Aloha from Hawaii

Will and I are both deal finders and so when a flight to Hawaii over Thanksgiving break popped up for $350 roundtrip, we jumped on it immediately.  We would only be able to go for 5 days but at that price, we figured it was more than worth it!  Both of us had interest in going to Hawaii but it was always a destination we felt like we could keep putting off and we'd get back to later.  But with this deal, we figured, why not?!  Well I'm so glad everything fell into place like it did because we loved it.  The Hawaii deal actually included multiple cities/islands but for our first time, we decided Oahu was a good place to start.  We stayed on the Eastern part of the island is Kailua in a really cute AirBnb and we rented a car so we could easily get all over the entire island.  When a lot of people come to Oahu, they just stay in Waikiki which is really a bummer because the entire island has so much to offer.  I didn't blog each day but here's a run through of the things we loved the most.

What we did...

One of the reasons we decided to go to Oahu vs other Hawaiian islands was that there was so much to do!  We got through all of the major activities we wanted to but there were lots more that we didn't go to so another trip could easily be in our future.

Coming to Hawaii, one of the things I wanted to do most was see a sea turtle.  Well what I really wanted was to be able to swim next to a sea turtle, like we were friends.  Well, my dreams came true!  We went scuba diving and saw SO MANY sea turtles.  The law strictly prohibits touching them but I easily could have, they were so close to us!  It was awesome.  Surprisingly, there weren't a ton of fish where we went though so it's a good thing we saw the sea turtles or it would've been a bit of a boring dive.

During this trip, Will and I also learned that while we both like to scuba dive, I'm not the best snorkeler.  We learned this when we went free-diving/snorkeling with SHARKS!!  You read that right!  We took a boat out from the North Shore and stopped in the middle of the water and slipped in to a bunch of freely swimming sharks beneath us.  No cage, nothing!  Apparently, sharks don't actually have any desire to eat people so while we had a guide in the water keeping an eye on the shark's behavior, there wasn't much to it except to keep eye contact with the sharks and be aware of your surroundings and where they are and oh yea, don't make big splashes so sharks don't mistake you for a wounded fish.  While it was definitely a shock to initially see the sharks when we got in, it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be.  However, the current was pretty rough where we were and I'm apparently not very good at diving down with the snorkel still in my mouth so I drank quite a bit of water.  It was pretty crazy looking down and seeing sharks swimming below your feet and it's crazy how close they were.  It was hard to get a good picture because I'm not a great snorkeler with the current and it was hard to time when each of us had the GoPro and when each of us were diving down a little deeper- all while trying to maintain eye contact with the sharks!  It was a pretty incredible experience though!

We also went to Kualoa Ranch which is basically this gorgeous private nature reserve where films like Jurassic Park as well as many others were filmed.  They offer a TON of activities but we decided to do the ATV tour.  It was fun to drive the ATVs and the scenery was incredible! 

We also did a few hikes: Lanikai Beach Pillbox Hike and Diamond Head.  They both were really pretty but I actually like the Lanikai Beach-Pillbox hike more.  It was a lot shorter, less crowded, and just a prettier view in my opinion but you can decide for yourself.

Lanikai Beach Pillbox

 

Diamond Head Crater Hike

 

Of course, we also went to the beach.  Will and I aren't really into laying out and since there was so much to do in Oahu, we didn't necessarily feel the need to just lay out and sunbathe but of course, we hit up all the different beaches.

Of course, we went to Waikiki, but to be honest, it was the worst beach compared to the others.  The beach part was pretty small, it was crazy crowded, and it just wasn't as pretty as the other beaches.  However, you are still in Hawaii so the sunsets are still pretty gorgeous.

We also hit up the Bonzai Pipeline in the North Shore where a major surfing competition had just finished a few days prior.

But we stayed in Kailua so we spent some time there, where we even started own morning with sunset yoga on the beach.  That was a neat experience!

And finally, we couldn't leave Hawaii without going to the most uber-touristy activity possible: a LUAU!  Before dinner and the show there were some activities like making weaving palm crowns, making leis, and playing ukuleles.  But the main event was dinner and the show which showcased dancing from the Hawaiian islands as well as other Pacific Island cultures.  It was cheesy but fun!

  

Almost more important than what we did is what we ate... (all the things- in no particular order)

 Everyone online raves about the cream puffs at Liliha's Bakery.  eh... 

We didn't eat here but we loved going to the Don Quixote store.  It's very different from the Japanese Don Quixote stores that sell fun and random junk and housewares.  This Don Quixote was like a mega Asian super market with groceries, prepared foods, and a few random housewares.  They had the most insane Spam selection and I got a few to take home (Garlic and Portuguese sausage).

We had ramen at a cool ramen shop nearby.

We had shaved ice at Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha.  It was incredible.  Like SO good.  We actually went again (scroll down).  It was Will's favorite dessert of all time.  Maybe it was the addition of ice cream that made it incredible but it. was. incredible. 

I read reviews of this Steak Shack online and it was convenient because it was on Waikiki Beach.  It was stupid and sucked.  Do not recommend it.

After our incredible Wagyu/Kobe experience in Japan, we had to get some here where is such a Japanese influence.  While it was delicious, it wasn't as good as our Japanese experience.  Still really tasty though.

The North Shore is famous for food trucks and famous little eats along the way.  We definitely loved stopping at all of them.

Ted's Bakery is famous for the chocolate-haupia (basically a coconut flavored dessert) cream pie and it did not disappoint.  It was DELICIOUS!  We got it again before we left.

We also tried two of the many different shrimp shacks.  They were both pretty good but insanely good.  Definitely worth eating though.

We also tried Matsumoto's shaved ice.  It was totally north worth a line.  It's basically a basic snow cone with a bunch of different syrups.  Nothing uniquely special about it. at all.

I also tried an acai bowl at Lanikai juice.  These are super popular all over the island and this one is pretty tasty.

And of course, since we were in Hawaii, I had to get poke.  It was delicious but I like poke everywhere!  We wanted to try the famous Suprettes' poke but it was all tuna based which is not my fave.

Other random eats:  Magnolia Ice Cream Shop, Modo Mochi donuts, and dinner at Duke's on the beach.

Back in Kailua, there are lots of breakfast places known for pancakes.  These pancakes from Boots & Kimo's had the most delicious macadamian nut sauce!  Hands down the best pancakes I have ever had.

And before getting on the plane home, another round of Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha (Will even got two bowls in one visit!) and more pie from Ted's Bakery.

 

Overall, this entire trip to Oahu has been incredible.  Will and I had a great time and enjoyed all of the amazing things there are to do all while enjoying delicious food.  We definitely want to check out other islands now.