So many amazing views in Hawaii!
We have been fortunate to travel to Hawaii a number of times. In addition to the fact that Hawaii is beautiful, we have family in Honolulu giving us a great reason to visit and a base to stay. We have been to Maui and the Big Island but we spend the majority of our time on Oahu with family. This year as part of celebrating Teresa's 65th birthday we planned a trip that included Hawaii and southern California. I will post a separate article on southern California, so let's start with Hawaii.
I am sure that regular visitors to Hawaii have their favourite island or islands. As mentioned, we have been to Maui and the Big Island and intend to visit the other islands on future trips. I will say that I like Oahu. I enjoy being in a place where not everyone is a tourist. This explains why Teresa and I have never been to an all-inclusive resort and rarely stay in hotels. We like staying in an Airbnb, in neighbourhoods where we can experience the city. Oahu is the most populated of the Hawaiian islands and Honolulu is the state capital. This combination means that when doing any type of activity, you are just as likely to bump into a local as a tourist. Even though traffic in Honolulu is a nightmare almost all the time, and Waikiki is busy, commercial and touristy, I still love Oahu. The weather is tropical, there are great restaurants, beautiful beaches, amazing hiking, and fantastic golf - really something for everyone. So with that as background here are our ten favourite things from our recent (January 2023) trip to Hawaii.
The best part of our vacation was seeing family. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law and their two sons live in Hawaii. We obviously don't get to see them on a regular basis so it is always special when we visit. We had "happy hour" and dinner together, played Quirkle, a fun board game, and had lots of laughs. However, given most people are not lucky enough to have family in Hawaii, I will leave that off my ten-best thing list.
1. Hiking - Diamond Head https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/oahu/diamond-head-state-monument/ Hiking is amazing in Oahu. There is tremendous variety in terms of length, difficulty, scenery and area of the island. There is definitely something for everyone. Even if you don't consider yourself a "hiker" (remember it is really just walking on a trail versus a sidewalk), you can't visit Oahu without getting out for a hike(s). Diamond Head is one of our favourite trails and we walk it on every visit. It is definitely a tourist spot. Only a few minutes from downtown Honolulu, Diamond Head attracts hikers and non-hikers alike. About an hour in total, the hike is a pretty good workout but very doable and enjoyable. Visible from Waikiki beach, it is the site of a volcanic crater with spectacular views of the ocean and shoreline. Although rated as easy on AllTrails it is still a hike, with some rough rocky portions and steep sections. Teresa and I always smile as we see people wearing flip-flops, sandals and even high-heeled shoes - you should at least wear running shoes for this walk. The views are beautiful on the way up and down and spectacular at the top - lots of photo opportunities. Diamond Head has become so popular that you now have to book a time to hike as well as a parking spot. Although inconvenient and disappointing for those who arrive without a reservation, I think this is a good idea. On previous visits, parking was always a nightmare. Often we had to park over a mile away which created a long hike just to get to the start point. It may have been my imagination but it also seemed that the trail was less busy which made the whole experience better. If you are visiting Honolulu definitely put this on your list. Pro tip: Stop at Diamond Head Market and Grill - http://www.diamondheadmarket.com/ on the way there or back and enjoy a plate breakfast or lunch from the outside takeout window. Go to the bakery next door and try the blueberry cream cheese scones and/or the lemon crunch cake (mmmmm). Definitely, a place to stop.
Although rated easy on AllTrails Diamond Head is still a hike.
And when you get to the top, the views are amazing!
2. Hiking - Ka'ena Point Trail (from the south) - https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/hiking/oahu/kaena-point-trail/. We loved this 9.8 km out-and-back trail, rated as moderate on Alltrails (I would say it is easy). About 2 hours and 15 minutes to complete, there are two spectacular aspects to this hike. First, 90% of the time, you are walking along the shoreline. The ocean waves in Hawaii are the biggest during the winter months. For our hike, we enjoyed both the constant sound of the waves crashing into the shore and the sight of huge waves exploding onto the rocky coast. Wow, I never get tired of that. Second, at the end of the trail, there is a bird sanctuary for Laysan Albatrosses. They were everywhere! Definitely a new favourite hike.
Watching and listening to the waves never gets old. First time seeing Laysan Albatrosses ... wow!
