HAWAII

Hawaii is a dream trip for most people. And for good reason. The lush tropical islands are absolutely breathtaking. Hawaii has also become a place that is much more accessible in recent years. More airlines have been adding flights to the Hawaiian islands, which dropped the prices significantly. That being said, you want to make sure you are well equipped while on vacation. Not packing the right things, can ruin a trip. So, here is a packing guide of everything you may need forget to bring to Hawaii.

• Rain Jacket
  • This is the one thing I always seem to forget. While hiking or out and about, it could rain at any second. Having some sort of light rain jacket would be perfect to keep yourself dry.
• Reef Safe Sunscreen
  • The majority of sunscreen’s have a detrimental effect on the reef. Although there is many brands out there these days, it’s easier to find things on online!
• Snorkel Gear
  • A week of renting will more than likely add up to whatever you would be paying on gear anyways. If you buy your own, you can bring it with on future trips. Most beginner snorkel sets fit in a checked bag. It’s easier to pack than you think.
• Junky Tennis Shoes
  • Hawaii is one of the greenest most lush places you will ever see. In order to be as green as it is, you should expect for it to rain. A lot. Rain= mud. The first time I went to Hawaii I ended up bringing a nice new pair of Nikes. I can remember trying to wash them off in the sink after every hike, since they were just covered in mud. Just bring with a pair of shoes that you don’t care about. Because they WILL get dirty.
• Pack LESS “Fancy” Clothes
  • I really didn’t wear half the “going out” clothes that I brought. And that held true all 3 times I’ve been to Hawaii. The only place I could really see you wanting semi-fancy clothes would be if you are going out in the Waikiki area or to a luau. And even there, you don’t want to over-do yourself. It’s Island life, casual is better.
• Ditch the Heels
  • To go off of my last suggestion, ditch the heels. I’ve brought a pair or two each time, and have never worn them. Save the space in your bag and leave them at home.
• Underwater camera
  • Whether it’s a GoPro or some sort of cell phone case, you’ll want to take pictures under water. Hawaii is known for it’s beautiful reefs. Make everyone jealous with some underwater photos of you and the sea turtles.
• Beach Towels
  • Something that I always forget is to bring my own beach towel. Most people are going to be staying in some sort of resort. They do not provide beach towels for you, and the bathroom towels they give you aren’t as big as you’d like. Some Air BNBs will provide them for you, but I wouldn’t count on it. There is some really cute ones or blankets that would be nice. Especially if you plan on spending a good amount of time at the beach (which who isn’t).
• Water Bottle
  • This is something that you should invest in regardless of being in Hawaii. Hydro Flask and Yeti’s are the two brand that I recommend buying. Both can keep ice cold for over 24 hours! Which will come in handy on all your hikes and long days at the beach.
• Dry Bag
  • Again it rains all the time in Hawaii. Dry bags are perfect to keep any cell phones and electronics dry while out and about.
• Rash Guard
  • Something I’ve wished I had a few times while traveling to a tropical climate. Nothing is worse than getting burnt during a trip. This can DRASTICALLY help prevent burns while in the ocean. I’ve also used this after getting sun burned, in order to be able to still snorkel and dive. No one should have to sacrifice some of their trip due to the sun! Check out this link on how to take care of your skin while traveling!

Similar to my post on Oahu, I have found that Maui’s hotel and resorts charge A LOT. On top of that, you are more than likely paying for a standard hotel room. We stayed at an AirBNB while in Maui. We ended up finding a fairly priced apartment/condo in Wailea. While there wasn’t a whole lot to do in Wailea, it was fairly central for all the things that we wanted to do. I will say there was a few cute restaurants and shops near the Harbor in Wailea. It was fun being able to walk and grab ice cream most night (who am I kidding, every night). I will say that If we went back, I probably would try and stay in the Lahaina area. The area is a bit more touristy, but it seems like there is a lot more to do as well. On top of that, the weather ALWAYS seemed nicer over on this side of the island. Every single time we would leave Wailea it would be raining. Then as soon as we got to Lahaina, it would be sunny and beautiful. That could have just been the random weather, but that’s the impression I got. I did read that the father into the island you are, the more susceptible to rain. That is because the clouds seem to cluster near the top of the mountain range. And what do clouds do? They produce rain.

