Oahu Favourites
Now that I’ve been home for a couple of weeks (boo - I miss Hawai'i so, so much), and I’ve been thinking about all of my favourite things that we did, saw, ate, drank and everything in between, I wanted to compile a list of my favourites including Food & Drink, Shopping, Adventures and Beaches, as well as just some general things you should know if you’re planning on checking any of these things out. Though we spent 95% of the trip in Honolulu, this list also includes something places and things we did in Hale’iwa as well, which you should absolutely take some time to make a trip to the North Shore if you’re going to be in Oahu. Enough with my lengthy intro, let’s start talking about my favourites:
Where to Eat & Drink
We did end up eating out quite a bit while in Honolulu, mostly out of convenience, but also because we really wanted to check out what local eats we could try while we were there, since why the hell not!? Here are my favourite places to eat & drink in Oahu:
This was definitely one of my favourite places we checked out while we were there. If you like pub-style food like nachos & burgers, as well as really amazing craft beer, this place is definitely one for you to check out. The price point was pretty average (two entrees & two beers cost us $57 USD). You’ll want to make a reservation as it almost always seemed to be busy enough to have people waiting whenever we walked by.
If you’re a big fan of brunch, this place is incredible. My boyfriend and I joke that going out for breakfast is our “thing”, so we obviously had to check this place out, plus the added bonus that it was in the bottom of the building of the Airbnb we stayed in. They offer a little bit for everyone including savoury options & tons of sweet options, all of which looked amazing. Price point was once again, pretty average. If you order a kona coffee, be prepared to pay a bit more, but this isn’t exclusive to Cream Pot, this is just standard pricing for kona coffee! There also can sometimes be a wait, and fills up pretty quickly, so if you plan to go, make sure you get there early but also be prepared that you could be waiting a little bit too.
Most of the time when we ate out, it was breakfast places, and this was the restaurant we hit up for breakfast on our last morning in Honolulu, and it did not disappoint. There are a few locations, but once again, average pricing and you’ll want to make sure you get there pretty early. We arrived around 8am or so, had to wait about 10 minutes and by the time we left, there was probably 30 people waiting for a table. I ordered an omelette which comes with an amazing housemade cucumber salsa that I can’t recommend enough!
Yep, another breakfast place that you need to be early to get a seat. We arrived again around 8am, and the place was already full and we ended up waiting about 15-20 minutes for a seat. It’s definitely a cozy little restaurant with not a ton of seating so it feels very intimate. They do have a bit of a smaller menu but what they serve you is superb since they don’t make a ton of different things. I ordered a vegetarian omelette in a bowl, and my boyfriend got the infamous Hawaiian breakfast of Loco Moco, which as much as I don’t eat meat, looked amazing.
MAI TAI BAR AT THE ROYAL HAWAIIAN
This was by far the top of my list of places to get drinks while in Waikiki. The Mai Tai Bar in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel is a beachside bar with the most beautiful view of not only Waikiki Beach, but also Diamond Head. The best part is everything is pink! The seats, the umbrellas, the walls of the hotel. Pink everywhere. The drinks are a bit on the more expensive side, since this is a luxury hotel, but they taste incredible, and the atmosphere is definitely worth the price point. They also offer to put a non-alcoholic or alcoholic drink in a pineapple, but there is a $10 price difference, with non-alcoholic drinks in a pineapple being $20, and alcoholic being $30. My suggestion is getting the non-alcoholic ones for any photos you want, and then ordering cocktails afterwards.
On the North Shore in Hale’iwa, you’ll find the cutest little lemonade stand called Wow Wow Hawaiian Lemonade, and if you love lemonade, this is the place to check out! My boyfriend & I both ordered the strawberry pineapple lemonade, and we aren’t big sweets people, but it was hands down the best lemonade we’ve ever had. We each got a 16oz cup and it was very well priced given that it’s hand crafted, but my favourite thing is that you can purchase reusable jars that say Aloha on the side and get your lemonade put in that. The jars come in 16oz, 24oz and 32oz, and you can get any lemonade you want in them. If I was to ever go back, the next thing I’d love to try is the pina colada lemonade, or the lava flow lemonade!
Where to Shop
As much as I did some shopping while we were there, I didn’t go to a ton of places. I mostly just spent bigger amounts in less trips. These stores were my favourite to check out, and feature items that are exclusive to Hawai'i:
If you’re looking for good quality, island style clothing, Mahina is where you need to go to straight away! Every item that I purchased, or even touched in the store was the softest, most comfortable material, and the colours & styles were absolutely beautiful, really capturing the Hawaiian look, in modern clothing. The only two downsides are that the price point for some items can be on the higher side, with some dresses being $65 or more, and that they don’t have a huge size range - most of the items were only available in small, medium & large, and sometimes extra small. However, the higher price points for good quality items, and less size ranges is pretty standard for smaller businesses, and I’d still recommend anyone go check them out while in Hawai'i, even just for the accessories (which are very affordable!)
