View of Honolulu from Diamond Head State Monument as taken from my iPhone
The Hawaiian Islands truly are paradise in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Even though it is a state in the United States, it is well west of the West Coast. For some perspective, it takes 6+ hours for a cross country flight from one coast to the other. It takes almost the same time to fly from the West Coast to Hawaii. It is comprised of hundreds of islands. There are 8 main islands. In order of the most visited, the top four islands to visit are Oahu, Maui, the Island of Hawaii or the “Big Island”, and Kauai. Molokai and Lanai are also visited but by much fewer tourists than the main four. Ni’ihau is privately owned. Kaho’olawe is abandoned. It was used as target practice by the United States military to prepare for the Pacific War during World War II. Unexploded ordinances make the island dangerous and it is the reason there are no visitors.
I spent two weeks in Hawaii and visited three of the islands: Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island. The interisland flights are quick and cheap at less than $100. I explain these islands as the city (Oahu), the suburbs (Maui), and the farmland (the Big Island). Oahu is my favorite island with Maui as a close second. I also enjoyed the Big Island but Oahu and Maui are definitely better to visit. Oahu is also known as the “Gathering Place” since it has the most residents and visitors. It is also home to Honolulu, which is the state capitol. It has the feel of a major city and its rush hour traffic rivals any other city in the United States. In addition, the naval base at Pearl Harbor is on the island. As we know, it holds historical significance as the surprise attack by the Japanese on December 7, 1941 launched the United States into the second World War. Of course, there are lots of natural beauty to behold from the perfectly blue water of the Pacific Ocean and great beaches to the summits with stunning views of the island. Oahu should definitely be at the top of your list if it is your first time visiting the islands.
Must Sees
Diamond Head State Monument (Open 6 AM-6PM)
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Diamond Head is one of the most well-known landmarks in Oahu and definitely a must when you visit the island. It is a 0.8 mile hike to the top. It is a very easy hike. It is paved and you can make it up, enjoy the view, and back down within an hour. You get a stunning view of Honolulu at the summit.
Hanauma Bay (Open 6 AM to 6 PM, Closed Tuesdays)
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I had never gone snorkeling until my trip to Hawaii. I am glad Hanauma Bay was my first time. The bay is gorgeous and filled with a lot of beautiful fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors. I took my time swimming from one end of the bay to the other side admiring the fish. Get there early because the parking lot fills up quickly. We got there at 8:30 the first time we tried to go and we could not get in. We got there before 7 AM the next day. We got in without a problem and they even let us in free at that time. You could spend an entire day there and love it. However, we spent 2 hours and the crowds really filed in when we were walking back up to the parking lot.
The bay is a nature preserve so they close it every Tuesday to allow the fish to feed undisturbed for a day. Renting snorkel gear is $15 but you might as well just buy your own. You can get the gear for less than $30 at Wal-Mart.
Pearl Harbor (Open 7 AM to 5 PM)
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Due to the historical significance of the site, Pearl Harbor is definitely a must see. The USS Arizona Memorial is free but you need to get there when it opens at 7 AM to get a ticket for one of the earliest showings in the day. If you do not, you will have to wait a couple of hours to go on the Arizona tour. For example, we got there at 9 AM and they gave us a ticket for the 11:30 AM tour. We decided to go back a few days later so we could get a ticket for the first tour at 7 AM. You can also try to book a reservation in advance at http://www.recreation.gov/showPage.do;jsessionid=B578F9CCCD1A7B229839FD6B192166AF.web08-ny?name=landing&landing=/htm/pearlharbor/home.jsp&contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72369.
On the tour, they show a quick film about the attack then they ferry you out to the famous white memorial built on top of the sunken battle ship. It is a somber moment when you see all the names listed in the memorial. As you look into the water from the memorial, you see the rusting ship. In addition, there is still oil dripping from the ship so you will see it coming up to the surface. You get about 15 minutes to walk around the memorial before you return to the ferry and the next group comes.
