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Visiting Oahu? You are in for a treat! This beautiful island boasts some of the most incredible sights and never-to-forget activities. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing trip or a more adventurous trip, you can find it all in Oahu!
Oahu was the perfect island for my friends and I to visit together. Even with a group of 12, we were able to experience the island to its full capacity. I was super impressed that booking excursions and walking around, with such a big group, was so easy and convenient. Take a look at the six activities we did and learn about why I think you should add it to your next trip!
1. Lanikai Pillbox Hike
Hawaii is known for its beautiful scenery and landscape. One of the best ways to experience all of the nature is by hiking! There are so many amazing trails in Oahu but we chose the Lanikai Pillbox Hike for its proximity to Lanikai Beach and its moderate trail. As a group of 12, with all differing athletic activity, we found this trail to be a great middle-ground for everybody.
As you walk further and further up the mountain, Oahu’s expansive ocean reveals itself in all its mighty. It’s truly such a breathtaking sight and I had to remind myself to look down as not to trip on my way up. It took our group about 40 minutes to reach the top of the mountain to where the “pill boxes” were. We started our hike around noon and thankfully, it was not too busy.
On the hike up, there are a few steep inclines so I highly recommend wearing a hiking shoe or a shoe with some grip on the bottom. Normal running shoes were fine for those of my friends who were more seasoned hikers. Also, I would highly recommend wearing a hat, wearing lots of sunscreen, and bringing ample amounts of water. There is no shade on the hike, so you’ll definitely be feeling the heat.
Once you get to the pillbox, it’s a great place to climb up and take a seat. It’s a wonderful picture spot and provides a good amount of space to sit down and take a rest before heading back down. Honestly, my friends and I spent a good hour on the concrete bunker before heading down. It’s hard to feel like you’ve gotten enough pictures of the beautiful landscape!
Parking
The hike’s entrance is located in a residential area. There are a lot of parking restrictions, so be sure to read all the signs before you park. Since the hike is quite popular, it may take you a bit to find parking but don’t give up! People are always moving in and out of the area. Also, after your hike, you can do a quick change and head to the beach. So really, it’s like a double-dip on the parking!
2. Lanikai Beach
After a long hike, there’s nothing better than jumping into the beautiful ocean. Lanikai Beach is located in the same area as the Pillbox Hike. It’s great because, once you’ve found a parking spot, you don’t need to move! You can spend all day in the area.
Lanikai Beach is reminiscent of the beach you see on your Window’s screensaver. It’s so beautiful it does not even seem real. I truly felt like I was swimming through a dream. The waves are pretty small so it was perfect for being able to float around and chat with friends. We stayed in the water for HOURS. There is quite a bit of coral so I recommend bringing water shoes or just being extra careful while you’re in the water.
Also, before setting out for the day, I highly recommend bringing a lot of water and food with you. I chugged all my water during the hike and was famished by the time we got to the beach. Thankfully, we brought a few extra bottles of water and some spam musubis to tide us over. If I were to go back, I would bring even more. Even if you’re not planning on hiking before, water and snacks never hurt any good beach day!
3. UTV Experience
The UTV experience at Kualoa Ranch was probably my favorite activity we did while in Oahu. It was the perfect amount of adventurous! At Kualoa Ranch, the staff takes you through the incredible Kaʻaʻawa Valley on a Raptor UTV. Throughout the tour, they explain the significance of the land and point out movie sets from famous films like Jurassic Park and King Kong.
I cannot rave enough about Kualoa Ranch. We had the BEST tour guides! They were super friendly and made sure we all felt comfortable riding the UTVs. They were both extremely patient and even took us on an extended part of the tour. As a bonus, they were both great photographers and captured some of our favorite memories on the trip.
If you’re nervous about riding a UTV, don’t be! It’s just like driving a car. Although you do need a valid driver’s license to drive the vehicle, it’s also super fun being the passenger. It gives you a lot of time to look out at the beautiful landscape and enjoy more of Oahu’s beautiful sights. You will get quite dusty during this excursion so do not wear anything you are not okay with getting a bit dirty!
