Wether you are a new teammate of mine or maybe are coming here to play in one of your away games this post is for you! Welcome to my home the wonderful state of Hawaii and more specifically the beautiful island of Oahu. Oahu is known as “The Gathering Place” as it has the most visitors and residence of all the Hawaiian islands. This leads there to be a ton of popular tourist destinations and I am here today to be your tour guide through the fun things to do and as a local maybe even give you some secret spots that most tourist don’t venture to!
I am going to start off with something that is marketed straight for the visitors to the islands and is very popular amongst them although most local people don’t like it very much. I am talking about the various “luaus” around the island and my personal choice “Toa Luau”. You get to watch different types of Hawaiian performances including hula and fire knife dancing, make some fun crafts and of course a buffet of Hawaiian food. Now as I said this is very much catered to the tourist so may not be totally authentic but really that’s what makes it so much fun!
Next place on the list is the beaches up on the north shore. To be specific I would recommend the famous Waimea Bay where “The Eddie” is held. At Waimea bay during the summer you can expect clear skies, and small waves. It is a great place to go swimming and snorkeling as there are a lot of water life hiding out in the bay. There is also a giant rock about 25ft high that people jump off of and many locals do some wild tricks off of. Now the summer is fun but going there in the winter is a whole different beast. Warning the winter at Waimea is not for those looking to swim but for those looking for a show. The waves get to 20+ feet high and can even reach above 30ft high. You will see brave souls surfing those massive waves and it is a crazy sight. This is when “The Eddie” is held which is one of the most famous big wave contest in the world.
Next place on the ocean you will want to go to is Hanauma bay. The single best snorkeling spot on the island. There are a ton of tourist but if you live on the island (looking at you team) then entrance is free! You will find a ton of different fish and of course you will get to see the state fish. What is the state fish you ask? I’ll gladly tell you! It is the Humuhumunukunukuapua’a or the reef trigger fish. Those aren’t the only fish you will see though as there is a wide variety. You will definitely be able to see a few sea turtles swimming along too! Noggin! Dudeeee! Now just to be safe make sure you listen to the short presentation they show you before you get down to the bay as there is some dangerous spots near the edges of the bay where whirlpools happen very often!
Next stop is one of the beaches that was ranked a top 5 beach in the world! Lanikai beach. This is definitely the most beautiful beach on the island. There’s a reef that you can snorkel at too but it’s often very cloudy near the reef. What you come to lanikai for is the view and also you can rent a kayak and kayak out to the mokulua islands. They even have paddle boards for rent and are a joy to ride on! The water is nice and calm so those with kids this place is perfect for them and you don’t have to worry about a rouge wave making your kid never want to go into the ocean again.
Now last spot for our ocean portion is going to be of course Waikiki Beach. Now this place is littered with tourist and I only wanted to bring this place up because this is probably going to be the beach closes to your hotels. I would recommend not going here but if you are only here for a short trip then it is still a nice beach. You can even do some different water activities including learning how to surf.
Now from the sea we move on to the mountains. We start off with a place near to where I grew up and is also very illegal to go to. I am talking about the Haiku Stairs or as the locals call it the stairway to heaven. Now if you want to come here you’re going to have to wake up early to beat the guard (I’m talking 3-4am). There are nearly 4000 steps to this stairs and in some places feel less like stairs and more like a ladder. It runs all the way to the very top of the Koolau Mountain range and may be very tiring but making it to the top you’re rewarded with one of the most gorgeous views you will ever see. Now if you are planning to make the trip make sure to check the forecast as if it’s a cloudy day you will not be able to see anything.
Another hike I recommend is the hike to Maunawili falls. This is a true hike with no stairs but mud, trees and streams. Be prepared to get dirty because you definitely will. It is not nearly as long as the stairs and when you reach the end you aren’t rewarded with an amazing view of the island. But when you do reach the end you’re rewarded with a breathe taking waterfall that you do not only get to view but there is a nice pond at the bottom that you can jump into from off the waterfall! Just a fair warning though this isn’t no heated pool and the water feels ice cold but feels amazing after that long hike. Not many people come here so it is a great little hiding spot that nearly no other tourist will know about.
Last hike I want to mention is a lot like the Waikiki beach of hikes on Oahu, Diamond head. It is easy to get to and near Waikiki where most hotels are located. You get a great view but have to pay to get in and once again there will be a ton of tourist so you won’t be getting any privacy up there.
Now we go to a more historic site on the island. That would be Pearl Harbor. They give some amazing tours where you can learn a lot about why Hawaii is such an important spot for our military. There are some very historic ship located there including the USS Arizona which is one of the more historic ships in US Navy History.
Now let’s move onto the parts of the island I enjoy the most. That would of course be the amazing food in Hawaii! While you’re up on the north shore checking out Waimea Bay make sure you take a stop over at the famous Giovanni Kahuku shrimp truck. Now it is always busy but well worth the wait as the food there is amazing. Now if you’re looking for a little more fancy I would recommend the delicious Roys. He is a famous chef from Hawaii and makes a lot of Hawaiian dishes which aren’t known for being fancy but makes them fancy. Now you get what you pay for so Roys is a bit expensive but we all got that NSFL money so splurging is totally fine. Now lastly for probably my favorite place Sansei. They specialize in sushi which is probably my favorite food. Now a big boy like myself spends some big bucks there but it is well worth it. Best sushi on the island by far!