USS Missouri
All the other tours at Pearl Harbor cost money. I would definitely buy a ticket to walk around the USS Missouri. It is the ship on which the Japanese surrendered to the Allies at the end of World War II. It also fought for a long time up to through the first Persian Gulf War. We also went to the aircraft museum that displayed a lot of the United States military aircraft over the years. Moreover, you get to see the hangar where there are still bullet holes from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Both tours cost $25 per person. I highly recommend the USS Missouri. The aircraft museum is good too but not a must see.
Hangar 79
Manoa Falls
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It can be muddy but the payoff of the falls is well worth the short hike (0.9 miles). You walk through a beautiful valley and a bamboo forest. Parts of Jurassic Park were filmed here. You can also swim in the pool beneath the falls.
Chief’s Luau (41-202 Kalanianaole Hwy)
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You cannot go to Hawaii and not experience a luau. Chief’s Luau is amazing. The food is good. The entertainment is phenomenal. The chief is hilarious and great. I could not stop laughing at his jokes. They put on an amazing fire show at the end. The chief starts fire from scratch to start the show. The location is also great. It is next to Makapu’u Beach. You will see Rabbit Island and the Makapu’u lighthouse in the background as the sun sets during the luau. After the sun sets, you have a beautiful view of the moon. It is only a 30 minute drive [when it is not rush hour] from Wakiki Beach in Honolulu.
If you want to stay near Wakiki Beach and go to a luau, the hotels will also have them. I also went to the Hilton luau. It will give you the experience of one but Chief’s Luau is light years better. You will need to reserve and buy tickets in advance.
Wakiki Beach
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It is not amazing. However, it is where a lot of the tourists go so you should stop by if you are in Oahu. I stayed there. Of course, there is a lot of places to eat (which I will point out below in the food section) and malls/shops there. At night, they light torches instead of using lamps which is a cool sight.
Nice to See [if you have time]
Koko Head Crater Trail
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Koko Head Crater is east of Diamond Head. This hike is legitimately strenuous despite being only 0.7 miles. It is over old railroad tracks and very steep. There is a part where you can see through the bottom with small holes you can technically fall through. In addition, there is a bees’ nest on it. Other hikers ran past that section like nothing. However, I took one step and took the detour to the right that leads you around that section. I did the hike after going up Diamond Head and at noon. As a result, it was very difficult. I felt very hot and started running out of water. Once I got to the top, I spent a good 20 minutes sucking wind and catching my breath. At the top, you get a spectacular view of Hanauma Bay, the crater, and the ocean. I stayed up there for a half an hour to make the pain worth it. On the way down, some hikers were flying down the railroad tracks. However, I do not have that kind of balance so I took my time one step at a time. In total, it took me 3 hours to go up, enjoy the view, and come down.
In my opinion, the view at Diamond Head is better and it is a lot easier to get to the top. If you do this hike, go in the early morning or late in the day so you do not feel the full force of the sun beating down on you like I did. Some hikers go before sunrise to catch it from up at the top. Of course, you will need a flashlight and be careful. This trail is not dangerous unless you are reckless. Park at the Koko Head District Park. You have to go around the baseball field to get to the path, either on the grass or the road.
Sunrise at Makapu’u Beach Park
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I really enjoyed watching the sunrise from this beach. If you are heading northbound on the road, there is also an entrance to the Makapu’u lighthouse trail on the right. It is an easy hike on a paved road (2 miles round trip). The entrance does not open till 7 AM but you can park on the side of the road next to the entrance and walk in. We did the hike after sunrise but we probably should have just did the hike earlier to get a slightly better view of the sunrise.
Wa’ahila Ridge Trail (Wa’ahila Ridge State Recreation Area)
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This trail is on top of a ridge. You drive up to the start of the trail. You get excellent views looking down at the Manoa Valley, Palolo Valley, Honolulu and the Ko‘olau Range from the top of the ridge. The ridge eventually brings you Mount Olympus. From pictures, it looks like an incredible view but you will need ropes to climb to the top and it will probably take most of your day to complete that hike. I hiked 30 minutes one way for the views on the ridge and hiked back. There are a few spots where you will climb up and down rocks but I did not find it very difficult. Of course, be careful but I did not feel overly concerned.
