Wanderlust

The Endless Possibilties of Oahu

 

Hawaii is such an amazing place, but sometimes it's hard to know where to start.  First things first, you need to find out how you are going to get there, and where you are staying.  Click Here to go to the trusted site TripAdvisor to get your hotel and flights all taken care of.  

 

Once you have done that you should plan out what you want to do while you are visiting the beautiful Oahu.  There is so much to do on this island, but don't let that scare you! The possibilities are endless!

 

One of the BIGGEST things to do before you go to Oahu is to get a GO OAHU CARD.  This card gives you access to 30+ of Oahu's best attractions, including some of the things listed below.  Be sure to check it out and see if it will save you some money! 

 

Getting around the island:

This can be daunting.  When I traveled to Oahu I was trying to save as much money as I possibly could by riding the bus system in Hawaii.  It did save me money, but it was very hard for me to know where to pick up the bus, where it was going, when it was coming, and it caused me a lot of headache.  RENT A CAR. Seriously. You can get car rental prices by going to Hertz car rental. 

 

One of the days that I was in Oahu, I rented a scooter from Scooter Rentals Oahu.

This allowed me to drive up the coast and stop at all the amazing views!  It was such a fun day and I loved driving the scooter around the town.  The price was increadibly cheap and I had such a blast.  I definitely recommend this. You'll need eye protection when using this.  You can use sunglasses for eye protection and look great too!

  

Once you get to the North side of the island make sure you stop at Matsumoto Shaved Ice. The line might look long, but it's well worth the wait.  While a group of us were waiting in line, one of the girls we were with who had been there before told us all that we need to get the "local's special" and to not even look at the menu.  Once we all got up to order we confidentally asked for the local's special.  The looks we recieved from the boy taking our order made our friend instantly burst with laughter.  Just an FYI...there is no local's special, but it might be a fun prank to pull on your friends or family members. 

 

Adventures:

Hanauma Bay- Open 6:00am to 6:00pm and closed TUESDAYS (so random) but make sure you go and experience snorkeling in Oahu.  It's $1 to get into the park and $7.50 a person to snorkel.  You can get snorkeling gear here.  Honestly, I wish I would have bought gear when I went.  You can rent gear down the road or at Hanauma Bay, but it's used (like someone using the same toothbrush as you.) I have gone snorkeling many times and finally bought my own.  I live in Utah, but I love having my own snorkeling gear for my vacations. You will also want an underwater camera.  After looking around this is the cheapest digital underwater camera.  It's the one thing I wish I had when I was snorkeling.  

 

Pearl Harbor- Visit the place that the United States entered World War II.  Being able to board the USS Arizona Memorial and the USS Missouri Battleship is something that you don't want to miss out on.  

 

Polynesian Cultural Center- Here you get to experience authentic villages, and see six pacific island cultures.  There are plenty of activities and games, and you will have the opprotunity to go to a luau and eat authentic Polynesian food. Get discounts by going to 

 

Dole's Pineapple Plantation- The plantation is open every day from 9:30am to 5:30pm.  They have a plantaion grille that is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm.  Enterance into the visitors center is free.  Once you get inside there are several activites including a train ride called Pineapple Express around the plantation, a garden tour, and a pineapple maze that they claim is the 'World's Largest Maze'.  All of these attractions range from $5 to $8.50.  There are also opprotunities to get combo tickets that combine two of the attractions.  Make sure you stop here and get a famous Dole Whip! 

 

Hikes:

Waimano Falls- The hike is pretty easy and beautiful.  You walk down a tree rooted path to a waterfall and a fresh water pool.  You can jump off of the waterfall into the water!

 

Diamond Head Hike- This hike is right near the oceanside.  After hiking up the mountain, you can overlook the ocean!

 

Makapuu Lighthouse Trail- Beautiful during sunrise. This is a popular spot during whale season (December to April) to catch humpbacks right off the shore. 

 

Vacation hiking and Chaco's sandals go hand in hand.  They are perfect for hikes that include water.  It's nice to not have to worry about rocks at the bottom of the pools, or having sock tan lines from wearing actual hiking boots. Go ahead and click above to browse some of the items they have at Amazon.

 

Beaches:

I could go on and on about the amazing beaches offered on the island, so I will just say that no matter where you are on the island there will be a beach close enough for you to go to.  The North Shore is very popular for surfing during certain times of the year.  The waves get big, and the undercurrent is strong.  I know this from experiencing my friends getting pulled out into the ocean, and then having to be rescued by the lifeguards.  To be prepared for beach life in Oahu get some of the cheapes swimwear from 6pm.com. There is also some amazing deals going on at Target for swimwear right now.  You can also get some really fun boogie boards here. You might need some good sunscreen as well. Make sure you get this here before you leave!

 

 

Have a great time!! Shoot me an email at explorewanderlust@gmail.com if you have any questions or need help planning out any part of your vacation! I would love to help!