Often considered the weakest of the Hawaiian islands, Oahu does have some treasures worth exploring.

How long to stay?

We have visited Oahu a couple of times. Oahu tends to get a bit of a bad rap because it tends to lack personality compared to the other Hawaiian islands. Yes, that’s true if you just stay in Waikiki. It just feels like a generic large city (though placed right next to the beach). If the whole island were like Waikiki, I’d say don’t bother staying here longer than two nights–mostly to be used as a brief visit in between other islands.

However, location is king and that’s especially important on Oahu. The second time we stayed, we ended up in the Ko Olina area on the west side of the island. Suddenly, it felt much more like the other Hawaiian experiences we’ve come to love. We stayed a total of four nights in Ko Olina, which was perfect. That gave enough time for some simple exploration of the island and plenty of time at the beach.

What we did

The Dole Plantation

Oahu is filled with big production sites compared to the other Hawaiian islands. One of them is the well-maintained grounds of the Dole Plantation. You could easily compare it to the Maui Tropical Plantation. The big difference is that the Maui version feels more authentically local while the Dole Plantation feels like a corporation.

You’ll find a few things to do here, including their Pineapple Express train that takes you around the property. It’s a cute ride to experience once, especially for children who would better appreciate the novelty of it. The train can get crowded, so don’t be surprised to find a wait to get on the train.

There’s also a hedge maze here, which is something I have always enjoyed since I’m just a kid at heart. If you downloaded the app, you could keep track of when you found all the hidden locations within the maze. We weren’t rushing through it and the app said it took me 25 minutes to explore the hedge maze in its entirety. That’s a pretty large maze!

In total, we spent about three hours here, including time to eat lunch at the plantation. We liked it, but probably wouldn’t return the next time we’re in town. Once you’ve been here once, you’ve done it all.

Turtle Beach

Located on the north end of the island, Turtle Beach lives up to its name. If you wanted to see turtles, there’s no better place on the island (or arguably all of Hawaii). Turtles seem to be here at all times of the day. You can get close enough to pose for a photo but remember it’s against the law to get closer than 10 feet from them. They are an endangered species, so please show them the respect they deserve.

The beach here isn’t the best for humans. So you’re probably not going to stay here for longer than 30 minutes. There otherwise isn’t too much to see on the north end, so you’ll have to decide if it’s worth it to make the trek. If you have a car and went to the Dole Plantation, it’s not unreasonable to keep driving another half an hour up the road to come here. Who doesn’t like to see turtles in the wild?

Diamond Head

One of the most popular things to do on the island is go visit Diamond Head. There is an expansive hiking trail here at the crater, which offers a nice escape for those staying in nearby Waikiki. The hiking trail is 1.6 miles roundtrip with some elevation. Expect it to take about two hours to do the walk as you’re bound to end up taking photos along the way.

Or at least that’s what Jenn recalls from a prior visit. When we went, we arrived around 10:30AM only to find it was incredibly packed the whole way. Despite having paid for entry into the area, there wasn’t any space for us to park. Thus, we ended up leaving empty-handed.

If you plan to come here, your best bet is to come early. Reservations are required for non-locals.

Halona Blowhole

I’ve long heard there are only three blowholes in the world, but if you look online you’ll find discrepancies on where the three are located. I’m not a geologist and can’t confirm which are blowholes, but it seems widely accepted the Halona Blowhole is indeed a blowhole. That’s good since, really, that’s what everyone calls this.

While you’re here, you’ll see jets of water poofing into the sky based on the energy generated by the ocean’s waves. Sadly, I didn’t take a picture of the eruptions as they were happening. But take it from me that it’s worth spending half an hour taking in the scene here. Just don’t go into the water. As you might imagine, there is a strong current here.

Thankfully, if you do drive here, there is plenty of free parking available for you. You’ll find the blowhole on the southeast corner of the island.

Pearl Harbor National Memorial

Sadly, this is one attraction I don’t have a photo of from our time here. I’m sure that you know the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Pearl Harbor. The site has been transformed into a special memorial directly above the location of where the USS Arizona sank. There is so much history here and it felt a bit overwhelming as we visited.

If you haven’t come here to pay your respects yet, I’d highly recommend it. Coming here will take you out of your Hawaiian beach element, but that only helps to amplify the impact of the devastation. In the middle of an island paradise is a grave reminder of the frailty of human life.

A reservation to visit is strongly recommended. This is also one of the cheapest activities out there, only costing $1 to visit the memorial (though parking is $7).

