What to do in Oahu

If you’re looking for a relaxing vacation, look no further than the Lanikai Beach area of Oahu. Usually when we travel, I tend to pack a ton of activities into each day, since I want to make the most out of each chance to travel we get. But traveling to Hawaii is a great chance to slow down and go with the flow. Here are a few things we did during our week vacation to Oahu.

Watch the Sunrise

One of the most wonderful part of this trip was waking up every morning to walk along the beach and watch the sunrise. If you’re on California time, like me, it should be much easier to make that early wake up time. Each morning looked different, some were pink with restless waves, some were warm and fiery.

Go for a Hike (or 2 or 3)

As basic as it sounds, we enjoyed Diamond Head, as it’s a relatively do-able incline with gorgeous views the whole way. There’s even a refreshment stand in the parking lot for after you finish. Just be ready for those steps at the end.

We also went to on the Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail. We didn’t like this one as much as it was pretty steep the whole way, although it looks easy as it’s paved. The trail is also in pretty direct sunlight for the whole way. So if you go, I would start out early in the morning.

And of course, if you’re near Lanikai Beach, check out the pillbox hike. We didn’t get to go as it’s undergoing renovations, but I heard the views are breathtaking.

Spend your Afternoons on Lanikai Beach

Pack yourself a picnic and head on down to Lanikai Beach. We were lucky enough to book an airbnb that was a 5 minute walk from a beach access point.

Visit Byodo-in

This is actually a replica of a temple that is in Uji, Japan. It’s the temple on the 10 yen coin. If you’re looking for a change of pace from beaches and hikes, check out Byodo-in. Don’t be alarmed, but to get to this temple, you have to drive through a cemetery. There’s a moderate-sized parking lot next to the temple and general admission is $5.

Eat All the Things

My personal favorites were Island Vintage Shaved Ice for their generous and varied toppings and Marukame Udon for the nostalgia factor, as I used to eat here before my Japanese lessons when I lived in Kobe.