What Are the Best Things to Do in Honolulu and Oahu, Hawaii?

What's going on everybody? This is Island Hopper TV and today we're going to show you the best things to do in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. If you think there's just surf and sand here in Honolulu, get ready for hidden hikes into volcanic craters and check out some historical places from the largest city and the capital of Hawaii. Let's begin. First up, here we are at Waikiki Beach. Before it was a world famous tourist destination, this was home to Hawaiian kings and queens who came here to surf and lead the people of Hawaii, known as the Kamaaina, which literally means the people of the land. Surfing as we know it today actually originated here thanks to surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku, who actually came from here in Waikiki. Right next to Waikiki is Diamond Head Crater. You can actually hike into this crater and then up onto the viewpoint looking down into Waikiki. You can get a good sunset or a morning sunrise. Make sure you bring plenty of water and plan accordingly. Now here we are at Hanama Bay. This place is known for its snorkeling. It is a beautiful beach. It is a natural preserve. Sometimes they close it just to protect the marine life that's in here. I've seen everything from eels to octopuses and tropical fish while here. The entrance fee does start at $25 for each guest. Now let's talk about snorkeling. So snorkeling anywhere in Hawaii is popular, but definitely all across Oahu there's going to be plenty of options to snorkel including here at Hanama Bay. You can rent snorkels or buy your own, bring your own from wherever you're coming from. Now let's talk about getting a rental car because how you're going to get around Hawaii is very important. So do consider getting a rental car when you arrive and taking the Pali Highway. So the Pali Highway will take you from Honolulu all the way to the other side of the island known as the windward side. Honolulu being on the leeward side of the island. So lots to know about all that, but the highway is a bit of an engineering marvel as you can see. Let's get over here to Lanikai. So Lanikai is in a residential community. Getting to the beach can be crowded especially on weekends and holidays, so plan accordingly. Again try and get there when it's not so crowded because parking is very sparse. There are two little islands off the shore. They're known as the Mokes. That's Mokulua Islands and you can actually get out there by a kayak or canoe. Some people even take a paddleboard. Do be sure to check the weather conditions before actually venturing out onto the water. I always recommend doing that anywhere in Oahu or Hawaii. Always pay attention to local advisories and talk to the locals. If they aren't going out then you shouldn't go out and I say that because some people like to push their luck with the ocean out here. Rip currents are the big thing, the fear out here. Now we're gonna do the pillbox hike. So this old pillbox is a World War II observation deck. People used to sit out here and stand guard watching for enemies who were coming out onto the horizon from any direction and that's what it is. These pillboxes get the name because they look like little pill boxes but they're just World War II observation decks kind of hunkered into the actual island. I would say the hike is of medium difficulty. You should watch out for strong winds and always drink a lot of water before and after going up here. The views down to Lanikai and the Mokes is spectacular. Now here we are at the USS Arizona Memorial. So this was an old World War II battleship that was sunk by the Japanese during the attack on Pearl Harbor and the ship today is actually in its resting place. This is like an battleship graveyard here and it still kind of seeps out oil to this day and it's there as a reminder of that war that happened. It wasn't really easy to remove the actual battleship so they left it there and they made the memorial. You must go online to recreation.gov and reserve the tickets. It is a one dollar per ticket non-refundable reservation fee. If you have a car there is a parking fee. Now here we are at Makapu'u. So if you've got a car you can actually head to this side of the island where Makapu'u is and you can get a beautiful view from the lighthouse looking down at the beach and towards the windward side of the island including beaches like Kailua, Lanikai and Makapu'u. While here you will see people paragliding you can actually go online and research what it would take to actually do a paragliding trip. I've never done that but it looks amazing. For me it's always been enough just to watch them jump off the cliff and then just glide off into the ocean area towards Waimanalo and that beautiful side of the island. Just so spectacular especially with all the colors the bright blue ocean and the green hills and the blue sky. Now we're going back towards Honolulu the actual city itself. This is the Aloha Tower. It's significant because it's seen as a beacon of welcome to visitors coming in on ships and yes you can ride the elevator 10 floors up to the top of the Aloha Tower. Now here we are at the Iolani Palace. This here is a Hawaiian heritage site and tickets range from $32.95 for adults to $14.95 for children. Now here we are at another crater. This is the Cocoa Crater. So if you're looking for another hike, a challenging one and a crater to conquer, come check out the Cocoa Head Trail and this is in between Hanama Bay and Makapu'u. Now let's talk about doing some dolphin tours. They also have shark tours that go out so between dolphins and sharks you may consider which one you want to take. My mom did the shark tour. She loved it but I'm more of a on the boat kind of guy so I like the dolphin tours. Another great way to see the island is by a helicopter. So if you guys are looking to get out there and explore the island by air