In Maui, every single beach must have a public access point. So even the fanciest Resort you can think of, has an access point. So don’t feel like you aren’t allowed to go to certain beaches. Literally every single beach is open. Compared to Oahu, the beaches seemed a lot more accessible and open to the public. a few days on the island, we would literally wander around the island, until we found a beach that we liked. Finding beaches, is super easy too. Since they are EVERYWHERE! I will say that I noticed a few topless girls while at some of the less crowded beaches. I’ve even heard of a specific “Nude beach”. Although I will note that I’ve heard most attenders are older men and women. And by older, I mean 65+. Please be aware of beach closings while here! They are usually fairly well marked. But you can also find the listings online. We were a bit surprised when we tried to go to a certain beach and found a “closed due to sharks” sign. They close the beaches for a reason.

My favorite beaches were the ones where you needed to put some effort into getting there. The Red Sand Beach in Hana is a perfect example. Like every single travel blog you may have read on Maui, they are going to tell you that you have to do the Road to Hana. And this is true. This is an absolute must if you are coming to Maui. While I am not going to touch on it too much here, don’t let that say it’s something you can skip. Check out my entire post dedicated just to the Road to Hana.

While there, make sure you snorkel as much as possible. Maui has some amazing reefs that match their beaches. I was lucky enough to see my first sea turtle while snorkeling. I do wish that I would have paid for a tour to bring us out past the beach. While we did get on a boat, we only happened to fish. Next time I’m going to plan a day trip to the Molokini Crater. From what I’ve researched, this natural crevice is a haven for marine life. The crater acts as a natural barrier to protect the wildlife from it’s surroundings. Make sure that you bring your own snorkeling gear. You can get nicer cheap sets on Amazon for a lot less than you would pay to rent. Or paying tourist mark up prices! I think we were in the water about every day, so it is definitely worth the investment.

A luau is something that everyone should experience at least once. While I will say that it’s a really fun experience, it’s also extremely expensive. We saw drums of the Pacific at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa. As of right now their cheapest adult ticket starts at $125 USD. To be even semi-close to the stage and get the whole lei experience, expect to pay closer to $165 USD. No joke, I literally upgraded our tickets in order to get the flower lei….If you take into consideration that you are getting unlimited drinks, and delicious meal and a show, it makes you feel a little better about what you spent. All over the islands there are different luau’s all unique in their own way. Make sure you do some research on all the possible luau’s that you can see before you by. Personally, Drum’s of the Pacific appeared to have the most fire involved, so I went with that one. They did really put on a great show, and I get to learn a lot about Hawaiian culture. Plus the buffet of food was AMAZING!

While I understand that off shore fishing is not everyones cup of tea. Please try and get on a boat at some point during your trip! It’s such an amazing way to see the islands, and really lets you see the islands from a different perspective. Since we booked a fishing charter the boat was a little more expensive. But we had to pay for the fishing aspect as well (obviously). I surprised my boyfriend with the trip as a gift, and he loved it. With both had the opportunity to catch Mahi Mahi. The amazing part is once we got back to the harbor, there was a local restaurant that cooked your catch for you.

We actually found Nakalele Blowhole by accident. We had time to spare on our last day in Maui, so we just started driving around the West side of the island and saw that a substantial amount of cars were parked here. Right off of the road there were a bunch of different vendors selling delicious smelling food and drinks, so we decided to stop. I’m glad we did, because it was a nice little break with AMAZING views. After grabbing some snacks, we head down to the blow hole. As you can tell by my attire, I was prepared for a small “hike”. While I wouldn’t normally call this trek a hike, there is a lot of dangerous rocks, waves, and a bit of an incline. So more appropriate shoes would have been nice! Do be careful! People have died here from not being aware of their surroundings.

Where to Eat

Maui Brewing Company– How can you not go to the Maui Brewing Company while on Maui? I’ve been to the restaurant 4 times between Oahu and Maui. While the restaurant is located on Waikiki Beach on Oahu. On Maui the location I visited is located on top of a beautiful hill overlooking the ocean. The restaurant overall is super cute, and a really fun atmosphere.  I loved that they had other local beers, besides their own. Try one of their flights to figure out which one you prefer. Make sure you spare a night to get dinner here. If possible, try and get a seat outside in order to take in the scenery.