If you’ve been to Hawai'i, you’re probably laughing seeing this on the list, but I’m seriously obsessed! I loved going to the ABC Stores while we were there to pick up souvenirs that you’ll only be able to get in Hawai'i. It was great to pop in there to pick up random things like laundry detergent, or chips, but the best stuff I got at the ABC Stores were plumeria & hibiscus hair clips (many people got these are souvenirs!), last minute beach items like sunscreen & a beach towel (which I forgot to bring one with me on the trip, so this was a lifesaver), and lastly, the best Hawaiian grown pineapple juice ever.
This seems like the weirdest thing to have on the list, but trust me, the Honolulu & Halei’wa Patagonia stores are worth hitting up while you’re there. There is some gear that’s strictly made for the Hawaiian stores, that instead of saying Patagonia across the shirt, they say Pataloha. I didn’t even know about this until my boyfriend told me and asked if we can go in. Of course, I had to pick up my own shirt, and got myself one with a hula girl, and he got a couple and even a Hale’iwa exclusive one! It’s a little pricey for a standard shirt at $35, but pretty average for Patagonia & similar brands pricing.
Where to Go on Adventures
Hawai'i has a lot to offer as far as things to do outside of hanging out on the beach, and shopping along Kalakaua Ave, so if you’re looking to get outside of the resort, get moving, do some interesting things or even learn something new, here are some great things to do to get you out of your hotel:
Checking out the Bishop Museum was what we did on a rainy day while in Honolulu, and neither one of us regret it. It’s a fantastic museum that features a ton of information about the history of the Hawaiian Islands, as well other Pacific Islands, their cultures and backgrounds. It’s a little on the pricey side at $24.95 per person for admission, but well worth taking some time to learn about where you’re vacationing, and better ways to be respectful to the land and the people of those islands.
As much as everyone there kept saying that Diamond Head was a “mellow, easy” hike, if you’re out of shape like me, be forewarned it is uphill the entire time, with a whole lot of stairs towards the end, and even a little cave-like dark tunnel you have to walk through. That all being said, it’s a great hike to do while you’re there, with breathtaking views at the top and only took us about 75 minutes to complete entirely. My tips would be to make sure you get there early before the crowds start, and have cash on you because it does cost $1 per person to do the hike. Also, treat yourself to a pineapple or coconut at the end!
In my opinion, you can’t go all the way to Oahu, and not make some time to go to Pearl Harbor. Tickets to go to the USS Arizona Memorial are free, however you do need a ticket to get on, and they only give out 1300 a day, so my suggestion would be to start your day off there, and do something else in the afternoon. We went in the afternoon, seeing a sign that said tickets were sold out, bought tickets for the USS Missouri & turns out they still had tickets available for the Memorial. Long story short, I bought tickets for something I didn’t even get to do. So even if you see the sold out sign, ask first before buying tickets to another tour.
If there’s one thing that’s pretty consistent about Hawai'i, it’s that a lot of the best things require you to get there really early to avoid crowds, and this is another one. Hanauma Bay is a protected reef where you can go snorkeling, and see a variety of fish and other animals like sea turtles. The park opens at 6am, and costs $7.50 a person to get in. You have to watch a relatively short video about conservation of the reef, and a little safety briefing and then you get to walk down the hill to the beach. When you get to the bottom, there are locker rentals that cost $5 for the day so you can keep your valuables secure while you snorkel, and they also offer snorkel rentals if you need. If you plan on bringing your own, I’d suggest purchasing one like this from Amazon for more comfortable breathing and suction on your face. This is well worth doing in my opinion because even though I struggled with my basic snorkel & mask (I couldn’t breathe very well through the snorkel), and we didn’t go very far out at all, we still saw at least six different types of fish!
Let’s Go to the Beach
Do you really go all the way to Oahu to not spend anytime on the beach? The answer is obviously no. Here are some of my favourite beaches we checked out while we were there:
Yes, I added Waikiki Beach to the list, but realistically, no matter how much you want to do what the locals do, you’re probably going to end up at Waikiki Beach at least once. Despite the crowds, the waters of Waikiki Beach are warm, and the most beautiful teal blue, and you feel pretty safe given that there’s lots of people around. It also doesn’t hurt that there’s a gorgeous view of Diamond Head in the background! No matter what, it’s still a pretty cool thing to say you’ve swam at Waikiki Beach - it is in fact the most popular beach on Oahu.
The last beach on the list is Waimea Bay on the North Shore. This beach had a ton of shades for all of the super pale people like me to hide in so we wouldn’t get burnt, which I just loved since we didn’t bring a beach umbrella with us. It also has a pretty big rock that you can safely cliff jump off of, however I wouldn’t recommend spending a ton of time in the water at this beach if you aren’t a pretty strong swimmer as the current there was strong. I’m talking pulls you out and knocks you over kind of strong! Otherwise, it’s a gorgeous beach that once again, seemed to be primarily frequented by locals and wasn’t nearly as crowded as Waikiki Beach.
Those were all of my favourite things in Oahu! Is anyone going to be heading to Hawai'i, or hoping to get there one day soon? I honestly never really considered it a place that I had to get to, or a dream vacation but after going, I can honestly say it truly is a magical, beautiful place and would absolutely go back again if given the chance.
