O‘ahu, HI Travel Guide

Let’s face it Hawaii has the reputation of being expensive. Which it is, BUT there are ways to travel to Hawaii and not break the bank. I’ve created a guide to help plan your trip (thank me later).

Fly into Honolulu, Oahu and stay in a hotel or Airbnb in Waikiki. Waikiki is the best place to be during your stay because there is so much to do. My hotel recommendation would be to forget staying right on the beach; that’s where it gets expensive. Stay a block away at one of these Bosstic approved hotels: 1) The Laylow Hotel 2) The Surfjack Hotel 3) Renew Hawaii 4) Queen Kapiolani Hotel

Another option is to stay at an Airbnb. I can honestly say there are some nice ones in Waikiki for dirt cheap. You just have to be willing to hunt for them. Once your flight and stay are secured, start thinking about what you want to do during your stay. Below are some recommendations outside of the hustle and bustle of Waikiki.

Activities:

+ Pearl Harbor- is first come first serve, so you MUST get there before it opens. Once you get your tickets they will have a return time on them for when you get to actually go into the memorial. I recommend going on a Saturday, Sunday or Wednesday because your ticket time might not be till noon depending on when you got it so, to waste time while you’re waiting you can go to the SWAP MEET. This is a huge hack because you can buy all your souvenirs for half the price you would in Waikiki or the airport. The swap meet is 5 mins from the memorial.

+ Snorkeling Hanauma Bay- If you are visiting during the summer time June – August I recommend getting there before it opens. If you don’t they run out of parking fast. They have snorkeling gear to rent, or you can bring your own! For lunch there is a plaza nearby called Koko Marina there are a few restaurants and fast food places if you’re on the go!

+ Makapu‘u Lighthouse Hike- This is a short easy to moderate hike. It’s paved the whole way up so think of it more as a workout with a killer view. You can go after snorkeling at Hanauma Bay since they are about a 5 min drive from each other.

+ Northshore: A whole day should be dedicated to the north shore. Raised by the Waves (breakfast), Giovanni Shrimp Truck (lunch), Haleiwa Acai Bowls (snack). Northshore is known for its huge winter swells at Pipeline Beach. Waimea Beach is beautiful, and you can jump off the rock into the water. You can also do Waimea Falls hike, keep in mind it is $17 for adults, $9 for children.

+ Lanikai Beach: known for watching the sunrise, you can hike Lanikai Pillbox (moderate hike) to see it from above! Don’t fret if you’re not an early bird you can still enjoy going to Lanikai beach during the afternoon. There is limited street parking so keep that in mind.

Hikes:

+ Manoa Falls - easy-moderate (waterfall hike)

+ Diamond Head - easy-moderate

+ Kuliouou Ridge Hike - moderate-hard (6 miles)

+ Koko Head Hike – Moderate-hard (basically a stair master to a beautiful view)

Restaurants/Bars out of Waikiki:

+ ARVO

+ Sweet E’s Café

+ Moku Kitchen

+ Tane Vegan

+ Miro Kaimuki

+ Senia

+ Pig and the Lady

+ Bevy

+ Tori Ton

+ Pig and the Lady

+ Encore Saloon

+ Bar Leather Apron

Waikiki Restaurants/Bars:

+ Deck. - in The Queen Kapiolani

+ Mai Tai bar - in The Royal Hawaiian

+ Strip Steak

+ Mina Bird

+ Ruth’s Chris Steak House – (Recommend bar for Happy Hour)

+ Tikis Grill & Bar

+ Pai’s – (best sandwich shop on island IMO) in The Outrigger Hotel

+ Buho Cantina

+ Dukes

+ Maui Brewing Co.

Hope you enjoyed this Oahu guide. Let me know what your experiences were on the island!