Parking
There is a designated parking lot for anybody doing tours at Kualoa Ranch. It’s quite big so there is no need to worry about finding a place to park. I do recommend leaving yourself about 20-30 minutes to park, use the restrooms, and find your tour as the property is quite large. My group and I were scrambling to check-in for our tour so don’t make the same mistake we did!
3. Pink Sails Snorkeling
Located in Waikiki, the Pink Sails Snorkeling company was a fantastic way to see Oahu’s beautiful ocean. Once we were checked-in, we were ushered onto the boat and given snorkels, flippers, and a floatation device. It was about a 20 minute ride to the part of the ocean we were swimming in. I highly recommend taking dramamine before you hop on the boat if you get seasick!
The crew was super nice and very patient with our group. They took the most beautiful pictures for us and spent the time to point out tall of the animals swimming around us. I don’t know if we got lucky or if it’s typical to see dolphins, but we found ourselves surrounded by a family of them! It was truly one of the most majestic sights. We even saw a few turtles while we were making our way to the swim spot.
Once we got to the swimming spot, we were allowed to jump off the boat and begin exploring. You are required to stay in a designated area so you don’t get lost and the guides are good about calling people back before they float off too far. There are other tours around so make sure you’re aware of your surroundings!
The ocean was beautiful. There were dozens of schools of fish and beautiful coral on the ocean floor. Also, you get the most beautiful view of Diamond Head! After swimming around for about an hour, my girls and I jumped back on the boat to sunbathe and munch on the snacks they provided. Once everybody was finished swimming, we headed back to the port. Overall, a great experience for anybody who wants to spend time exploring the ocean!
Parking
My group and I stayed in Waikiki and walked to the tour’s meeting point. If you are in Waikiki, you can either walk or Uber to the tour. If you are staying on another part of the island and need to find parking, there was some street parking. Also, there are a ton of hotels around where you can pay to park for a few hours.
4. Hanalei Beach
Although we went to Hanalei Beach on a rainy afternoon, it was still extremely beautiful. This beautiful, crescent-shaped bay almost feels other wordly because of its seclusion. What I loved most about this beach was how still its waters were. It felt like you could swim out for miles because the water was so calm. The beach is surrounded by beautiful mountains and it feels as if you’re truly secluded.
Not only was the scenery beautiful, but there is a cliff that you can jump off of for those of you who are more adventurous. It’s a decent height but low enough that I saw a bunch of kids comfortable jumping off. Although, I do think the adults were much more scared.
When my friends and I arrived, we had no problem finding a spot on the beach. Although, that may have been a product of the drizzle. Before heading to the beach, I do highly recommend stopping by the nearby Foodland. There, we grabbed a bunch of poke and chips for everybody to share. It was truly the best thing to snack on after spending hours in the water. It felt unreal eating some of the most incredible poke in front of such a beautiful view.
Parking
There isn’t very much parking at Hanalei Beach. It’s quite a small parking lot but people are always going in and out. My advice is to just be patient, something will open up! Also, be wary of blocking other people from getting around you or backing out if you’re idling.
5. Walking Around Waikiki
If there’s one thing I regret, it’s not walking around Waikiki more! We loved all of the activities we did around Oahu during our trip but wished we had just one more day to enjoy Waikiki. There are so many shops, restaurants, and coffee shops to explore!
In the little time we did have to walk around Waikiki, we found the best Spam Musubi at Musubu Cafe Iyasume, had delicious coffee at Arvo, and enjoyed pastries at b patisserie. Something that I loved about all the restaurants was how they incorporated local flavors into their menu items. Even though b patisserie is a San Francisco based restaurant, it was cool to see how the Hawaii branch put its own spin on things. The mango coconut croissant was to die for!
Final Thoughts
As someone who never truly understood the hype about Hawaii, I am now a big fan. Oahu converted me into a believer. I can now fully understand why people visit Hawaii as often as they can and am already thinking about when I can return. If you’re a first-time visiter like I was, don’t miss out on these awesome activities!
Activities:
