Hawaii was one of the most incredible places we have ever been! After a year of not being able to experience new places or travel, we have used 2021 as a year of exploration and the YOLO attitude. So, we bought a drone and explored the entire island of Oahu.
We stayed at the JW Marriott on Waikiki Beach. Truth be told, we will not stay here again. The view from our room was incredible! We were around 20 floors up, and had a view of Diamond Head and the ocean. Watching the sunrise here was beautiful! At no fault of their own (and due to COVID), all of the shops at the resort were shut down. However, if you walk further down you will be in a bustling area near the Royal Hawaiian. This area is where we will stay next time we visit. If you want to check out the public Waikiki Beach, the Marriott is just right across the street!
The first thing we decided to do the next morning was hike Diamond Head (because what better way to curb jet lag, right?!). This is a MUST when you are in Honolulu. It gets crowded and very hot, so I recommend going in the morning. Bring plenty of water because it is harder than it looks. However, the views are worth it! Take breaks and enjoy the views because you will get up very quick if you don’t. We made it all of the way up in 25 minutes and when we got there we were chugging water. I may or may not have been light headed. Basically it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Ha! At the bottom of the volcano you can indulge in pineapple whip. It was the best snack!
Now speaking of Pineapples……
When you head towards the North Shore, you will pass the Dole Plantation. They are closed on Wednesday, so go any other day than that! They have a pineapple maze, a train ride to take you around the plantation and a huge gift shop. The gift shop is complete with a place to get Dole Whip, and so many kinds at that! It was the most delicious thing I have ever eaten. Derek does not like pineapple so he did not partake, but he did enjoy the plantation!
When you drive to the North Shore, be sure to bring a swimsuit. There are TONS of public beaches that way you can stop at. Be careful though, some of the currents on that side of the island are strong with large waves. This is actually where they host the main surfing competitions in the winter and early spring! We were there in late April and the waves were still big enough for people to surf!
I did work with Hertz Rentals to provide them with content during our trip! They gifted Derek and I a convertible to drive around the island and my gosh, it was worth it! The best part about having a car in Hawaii is you are not on a time schedule. You can get to the other side of the island from Honolulu in about an hour, so having the flexibility to do anything we wanted and change plans last minute was incredible! Parking is expensive though. At most hotels, parking is around $50/day and gas was around $4 a gallon. But it was 100% worth it!
The 30 minute drive from Honolulu towards Waimanalo Beach is the most GORGEOUS scenery I have ever seen in my life. This stretch of scenic Kalaniana’ole Highway is how you will get to the Halona Blow Hole, Lanai Lookout and Eternity Beach. All are incredible. Eternity Beach is a hike down (lots of signs saying that it is off limits) and the waves can get very strong! However when you get down there is is so pretty and worth the small hike. There are a lot of people at this beach, there is just no lifeguard on duty so you must be extra careful. In my YouTube video, there is a clip of two turtles. It was taken at Eternity Beach!
Hawaii is full of lookouts! Another pretty one is Nu’uani Pali Lookout. We went in the morning before the tour busses and it was very peaceful. There is actually a lot of history here because it is the site of the Battle of Nuuanu. It was the battle that united Oahu. Unfortunately, a lot of lives were lost by being forced off of the cliffs. Learning of this Battle and seeing the views made this area worth it.
If you are driving from Honolulu towards the Halona Blowhole, keep going and you will get over to Makapuʻu Lookout. This side of the island is known for their whale watching in the winter time. This is also where the lighthouse hike is. We did not do the hike but the views look incredible from pictures we looked at! We came back to this area multiple times just to take in the views. This water in amazing!
We attended the Paradise Cove Luau towards the end of our trip, and we had the best time! I highly recommend getting VIP seating. You have a cocktail and food waitress, and you do not have to deal with the long bar lines or buffet lines. It also does not hurt that you get a front row seat to the show!
Lastly, if you go to Oahu, you must travel to Pearl Harbor. It is very somber, but educational and powerful. While my Grandfather’s did not fight in this war, they were alive when the war was going on. The story of how December 7, 1941 transpired is one every American needs to know. I highly highly highly recommend going to Pearl Harbor. During our trip, we had to book our ferry to the USS Arizona in advance. They open the tickets one week in advance (the dates vary though so check online), and they sell out very quick! We bought ours on the flight to Hawaii for the last day of our trip and they only had a handful of tickets left. So make this a priority!
WOW! Okay so this was a very long post. However, we loved every second of Hawaii and I would do the exact same trip over again five more times. I hope you enjoyed! xxx
