O’ahu
In February I escaped the Seattle winter and headed to O’ahu, it was exactly what I needed. I was lucky enough to stay with a friend who had moved to Waikiki a few months earlier, so this destination was a no-brainer for my next trip!
Day 1
I booked an early flight to maximize my first day on O’ahu. I touched down around noon and my friend gave me a ride to her place in Waikiki. With a full afternoon of sunshine left, I headed to the Ala Moana mall to buy some bikinis.
After a successful shopping trip my friend and I grabbed dinner from One Plus One Drive Inn and headed to Fort DeRussy Beach to swim and enjoy the sunset. The food was incredible and was really reasonable, only about $17 and it was enough to get two more lunches out of! The sunset was absolutely gorgeous and was an amazing start to the trip.
Day 2
In the morning I headed back to Ala Moana mall for some more shopping, then hit up Tropical Tribe for one of the best acai bowls I’ve had, I highly recommend! I’d give it a 9/10.
Afterwards I headed to Makapu’u Beach on the eastern side of the island. I tanned here for a while, enjoying the green mountains and blue water. This is a smaller, less popular beach and for a Thursday afternoon there were only a few other people.
Next I headed north for a while to Lanikai Beach, a much more popular and busy beach. This was easily the most gorgeous beach I think I’ve ever been to - even more than some of the beaches in Italy, Greece, or the other Hawaiian islands I’ve visited!
After enjoying the warm water and sun I headed back to Waikiki and met my friend for a booze cruise at the Ala Wai Harbor.
I used a Groupon to book with Oahu Boat Cruises, for a two hour sail with two drink vouchers included it was $50 per person. The temperature was perfect and we even dipped into the water for a bit.
After getting off the boat, I headed into Waikiki and enjoyed a cocktail at the Green Lady Cocktail Room, a super cute open bar with a secret entrance. So far, I was really pleased with the blend between city options and beaches on the island.
Day 3
In the morning I took a ride on a scooter around Waikiki and got some pretty flowers before heading to breakfast at Cafe Kaila. They had an amazing fruit plate, enough for me to pack and take to the beach, and the prices were totally reasonable.
After breakfast I headed back to Lanikai Beach. I couldn’t stay away and I knew the rest of my trip was packed, but I wanted to make it back one more time. It was truly such a magical spot!
For Valentine’s Day my friend and I headed to Hideout, a really cute open air restaurant. The holiday menu was delicious and we grabbed some Mai Tai’s next door at Secret Spot.
After dinner we headed down to the beach near the Hilton to catch the fireworks show. Although it was a bit short, it was still super pretty! Heads up - there’s a huge crowd so escaping the beach afterwards can be a challenge.
Day 4
On Saturday morning my friend and I got up early and head to Diamond Head State Monument. This hike is short and has an amazing view, but you do need to make reservations and pay in advance!
After our hike we headed to Costco for a snack and to grab some groceries, then hit the Kaka’ako Farmers Market, which is open every Saturday from 8 am - 12 pm. I grabbed a delicious iced vanilla latte from one of the cute coffee stands and we wandered around looking at all the different shopping options.
My friend showed me one of her favorite lookout spots, Pu’u ‘Ualaka’a State Wayside. The view of the city and water was stunning.
Next we headed back to the harbor to go on a whale watching tour. When I was in Maui a few years ago I went on a whale watching boat and we only spotted one way off on the horizon, so I was really hoping I’d get to see more this time.
I booked this activity on Groupon too, it was $48 per person with two drink vouchers included, and guaranteed rebooking if no whales are sighted. Luckily, we saw plenty! We saw several different whales surface at least 15-20 times. The highlight was definitely when a mother and baby calf passed right by our boat, one on each side!
Day 5
On Sunday morning we drove to the Honolulu botanical gardens. This area was so lush and humid, and entrance is totally free! I highly recommend making this a stop on your trip at some point. There’s plenty of trails and it’s a quiet and pretty place to explore.
Next we drove up to the North Shore and got an acai bowl at Hale’iwa Bowls before heading back to Waikiki. I’d give this one an 8.5/10 - expensive but so good!
In the afternoon I headed back to Fort DeRussy beach to soak up some sun. Lyfts and Ubers were really affordable here (at least compared to Seattle), each ride was always less than $10.
I hit up Tempura Kiki for dinner - it’s a cute spot tucked away on one of the upper floors of the Waikiki Shopping Plaza, but don’t miss it, the food and drinks were delicious! My friend and I went back to Hideout, grabbed some drinks, and sat on the outdoor patio enjoying the evening breeze before heading home.
Day 6
Before my flight home, I wanted to soak up some more Vitamin D and salt water. I grabbed an acai bowl from Sunrise Shack, it was a bit pricey and the ingredients weren’t quite as fresh as the other bowls I’d tried, so I’d give it a 6.5/10. I relaxed at the Royal-Moana beach, reading and tanning. I was so sad to leave and I knew going back to the Seattle winter weather would make me miss Hawaii more than ever.
This trip was so amazing and I felt so grateful that I was able to stay with a good friend who had all the best local recommendations. Even temporarily getting away from Seattle’s gloomy season was such a boost for me and I came back very much renewed. I’ve visited Maui twice and the big island once, but O’ahu was easily my favorite! I can’t wait to come back.