Ka’ena Point State Park
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This park is in the northwest corner of the island. It takes about an hour to drive up there. It is a flat trail (5 miles round trip) so it is more of a walk along the coast than a hike. The views of the water hitting the coastline, specifically coves, are good. There is a hole in the road near the end where you will need to climb on some rocks and walk on a path that runs parallel. It is an easy group of rocks to climb over. You eventually get to a fence but there are a pair of doors that you walk through. You have to close one door before going through the other door. It looked like something out of Jurassic Park. At the northwest corner, there is a nice patch to spend a few minutes. You can see the endless ocean to the north from there as well as the north end of the island to the east where there are wind farms. In addition, there are low lying rock formations you can walk on. There is no shade so you will feel the heat. I brought a towel to cover my head.
Great Things to Eat
Fine Dining
Alan Wong’s (1857 S. King Street St #208, Honolulu, HI 96826) (Open 5PM-10PM)
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This place is an amazing Asian fusion restaurant. The best dish they have is their ginger crusted onaga, long tail red snapper. Unfortunately, I could not order it because the sauce has coconut in it and I am allergic to it. However, I had a small bite and it was great. The other dishes are great too. I tried two appetizers, “Da Bag” and “Poki-Pines”. I loved Da Bag. It has clams, kalua pig, and shitake mushrooms. It actually comes in an aluminum foil bag that they open. Everything in there is awesome. The Poki-Pines are very good too. The poke is cooked instead of raw. The pines are fried won-tons that are really crispy and make the dish. Honestly, I would get poke in one of the smaller places because it is just as good and a lot cheaper. I had the short ribs for my entree and they were very tender and tasty. They also have a sampler dish that gives you a taste of all their signature dishes.
You need to make a reservation in advance for Alan Wong’s.
Roy’s Hawaii (226 Lewers St, Honolulu, HI 96815)
Roy’s is another great Asian Fusion spot. I tried their location at Wakiki beach. They have another one on the east side of the island by Hanauma Bay that has a great view of the ocean. Their fish dishes are awesome. I really liked the poke. Again, I would get it at one of the smaller places since it is just more expensive at the nicer restaurants. For my entrée, I had the Beach Walk Trio (habachi salmon, macadamia nut crusted opah, and misoyabi butterfish). The salmon and the opah are great. The sauce for the butterfish is a little too strong for me. In my opinion, the macadamia nut crusted opah is clearly the best of the three dishes. If you are in the mood for fish, I would recommend just getting a full order of the opah.
Authentic Hawaiian Food
Ono Hawaiian Food #32 (726 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu HI 96816)
This spot is my top recommendation for authentic Hawaiian food. I had the kalua pig plate. They have the best kalua pig I tried in Hawaii. The plate also includes pipikaula, Hawaian beef jerky, which is really good. It also comes with the lomi salmon which is a mix of tomatoes and salmon.
Helena’s Hawaiian Food (1240 N School St, HonoluluHI 96817)
Helena’s is another great spot for authentic Hawaiian food. The Kalua pig is excellent. The short ribs actually do not look that great but tastes a lot better than they look. The butterfish is another great dish that I recommend here.
Poke
Picture on left is Ono Seafood and the second two pictures is Fresh Catch #62.
Poke is one of the must tries in Hawaii. It is basically sashimi cut up into cubes.
Fresh catch #62 (3109 Waialae Ave. Honolulu HI 96816)
Fresh catch is the best place to try poke because it has over 30 different types of Poke. I ordered a tuna and a salmon poke. Both were awesome.
Ono Seafood (747 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816)
It is a great hole in the wall. It may have had the best poke I tried in Hawaii. The tuna is incredible. I would only recommend Fresh catch over it if you want to try one place for Poke since Fresh catch has a much wider selection.
Shave Ice
First picture is Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha and second two pictures is Haunani Shave Ice.
You cannot leave Hawaii without trying shave ice. It is like nothing I have tasted in the mainland and amazing.
Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha (Aina Haina Shopping Center/ 820 W Hind Dr #116, Honolulu, HI 96821)
It is a five rated shave ice spot on Yelp. It is also close to Hanauma Bay. It is the first shave ice I tried and I got the works, includes ice cream and adzuki beans (red bean). I did not care for the adzuki beans. The ice cream is also no big deal. I had much better ice cream at a couple of other shave ice spots in Maui. However, their ice is excellent. It has great texture and the syrup is consistent throughout. I got the green tea and it got a little too strong for me as I ate it. I wanted to try this spot a second time and get the strawberry but I never got a chance because it was not open the other times I was in the area. Nevertheless, it was a great first shave ice experience.