WowWow Lemonade– I’ve had this on Oahu, but they have one on Maui as well. You may have seen this their cups ALL over Instagram. In order to get the cup, you do have to pay a pretty penny. But the cup is nicer than you would expect, and actually made of glass.

Pacific’O- We stopped here after our morning of fishing, and it did not disappoint! We were able to give them some of the fish that we just caught, and they would use that instead of whatever they had on hand. It really doesn’t get any fresher than that! I got the fish tacos, and I still think about them a few years later. The restaurant was a tad spendy. Which we should have figured since the place was located right on the beach, and they are known for their farm fresh food. Regardless, it was well worth the extra money!

Food trucks, food trucks, and more food trucks!

If I could give someone one piece of advice, it’s to please leave early! I know how hard it can be to get up early on vacation, but it’ll be worth it. I promise! Thankfully, we left right before dawn. Right as we were leaving some of the first stops, literally tour bus’s full of people were pulling in behind us. If you want peace and the ability to enjoy the places by yourself, LEAVE EARLY! The beginning of your trip will start in the town of Paia. I would suggest stopping and filling up for gas prior to leaving Paia. We did not spend any time in this city, but it looked like a good stop on the way back. I saw a lot of cute shops and restaurants here.

The second piece of advice I would give (I know I said one), is to dress appropriately! I choose to wear cute hiking gear, with a swimsuit underneath. Like an idiot, I forgot to wear something to protect me from rain! Even if it is not supposed to rain, bring some sort of water resistant jacket. Preferably one with a hood. The entire day you are going to be near the ocean, or a river, or a waterfall. Hell, it might even rain the whole time. Also I would try to have as little clothes as possible underneath the water resistant gear. Since it’s usually fairly hot out, underneath will start to get humid and uncomfortable. I noticed a lot of people wearing swimsuits or a spandex type workout gear. Then they would just throw their jackets on whenever it was needed. I would also pack a pair of sandals, for while you’re inside the car. Trust me your shoes are going to be COVERED in mud. I also wish I would have brought with a spare change of clothes. By the end, you’ll have been rained on, in the ocean, covered in black sand, red sand, and more than likely have slipped in the mud while hiking.

It was a last minute decision of mine to buy the Road to Hana Maui GyPSy Guide. But I am SO thankful that I did! I tried to pre-plan the trip as best as possible, in order to decide where and when to stop. I had different sheets printed out with pictures and the mile markers. Literally none of that was necessary and I didn’t even look at it while on the road. Even when you completely lose service (because you will at some point), the app still works! I loved that during and prior to the stops, they talked about the history of different places as well as the islands history overall. I also thought it was nice how when the guy was done talking our music would restart back up. It also follows you with a GPS, so they will always tell you where and when to turn! Look up some pictures of the places you want to stop, but let the app do all the work! No need to waste any time prior!

Twin Falls – Mile Marker 2- Personally this is one of those stops that you could skip, especially if you are rushed for time. Even the GyPSy app stated that we could skip it, or at least try and hit it on the way back. We had left very early so we decided to stop. We were in Maui right after the “rainy” season, so the falls were really strong. We weren’t able to continue the hike up to Caveman falls or take a dip because of the current. The “Twin Falls” were essentially one huge brown fall. Since it was the first waterfall on the stop, we took way too many pictures. Trust me, you will stop and see a lot prettier and bigger falls along the way. We got here too early, but the Twin Falls Farm stand has any little treats you may want.

Keanae Peninsula – Mile Marker 16.8- This area in particular has a lot of history behind it. On top of this gorgeous coastline, you have the chance to see some of the “old Hawaii”. Like I mentioned earlier, make sure you buy the GyPSy app. That way you can listen to his in depth stories about the area. If you have children in the car, this would be the perfect place to take a break for the day. You have the chance to stop and give them the opportunity to run around and burn some energy.

About half way through the drive, you will start to see a lot of different food stands and trucks. The banana bread is to die for! We arrived so early that it was still warm, and you can clearly tell how fresh it is! Make sure to pick up a fresh cup of coffee with it. Hawaii is the only place in The United States where coffee beans can be grown. So the coffee is usually significantly fresher! A lot of these stands and shops have little souvenirs and trinkets that you can purchase as well. I love supporting the local people, instead of the big chain stores.

