I finally was able to visit my Aunt and Cousins in Oahu. My family had been before, but I was never able to join because of school or work. I went for a week in April and it was beautiful. My aunt lives in the town Kailua, which is on the opposite side of the island from Honolulu. They are on the windward side, so the mornings were usually drizzly and grey and then the sun would break through and shine throughout the day. This trip was originally going to be a “rent a VW Vanagan and tour the Big Island” trip, but the friends who would have been joining had scheduling issues and couldn’t join. So I figured, why not visit my aunt?!
Instead of a Vanagan, we rented a car and spent the week exploring the island. Places we visited included Honolulu and Waikiki Beach, Turtle Bay Resort, Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. We also hiked Diamond Head, saw amazing views from the Lanikai Pillboxes, and drove from Kailua to Kaena Point and along the North Shore.
The second day we were in Hawaii we decided to explore Honolulu and see Waikiki beach. Before going into the city, we hiked Diamond Head. This was an easy hike with great views. Having never visited Oahu, it was impressive to see all the buildings and hotels that make up Honolulu with the turquoise water and beach sharing a shoreline. It also offered panoramic views of parts of the Island and coast. Beautiful!
Another day we decided to drive part of the Island and see the infamous North Shore. Our first destination was Kaena Point, which is the westernmost tip of land of Oahu. We didn’t end up hiking to the end, but we drove out as far as the road would go. The beaches there were rockier, but just as beautiful. We also saw many people kite boarding because the water is pretty shallow and conducive for successful boarding.
After seeing the kite boarders, we continued along to the North Shore. Construction was happening so there was a lot of traffic, which put a slight damper on the drive. There was no driving up and down the coast to find theperfect part of beach. We didn’t see any surfers, which the North Shore is famous for, but we were able to enjoy yet another beautiful beach. Once we soaked in the sun, we continued along the coast and headed home. Phew, what a day!
Renting a car was definitely the way to go. We were able to explore the whole island on one tank of gas, score!
I enjoyed the Northeast side of the Island a lot more, as it’s more remote and not as touristy. The scenery is beautiful, the water is turquoise and clear for as far as you can see and the beaches are not crowded (visit the Lanikai Pillboxes to see all these).
view from Lanikai Pillboxes