Oahu, Hawaii

Hannah Ware
Sep 17, 2018
4 min read

Hawaii is my favorite place in the world! Hawaii gives you the exotic, laid back vibes while still being in the good ole US of A! Oahu, and specifically Honolulu, has become very touristy this past decade and the laid back vibe is vanishing into flashy foreigners. :/

Accommodation:

We stayed a week at the Outrigger Waikiki on the beach. Very upscale, famous hotel that has been in several movies. The location was perfect, it was right in the middle of downtown within walking distance to everything - food, beach, shopping.

We had the best view from our hotel balcony!

Things To Do

1. Helicopter ride

I can't imagine a better place to take a helicopter ride than Hawaii! Although expensive, you might want to consider splurging. Our route took us above the city and into the nature of the island. We even got to see a sacred waterfall!

TIP: Bring a jacket - it's cold up there! Also make sure your phone has a strap on it, otherwise it's not allowed in the helicopter. No cameras allowed. You also have to wear eye wear, sunglasses work.

2. Luau

Paradise Cove gives the best luau's on the island, it's family friendly and great for lovers. And what's Hawaii without a proper luau!?

Unlike other luau's, this one is very interactive. They have short canoe rides, tribe (fake) tattoo giving, spear throwing, Hawaiian bowling, lei making, gift shop, hula dancing, an opportunity to take a photo holding a parrot, 2 bars, dinner with a show!

We got the deluxe package which includes a $34 credit to use at the bar or gift shop, a professional photo (below), a closer seat to the stage, a lei, and a gift bag.

The three course meal is AMAZING!! Seriously huge portions and the best food you'll taste on the island. So come extra hungry!

After dinner, we appreciated this beautiful sunset.

3. Magic of Polynesia dinner show

This is an illusionist/magic show by John Hirokawa. Some of the stunts include a floating car, a disappearing helicopter, and all the other typical magic tricks. I'm not big on magic so the only saving grace for me was John Hirokawa's sense of humor - he is hilarious throughout his whole act!

Again, we got the deluxe package which included "better" seating (it wasn't closer than general seating, it was only higher), a cocktail, a Hawaiian necklace, and a steak dinner.

The show also included Hawaiian dancing and fire dancing but these weren't real Hawaiian dancers and I could sense their lack of passion for the cultural dance. Overall, not a must see.

4. Catamaran Sunset Firework Boat Ride

This small catamaran holds about 30 people and serves free drinks throughout the 2.5 hour long sail. The island was beautiful to see the sunset from the water, but you could also achieve the same effect by floating aways out from the beach with a floatie or surf board.

The fireworks were nice but just like any other fireworks I've seen. I could have done without this activity.

5. Surf Lessons

I was fortunate to cross something off my bucket list this trip - learning to surf in Hawaii. We signed up for private surf lessons through our hotel where we each got an instructor.

The instructor taught us how to stand up on the board and paddle. In the water, he basically just told us when to get ready for a wave and then gave us a push to catch the wave. How easy is surf instructing!? Very!

I stood up and caught a wave on my first try and the feeling was unlike any other. And it was easy, which I wasn't expecting. If you have any sense of balance and upper body strength to paddle hard and fast to catch the wave, you'll be golden!

The second day we rented surf boards to test out our newly learned skills. Surfing is like driving, you have to watch behind you so no one crashes into you and watch in front of you so you don't crash into someone either. The waters are always very crowded in Honolulu, so navigating other surfers is very important.

Without the surf instructor, I did fine. I didn't catch as many waves without his help but it's definitely doable.

TIP: To save money, try teaching yourself to surf by watching a YouTube video and just renting a board instead of paying for lessons.

PRO TIP: Oh, and don't try to be cool like the natives and not wear a rash guard while surfing. You WILL end up with stinging board rashes on your arms from paddling.

6. Hawaiian Swap Meet

$10 for a Hawaiian keychain!? Forget about it (*Italian accent*). Find the cheapest souvenirs on the island at the Hawaiian swap meet, open Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at the Aloha Stadium.

There are rows and rows of tents selling towels, clothing, wind chimes, fruit, wood carvings, trinkets, and much more!

Food

1. Teddy's Bigger Burgers

This is a franchise that started in Hawaii with the best burgers on the island! Sadly, this is one of the only local places I got to try this trip. (The grandparents are stuck on familiar restaurants)

I had the Kapiolani burger: with Swiss cheese, onions, garlic, and avocado. YUM!