Wainapapnapa State Park (Black Sand Beach) – Mile Marker 32- If for some reason there is only 3 places you can stop. Make sure this is one of them. This is a big stop for everyone though, and you can see this when you pull into the park. This is one of the few places that there is a substantial amount of parking. You are immediately drawn to the sand. Never have I seen such a dark shade of jet black sand before. The sand itself is fairly rough compared to normal sand. I would suggest wearing some sort of sandal in the sand itself. Occasionally you get some larger pieces of lava rock. You can’t tell in the picture, but I had just thrown my Birkenstocks up out of the frame of the photo.

Once you get down to the beach, if you immediately go to the right you will find a smallish hole. By small I mean roughly the size of a grown man. If you go through that hole, you will enter into a small cave. The cave is gorgeous, and leads right out to the ocean! You will feel like a mermaid sitting in there! There’s apparently another cave, but we did not see it. To the left of the main beach, is a significant amount of lava rock. These rocks are very rough, and have steep drop offs. If you are traveling with children, I’d advise keeping them away from this section.

Wailua Falls – Mile Marker 45- This waterfall is breathtaking, and literally right off the road. Across the street from the falls is just a couple parking spaces. I’ve read articles stating this is one of the top photographed waterfalls in the world. That fact is coming from other bloggers, but I can see exactly why they would say that! Again we came during a rainy time, and there was mist everywhere from the falls. So we couldn’t get any good pictures. I definitely suggest stopping though, even if its only for a couple minutes! It’s a nice break from the driving at that time.

Mile Marker 42- The Seven Sacred Pools (‘Ohe’o Gulch)- Is one of my favorite hikes that I’ve ever been on. It really is the cherry on top of an already wonderful Road to Hana Trip. The Pipiwai Trail is apart of The Seven Sacred Pools. Essentially once you get to the end of the hike, a bamboo forest begins. The trail is very clear cut, and not very difficult. A large majority of the this part of the trail is actually paved with wood. Once you get through the Bamboo the trail immediately begins to open up to the this beautiful lush canyon. Directly across from the trail is the 200 foot tall Mahahiku Falls. You can continue along the trail, until you are right up fairly close to Mahahiku.

Kaihalulu Red Sand Beach- I’ve never had to work so hard to get to a beach in my life. While the hike isn’t long, or particularly strenuous there is some hiking involved! So this beach will not come up on the GyPsy app, because “technically” it is not a part of the Road to Hana. I’ve actually seen a lot of debate over this particular beach. I guess there is A LOT of accidents that occur here. Personally it is extremely easy to see why, due to the steep drop off’s and wet environment. Personally I would not bring kids to this beach at all. I did see one child down here, when I was there. I would feel to anxious have a young child that close to a cliff.

If you do want to find the beach though, I can give you some tips. Once you search the beach, you will immediately realize that you cant drive directly to the beach. But search Kaihalulu and let it take you as close to the beach as people. Once you get there, you will realize that it took you to a primary school. There is limited parking spaces, so we had to park down the street a bit. Personally at this point, we had almost chickened out on going since it didn’t seem like we were in the right place. Then some people with towels walked by our car, so we decided to follow. We literally walked across the schools field, into a wooded area. Keep your eye out though. When we were here, there was bananas growing from some of the trees. This was the first time I had ever seen an actual banana plant, so it was intriguing. Sadly they weren’t ripe, otherwise we would have picked one. But banana’s aside, continue on the path down towards the ocean. This hill is fairly steep and primarily mud, so watch your step. Once you get down, go to your left. You are basically going to follow that path and continue around the cliff edge. Again, A LOT of accidents occur in this area. Please be careful. Once you come around the corner, the pathway completely opens up into a sea of red!

So, are you trying to decide where to stay in Oahu? The majority of people will stay on Waikiki. But with that being said, the majority of tourists are jam packed in Waikiki. Personally, if I’m on vacation I don’t want to be fighting for a spot on a beach with hundreds of other people. The plus side to staying there is that Waikiki has EVERYTHING that you could think of. It was super easy to find a place to eat, as well as bar hop! There’s malls and stores everywhere. It appears as if there is ABC stores on every corner. Here they will have anything that you may have forgotten or lost. We ended up at these stores almost every day.

