HOLIDAYS IN OAHU, HAWAII

Jan 20

Jan 20 HOLIDAYS IN OAHU, HAWAII

I can’t begin to share the joy I felt when I finally landed in Hawaii from California. It has always been my dream to visit Hawaii someday and it was a dream come true. The cherry on top was meeting my friends I hadn’t seen in a while. It was a great Holiday, I must say. I'll discuss the top attractions, hikes, and hidden beauties of Oahu in this blog article, along with Instagram-worthy locations and hidden gems. I hope this Oahu travel guide is enjoyable for you!

The lovely island of Oahu is part of the Hawaiian chain and is situated in the Central Pacific. It's among the world's most breathtaking locations. Oahu is incredibly varied; it has amazing green mountains, lush woods, tropical climates, sandy beaches, waterfalls, breathtaking hikes, and much more. This island is the ideal destination since it offers the ideal balance of leisure and exploration.

How can I travel to Oahu?

By plane: this is the simplest (and most likely the only) method to get to Oahu. I took Hawaiian Airlines from San Jose to Honolulu. For one-person round-trip, I paid about $350 and $ 60 for a checked bag. Flights to Hawaii are available from California for about $200 to $250 when it is not near the Christmas holidays and if you buy from San Francisco as your departing city.

Transportation/Accommodation?

Hawaii has easy access to transportation. If you plan to stay longer, renting a car could be less expensive than using public transportation. Everywhere you look, buses are operating. I took buses to some of the locations I visited; the only drawback is that if you miss one, it will take an additional hour to get to your destination, so simply be on time to avoid any delays. Each trip, whether short or lengthy, costs $3. I would advise renting a car instead of using Uber or Lyft because they are rather pricey. Avoid renting a car at the airport as they are very pricey; if you go around, you can find one for as little as $45 a day.

I don't have much to say about the lodging because I stayed with my friend, but I can assure you that it is expensive, particularly if you want to stay in one of Waikiki's hotels. I will strongly advise you to reserve lodging in advance because from what I looked at, AirBnB is still quite pricey.

The top attractions on Oahu

Oahu has a plethora of locations, ranging from picturesque mountaintop viewpoints to expansive sandy beaches with pristine oceans. During my fourteen days on the island, I made every effort to explore as much as I could, even though it rained much of the time. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of my visit.

Beaches In Oahu

Waikiki Beach

The busiest and most well-liked beach on Oahu is Waikiki Beach. Despite the fact that it is frequently busy, a variety of activities are available, including kayaking, surfing, and paddle boarding. It is a two-mile expanse of white sand made up of eight distinct portions. This is a nice place to swim because the water is usually calm and it is right at the center of the city of Waikiki, Honolulu. I realized that it is the busiest beach since it is right in the city, and most tourists go there. There are also a lot of water activities going on there like surfing,

Lanikai Beach

My favorite beach on Oahu is Lanikai Beach, which is frequently ranked among the most stunning beaches worldwide. It can get very crowded on weekends, so try to visit during the week. In the neighborhood, street parking is available for free, but please be considerate of the privacy of the locals. I went on a hike to the Lanikai Pillbox with my friend and later on, went to the beach to refresh ourselves. The view is breathtaking, especially when the sun sets. Beautiful beach per all standards.

Makua Beach

Gorgeous beach on the western side of the island, however, it is less used. Massive mountains encircle it. It's sandy, and pretty long, and I saw turtles and different caves. It is quite a stretch of beach.

Waimanalo and Kainoa Beaches

With their tall palm trees and oceanfront homes, I believe Kainoa Beach and Waimanalo Beach to be two of Oahu's most Instagrammable beaches. They are both quite beautiful, and they lay close to each other! It's best to visit on a sunny day because clouds frequently conceal this portion of the island.

