Oahu

For my husbands birthday this year, I had booked and planned a trip to Hawaii as a surprise. Since we have already been to Maui and Kauai, I decided to try the island of Oahu. We stayed in Waikki, rented a car, and explored the island over the course of a week.

Where we stayed:

Hawaii has always been a special place for both mine and my husbands family. We both grew up going to Maui, almost yearly, and independently have very fond memories of those times. Since we have been together, we have visited Maui together twice, and Kauai once. For our (almost) yearly Hawaii trip this year, we decided to try Oahu. Although I did not know a lot about this island, I did know that Honolulu, specifically Waikki, is a very populated area. Despite knowing this, I decided to book the Sheraton Waikki to stay because of its centralized location. And I will honestly say, I was very surprised by how much my husband and I enjoyed this area. Sure, the North Shore definitely was more peaceful, but the selling point of Waikki us that it has great restaurants and activities all within walking distance.

What we did:

During our week long trip, we did a good amount of exploring and relaxing. Some of our favorite things we did:

  • Hike Diamond Head (I recommend going early in the morning!)
  • Rent a car and drive to the different areas of the island. We really loved seeing the pipeline in the North Shore!
  • In Waikki, walk up and down the main road and window shop.
  • Watch turtles swim directly in the ocean in front of the Sheraton Waikki.
  • Hike the Makapuu Lighthouse (again, go early, there is little shade).
  • Go to the Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens – the photo above is from there!

Where we are:

  • Herringbone – Waikki
    • This restaurant was in a shopping center but was beautifully decorated and had great vibes. The food was great!
  • Merriman’s Honolulu
    • Merriman’s is always good. This location, unlike the Maui one, is in the city and pretty small. The food was great but it felt like any other restaurant.
  • Sky Waikki – Waikki
    • Honestly, I would go for a drink but it wasn’t very great for food!
  • Doraku Sushi – Waikki
    • This is a must go! We made the mistake of getting appetizers at a different restaurant prior to our reservation and we were too full to order everything we wanted. We made up for it by ordering it for pick up and ate it by our pool a few days later!
  • Hau Tree
    • This restaurant is stunning. It is gorgeous and right on the beach. However, we found the food to be mediocre.
  • House Without a Key
    • This was our favorite evening in Oahu. It is a casual and laid back version of a luau. They only serve drinks and appetizers but we ordered enough to make it a dinner. They have live music and a performer throughout the night. Make a reservation close to sunset – you won’t be disappointed.