I personally love renting a house or apartment any chance I’m on vacation. The first time I stayed in Oahu, we ended up with half a duplex which was literally right on top of the water. A lot of these places are in residential areas. So the downside is that you may have to go a farther distance to get to anything. This may be a huge downside if your plan was to stay out late and drink most nights.

If I could give you one piece of advice, PLEASE RENT A CAR. There is so much that Oahu has to offer, but it’s obviously spread out over an entire island. To me, I looked at Oahu as basically being split up into a few different main “areas”. You have the general Honolulu/downtown area, the North shore, the West and East Side. Each area is roughly 30 minutes to an hour away from one another. If you don’t happen to rent a car, I have heard of a bus that goes all the way around the island. I personally have never used it, but I’ve read that it is extremely time consuming!

You can get cars for fairly cheap. A lot of people don’t realize that your personal car insurance information works for renting a car as well. I have State Farm, and they cover us anytime we rent. You just NEED to remember to bring the actual card with. This will help you save a good chunk of money on the car rental. The first time I went to Oahu, we got a simple compact car that was good on gas. Keep in mind, like mostly everything in Hawaii, gas is more expensive. The second time we rented a Jeep, and it was so much fun to drive! Jeeps appears to be the rental choice of a lot of tourists. Anytime I go back to the islands I will make sure to get a Jeep, even though I may have to pay a little more. 

The Lanikai Area is probably one of my favorite areas on the island. It’s a residential area, that also has plenty of things to do and see. It is that picturesque Hawaiian neighborhood that you might picture in your head. The Lanikai beach is accessible through beach ways which are sporadically placed in between houses. The beach is very clean with soft white sand that overlooks the Mokulua Islands.

The water in this area doesn’t reach more than 8-12 feet deep all the way up to those Mokes (Islands). You do have to go a ways out in the ocean, before you really see any fish or other wild life. For people who love a relaxing beach with breathtaking views, this is going to be your beach. The average age of people around appeared to be young adults. There is no specific parking for this beach. So you do need to park in the residential neighborhood, which usually takes some time. You basically have to weave through the streets until you find parking. 

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The Lanikai Pill Box Hike is one of my top favorite hikes that I’ve recently done. Similar to parking for the beach, there is no designated parking and you must park in the nearby neighborhood. The trailhead starts across the street from the entrance to Mid Pacific Country Club. The hike takes about 30 minutes to get to the second Pillbox. If you’re like me, it might take a lot longer due to the fact that I take too many pictures. It’s pretty easy for most people to hike, although it is a bit of a workout.

Make sure that you have good shoes for it. The beginning of the hike is usually fairly muddy and pretty steep. There is a few parts of the hike where you are fairly close to the edge of the cliff. But, it’s not something where you feel uncomfortably close. At the top of the hike you’ll find two pillboxes. If you know anything relating to WW2, you’ll know that these had a significant importance after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. To this day you can still find these pillboxes spread out over the island. 

Kailua beach is a few blocks from Lanikai beach. This is a really popular beach as well. Personally I wasn’t the biggest fan of Kailua. There was A LOT of young children running around. Also, the view isn’t quite as good as Lanikai beach either. The beach looks out onto Flat Island. The island is exactly what the name implies, flat. Also, I’m not sure if it was a fluke situation, but there was sand constantly being blown at us. This want very appealing, when trying to relax. This beach did have restrooms and showers on the property. If you are looking for a nice beach to bring young children, I would suggest coming to this area. There is restaurants, bathrooms, showers and water fountains all within quick walking distance from the beach. 

There are a few different companies that rent out kayaks, SUP boards, bikes, etc., near Kailua beach. Make sure you check out the prices of all the rental shops nearby. I found that there was a few shops significantly cheaper, the further you were the beach. If you don’t get a car, you might want to go with the company closest to Kailua beach. They give out carts, where you can transport the kayaks on. Once we got our kayak, we drove back to Lanikai beach and went out to the mokes from there. If you leave from Kailua beach, it takes roughly and hour to get the mokes. But, if you leave from Lanikai, It’ll be closer to 30 minutes.

