Destination - Oahu, Hawaii

Oahu - Waikiki Beach with Diamond Head

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." Henry Miller

As a travel agent, booking Hawaii is what we considered our bread and butter. Living on the west coast, it is probably the most popular destination, for families, honeymooners, retired people, you name it. Everyone goes to Hawaii at least once. I had someone every week inquiring about trips to Hawaii. I have to say though, that not everyone who thinks about going to Hawaii actually is that familiar with the destination. I once had a client tell me that since she didn't like to fly, she would like to take a train to Hawaii. I thought she was kidding, but she really thought she could. So many clients came in over the years and said “I want to go to Hawaii”, and then I would ask them which island they were interested in, and they didn't have a clue that there was more then one place to go in Hawaii. So, I thought that I would talk about Hawaii today.

There are 4 main islands – Oahu, Kauai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii, and there are 2 other islands that are becoming more popular all the time, they are Lanai, and Molokai. I have been to all but Molokai. They all are great places to go, anytime of the year. Remember that Hawaii is in the tropics, so even in January the weather is warm and so is the water. It rains all year long, but usually just for a little while, and the rain is warm too.

The main island is Oahu. The city of Honolulu is on Oahu. Also, Diamond Head volcano, Waikiki beach, Pearl Harbor and the Polynesian Culture Center. I usually suggested to clients that if they had never been to Hawaii, this was an excellent place to start. There is more to do on this island then any of the others. It's the most economical, and it has the great weather, the beaches, the food, everything you could want. It is also the most commercial of the islands, so if you are looking for a laid back beach vacation, to just get away from it all, then one of the other islands might be a better fit.

Dole Plantation

I love Oahu myself. One of my favorite things to do is to take a car and drive around the island. If you head north out of Honolulu up the Kamehameha highway you will reach what is known as the North Shore. On your way you will pass the Dole Plantation. It is worth a stop. There is a train you can ride around the plantation, and they will show you how they grow pineapples. There is a store, where you can sample the pineapple, and purchase all things pineapple.

Matsumoto's Shaved Ice

Driving on, you get to the town of Haleiwa. When you see the general store Matsumoto's, stop and order a shaved ice. Hawaiian shaved ice is drenched with sweet syrup, similar to a snow cone, but because the ice is shaved very fine, it is so much better. And you can order it with a variety of extras. My favorite was with ice cream in the middle of it, and I also like the adzuki beans. If you asked for the snow topping it comes with sweetened condensed milk on the top. Do not pass Matsumoto's without stopping!

If you stop at any of the beaches on the north shore, remember that they are not all safe to swim, some have strong currents, and the waves are quite often more suited to surfing then swimming, especially if you are there in the winter months.

Waimea Falls Park

Waimea Falls Park is another good stop on your drive around the island. There is a path inside the park which leads you through a botanical garden to the falls and pond. There are replicas of thatched buildings from early Hawaiian times as well. You can swim in the pond below the falls. A nice break in the day. There is an entrance fee to the park.

Somewhere past the park you will probably see some food trucks alongside the road. There are several different trucks along this north shore route. They are the shrimp trucks. The shrimp is fresh and the food is delicious, and really quite inexpensive for the amount of food you get. I loved the garlic shrimp, it came with brown rice and a salad. My husband had the coconut shrimp, and it was crispy and also delicious.

shrimp plate from the shrimp trucks

On your circle island trip you will also come to the Polynesian Culture Center. This center covers 42 acres and is certainly one of the islands top tourist destinations. The park has seven theme villages representing Samoa, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, Tonga the Marquesas and Hawaii. Each “village” contains huts and handicrafts of their region, and people dressed in authentic costumes who do demonstrations. The entrance fee also includes boat rides, a talent show, IMAX theatre and in the evening there is a dance show. You can also purchase a buffet package which includes a buffet dinner. If you are planning to circle the whole island in one day, you don't have time to stop here, but you can always come back, or stop now and then do the rest of the island another day.

If you would like to spend the afternoon snorkeling or swimming, a great place to stop for the afternoon is Turtle Bay resort. There is a cove there with a great beach. You don't have to be a guest of the resort to use the beach.

View from the Pali Highway Lookout

You can take the Pali Highway across the island and only do half the island, it is a scenic drive with a lookout point. Or continue around the island stopping at the town of Kailua on the windward side. The town has a wide variety of restaurants and is know for wind surfing. Agnes Bake Shop in Kailua is worth a stop just for their Portugese Malasadas which are served hot, they take about 10 minutes wait and cost less then a dollar a piece. Another stop as you come around the island is Hanauma Bay nature preserve. We saw several mongoose's running around the grounds, they were very cute. Good views of surfers from the overlook. This  also has a good beach for swimming.

Of course, at some point, you should visit Pearl Harbor. It is a memorial to the sneak attack that started World War II, and is worth the visit.  I'd save that for another day as the drive will take the whole day.

View from our table at Duke's

Honolulu has some wonderful hotels and restaurants, lots of shopping opportunities, including the international marketplace in the heart of Honolulu. My favorite place to eat is Duke's Canoe Club which is in the Waikiki Outrigger hotel. It is right on the beach, the food and drinks are good. Atmosphere can't be beat. There is a breakfast buffet and a lunch buffet. In the evening there is live Hawaiian music with your dinner.

As for activities on Oahu, there are tours of the island you can book, if you don't want to drive. There are tours that will take you to the Polynesian Culture Center or Pearl Harbor, you can book a luau, or a snorkeling trip or a dinner cruise. You can take surfing lessons. There is plenty to keep you busy.

Next posting we will go to the island of Kaui, then on to other islands in future postings.