3. Golf - Royal Kunia Country Club - https://www.royalkuniacc.com/ - $100 USD twilight rate. It seems surprising to say this but we have never played golf in Hawaii. There are so many things to do and given we are visiting family it never seemed to work into our plan. However, with this trip spanning 5+ weeks between Hawaii and California, we decided to make golf part of the vacation. So glad we did. I love golf, and playing in January and February when you are from southern Ontario is fantastic - even better in Hawaii. There are beautiful courses with amazing views and great layouts. There are championship-level courses and even courses where LPGA and PGA events are played. However, be forewarned - golf in Hawaii is expensive. I assume given the demand from both residents and tourists and the limited availability of courses on the island drives up the costs. You can easily pay $350 USD/$475 CDN (yikes!) for a round of golf at one of the top courses. My philosophy for winter golf has always been "when you are from Canada, any golf in January is good golf". I don't feel the need to play a course where PGA events have been held. I don't need to play a course that has a large fancy clubhouse. I tend to look for courses with great scenery (a priority for Teresa), and an interesting layout designed by a top golf course architect. On this front, I don't mean a "designer" architect like Nicklaus, Palmer or Norman. Some of the golf courses built in the 50s and '60s were designed by top architects at the time and are amazing. Another way to save money while golfing in Hawaii is to take advantage of "twilight rates". In winter these rates normally started at noon or 1:00 pm. Given sunset was around 6:00 pm (earlier in California) this seemingly gave us lots of time to finish our round. We were wrong. Golfing here and in California seemed very slow, with twosomes and singles being sent out separately. Although we did finish our round it was often in semi-darkness as the sun was setting. If you are a golfer definitely add this to your list of activities. Royal Kunia was Teresa's favourite course. Beautiful with spectacular views. We went early and enjoyed a delicious plate lunch outside on the covered deck. They have a great selection of Hawaiian and Asian plate lunches.
Royal Kunia was Teresa's favourite course in Hawaii. Beautiful views. Despite teeing off at 1:00 we just finished before dark
4. Restaurants - Fete - https://www.fetehawaii.com/ - Because we were staying in a house with a full kitchen Teresa and I tended not to eat out as much in Hawaii as on the California portion of our trip. Our favourite meals were with family sitting around the table enjoying a home-cooked dinner and lots of laughs. However, if you want to go out for a special meal with great atmosphere, Fete is the place. Chef Robynne Maii is the second native Hawaiian to win the James Beard award and the only female. The restaurant is busy so make a reservation. The only seats available the night we went were at the bar which turned out to be fun. We chatted with the bartender and watched him make amazing cocktails. The food was high-end both in terms of presentation and taste. Expensive at $250+ CDN per couple I think it was well worth the money.
Hanging out at the bar at Fete. Definitely a place for a special night out.
5. Restaurants - O'Kims - https://www.okimshawaii.com/. At the other end of the restaurant dining experience is O'Kims. They have seating for less than 20 people and would lovingly be called "a hole in the wall" (not meant in a derogatory way, the restaurant was clean, and the food and service were great). Owner-chef Hyun Kim is visible in the restaurant making sure all her customers are satisfied. I can't imagine anyone leaving unhappy, the food is amazing. Our sister-in-law recommended the pork belly brulee - confit pork belly with miso sauce, apple ginger jam, sesame leaves, purple rice, green salad and kimchi. Wow! Delicious! No liquor license but you can bring your own alcohol. Also way, way less than $250 CDN per couple.
6. Golf - Pearl City Country Club - https://www.pearlcc.com/ - $130 USD special rate but non-twilight. My favourite golf course (I shot 77), great layout, interesting holes and lots of elevation changes. Close to Honolulu, which was great for driving but the course is noisy with city traffic. In addition, there are amazing views of the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbour from the 10th tee. We stayed for lunch after our round. The food was delicious - a selection of traditional Hawaiian plate lunches with discounted Heineken beer!
Shot 77 at Pearl City CC so my favourite! Spectacular view of the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbour
7. Beaches - Waikiki Beach - Yes it is touristy and commercial but when in Honolulu you cannot miss going here. Driving past the beach and retail/hotel areas where it is easier to get (free) parking, we walk back into Waikiki along the beach for as long as possible (it is kind of chopped up with hotels and restricted beach areas). Wandering along the retail streets you can window shop and people watch back to the car. We usually visit Waikiki once per trip. There are many restaurants in the area but we have only eaten here once - at Duke's. It was very touristy with a disappointing view. For Duke's, you have to visit the Malibu location.