Where we ate

MonkeyPod Kitchen (Ko Olina)

Our first ever visit to a Monkeypod was here at the Ko Olina location, and we’ve been seeking them out ever since. The food is delicious and the service is spot-on despite the large crowds. What causes the large crowds to come? Their excellent daily happy hour from 3:30PM to 5:00PM offers a nice discount on drinks and half off appetizers. You might think that’s too early to eat dinner, but if your body didn’t adjust to the local time, you might actually be hungry around this time.

Young children (under 3) can get free noodles and cheese, which is a nice extra. But don’t be surprised if your child decides to steal some food from your plate. Reservations are highly recommended, especially if you want to be here for happy hour.

Roy’s Ko Olina

Another option in Ko Olina is Roy’s, which is a famous chain of Hawaiian restaurants. This isn’t the original Roy’s, but it’s still a decent option for a nicer meal. You’re probably only going to come to this location if you’re staying in the area (or Monkeypod is too crowded). The dishes have fresh ingredients and a local flair. The prices are a little high, but not out of place for other comparable restaurants on the island.

We liked the food, but part of the problem was that we went to Monkeypod the night before and it didn’t fare quite as well comparatively. On the plus side, Roy’s does have a children’s menu and entrees come with a small ice cream sandwich for dessert.

Duke’s Waikiki

Speaking of Hawaiian chain restaurants, we ended up in Duke’s Waikiki one day for lunch. If staying in the Waikiki area, stopping by Duke’s is going to be a good option. It’s an institution and a popular option right on the beach. Just make sure you make a reservation or expect a wait.

As you might expect, they serve Hawaiian food. The drinks here are tasty and fairly strong. Unless you are absolutely starving, you don’t need the lunch buffet. The regular options are delicious but expect high prices. I don’t need to remind you that you’re on an island.

There are kids meals here too, and young Alex refused to share with us. If that’s not a positive sign for how much he enjoyed the food, I don’t know what is.

Aulani character buffet (Makahiki)

So, yes, we have gone to a lot of Disney theme parks. Was there a chance we would miss coming to the Aulani resort to get a literal taste of Disney? Possibly, but we decided to come here anyways. The Makahiki buffet is your typical Disney character buffet. In fact, I could end the conversation with a mic drop at this point and you would know everything you need to know. But let’s peel back the onion a bit here.

The Aulani resort is located in Hawaii but does not feel like you’re in Hawaii. It feels like you left the state and showed up at Downtown Disney or Disney Springs. Gone is the relaxing, laid-back feel that embodies Hawaii. Instead you’ll be surrounded by long lines and huge crowds. There was a noticeable energy in the air that felt like everyone was trying to optimize their visit. To say it was stressful was an understatement.

The buffet featured long lines to get in the door. The character visits while eating were nice and the food was decent. And the dinner does come with a presentation/storytelling. That makes it in some ways feel like a luau, but without all of the stuff that makes luaus engaging.

It might seem like it’s coming across as though we didn’t enjoy it. I think it’s fine enough if you’re comparing it to other things that Disney offers elsewhere in the world. It’s Disney on the beach, how bad can it be! But on the other hand, we came to Hawaii for a nice, relaxing trip and that was definitely not what we got here.

Where we stayed

Four Seasons Ko Olina

This was our first and only stay at a Four Seasons. Needless to say, we were hopeful to receive excellent service here and the hotel did not disappoint. The service and the hotel itself was well-polished. We booked the hotel using cash given the lack of point options. However, we were able to book it under the Four Seasons Preferred Partner program to receive benefits like a one-category room upgrade and free breakfast.

The Four Seasons shares the same beach as the Aulani–in fact, it’s right next door to it. And frankly, the differences between the resorts were overtly obvious. The Four Seasons side of the beach lacked any crowds while the Aulani side had many people unable to find a seat.

We were here for the Fourth of July fireworks, which again showcased the difference between the resorts. If you want to view the fireworks at the Aulani, you need grab a seat hours in advance (there are a lot of Disney loyalists here who know to come early). Meanwhile, the Four Seasons had more chairs than people viewing the fireworks from the beach.

You might wonder my fascination on the Aulani comparisons but it’s only natural. For the dates we came here, the price of the stay at the Aulani was the same as at the Four Seasons. It’s safe to say we made the right choice.

Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach

I unfortunately don’t have a picture of our stay here, but the Hyatt Place is as advertised. You might be located in a taller building than you’re used to being in when at a Hyatt Place, but don’t expect anything special here. The service was just OK, but that was expected. We didn’t get a chance to try out the free breakfast since we had an early morning appointment.

This isn’t the place I would come to if coming here on a relaxing vacation. If you’re looking to relax in Hawaii, I’d choose a proper resort closer to the water. But if you’re here for a short overnight layover, the Hyatt Place isn’t a bad choice.

What do you like to do on Oahu?