Exploring Paradise: Oahu, Hawaii

There's no place in the world that I've seen so far, that gives me the same excitement as visiting Hawaii. Maybe it's the peaceful ocean breeze, the warm sand in between my toes or the amazing locals you bump into at every stop...

After visiting Oahu, multiple times, this time around I wanted to step away from downtown Waikiki and the typical tourist attractions that this island has to offer.

Here are some of my go-to places to visit on the island:

Ko Olina Beach Lagoon has 4 lagoons that block the harsh waves from hitting the shore. It's a great place is you just want to float around and relax. The lagoons do get a little busy and parking is limited (not as bad as Waikiki Beach), but the sunsets there are the best!

The Spitting Cave is a short 20-30 minute drive from downtown Waikiki. It was a nice spot to watch the locals cliff jump, approximately 70 feet to the water. The Spitting Cave is also a quite place to get away from the crowds, have a picnic or watch the water spit out from the cave below you.

Side note: There are no signs that point you in the direction of the Spitting Cave. The GPS will bring you to a residential area and between some homes there will be a small path that will lead you to the cave.

After speaking with some locals, they told us that Lanikai Pillbox Hike, also known as Kaiwa Ridge Trail, was the best scenic hike on Oahu. The Pillbox Hike was truly amazing, with stunning views overlooking Lanikai Beach below. It is a steady uphill, incline for the whole hike, taking approximately 1-1.5 hour round trip to visit all 3 pillboxes (approx 30 minutes to the first pillbox). In my opinion, all 3 pillboxes have quite similar views, but the first pillbox was the most crowded. We ended up going to the second pillbox for some nice shots. The view throughout the hike is quite amazing. You get some great views of the shoreline of Waimanalo Bay and Chinaman's Hat.

Bubbies homemade ice cream and desserts have the best mochi ice cream, with some pretty unique flavours. They sell out fairly quickly on some of the flavours, but I was able to get my hands on a few to try: lilikoi (passionfruit), lychee and sakura (cherry blossom). They were all so delicious, I wish I could've tried more :)

Mai Tai Bar, located in the Royal Hawaiian Resort is one of Waikiki's beachfront bar and the closest you'd get to drinking on the beach. I love their variety of Mai Tai options and small snack items on their menu, as well. It's a great place to sit down, people watch and wait for the sun to set.

I highly recommend Parasailing if you're looking for a fun water activity. We checked out Xtreme Parasail to book our water sport adventures, which included parasailing and jet skiing. We were sent 1,000 feet up in the air on the parasail, which gave an amazing view of Diamond Head, downtown Honolulu & the south shores of Oahu.

Makapu'u Tide Pools, just off of the Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail, is a hidden local spot. You'll have to hike down an unpaved, steep decline on the edge of a cliff. I'd recommend bringing some runners with good grip or water shoes to the tide pools. Watch out for big waves approaching the pools, as the waves can push you off the rocks and edge of the pool. But the views from the Makapu'u Tide Pools are truly breathtaking.

Daydreaming of warm sand and sunsets,

Meg

Instagram: megglau