Be aware of your kayaking abilities. If you aren’t a good kayaker, or confident being in the water I probably wouldn’t suggest going all the way to the islands. The waves break at about the same distance the islands are, which creates massive swells that wrap around the island. This basically leaves you a small area straight out in front of the island that you’re able to kayak through. My friend who Kayaked out with me was not confident being out out the ocean. So she struggled a bit being out there by ourselves. I’ve read a lot of stories about people flipping there kayaks, and having to swim back to shore. If it still interests you but you aren’t the most confident, there is tour groups that go out throughout the day. This will cost more though, and it is usually about half a day long.

The island is also a bird sanctuary. So when you’re out there you are not allowed on the grassy areas, which are clearly marked. It’s home to many endangered birds, as well as the endangered Hawaiian seal. They are often seen sun bathing and playing on the beach.

Although you can’t hike up onto the island, you are able to hike around it. You will need to bring some sort of shoe or sandal for this, since the pathways around are made of sharp lava rock. When you get around to the other side, depending on the time of day it can also be extremely dangerous. You can easily be swept off the lava rock, or severely scraped up. The guy we rented our kayaks from, warned us to just stay away from the areas that are wet. Around the island there are multiple tide pools. Some of these are big enough for you to swim in. One of these is nicknamed The Queens Bath. Since the water has been basking in the hot Hawaiian sun all day, it’s is surprisingly warm. These areas do make for some good photos!

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The Diamond Head Hike is probably the most popular hike on the entire island. This is easily accessible for everyone, and the entire hike is on a paved trail. Being such a short distance from Waikiki, this brings in a large amount of tourists. The views once you get to the top are breathtaking. You get to look out over Waikiki, as well as the entire South Side of the island. If you plan to hike Diamond Head Crater, I highly recommend going at dawn or right before the park closes. Mid-day is when the majority of people go. You’ll be fighting for a spot at the top of the hike, and constantly running into people. 

Another popular hike nearby is Koko Head Railway. This hike is a workout! Having played college hockey and recently ran a marathon, I still had to take a lot of breaks. If you love getting on the stair climber, this is the hike for you. The trail is essentially just old railroad planks going up the side of a mountain. 1,048 of them to be exact!  The railway was built during World War 2 in order to efficiently get supplies to the top of the hill. At about the “3/4ths mark” the railway does become pretty steep. You find yourself almost climbing at this point.

Once you do finally get to the top, you have a beautiful panoramic view. I made the mistake of doing this hike mid-day. The amount of people wasn’t too bad, but the sun just beats down on you. If you do find yourself needing some breaks, It’s very easy to just step to the side of the trail and let people pass. You will see a lot of people trying to break different time records. I heard the fastest it was done, was roughly 11 minutes. You will also see a few locals trying to see how many times they can do it in a row. Once was enough for us!

Pearl Harbor is definitely a must see, especially if you haven’t been. I love everything related to WW2, so I found everything extremely interesting. It does take a lot longer to see everything, then I had initially anticipated. I would plan for at least half a day. I also strongly advise getting there early. The first 1,300 people through the gates, get a free ticket to the park. I would check their website prior to going, to check if the deal is still going on though.

We got there about 15-20 minutes early, and there was already a very long line. If you’re going with a large group, it would save you a lot of money. Going to certain ships, is an additional cost. The main thing you have to add on to the package is the USS Arizona. This is the main ship everyone thinks of, with the white memorial over it. The memorial itself is gorgeous. Something that surprised me is that the ship still leaks oil. They won’t go and fix it either, since it’s now categorized as a tomb for the fallen military members.

I also suggest that you check out the USS Missouri. You can tour the majority of the battleship, and see how the sailors and marines managed living for months at a time. This is always where the surrendering of Japan took place. If you guys took my advice and went to the memorial early, you’ll probably be done touring around lunch time. A block away from the memorial there is a restaurant called Restaurant 604. I really liked this place, and it is a perfect outside restaurant that looks over Pearl Harbor. 

The North Shore is another one of my favorite parts of the island. This is also home to the Banzai Pipeline. This stretch of beach hosts many different professional surf competitions throughout the year. Due to the way the reef is formed, these massive swells are created that make perfect tunnels. If you come out at either dusk or dawn, the ocean will be packed with surfers.