what better way than a helicopter tour. Those prices range from around $400 per person. You can check out Blue Hawaiian or Magnum Helicopters. The benefit of a helicopter is you can see sacred falls which you can't actually hike out to or visit from the land so seeing it from the air is something that's possible with a helicopter. And what would a trip to Oahu be without doing a Dole Pineapple Farm tour? So if you love pineapples come on out here to the Dole Pineapple Farm. They've actually got a maze that is in the shape of a pineapple and you can try and make your way out of that. And you can even learn to surf here in Honolulu or on the island of Oahu. I recommend doing it here in Waikiki where the waves are a bit more gentle than the North Shore. If you head out to the North Shore they definitely get some big waves. After all they have the bonsai pipeline up there. Prices start from around $80. People who do it they say it's a great experience so look online for a surf school that fits your needs and desires. But don't get me wrong coming up to the North Shore to watch the mega sized waves of the bonsai pipeline out here in Haleiwa definitely worth it to head up to the North Shore. Just keep in mind those big waves they're seasonal. They arrive around November and then stop around March. So if you're looking to catch a surf competition you may get lucky and the big waves will be in town if you're in town during that time frame. There's a lot less accommodation up here. A few Airbnb's so if you're trying to stay up here maybe aim towards around the area of Haleiwa. But accommodation is slim picking so most people stay in Honolulu and then just come up here. But there is another resort area you might want to check out that's called Ko'olina. So over here they have many different resorts and they have several different man-made beaches but they're like kiddie pools. Much calmer flat water and it's white sand. This is the resort area I would say including where the Disney Resort is. I don't typically recommend just coming to Hawaii and spending your whole time at the resorts but you could because they've got everything you could possibly need including good weather. Assuming mother nature is on your side because the weather can vary between rain rainbows and sunshine. Now here we are at the Halona Blowhole. So this is on the leeward side of the island. This is along an ancient lava flow here and it actually is where ocean water pushes through the volcano lava tube and creates a cool fountain. And that's why it's called a blowhole. So now we're moving on to the Byodo Temple. So this is a temple that you can check out on the on the windward side of the island. This here is a non-denominational Buddhist temple and it is located in the valley of the temple's memorial park. It originally opened in 1968. Nearby here is one of the best beaches on the island for relaxing, Waimanalo Beach. Don't skip this one. And around this side of the island you can easily do stand-up paddleboarding. They have some rivers and streams that you can actually rent the paddleboards and paddle up or you can go out into the open ocean. It just depends on the currents of course how far you'll want to go. Also another water sport you can do is outrigger longboat canoes. This is where you go out with a team of paddlers and see how fast you can get going. But this is like a sport here in Hawaii. Now we're actually going to do some golfing. There's many different golf courses on Oahu. So if you're a golfer some of the most beautiful golf courses you'll ever find with great weather. Some of the popular courses are Royal Hawaiian Golf Course or the Turtle Bay Resort which has two courses. So do be sure to check those out. Here we are at another moko. This is Mokoli'i, also known as China Man's Hat. Some people can walk out there when the low tide. They can come in from Oahu's main island. But typically you're going to go out here by kayak or canoe. Some people even swim out here. But yes, some people can walk out here when it's low tide. At the very least if you can watch a sunrise with the Mokoli'i island in the distance. Really beautiful pictures. Another thing I love to do here is chase waterfalls. Some of the most famous waterfalls. Manoa Falls. They also have that awesome hike there. And then you have the Waimea Valley where Waimea Falls is. They have the Sacred Falls which you can only see by helicopter. So be sure to check out some waterfalls. Now here we are at the Kaneohe Sandbar. So you can go out here on a boat tour. Some people kayak or paddleboard. Especially when the water is flat. This is a cool place to snorkel as well. It's a sandbar. Here we are at the Kualoa Ranch Nature Preserve area. This is a cool place to go if you're looking to get out in nature. See the more raw and real side of Oahu. Very scenic out here. Another thing people like to do is skydiving. So you can look that up on Google and see which skydiving opportunities available for you. Another thing is sunset cruise. So you would do a dinner cruise out of Waikiki or maybe another part of the island. Get out there on the water during sunset. Beautiful sunsets out in Hawaii. Hopefully you get clear skies when the sun is setting when you're here. Because sometimes you do get cloud cover. And when you're in Hawaii or Oahu, you may consider going to a luau. So there are several different luau's. Most resorts do a luau. Especially if they're a five star. So look these up when you're in Oahu. Also don't forget to get a sunrise coming from the mainland. You're already going to be jet lagged. So it should be easy to get up early in the morning to catch a beautiful Oahu sunrise. I would say Lanikai Beach or maybe even the Lanikai Pillbox could be great places to get that early morning sunrise. Some people even do it from Hanama Bay up above Cocoa Head even. And on that note, we'll see you on the next one from Maui. Click the link right here.