Oahu's hiking routes

Advanced Head Crater Ascent

One of the most well-liked hikes on the island is the easy 1.6-mile climb around the Diamond Head Crater. Easy to get here from Waikiki, I suggest walking or busing here (parking is frequently crowded). $5 for visitors and $10 for cars is the entry fee.

While the Diamond Headgate is available from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., the hikers must begin before 4.30 p.m. It was the ideal moment for us to visit Diamond Head Crater around 4 p.m. Both the route and the parking lot were nearly deserted. The vistas from the summit were breathtaking.

The Pink Pillbox Hike (PU'U O HULU)

Situated on the eastern coast of Oahu, this climb offers breathtaking views and mountains in all directions. The short, beautiful Pink Pillbox trek winds up the hill and through the ridge. Reaching the summit took us around forty-five minutes. Despite being rather steep, I would classify the hike as moderate. The vistas were simply amazing when we visited at dusk!

The Lanikai Pillbox Hike

The most breathtaking views may be found on my favorite hike in Oahu. Since Lanikai Beach is nearby, you may spend a single day visiting both locations. You can get the nicest views on the island from the short, occasionally narrow Lanikai Pillbox Hike. We had to walk for twenty minutes to reach the first pillbox amidst the numerous ones on top. Gazing onto Lanikai Beach from Lanikai Pillbox is a fantastic experience.

The Ho'omaluhia Botanical Gardens

One of Oahu's most exquisite and magnificent gardens is the Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden. It’s 400 acres of verdant, tropical scenery make it a must-see location on the island. Instagrammable and well-known is the main route that leads to the garden's entrance. The verdant mountains are visible in the distance. Although there is a security guard stationed near the entrance and numerous signs directing traffic away, the garden is open daily from 9 am to 4 pm. However, photography is not permitted near the gate. There is more space for you to drive or stroll and snap photos.

The Wahiawa Botanical Gardens

Situated between the Wai'anae and Ko'olau mountain ranges, on a high plateau in central Oahu is the 27-acre (11-hectare) Wahiawa Botanical Garden. It is one of the Honolulu Botanical Gardens, with a focus on native Hawaiian plants, and is home to a collection of tropical vegetation that needs a reasonably cool atmosphere. The "tropical jewel" of the Botanical Gardens is how many refer to it. It is relatively smaller than the Hoomaluhia Garden but also an amazing site to behold.

The Kualoa Ranch

Offering breathtaking views across three valleys and an abundance of activities, Kualoa Ranch is a 4000-acre wildlife preserve. That place has equally stunning, if not greater, views than the Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden! Films like Jurassic World and Lost, among others, were filmed at Kualoa Ranch. A must-see location that is less crowded than the Botanical Garden, the ranch offers breathtaking views of Hawaii as well as all the movie sets. I really enjoyed this location and heartily suggest it!

PAID ACTIVITIES

Snorkeling

It was my first time snorkeling although I do not know how to swim but the guy was so gentle and we did not go deeper into the ocean but still saw pretty amazing underwater creatures and schools of fish. I did enjoy this activity very much.

Parasailing

This was also a first-time activity but I did enjoy it so much. It was incredible and the rush of adrenaline was immense to parachute into the sky, drop under the sea for a bit, and then rise again.

Pearl Harbor

When visiting Oahu, you really must see the Historic Pearl Harbor. It's incredible to have so much history in one place. It's a must-see as it shows the infamous location of Pearl Harbor in 1941, which prompted the United States to enter World War II. It is a sobering, solemn, and powerful experience. I went into the monument directly on the ocean where the USS Arizona was attacked serving as a ghost ship and entering it has the names of all those who died in the blast and also those who survived the war but still wanted to be laid by their friends when they passed away. It is definitely a humbling experience and they have a Museum where you can learn all about the history of the war. Worth checking out.

Dole Plantation

There are orchards of pineapples and other fruits on this enormous tract of land. In order to explore all the other acres of land with various fruits and even flowers, we boarded the train trip, which was a pleasant adventure around the field. It is worthwhile visiting there when in Oahu.