My Favorite Things to do in Oahu

Hawaii is one of those places that is on everyone's bucket list. It is a total island paradise, while still being in the United States. I had to keep reminding myself the entire time that I was there, “We’re in the US right now”. While there are many tropical destinations in this world, Hawaii has been one of my favorite places. We went over Christmas, which was the perfect time to go. Each island we went to was decked out in Christmas lights and Mele Kalikimaka playing on all the tourist shops playlists. One thing I didn’t realize before going was that Hawaii is very family-oriented and, “Ohana means family” really rings true here. We spent 3 days in Oahu, but could have spent over a week seeing everything the island has to offer. 

Morning 

One of my favorite parts of the vacation was spending the early morning hours grabbing a coffee and walking along the beach. Every morning in Oahu, I would go to Honolulu Coffee which was conveniently directly beneath our hotel, and then walk along the beach and before sitting at a table overlooking the ocean. 

• KCC Farmers Market- On Saturday morning, we went to the KCC Farmers Market which is the best farmers market I’ve ever been to. The food was so fresh and there was a wide variety of local cuisine to try. I loved how it wasn’t commercialized and it was close to where we were staying in Waikiki. At this market, we tried Acai Bowls, Ahi Tuna, Coconut, and Abalone. My favorite thing that we tried was the Acai bowl since the fruit was SO fresh.

• Leonard’s Bakery- We stopped by Leonards for Malasadas, which are portuguese donuts without the hole. Leonard’s has been on the island since 1952 and I am so happy we made the stop here before setting off on our day. Although there was a line, it was absolutely worth the wait.

Leonard's Malasadas

Daytime

Over our 3 days in Hawaii, we were able to experience so many aspects of the island, including cultural, historical, nature and city life. I’ve listed below some of my favorite excursions and activities that we enjoyed during the daytime. 

• Jeep Drive on the North Shore: My absolute favorite thing that we did in Oahu was driving along the North Shore coastline with the Jeep with the top off. During this drive we had picturesque views of the pacific ocean, saw the stunning mountains where scenes from Jurassic Park were filmed, and had the chance to experience many of the cute towns along the way. 

  • Tropical Farms Macadamia Nut Farm: One of the coolest stops we made during this drive was to Tropical Farms. Although unassuming on the outside, when you go inside this store there is a wealth of local products sold here. We definitely spent over an hour at this store trying the different local coffees, sampling the local products and finding souvenirs to bring back friends and family members. The macadamia nuts that we bought here are by far the best I’ve had in my entire life. 

• Polynesian Cultural Center: We spent an afternoon at the Polynesian Cultural Center where we were able to learn all about the culture of Hawaii and the Polynesian islands. I really enjoyed understanding more about these different island nations and immersing myself in the traditions and culture of these islands.

Amphitheater where the final show was held

• Pearl Harbor: A somber must-see when going to Hawaii. Being present at a place where such an important and critical historical event happened feels extremely surreal. While we didn’t participate in the boat ride to the site, we went to the museum on shore and read through the chronological events leading up to the attack and the repercussions that followed. A great history lesson to have and to never forget. 

• Waikiki Beach: We stayed on Waikiki Beach and I was shocked at how commercial it was. It was a tropical-version of Madison Avenue - Designer shopping and beachside hotels lined the streets, with ABC Stores on every corner. One of the highlights of having a hotel on Waikiki was being able to get SPAM Musubi from Musubi Cafe Iyasume and enjoying it while on a break from the pool drinking a Kona Big Wave.

• Ala Moana Center: One of the days we were on Oahu, we spent a few hours shopping at the Ala Moana Shopping Center. There was a wide variety of stores that ranged from designer, to mall-favorites, to department stores. It was a good way to get away from the heat and the sun during the middle of the day. Before we started shopping, we stopped to get Poke Bowls at Foodland Farms. 

Evening 

My favorite thing that we did every night was going to the different restaurants + bars on Waikiki Beach to watch the sunset and have dinner. On Waikiki, there is no shortage of beachfront restaurants and bars. 

• Duke’s Waikiki: A tourist-staple in Hawaii. With great tropical drinks and the famous Hula Pie, you can’t go wrong choosing this beachfront restaurant

Hula Pie

• Mai Tai Bar: With a clear view of Diamond Head, this is the perfect place to grab a Mai Tai at sunset, or in my case, a Lava Flow. Also located right on the beach, it is a very relaxing place to enjoy the evening. 

• The Beach Bar: Another restaurant that’s right on the water, located inside a super nice - hotel, the Moana Surfrider. One of my favorite parts of being on Waikiki was being able to walk throughout all the shops and restaurants on the main strip.