Oahu Travel Guide Part 3 - The final travel guide series

Okay, I’m back with the final part for the Oahu Travel Guide – part 3! It’s been great for me writing these guides because it feels like I’m still in Oahu as I reflect back on our trip and all the pictures Gursheel took. This final Oahu guide is a bit bittersweet for me because now I need another trip to look forward to. Anyways onto the Oahu travel guide – part 3:

Oahu Travel Guide

Manoa Falls

We headed out early in the morning and had the most beautiful drive to Manoa Falls. There are signs in the parking are to pay a 5 USD fee, however, we couldn’t find anything or anyone to pay so just headed for the hike. I think the most amazing part of this hike to the falls is after 5 minutes into the hike. It is SO lush and there are enormous trees everywhere and it feels like your in the middle of a set of Avatar! The hike is fairly easy, the hardest part being that it is quite muddy and slippery. Wear good shoes and you’ll reach the falls within 20 minute or so.

Nu’uanu Pali Drive and Lookout

As you drive toward the Nu’uanu Pali lookout, you’ll see signs for a scenic drive and we decided to check it out. There are barely any cars on this drive but the views are INCREDIBLE! It’s like a hike for your car! We couldn’t get over how beautiful everything was, so we decided to pull over and take some pictures. Again, no cars came and we got to appreciate the beauty. Once you get to the lookout, you pay a 3 USD dollar fee to park and can appreciate Oahu’s beauty from afar.

Lanikai Pillbox Hike and Lanikai Beach

This hike I found to be the most challenging of all the hikes we did. The entrance to the hike is across a golf club in a residential area where all the houses are gorgeous! Apparently, Obama spends his Christmas holidays in this area as well every year. You will see quite a few people doing this hike and there is not very much shade, so bring sunscreen and water. The reason I found this hike hard was because it is so slippery! In the beginning there are ropes to help you pull yourself up, however, as you near the first pillbox, there is nothing, so I used my hands to slowly bring myself down. But the views are incredible the entire way. You can see Lanikai Beach from everywhere.

Once you slowly but surely bring yourself down from the hike, walk down to Lanikai Beach to cool off and appreciate the beautiful beach.

Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens

This beautiful botanical garden is free to visit and everywhere you look you see lush trees and plants and beautiful mountains. We took film shots here, and I can’t wait to develop those and see how they turned out.

Byodo-In Temple

This temple is 10 minutes from the Botanical gardens and it’s both beautiful and peaceful. There is 5 USD fee per person to enter the temple. There is also a pond with koi fish that you can feed buy purchasing some food from the shop.

Chinaman’s Hat

Chinaman’s Hat is a little island that looks like a hat, hence the name. When there is low tide, you can walk over and enjoy the beach at this tiny little island. We just watched as people put on their scuba gear and took their swimming rods. There are a lot of fishermen here since you can fish and take it home to cook for free.

Kamehameha Highway + Kahana Bay Beach Park + Sunset beach + sharks cove

Kamnehameha Highway is the main highway that takes you to and from the North Shore and it is beautiful. We stopped multiple times on our way to the North Shore. We found beautiful beaches and even swings attached to trees along the way.

Laniakea Beach – turtle Beach

One of the highlights of our trip was seeing the sea turtles and at Laniakea Beach you see so many. They are so cute!

Haleiwa town + Beetbox cafe

Haleiwa is another popular tourist area in the North Shore and you see this sign as you head into town. There are so many cool shops, restaurants and cafes here. Our favorite was the Beetbox Cafe, which was vegan and had the yummiest acai bowls.

Kaena Point Hike

The Kaena Point Hike is on the western tip of the island. It was recommended to us by our Airbnb host and I have to say it was one of our favorites. There is no shade, so sunscreen and water is essential. As you walk around, you can find monk seals among the beautiful terrain.

Dole Plantation

Dole Plantation is where you can get the truest pineapple experience. There are tours available and a maze, however, we just went inside the huge gift shop where everything is pineapple. The highlight for me was the pineapple cutting show and the delicious Dole Whip.