Haunani Shave Ice (234 Beach Walk, Honolulu, HI 96815)
This spot is a food truck among a group of food trucks tucked in a corner of Wakiki Beach. I loved it and got it three times. It has my favorite texture of ice because it feels like you are eating coconut. In addition, they add fresh fruit to it which I really enjoyed.
Other Food Trucks
Top pictures are Kamitoku Ramen. Bottom pictures are Lani’s Loco Moco & Plate Lunch.
Haunani Shave Ice is next to a very good group of food trucks. I tried two other ones but they all looked good.
Kamitoku Ramen
If you are in the mood for Ramen on Oahu, I recommend this food truck. I tried the Beefy Wild. I have had better noodles in a Ramen dish but they are good. The broth differentiates this Ramen bowl. It has a kick and tastes really good. If you do not want to go into Wakiki Beach for Ramen, Yotteko-Ya (1960 Kapiolani Blvd Honolulu, HI 96826) is also solid and the plaza has its own parking lot.
Lani’s Loco Moco & Plate Lunch
I had the loco moco dish. The kalua pig is excellent. The sides are solid too: fried egg, fried rice, macaroni salad. I also went to their brother restaurant, Uncle Bo’s. The portions are bigger but I liked the food truck a lot more.
Other Cold Treats
From left to right: Peet’s Kiosk, Lappert’s Hawaii, and Tropical Tribe
Peet’s Kiosk, Sheraton Waikiki (2255 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815)
This kiosk is right in front of the Sheraton hotel. It is a coffee kiosk but I never tried the coffee. The Dole Pineapple Whip is a must try. It is a pineapple soft serve. It is so rich and smooth. Tourists stop by the Dole planation on Oahu just to try it but you can get it at this kiosk without making the drive to the plantation.
Lappert’s Hawaii (Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort/ 2005 Kalia Rd, Honolulu, HI 96815)
The ice cream here is excellent. It is full of flavor and smooth. I tried the macadamia nut and kona coffee flavors. Both are awesome.
Breakfast
Tropical Tribe (1778 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96815)
I became an instant fan of acai bowls after trying them in Miami. If you are looking for a clean, healthy breakfast that will give you energy to deal with the humidity of Hawaii, Tropical Tribe is the place to be. The acai is excellent. They cut the fruit fresh. They also top it off with incredibly delicious honey that differentiates their acai bowl from other ones I have had.
It is not easy to find from the street as it is tucked away inside a group of shops. It is next to a MacDonald’s so you can use it as a marker. It is next to it but tucked away under it.
Leonard’s Bakery (933 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816)
The signature item in this bakery is its malsadas, Portugese donuts. It is not the best donuts I have ever had but they are really good regardless. They are especially good out of the oven and the bakery also has a variety that includes different flavors/fillings. I underestimated how big they would be. I ordered six but should have just ordered two.
Original Pancake House (1414 Dillingham Blvd Honolulu, Hawaii 96817)
It is nothing special but it is good if you want pancakes and/ or eggs. Their signature dish is the Dutch baby, which is a lemon German pancake. It is good but not spectacular.
Coffee
From left to right: Kai Coffee, Honolulu Coffee Company Kiosk, Glazer’s Coffee, Island Vintage Coffee, and Gorilla In The Café
The coffee in Oahu is excellent. I did not have a bad cup. Kai Coffee (2424 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815) and the Honolulu Coffee Company Kiosk (Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel/ 120 Kaiulani Ave Honolulu, HI 96815) are my favorites because they have macadamia nut lattes that I loved. Glazer’s Coffee (2700 S King St Honolulu, HI 96826) and Island Vintage Coffee (2301 Kalakaua Ave Honolulu, HI 96815) are on par. I rank Gorilla In The Café (2155 Kalakaua Ave Honolulu, HI 96815) slightly below the other four but it is still very good.
Honolulu Coffee and Island Vintage Coffee are chains with many locations. I tried the ones in Wakiki.
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