A lot of people come out to watch and photograph these guys (and ladies). This beach is perfect for relaxing, and includes a show. You will also get to see some of the best sunsets on the island. Don’t blink, because they do disappear fast. I always park at ‘Ehukai Beach Park. There are bathrooms that include showers at this beach as well as a lifeguard station. Again due to the large breaking waves right on the beach, I would not recommend swimming unless you’re a very good swimmer. There are usually signs posted on the beach stating this as well. Here you’ll see much more of that laid back Hawaiian vibes, and the beaches are far less crowded.

I can’t talk about the North Shore, without bringing up the Food Trucks. Whether it be here or anywhere else on the island, PLEASE order some food from the trucks. It’s fairly common to see them all over the island. But they seem to congregate on the North Shore. The truck EVERYONE seems to be lining up for is Giovanis. This seemed strange to me, since you would normally affiliate a name like Giovanis with Italian food. But their specialty is actually seafood! There’s a few different things you can choose from, but they all focus around shrimp. We ended up waiting around 40 minutes total to order our food and receive it.

There were A LOT of other food trucks around selling basically the same thing, but with zero lines. The food was good, but I’m not sure if it was worth the 40 minute wait. Especially when there was plenty of other options with similar menus just mere feet away. The first time I was on the island, we found a random food truck just driving around sightseeing. This truck had about three times the options that Giovanis did, gave you more food, and tasted better in my opinion. So check them all out, and decide for yourself!

Let’s talk about shark diving. While this may initially scare the majority of people off, stay with me. It’s a blast! Hawaii Adventure Diving is an amazing company that I went through both times on the island. The staff are super friendly and knowledgeable.  The diver that gets in the water with you, is always watching the behavior of the sharks and making sure that they don’t get too close to you.

I opted for the free diving session both times. Essentially we just snorkeled above them, but they come surprisingly close. Noise appeared to attract the sharks, so every so often the captain would rev the boats engine and the sharks would shoot back up to the surface. There was the option to go out with a group and cage dive, but we opted for the more exciting version. This company always has an awesome Groupon deal, at least both times that I’ve gone. They also honor any price Groupon lists, including sales. When I talked with them last, they stated the Groupon will take about half the profits when people book through Groupon. So the company itself makes more money, if people book through them while still spending the same amount. Since this is a small business, I made sure to do that the second time.

Also if you bring cash, there is no tax. So you could save about 10-15 dollars, depending on the price at the time. Please remember to bring cash for a tip. Like I mentioned the captain and divers make the dive. A lot of the guys make the majority of their money on tips! 

Not far up the shore from the sharks, is a really fun beach that has an area for cliff jumping. The “cliff” is roughly 30-35 feet high. The jump is short, but still really gets your adrenaline going. The water in the area, isn’t very deep. A lot of people described it as being “just deep enough.” I still felt completely comfortable doing it, and never felt too close to the bottom. It may be a slightly different feeling for a larger man making the jump, but that didn’t appear to stop anyone from jumping in! All throughout the day there was probably 8-12 people standing up on the rock. Everyone was taking there turns, or waiting on the people who were debating whether or not to jump.

The average age of this beach was probably young adults. Due to the waves here, It didn’t appear to be the most kid friendly. The waves were breaking right on the shore line. This really made no room for easy swimming, since the waves were so big and powerful right at the beginning. Most people that wanted to swim around had to go out past the break. This could have just been the tide/weather when I was there though

Just north of this beach is a “hiking trail” in the Waimea Valley. This “hike” is more comparable to an easy stroll through a park than an actual hike. It does cost about $16 dollars to get into the park. Which we didn’t know until we were partially up the hill. Make sure you bring cash with, otherwise it’s a long walk back to the car.

There’s a waterfall at the top and on some days you are allowed to swim in the stream underneath the waterfall. This was closed the day we went up there. I was later told that it wasn’t fun to do though, this was coming from some locals. Basically in order to swim at the waterfall you have to wear life jackets that are provided for you. You aren’t allowed to get too close to the waterfall, and a lifeguard is standing watch the whole time. While I probably wouldn’t go back to this place. If you’re interested in horticulture or have a green thumb, you would love this place. There’s hundreds of different flowers from all over the world. You could spend hours at this place, if you stopped to look at all the different plants. 