One of the first things we always do. Head down to Waikiki to get reacquainted with Hawaii
Great view of Diamond Head from Waikiki beach
8. Theatre - Neal S. Blaisdell Centre - https://blaisdellcenter.com/ I was looking for something special to do for Teresa's birthday trip. It turned out Hamilton was playing in Honolulu at the Blaisdell Centre. Although it is unlikely Hamilton will still be on during your visit, I would definitely check out the schedule for the Centre. The theatre is comfortable with good sight lines. It seems like the standard dress code here (as is almost everywhere in Honolulu) is shorts and a t-shirt, a very comfortable way to enjoy a show. Btw, Hamilton was amazing. We were so glad to get tickets.
Even if Hamilton is not playing when you visit check out what's on at the theatre.
9. Grocery Shopping - Don Quijote - http://donquijotehawaii.com/ If you are staying in a house, condo or Airbnb skip Safeway and the other chain grocery stores and head to Don Quijote. You will love it! We think of it as a Japanese grocery store, but they sell everything. There is a huge selection of Japanese products like noodles, rice, sushi, fish, sake, and prepared dishes, but they also have standard grocery products - cereal, bread, fruits and vegetables, pharmacy etc. There is a large beer, wine and alcohol section too. Even if you don't need groceries there are some unique Hawaiian souvenirs including snacks, pancake mix, and chocolates.
10. Hiking - Mano Cliff, Kalawahine, and Makiki Valley Loop - https://www.alltrails.com/trail/hawaii/oahu/manoa-cliff-kalawahine-and-makiki-valley-loop?search=true. Rated as moderate on AllTrails, it was just over 3 hours to complete this 8.5 km loop. You get a good feel for the tropical terrain in Hawaii on this hike.
Beautiful views along the hike. We have not seen this much bamboo since Kyoto where there is a beautiful bamboo forest.
Those are my 10 favourite things from our most recent trip to Oahu. I don't like to leave anything out so here are a few honourable mentions:
Alltrails - For those of you that read my blog you know I use AllTrails extensively. It has amazing features. They suggest all kinds of hikes - scenic, waterfalls, difficult, and easy close to your location. Once you pick a trail it provides you with directions to the starting point. On this trip, we decided to pay for the Alltrails upgrade. There are many benefits but the primary one is that you can download the map and follow the trail offline. Especially good since there is no/poor cell service on many of the trails. Also easier to manage our cell data while outside Canada. With the downloaded map you click on start when you get to the trailhead and easily follow the route. The map with also notify you if you go off course and let you know how much time you have left to complete the hike. Well worth the price of the upgrade, we found if really helpful and used it on every hike.
Makaha Valley Country Club - https://www.makahavalleycc.com/ - $59 USD twilight rate including cart. There is no restaurant, but you can buy a sandwich and drink at the snack bar, the greens are rough and the traps are overgrown with grass. But for $59 including a cart you cannot beat this place for value. Apparently, the course has new owners who are going to fix up the course (and probably raise the prices). Despite the rough condition, the course has a really interesting layout and the views are spectacular. Did I mention it was $59 with a cart?
Great views and for $59 including cart you cannot beat the value!
Rainbow Diner - https://rainbowdrivein.com/. We went here for the first time with Teresa's dad a few years ago so it has fond memories for us. There are many locations but we always try to go to the Kapahulu one, where you order from the window and sit outside. The menu is varied, but I always go for the Loco Moco plate - two hamburger patties, two scoops of white rice, their special gravy, two eggs and a scoop of macaroni salad. If that's not the breakfast of champions, I don't know what is!
Our first morning in Oahu enjoying Loco Moco plate for breakfast ... mmmmmm
Zippy's - https://www.zippys.com/ This Hawaiian chain restaurant has been a regular Friday night destination for our Hawaiian family since their two sons were small. For some reason, we had never joined them on any of our previous visits. No more! The six of us dined at Zippy's. I had the Korean Fried Chicken and Chilli mixed plate -Korean Fried Chicken, vegetarian chilli, two scoops of white rice and a scoop of macaroni salad. My nephew is convinced that the reason many Hawaiians are unhealthy is that everything comes with 2 scoops of white rice and a scoop of macaroni salad. He may be right, but when you are on vacation I am sure it is ok.
I hope this helps if you're planning a Hawaiian vacation. My article on our previous trip to Hawaii has some different ideas such as visiting Oahu's North Shore. Don't hesitate to ask questions or leave me comments and thethirdperiod.ca@gmail.com
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