last time I was here and had an amazing time (and you don’t have to get wet if you don’t want to!)

Eat & drink

Breakfast/Lunch

  • Acai bowls:
Island Vintage Coffee: they have cool flavors but their classic is good too
Lanikai Juice
Tropical Tribe
  • Goofy’s Café: there might be a long wait time so don’t come here if you’re in a rush!
  • Cafe Kaila: various brunch items, from eggs benedict and omelettes to paninis and salads
The loco moco is a general must-try in Hawaii: white rice topped with meatloaf, over easy eggs, and brown gravy. It was quite filling and delicious!
  • Eggs ‘n Things: brunch
Rainbow pancakes with a side of fried rice
  • Holey Grail: yellow food truck with must-try taro donuts in various flavors
Strawberry basil, ube (purple yam), cacao nib sugar, and maple/coconut. Tastes even better paired with a macadamia nut latte (there’s one in Santa Monica, CA too!)
  • Sweet E’s Café  
  • Bogarts Café: was recommended the mamas fried rice and açai bowl
  • Honolulu Coffee (Experience Center and Moana Surfrider locations): great coffee and place to study too – try the Hawaiian latte!
  • Chinatown: I liked the small-town, authentic feel of the small Chinatown here — the fruit stands, the shops selling jewelry and buddha statues with an incense aroma, the western style buildings. My local friend told me that since this Chinatown is so close to the port, the sailors would go to the well-known strip clubs in Chinatown. She took me to her favorite flower shop (Lin’s), showing me the traditional leis and how locals would wear leis on special occasions like birthdays and graduations (the ginger flower smelled soo sweet). We went to her favorite bakery, Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery, where I got a delicious ma tai su (pork and water chestnut bun) and butter mochi. We got minute chicken cake noodles from Papa’s Café, which apparently is a Hawaiian thing.

Poke

  • Ono Seafood
  • Maguro Brothers
  • Foodland (grocery store): can pair with seaweed salad, cucumbers, and edamame
  • Generally you can’t go wrong with poke!

Dinner/Drinks

Dukes: Great beach view with live Hawaiian music and their famous Hula pie. They’re open until 11pm, which is nice since many other places close earlier. I came here 4 times for drinks/dessert. Bring your ID — most places don’t check but for some reason this one lady required it the one time I didn’t bring it and she wouldn’t accept a photo of my ID…

Hula pie: chocolate cookie crust, macadamia nut ice cream, macadamia nuts, hot fudge, and whipped cream – the perfect balance of hot and cold, crunchy and smooth, and sweet (yum!)
.I wasn’t as huge a fan of the lilikoi pono pie (it was a bit sour), but go for it if you’re feeling adventurous!

Tikis Grill and Bar: Great beach view with live Hawaiian music and decent prices. I liked the coconut shrimp and brussels sprouts pupus (the shredded parmesan on top made the brussels sprouts extra delicious), the coconut chicken, and the Kalakaua Sunset cocktail (local Pau Maui vodka, passionfruit juice, orange juice, splash of lime juice, and a dash of grenadine).

The Barefoot Bar: South end of Waikiki right by the beach — decent food and pineapple smoothies and live music

Pineapple smoothie: essentially an overpriced combo of pineapple, ice, and sugar that you drink out of a pineapple — it’s more for the experience!

Moana Surfrider: First hotel in Oahu, fancy spot for drinks with live music, a nice date idea 🙂

Mai Tai’s Bar: Pricey but good cocktails right by the beach — try their truffle fries! Loved the vibes here

Shorefyre (International Marketplace): Was first drawn to this place from the blinking lights that you can see from the street — nice place for dinner and drinks (and dessert — try their strawberry sundae!)

Buho Cantina: Mexican outdoor rooftop bar with good chips and guac, very strong margaritas, and a dance floor with Latino music. Spent one memorable Saturday night dancing here…

SKY Waikiki: Check out the bar on the 18th/19th floor underneath the rotating restaurant with great views of the city

Ala Moana Center: Check out the food court — SingMaTei has amazing Malaysian ramen (I wish there was more Malaysian/Singaporean food on the mainland!). Also recommend the sushi pizza and honey toast at Shokudo on the 1st floor (pics below) and Mai Tai on the top floor — an outdoor bar with affordable cocktails that is open until midnight, which is much later than most places.

  • Suzie Wong’s Hideaway: Cheap alcohol and good beer and nice bar vibes — I lived nearby and it seemed there was always a party going on there!
  • Aloha Beer Co: Free pub trivia on Wednesdays at 7pm!
  • Onoya Ramen: Good authentic ramen (warning: their spicy levels run on the spicier side!) 
  • Paia Fish Market: Yummy fish platters and good beer (pictured: Cajun-style charbroiled mahi-mahi with cajun rice, potatoes, and coleslaw; fried calamari)
  • Doraku Sushi: Very fresh sushi/sashimi. Their Double Happiness roll is amazing, I paired it with a lychee martini (drink on the left)
  • Helena’s: Good traditional Hawaiian food — there’s also a food stand in the Ala Moana food court that has delicious beef stew
  • Edible: Raw cookie dough! Would recommend getting their sundae and pairing it with ice cream though as it’s very sweet but room temperature.
  • Haven’t tried but was recommended (on the food street):
    • Gyotaku: Japanese food
    • Pyramids: Middle Eastern food
    • Side Street Inn: Local (fried) food and ideal for big groups

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