That’s all for my short little tour but if you have any more interesting spots you may wanna learn about feel free to ask. I just want to end by saying please respect our island and make sure you pick up all trash and throw them into designated rubbish bins. Also there are many sacred places in Hawaiian culture so if you end up going somewhere that is considered sacred or has the words Kapu at the entrance please do not enter. We consider this land our home so please be humble and gracious guests.
I am going to start off with something that is marketed straight for the visitors to the islands and is very popular amongst them although most local people don’t like it very much. I am talking about the various “luaus” around the island and my personal choice “Toa Luau”. You get to watch different types of Hawaiian performances including hula and fire knife dancing, make some fun crafts and of course a buffet of Hawaiian food. Now as I said this is very much catered to the tourist so may not be totally authentic but really that’s what makes it so much fun!
Next place on the list is the beaches up on the north shore. To be specific I would recommend the famous Waimea Bay where “The Eddie” is held. At Waimea bay during the summer you can expect clear skies, and small waves. It is a great place to go swimming and snorkeling as there are a lot of water life hiding out in the bay. There is also a giant rock about 25ft high that people jump off of and many locals do some wild tricks off of. Now the summer is fun but going there in the winter is a whole different beast. Warning the winter at Waimea is not for those looking to swim but for those looking for a show. The waves get to 20+ feet high and can even reach above 30ft high. You will see brave souls surfing those massive waves and it is a crazy sight. This is when “The Eddie” is held which is one of the most famous big wave contest in the world.
Next place on the ocean you will want to go to is Hanauma bay. The single best snorkeling spot on the island. There are a ton of tourist but if you live on the island (looking at you team) then entrance is free! You will find a ton of different fish and of course you will get to see the state fish. What is the state fish you ask? I’ll gladly tell you! It is the Humuhumunukunukuapua’a or the reef trigger fish. Those aren’t the only fish you will see though as there is a wide variety. You will definitely be able to see a few sea turtles swimming along too! Noggin! Dudeeee! Now just to be safe make sure you listen to the short presentation they show you before you get down to the bay as there is some dangerous spots near the edges of the bay where whirlpools happen very often!
Next stop is one of the beaches that was ranked a top 5 beach in the world! Lanikai beach. This is definitely the most beautiful beach on the island. There’s a reef that you can snorkel at too but it’s often very cloudy near the reef. What you come to lanikai for is the view and also you can rent a kayak and kayak out to the mokulua islands. They even have paddle boards for rent and are a joy to ride on! The water is nice and calm so those with kids this place is perfect for them and you don’t have to worry about a rouge wave making your kid never want to go into the ocean again.
Now last spot for our ocean portion is going to be of course Waikiki Beach. Now this place is littered with tourist and I only wanted to bring this place up because this is probably going to be the beach closes to your hotels. I would recommend not going here but if you are only here for a short trip then it is still a nice beach. You can even do some different water activities including learning how to surf.
Now from the sea we move on to the mountains. We start off with a place near to where I grew up and is also very illegal to go to. I am talking about the Haiku Stairs or as the locals call it the stairway to heaven. Now if you want to come here you’re going to have to wake up early to beat the guard (I’m talking 3-4am). There are nearly 4000 steps to this stairs and in some places feel less like stairs and more like a ladder. It runs all the way to the very top of the Koolau Mountain range and may be very tiring but making it to the top you’re rewarded with one of the most gorgeous views you will ever see. Now if you are planning to make the trip make sure to check the forecast as if it’s a cloudy day you will not be able to see anything.
Another hike I recommend is the hike to Maunawili falls. This is a true hike with no stairs but mud, trees and streams. Be prepared to get dirty because you definitely will. It is not nearly as long as the stairs and when you reach the end you aren’t rewarded with an amazing view of the island. But when you do reach the end you’re rewarded with a breathe taking waterfall that you do not only get to view but there is a nice pond at the bottom that you can jump into from off the waterfall! Just a fair warning though this isn’t no heated pool and the water feels ice cold but feels amazing after that long hike. Not many people come here so it is a great little hiding spot that nearly no other tourist will know about.
Last hike I want to mention is a lot like the Waikiki beach of hikes on Oahu, Diamond head. It is easy to get to and near Waikiki where most hotels are located. You get a great view but have to pay to get in and once again there will be a ton of tourist so you won’t be getting any privacy up there.
Now we go to a more historic site on the island. That would be Pearl Harbor. They give some amazing tours where you can learn a lot about why Hawaii is such an important spot for our military. There are some very historic ship located there including the USS Arizona which is one of the more historic ships in US Navy History.
Now let’s move onto the parts of the island I enjoy the most. That would of course be the amazing food in Hawaii! While you’re up on the north shore checking out Waimea Bay make sure you take a stop over at the famous Giovanni Kahuku shrimp truck. Now it is always busy but well worth the wait as the food there is amazing. Now if you’re looking for a little more fancy I would recommend the delicious Roys. He is a famous chef from Hawaii and makes a lot of Hawaiian dishes which aren’t known for being fancy but makes them fancy. Now you get what you pay for so Roys is a bit expensive but we all got that NSFL money so splurging is totally fine. Now lastly for probably my favorite place Sansei. They specialize in sushi which is probably my favorite food. Now a big boy like myself spends some big bucks there but it is well worth it. Best sushi on the island by far!
That’s all for my short little tour but if you have any more interesting spots you may wanna learn about feel free to ask. I just want to end by saying please respect our island and make sure you pick up all trash and throw them into designated rubbish bins. Also there are many sacred places in Hawaiian culture so if you end up going somewhere that is considered sacred or has the words Kapu at the entrance please do not enter. We consider this land our home so please be humble and gracious guests.