Hawaii - The Island of Oahu
After many visits to the Big Island and Kauai, we decided to change it up and visit a new Hawaiian island....this time visiting the island of Oahu. Now, I've always felt that Oahu has a reputation of being crowded, touristy, and expensive. But after spending 11 full days on the island, I can now say with 100% confidence that this is a great place full of beautiful sights, amazing food, and kind people. We visited a different beach every day, found some great local favorite food stops, and were constantly in awe of our surroundings. Here's a few favorites from our trip:
Best Beach - Three Tables Beach at Pupukea Beach Park. This beach on the North Shore has the perfect mix of sand and snorkeling. It's a litle quieter than the beaches near Waikiki, and the water was extremely calm and clear. The snorkeling around the tables was excellent, and we were able to find a nice patch of sand with our own little secluded cove. Other beaches we visisted on the trip include:
- Lanikai - beautiful white flour sand and offshore islands
- Waikiki - probably the most famous beach in the world
- Kailua - fun waves to get clobbered by and lots of kitesurfing to watch
- Yokohama - talk about another world....just drive up the Waianae coast and you'll know what I mean
- Kaneohe sand bar - we encountered some rain but still really cool spot that you reach by boat or kayak
- Waimea Bay - my second favorite spot...what a cool rock to jump from!
- Ko Olina - very calm lagoon waters, fun to relax in (although not much relaxing with little Alex cruising around)
Best Food Stops
- Shave Ice - a must have while in Hawaii, I have to say Matsumoto's was probably the best. A close second is Aoki's, followed by Island Snow
- Hawaiian food - Try Ono Hawaiian for authentic Hawaiian...Kalua Pig, LauLau, etc. We visited multiple times and were never disappointed
- Thai food - Phuket Thai just outside of Waikiki
- Seafood - Go to the North Shore to Ted's Bakery. Amazing Garlic Shrimp plate lunches with a Chocolate coconut pie afterwards.
We really enjoyed our time on Oahu...it was great to explore a new place, and realize that Oahu has so much to offer. We'd definitely go back to visit again, and hope these pictures will entice others to see it as well.
Read MoreBest Beach - Three Tables Beach at Pupukea Beach Park. This beach on the North Shore has the perfect mix of sand and snorkeling. It's a litle quieter than the beaches near Waikiki, and the water was extremely calm and clear. The snorkeling around the tables was excellent, and we were able to find a nice patch of sand with our own little secluded cove. Other beaches we visisted on the trip include:
- Lanikai - beautiful white flour sand and offshore islands
- Waikiki - probably the most famous beach in the world
- Kailua - fun waves to get clobbered by and lots of kitesurfing to watch
- Yokohama - talk about another world....just drive up the Waianae coast and you'll know what I mean
- Kaneohe sand bar - we encountered some rain but still really cool spot that you reach by boat or kayak
- Waimea Bay - my second favorite spot...what a cool rock to jump from!
- Ko Olina - very calm lagoon waters, fun to relax in (although not much relaxing with little Alex cruising around)
Best Food Stops
- Shave Ice - a must have while in Hawaii, I have to say Matsumoto's was probably the best. A close second is Aoki's, followed by Island Snow
- Hawaiian food - Try Ono Hawaiian for authentic Hawaiian...Kalua Pig, LauLau, etc. We visited multiple times and were never disappointed
- Thai food - Phuket Thai just outside of Waikiki
- Seafood - Go to the North Shore to Ted's Bakery. Amazing Garlic Shrimp plate lunches with a Chocolate coconut pie afterwards.
We really enjoyed our time on Oahu...it was great to explore a new place, and realize that Oahu has so much to offer. We'd definitely go back to visit again, and hope these pictures will entice others to see it as well.