Two places on the North Shore I still haven’t had the chance to see yet, Kualoa Ranch and the Dole Plantation. The Dole Plantation is the birth place of our pineapples! While I have heard this can be a tad touristy, I would still really like to see it. They have this delicious sounding “ice cream” called dole whip. Please google it, and I’m sure you’ll add it to your list of places to go as well.

Kualoa Ranch has repeatedly been on my list of things to do in Oahu. I still have no idea how I haven’t been here with how many times I’ve been to Oahu. Just picture Jurassic Park. No, but really. This is where they have filmed for the Jurassic Park series. A lot of filming has occurred here actually. There’s all different types of tours that you can do through the ranch. With that comes a wide variety in price. The walking tours and typical driving tours are fairly cheap. You can also explore the ranch via; ATV, zip line, horseback, etc. It all depends on how adventurous you want to be! I will FOR SURE be checking this place out next time I go. 

Where To Eat On Oahu

Duke’s Waikiki; Waikiki Beach- Probably the most famous restaurant in the area.  Named after the Ambassador of Aloha, Duke Paoa Kahnamoku. The restaurant always appears to be busy, it is one of the few places to eat that are right on Waikiki beach. I would suggest going there during sunset, to enjoy dinner with an amazing view. They have an area where you can eat right on the beach.

The wait is a little shorter if you eat inside. This area is still open, but it doesn’t have as good of view as eating on the beach.  Plan on waiting a bit, if that is what you want to do. The food is really good, but a little overpriced. It’s one of those place where you expect to pay a little more. Since it’s so well known, they can afford to charge a little more since they know the people will come regardless. A tad touristy, but definitely worth the wait. 

South Shore Grill; Waikiki Area- This is probably my favorite place to eat on the entire island! Very reasonably priced. We showed up here for a late lunch, so luckily we didn’t have to wait in line for very long. We drove by around dinner time, and there was a line out the door. It’s not fast food, but you order your food and pay right away. We had to wait about 5-10 minutes for it to cook.

There is places to sit inside, but it’s nothing fancy. I choice to sit right next to the front door, because the window looks out onto Diamond Head. The restaurant has food similar to what you would see out of the food trucks on the North shore. Some of their favorites are the fish tacos. I went with the shrimp, rice, and Hawaiian Mac salad when I was there. This was the best Mac salad I’ve ever have!

Maui Brewing Company; Waikiki Beach- I’ve been to the restaurant a few times now. I LOVE the atmosphere of this place. It’s a fairly large restaurant, on a roof top patio. The food is really good, at a very reasonable price. Their menu isn’t that large but I promise there will be something you’ll want. I highly suggest getting a beer flight here. It’s a really easy way to try, all their different beers. They carry a lot of local brews, so you don’t have to just choose from Maui’s beer. 

Kalapawai Market; Lanikai/Kailua- If you took my advice and went to Lanikai. This place is a must. It’s the perfect place to stop, to grab some food to bring with you to the beach. They hand make delicious subs, salads, and other deli type food. You can also pick up their locally brewed coffee, beer, chips, etc. It’s very conveniently placed within walking distance of Kailua beach. 

Haleiwa Joe’s Seafood Grill; Haileiwa- This restaurant is a little overpriced, but has great food. The majority of their menu is sea food based. I’m a huge sea food fan, so it was easy to make a choice. The restaurant has wonderful views of the harbor. If you did happen to swim with the sharks, or go on dolphin/whale tour, this is that same harbor. I’ve heard that if you go out with a fishing charter, they will cook up freshly caught fish for you. I did not do that here, but had a wonderful experience doing that when I was in Maui. There’s honestly nothing better. 

Restaurant 604; Pearl Harbor- Like I mentioned earlier, the restaurant is right on the Harbor. It’s within walking distance of the parking lot for the Pearl Harbor memorial, but I would suggest driving down. There parking lot is fairly large, so it should be easy to find a spot. And after a few beers, the walk may seem long. The food is also very good, and always appears to be busy. Even if you have to wait a bit, the wait goes quicker than you’d expect. They’re known for their bloody Marys. Personally I thought the bloody Mary was a bit over spiced. But that can easily be fixed by following it up with a beer or two.

Lastly; FOOD TRUCKS, FOOD TRUCKS, and MORE FOOD TRUCKS

Make sure to check out the Ultimate Hawaii Packing List. Hawaii is a dream vacation, and you don’t want to forget a thing.