Aloha Oahu

Aloha Oahu!! They say better late than never, so here is the better late than never Oahu post. We took a week to explore Oahu back in April. We found a great direct flight and a good deal at the Sheraton Waikiki which is located right on Waikiki beach. It was great getting away to some warm, sunny weather and away from the rain. This was our first time exploring Oahu together. The hotel is centrally located in downtown Honolulu which I describe as a very dense, busy major city, lined with high rises, and not at all what I think of when I think Hawaii. There are an abundance of restaurant choices ranging from reasonably priced to high-end, and more shopping than anyone could ever imagine with every name brand store you can think of, and all high end fashion brands were represented. The hotel was located right across the street from the Waikiki Shopping Plaza and about a block from the International Market Place - a much larger shopping centre. 

The hotel recently renovated their rooms and we were lucky to get a high floor ocean view room. Our room was a one bedroom suite with a very spacious, nicely decorated bedroom with a balcony and view of Diamond Head, a large bathroom with a massive walk-in shower and tub, and an extremely large living/dining room with another balcony off it with a large seating area and spectacular ocean view. There was lots of closet  space throughout the suite as well and definitely designed for comfort. We felt quite lucky to get such a nice, and newly renovated room. From the balcony we had a fantastic view of the ocean and Waikiki beach and we occasionally got a glimpse of turtles swimming near the shore. The hotel had a couple pools, one being an adults only infinity pool which for the size of the hotel was actually a fair small space and so got filled up quickly upon opening. We read that you could pay and book (another way for the hotel to make money) sun loungers and so we decided that was probably a good idea given what we read. While the cost wasn't "worth it", it was worth it because we then didn't have to rush down to the pool to get a spot and it made for a much more relaxing morning. And because the rental was for the day, we could also wander over to Waikiki beach for a swim in the ocean without concern that someone would move our stuff. Waikiki beach is great for swimming and you can get a fair distance out before it gets deep. Much further out is also a great spot for surfers and you could see the surfers spend the day away waiting for that perfect wave. While Waikiki beach is great for swimming, it's not a place for snorkeling so we drove to the North Shore to Shark's Cove. Not really a cove with sharks, but a beach in Pupukea that is a rocky coastline with tidal pools filled with fish and other sea life. Getting in is a bit tricky because of the jagged rocky shoreline and water shoes are a must unless you want to risk possibly cutting your feet. Z had a great time snorkelling here, my experience was short lived because I have realized I don't have good depth perception under water and I felt uneasy about how much space I really had between myself and the rocks and coral.

The hotel had 3 restaurants, Kai Market for breakfast which had booth indoor and outdoor seating, RumFire which was a nice dinner restaurant that had live music, and then the pool bar/restaurant called the Edge of Waikiki. The hotel also had a Baskin Robbins on site and a Honolulu Coffee shop which made pretty amazing flat whites. Just outside the shopping plaza from the hotel was a shaved ice place where we may have gone a few times for some tasty treats. The day after we arrived was The Hapalua - the largest half marathon in Hawaii. Had we known it was running while we were there and had we been in half marathon condition, we probably would have registered, but instead we weren't aware until we were woken around 6am by the loud speakers announcing the start of the race. The course would have been a beautiful one to run; maybe we'll run it another year. This did motivate us to go for a run one morning though which took us towards the base of Diamond Head along the shoreline as best as possible. We discovered very quickly that running here is best first thing in the morning as the days get hot fast. Staying at the Sheraton also gave us ability to room charge at its sister property the Moana Surfrider, a hotel a short walk away. The Moana is a beautiful older hotel built in a Victorian style which first opened in 1901. We decided to enjoy breakfast there one morning at the Veranda at the Beachhouse, their outdoor dining breakfast restaurant with their historic banyan tree situated in the middle while still able to catch glimpses of the ocean view. It was quite a beautiful setting. 

We explored the immediate area around the hotel on foot, including the two shopping centres and discovered Island Slipper - an Oahu run family business that hand makes the most comfortable sandals/slippers that are very fashionable as well that I've ever tried. We also rented a car for a couple days so we could explore the rest of the island because Oahu has so much more to offer than just Waikiki. Once we were outside Waikiki city limits, I felt more like we were in the Hawaii I'm familiar with. Less dense, populated, and busy, more serene, peaceful, and calming. We found an app called Shaka Guide which had a few different driving tours and decided to mirror a couple island trips off that guide. Our driving adventure took us up the middle of the island through scenic rainforests up to the north shore. The drive along the north shore line is absolutely stunning. We stopped in at Kualoa Point for a break and practically had the entire beach to ourselves. Just off the point is Mokoli'i Island, a small cone shaped lava island that after many years of erosion is now actually separated from Oahu. We stopped for lunch at Kahuku Shrimp & Food trucks were we both ate way too much because the portion sizes are so huge!! Known for amazing shrimp here, Z feasted on a shrimp plater while I enjoyed huli huli chicken. Some of the other stops on our self guided tour included Laie Beach Park aka Pounders beach where we watched surfers catching the waves; Laie Point, a picturesque rugged rocky shoreline with big swells of crashing waves hitting the shoreline and where you can find a breathtaking sea arch at the point; and the Polynesian Cultural Centre where we visited the various shops. From here we stopped in at the Tropical Farms Macadamia Nuts where we found some great flavoured macadamia nuts that we bought for home. Exploring the island we also found a gorgeous more secluded locals beach, called Lanikai beach located in Kailua; parking was limited to street parking within the neighbourhood which got filled early in the day. The beach was great and perfect for lounging the day away; the aqua blue, calm water was also perfect for swimming.  

We visited Diamond Head National Park and got there later in the day after the major day time crowds were gone which made getting parking easy and the hike less crowded. Hiking Diamond Head is a fairly easy 2.6km round trip to the summit and back. It is quite a steep climb in sections with a lot of stairs particularly towards the top; you gain 171 metres above the crater floor. There are sections where the rocky path, even when dry, is slippery because the rocks have been smoothed out with all the hiking traffic. The views up top at the observation station and are stunning and you get sweeping views of the southwestern Oahu coastline as well as the offshore islands of Moloka'i, Lana'i, and Maui. This is a must do when in Honolulu. 

Z had booked a catamaran sailboat cruise during our stay and so we opted for the sunset cruise time slot because it was geared towards adults and served mai tai's and wine. It was a beautiful evening and the cruise followed mostly along the shoreline past Diamond Head but also into more open water where the swells made having sea legs come in handy, or you faked it enough where you just looked like you were staggering around. It was a lovely hour long cruise. 

Oahu has so much more to offer than just Honolulu and Waikiki beach. In fact any return trip for us will probably have us stay elsewhere on the island, most likely up on the North Shore away from the hustle and bustle of Honolulu. This island has so much beauty, pristine beaches, and nature to explore outside the big city. Our trip home was disrupted and made unpleasant by an unfortunate event back home and contributed to why this trip post is so delayed. The trip experience however was incredible and we had such an amazing time, that it's important to me that our trip memories not to be lost.

To travel is to live.... a hui hou, life is good!