20 Best Ways To Experience Oahu

There are five major areas of Oahu (Honolulu, Waikiki, North Shore, Windward and East Shore, and Central and West).

Honolulu, the capital city of the State of Hawaii is located on Oahu. The seat of State government and seat of the City & County of Honolulu government are located in Downtown Honolulu. Downtown Honolulu is also the financial district of Oahu.

Waikiki, a resort and residential area of Honolulu is by far the largest of three major resort areas on Oahu. Waikiki is home to approximately 40,000 rooms and is about 1 square mile in size. Waikiki is a metropolitan area with world class shopping, dining and accommodations along a stretch of beach perfect for swimming and surfing.

North Shore - Home to the world famous Sunset Beach, Banzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay, O'ahu's rustic North Shore is famed for big wave surfing during the winter months but offers calm, swimming beaches in the summer. About a one-hour drive from Waikiki, the North Shore countryside is a beautiful, laid back area of Oahu with cool surf shops, local art stores and great eateries.

East Shore and Windward Coast - Oahu's east shore is home to iconic Diamond Head Crater and offers a mix of city, resort as well as a natural adventure. Bordering famous Waikiki, the east shore is made up mostly of quiet suburban neighborhoods makes for a beautiful, scenic coastal drive toward lush Windward Oahu. Sleepy towns are wedged between the 3000 + foot Ko`olau Mountain Range and miles of white, pristine beaches. Windward Oahu is perfect for water adventures such as swimming, kayaking, and snorkeling.

Central and West Oahu - Between bustling Honolulu and wide, green countryside of the North Shore, come discover the charming historic towns and wide sandy beaches of Central and West Oahu. This rural area of Oahu encompasses historic Pearl Harbor, Dole Plantation and Maze, Aloha Stadium and Ko'olina.

information courtesy of Visit Oahu

I have to say that the Polynesian Cultural Center and Iolani Palace, home to Hawaii's only monarchy, were my personal favorite Oahu tourist destinations. But wherever you go, you'll find friendly faces and a beautiful laid-back attitude that will make you glad you chose Oahu.

• Visit the Polynesian Cultural Center where hundreds of Polynesian islanders bring their exotic customs and culture alive in a one-of-a-kind canoe pageant.


• Explore Kualoa Ranch where locations for "Jurassic Park" where filmed.


• Go to Pali Lookout and take in a sweeping view of Kaneohe Bay (So magnificent, you'll love it)


• Take a ride on "Da Flow Rider" at Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park and experience the excitement and thrill of surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding.


• Tour Iolani Palace, the restored royal residence of King Kalakaua and Queen Lili'uokalani (heartbreaking story about the fall of the Hawaiian monarchy)


• Visit the Pineapple Garden Maze at the Dole Plantation and win a prize by finding the six secret stations in the fastest time.


• Allow yourself plenty of time and visit the Arizona Memorial at the Pearl Harbor Navy Base, but leave your camera in the car.


• Go turtle watching in Kailua Bay as Hawaiian green sea turtles (honu), as big as 4 feet and 400 pounds, feed on seaweed that grows on the rocks in shallow areas. (We saw large sea turtles, easily visible in the clear water, swim by our condo every day!)


• Snorkle in Hanauma Bay and see colorful schools of striped manini and opalescent parrotfish.


• Get your adrenaline pumping with a shark tour, putting you in a cage where you can expect to see 5 to 15 foot sharks just inches away.


• Dive for WWII wrecks by exploring a shipwrecked navy vessel and a crashed fighter plane, completely intact.


• Do some whale watching while hiking on the Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail from December through April when the humpback whales are in residence.


• Climb Diamond Head at sunrise, one of the best-known volcanic craters in the world.


• Visit the Bishop Museum founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in honor of his late wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last descendant of the royal Kamehameha family.


• Worship in the beautiful cadence of the Hawaiian language each Sunday at a Christian service at the Kawaiahao Church in downtown Honolulu.
  
• Party hearty and dine on kalua pig, cooked in an underground oven and unearthed with a traditional Hawaiian ceremony, at the Paradise Cove Luau.


• Listen for the conch shell blower, and witness the half-clothed Hawaiian men running down the street every sunset for torch-lighting ceremonies in Waikiki.


• Take free hula lessons, at 10 a.m. and noon at Big Kahunas Marketplace on the third floor of the Waikiki Shopping Plaza.


• Drink a luscious "Lava Flow" made with rum, strawberries, bananas and coconut cream at "The Pink Palace of the Pacific," the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

Kuhio Banyan Tree Park on Kalakaua Avenue near the statue of Duke Kahanamoku holds a Hawaiian torch lighting ceremony every Saturday and Sunday from 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm.

The Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center hosts the lighting of 50 torches on Lewers and Kalakaua Avenue every night at 6 pm.

The Changing of the King's Guard, reminiscent of Hawaii's monarchy, is held nightly at the King's Village Shopping Center at 6:15 pm. Located at 131 Kaiualani Avenue across from the Hyatt Regency Waikiki.

Experience conch shell heralded torch lighting, Hawaiian music, and hula at the Kapiolani Park Beach Center at 6:45 pm every Saturday and Sunday. Located on the Ocean Promenade in Kapiolani Park.

How long will it take us to get there?

From the Airport to Waikiki 9 miles / 30 minutes
From Waikiki to the Arizona Memorial 11 miles / 30 minutes
From Waikiki to Downtown Honolulu 4 miles / 15 minutes
From Waikiki to Polynesian Cultural Center 35 miles / 75 minutes
From Waikiki to Hale'iwa Town (North Shore) 32 miles / 60 minutes
From Waikiki to Pali Lookout 11 miles / 30 minutes
From Waikiki to Ko Olina 26 miles / 45 minutes

There's a good chance that a vacation on Oahu will cost you less than any other Hawaiian island. Accommodations in Oahu are priced slightly less than similar accommodations on other islands and you don't even need to rent a car if you are staying in Waikiki - most everything you need is within walking distance (or you can take the Waikiki trolley)! All these factors definitely give you an affordable Hawaiian vacation in Oahu that you'll never forget!

King David Kalakaua, who came to the throne in 1874 is credited for reviving the hula after Christian missionaries declared it illegal. In 1971 the Merrie Monarch Festival was established on Oahu to honor King David and become a showcase for the world's best hula dancers. The week long Oahu hula festival includes music, ancient and modern hula competitions, arts and crafts and the royal parade. All events are free!