That Cool Travel Couple

Although the Hawaiian islands are part of the United States, it certainly doesn’t feel like it when you touch down in the Hawaiian Island of Oahu! Travel to Hawaii is always a welcome experience. The humidity and fragrant scent of flowers greets you at the airport along with friendly smiles saying “Aloha!” 

Practicalities of Travel to Hawaii

Everything you need to enjoy the Hawaiian island of Oahu!

Currency: USD

Recommended length of stay: one to two weeks 

Month of visit: January 

Useful tips: Rent a car! Our absolute favorite thing to do was drive up and down the coast, picnicking on random empty beaches we saw along the way. 

Packing List for Oahu

• 2-3 bathing suits and coverup
• 2 pairs of shorts and light weight shirts
• Lightweight dress or long sleeve
• Lightweight long pants
• Sandals
• Sneakers
• Bug Spray
• Sunscreen
• Packable towel – I like this one from Amazon!
• Beach blanket
• Packable backpack
• Collapsible water bottle – we travel with these!

The Itinerary

Honolulu is perhaps the most famous city on the island of Oahu, and should not be missed. That being said, it would be a mistake to spend your entire trip in Honolulu as exploring the rest of the island was probably our favorite part! I’ll get into that a little later. We did rent a car which allowed us the flexibility to see and do more than we would had we just stayed in the resort area. 

When it comes to Oahu, you have multiple amazing hotel options. During our first trip we stayed at the Hilton of Honolulu, which is a busy chain hotel in a busy area of Waikiki beach. We stayed over New Years Eve, and had a balcony overlooking the ocean with a beautiful view of the fireworks. During our second trip to Honolulu, we stayed at Lotus Honolulu and Diamond Head which is a smaller boutique hotel. Similarly this hotel had fantastic views but also had nice perks such as rentable bikes and reusable water bottles. Our room had a view over the ocean and the Diamond Head inactive volcano. We highly recommend hiking up to Diamond Head to take in the stunning views! 

We loved the central location of the Hilton and spent several lovely afternoons wandering up and down the Waikiki Beach strip. The Royal Hawaiian hotel (iconic in pink) was probably the most beautiful hotel we found, and their mai tai bar on the beach is a must-try! 

No trip to Honolulu is complete without a visit to historic Pearl Harbor, which is a great opportunity to learn more about the history of the island and pay respects. 

After a few days in Honolulu, we hopped in our SUV and drove up to Paradise Bay Resort in Kaneohe. Above all, this was my favorite place that we stayed at in Oahu! It has an amazing outdoor pool and jacuzzi, and they offer outdoor yoga classes and water sports as well. The rooms are apartment-style so you have plenty of room. Ours even had a balcony overlooking the Kaneohe bay. On our way up we visited the Halona Blow Hole and China Walls, which are very beautiful. In the same vein, the Makapu’u Tide Pools were spectacular. We hiked the Lighthouse Trail to look for whales, but sadly didn’t see any.

Paradise Bay was a perfect launching point for us to visit the famous Kualoa Ranch which is perhaps most famous for being the filming site for Jurassic Park (amongst many, many other films!). We highly recommend the ATV tour to see the Jurassic Park filming locations but you can pick from several tours around the ranch. 

While staying at Paradise Bay we also visited Tropical Farms Macadamia Nut Farm for some tasty nuts and coffee, and Byodo-In Japanese Temple. Kaneohe Bay and Kahana Bay Beach Park were two of our favorite places to relax by the water.

Oahu has amazing food, and is specifically known for tasty and fresh poke which you can find almost anywhere on the island (we liked Ahi Assassins). Our absolute #1 favorite restaurant (possibly ever) was Haleiwa Joes which has two locations – one in Haleiwa and one in Kapolei, super close to Paradise Bay Resort. The one in Haleiwa also has beautiful gardens that you can walk around while you wait for your table. They don’t accept reservations, but it is totally worth the wait. In addition, we thought Basalt in Waikiki was heavenly.

You’ll find the Dole Plantation in inland Oahu, which is a great place to cool off with a delicious pineapple ice cream float. You’ll need it after working up a sweat wandering through their giant maze!

Ko Hana Distillery is also slightly inland, and is notable for their sugar cane rum and friendly explanations of the rum making process.

Next we moved on to the North Shore, and stopped to eat an acai bowl and shaved ice while watching the surfers ride through incredible swells. We swam in the pool created by a waterfall in Haleiwa at Waimea Falls and participated in a luau. We also hiked through Ka’ena Point State Park and saw loads of nesting albatross! 

Our final destination was Marriott’s Ko’Olina Beach Club in Kapolei. This was a very nice hotel with a beautiful man made beach with tasty food and drinks, the perfect place to just relax on the beach. It is very close to Aulani, which is a Disney resort. Nearby you’ll find nice restaurants and boutique shops selling upmarket clothes. It was the perfect way to end our whirlwind around Oahu. 

And that’s a wrap! Until next time, Oahu! Mahalo for the memories. What are you waiting for? Travel to Hawaii today! Want to visit another dreamy island? Click here!