oahu

Oahu is full of beautiful scenery, historical locations, and lots to do. While every Hawaiian island is a bit different, Oahu definitely has its own unique character with a big-city feel on a tropical island.

Scenery

  • Oahu is the most developed and populated island, so there is always “something” in every area. Between some of these areas are dense green mountains. The clouds get stuck on these mountains, making them very lush and also creating a cool look of mountains disappearing into the sky. 

  • In addition to the beautiful mountain scenery, Oahu also has miles of sandy beach-lined coasts and beautiful clear water. Virtually anywhere you find water, you can swim, surf, snorkel, and more (peep my brother-in-law cliff jumping, pictured below).

  • Waikiki beach is beautiful and iconic, but also very crowded. This may be a cool area to explore, but I wouldn’t recommend staying or spending most of your time in Waikiki as there is so much more to see any do, even without leaving the island.

Activities

  • I suspect many people visit Oahu to experience the history of Pearl Harbor. The museum and grounds are free to visit and easy to navigate. 

    • We visited the USS Arizona, which involves a short boat ride out to the memorial and a few minutes to walk around and learn about the site. It is free to visit, but you need to make a reservation in advance at nps.gov 

    • We didn’t make it to other memorials in the Pearl Harbor area, but I have heard that the USS Missouri battleship tour is really amazing and worth doing.

  • Near the center of the island is the Dole Plantation, which we only visited because a friend said it was her favorite thing in Hawaii. It is actually unexpectedly amazing and you could spend nearly a whole day there exploring the different activities they have onsite. We did the train ride, which takes you on a tour of the plantation and informs you of the history of the site, a history of pineapples, and a bit about the many other plants currently grown on the plantation.

  • The Polynesian Cultural Center was another amazing stop on my tour of Oahu, and came highly recommended. Arrive early in the day for a guided tour of the Islands of Polynesia displays, or arrive anytime for a self-guided tour. There are many activity stations along the way such as taste-testing poi, learning hula, exploring traditional-style polynesian houses and huts, and a boat ride at the end of the tour. It is pretty expensive, but I highly recommend getting tickets for a buffet or luau meal and Ha Breath of Life show. Both are absolutely worth it. You’ll get to try a variety of different foods, and then view a live-action narrative show with dancing, music, and fire breathing. I had high hopes for this place, and the Polynesian Cultural Center absolutely met them.

  • We only saw the outside of Iolani Palace in Honolulu, which was beautiful, but you can tour the inside if you arrive early enough in the day.

Even though Oahu is not my favorite of the Hawaiian islands, is it nonetheless an amazing place. There is so much to do, lots of history, and has great beaches. If I ever make it back to Oahu, I have more on my list I would like to see and do!