Episode #44

About This Episode

In this episode, we interview…ourselves!

Every month, we will be releasing an episode where it is just us talking about our past adventures and a theme that we found during that trip and what we learned about it.

O’ahu Points of Interest

Throughout the episode, we continue our discussion on our travels with our two trips to O’ahu, Hawaii. The first of these trips came after we visited Kauai Island, we spent a full day on O’ahu before going back home. There was not much we did with this day other than going to Diamond Head and getting donuts from Leonard’s.

The next trip came months later when we met my parents on O’ahu, rented a car, and tried to tackle as much as we could in three days on the island together. We got a lot done, but we still missed out on things like Pearl Harbor (make sure you book in advance), fun activities like ziplining and hiking, and the Polynesian Cultural Center.

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However, we are still happy with the things we did get done during this time on O’ahu:

O’ahu Attractions

Waikiki Beach

If you are a beach-goer and love to be around a lot of people, this is the beach for you. It is definitely the most popular spot on the island of O’ahu for this type of activity and it is right by all of the popular restaurants and shops in Honolulu. We used it to catch the sunsets each night.

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Diamond Head

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This hike up the crater provides the best view of Honolulu. Reserve a few hours for this hike preferably early in the morning when it is not as hot and catch a stunning view of the surrounding area.

Hanauma Bay

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If you want the beach, but are not interested in the crowds like that of Waikiki beach, then Hanauma Bay is the spot for you so long as you go right when it opens. Especially if you like snorkeling. The snorkeling here was amazing. Though the coral has looked better in the past, the tropical fish in this bay are beautiful. We saw so many different types, including an eel and a school of hundreds of fish pass right by us.

North Shore

The North Shore is home to some more beaches and bays for you to discover. We went to one when there was a crazy swell coming in. The waves were breaking at the shore line and were towering over us. It was the crazies thing we had ever seen and eventually the lifeguards shut down the beach for the safety of swimmers.

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From here we explored the small town and some of its shops and went to the famous shrimp truck that we had heard so much about. Definitely well worth the purchase and half an hour wait for a couple plates of shrimp.

Dole Plantation

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This is a lovely pineapple plantation where we got to see where they grow pineapples and how they actually grow. There is a train that takes you around the plantation that we missed out on, but we still did get to see the grounds and the souvenir shop where we bought the best pineapple ice cream. Do not miss out on this ice cream.

Nu’uanu Pali Lookout

The island has some stunning views to offer, but this lookout is accessible by car. Simply drive through the mountains, park the car, and walk out to this view of the island looking away from Honolulu.

Kualoa Ranch

This ranch is the set for many Hollywood movies from Jurassic Park and World to the TV show Lost and Godzilla (the older one with Ferris Bueller). We went on a movie tour at the request of my parents and it was a lovely bus drive and get out and walk tour of the different places that they have filmed on the ranch and various props that remain in their sheltered area. If this is what you are interested it, than it is a must-see on this island.

Honolulu

This is the main tourist town with all of the hotels and more mainstream restaurants and shopping centers. It is a cool place to wander around while you are here and to crash at night. This is where we stayed during our time on O’ahu.