Alas, my beginners' guide to Oahu. My coworkers who live on the island were astounded by how much I was able to see and do during my time on the Big Island. I was fortunate enough to know several people who live or have lived in the area to give me the down and dirty on some areas to visit that you won't always find on Trip Advisor.
1. Maunawili Falls: This was one of my favorite things I did in Hawaii! I'd heard a decent amount about Manoa Falls, but the locals steered me towards this excursion. My GPS led the way in my rented Dodge Charger (seriously, I asked for economy and they gave me this massive, blinged out car). First off, it is not clear to first-timers where you should park and where you enter the trail. Fortunately, there were other people coming in and out of the trail so that gave me a pretty good indication of where to head. Parking is on the street...in front of houses...no big deal. Secondly, I originally felt like a moron for packing my serious hiking boots since everyone else I saw was in regular tennis shoes. My boots were big and bulky and not at all practical for strategic packing, BUT I'm so so SO glad I thought to bring them. The trail quickly turned extremely muddy....I mean mud bog muddy. I'm not sure if they had a torrential downpour before I arrived on the island or if it's always like that, but you definitely need hiking boots. My boots gave me the traction I needed to hike through the lava trails at a decent pace. I felt like a boss because I was passing everyone else, but really it was just boots doing most of the work for me.
The trails are physically taxing, but the views are so beautiful along the way. You feel like you're in a jungle. You're jumping over streams, climbing up stairs, and have I mentioned battling a lot of mud. Once you get to the Falls, it's time for relaxation. There are people jumping into the pool, swimming, and lazing around on the rocks. The water was a bit cold for me so there was no swimming, and the Falls were a little to high up for my sissy-self to take the plunge.
The ascent down is much easier than going up, but again, beware of slipping downhill in the mud. Overall, this is a must-do in my opinion. You don't need to be a master hiker to enjoy this trail. The trail is only 2 miles long, and you don't need to be in peak shape to to take it on.
2. Halona Blowhole: I decided to take a drive around the island which quickly got halted once I happened upon this beauty. This is by far the most spectacular and beautiful piece of nature I have yet to see with my own eyes. The water contains every shade of blue in the spectrum, and of course, who doesn't love seeing water slam against rocks and up into the air?! There is a small beach which you can enjoy when the water isn't too rough and a small cave for a quick exploration.
3. The Beaches of the North Shore: People say the North Shore is where you go to experience authentic Hawaii...or at least that was before its secret got out. This area is home to big waves, surf competitions, and shrimp trucks. I enjoyed sitting on the beach and watching the humongous waves. I've only experienced beaches along the east coast and Florida's panhandle so I'd never seen waves like these before. Truly mesmerizing!
4. Giovanni's Shrimp Truck: This place is world famous. I'm going to be honest, I do not enjoy eating shrimp so I was on the fence about trying this place. I'm happy to say the food was great. A couple of things to note if you plan on going: be prepared to wait a LOONNNGGG time. I'm pretty sure I waited about 45 minutes to get my shrimp for ONE. Also, there are A LOT of flies. A lot. Lastly, they only accept cash so come prepared.
5. The Dole Plantation: Let's be real, the Dole Plantation is definitely a tourist trap but I'm glad I went. I hopped aboard the train and learned all about the making of a pineapple and other fruits. I finished it off with some frozen pineapple whip (which I didn't feel was worth all the hype the Internet was giving it). We will definitely take August here when we take the whole fam to the Island.
6. Diamond Head: The view atop this extinct volcano is amazing! I went on an overcast gloomy day and it was still beautiful. I can only imagine how the view would look on a clear, sunny day! I'd heard the hike was rough, but I definitely didn't think so. Perhaps that's because I was battling Maunawili Falls earlier in the week and my expectations were a bit high. The stairs can wear you out, but they're at the very end so you forget all about them once you reach the top of the volcano.
7. Lanikai Beach: This beach is beyond beautiful and is absolutely a must-see! That's all I have to say about that.
8. Eat ALL the Poke: If you're not familiar with the deliciousness of this dish, just imagine sushi and hibachi making a baby. That baby's name is poke.
This is definitely not a definitive list, but it's a great start! I made this trip almost a year ago, and it's still very vivid in my mind.
A couple of things on my bucket list for the next trip to the island:
A couple of things on my bucket list for the next trip to the island:
- Iolani Palace
- Pearl Harbor
- Experience a Luau
- Catch a surf tournament
A few things I wish I'd known before my visit:
- Island time is a real thing. Be prepared to wait......and wait some more.....for everything. There's no such thing as grabbing a quick bite. No one is in a hurry but you.
- It's beach weather even at 6am. Again, I'm used to beach vacations in Florida where it's not warm and toasty until at least 10am. This is not the case in the Aloha state.
- Hawaii loves it's values and they sound different. It's nice to review the pronunciations so you'll be able to communicate roads you're on and whatnot.
- A lot of parking is on the street so get used to parallel parking.
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