Hey everyone, it's Madalyn and this video is
all about what to expect when traveling to the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Oahu is an incredible
vacation destination and we think there are a few things you should know before heading out on
your trip. If you find this video helpful be sure to give it a like and if you want to see more
videos like this hit that subscribe button. Our subscribers help shape our future adventures. If
you stick around until the end of the video we'll discuss our favorite things about our own trip
to Oahu. Let's get started. Know before you go. Oahu is also referred to as the gathering place
because it's the most populated of the Hawaiian islands and attracts millions of tourists
each year. Honolulu is the capital city of Hawaii and was once home to the Hawaiian monarchy
which you can learn more about by visiting the Iolani palace. Big wave surfing originated
on Oahu with the father of modern surfing Duke Kahanamoku. Each winter several popular
surfing competitions are held on the north shore. By law all beaches are public beaches in Hawaii,
even high-end resorts have to provide public parking for beach access.
Things to do. Hanauma
Bay Hanauma Bay State Park is one of the most accessible and most popular spots to snorkel
on Oahu. You do need to reserve a time slot ahead of time and they will have you watch a short
video about reef safety before entering the water. Entry into the park is $25 with a three dollar
parking fee. You'll walk down into the bay and snorkel in beautiful blue water. You can
bring your own snorkel gear or rent some to use while at the park. Be sure to have reef
safe sunscreen whenever you go snorkeling. Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is
a must do if you are on Oahu. We all learn about the history of what happened
at Pearl Harbor and how that prompted the US to enter World War II but it doesn't prepare you
for what it's like to visit the memorial itself. You reserve a time slot and a ferry boat takes you
out to the USS Arizona Memorial where you can take in the wreckage of the ship below.
Tickets to
the memorial are free but advanced reservations are recommended. Iolani Palace The Iolani Palace
is the only royal palace in the United States. We love visiting this grand estate and learning
about the history of the monarchy in Hawaii. You'll walk the palace halls
and learn about King Kalakaua and his sister Liliokalani the last king
and queen of Hawaii. Kualoa Ranch Oahu is an incredibly popular filming location for
some of the most memorable movies of all time. If you head over to Kualoa Ranch you'll be able
to see the valley where they film movies such as Jurassic Park and Jumanji. You can take atv
tours horseback ride or zipline through the park we simply took the bus tour and loved
seeing famous sites that felt so familiar. Makapuu Lighthouse this paved two-mile round-trip
hike will take you up to incredible views of the island and the ocean below the hike does gain 500
feet in elevation and does not offer much shade but the views are well worth the hike up you
may come across people fishing in this area and it's best to leave that to the
experienced locals. Makapuu lighthouse is a perfect spot for whale watching in
the winter months.
Ko'alina Resort lagoons on the west side of Oahu you can find the very
popular Ko'alina resort area this is where you'll find the Four Seasons and the Disney Auluani
resort the four man-made lagoons are a great place to lounge with the entire thing. They're
calm and you don't have to worry about any rough surf as you snorkel and enjoy fun in the sun.
Waikiki Beach quite possibly the most famous beach in all of Hawaii this popular city beach
area stretches the south shore of Oahu. If you're staying in this area you'll find this beautiful
beach is just steps from your hotel here you can also explore downtown Honolulu and enjoy shopping
and nightlife. Diamond Head state monument diamond head is one of the most recognizable formations in
all of Hawaii.
The Diamond Head trail allows you the opportunity to hike around the rim of the long
dormant volcano at the top you enjoy beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean in Honolulu below.
The hike of Diamond Head is just over a mile and a half round trip. Coco Crater Coco Crater is
one of the most popular spots for hiking in Oahu the cone rises up 1208 feet and to reach it you
have to hike up 1048 railroad tie stairs. We did not hike up on this trip but we enjoyed taking
it in from the ground below. The Dole Plantation Pineapples have long been a
staple of Hawaiian agriculture and a trip to the Dole Plantation will
show you precisely where they come from. You can ride the train out into the
plantation, wander through the pineapple maze and admire native Hawaiian flowers in the
gardens.
We stopped in for a dole whip and some pineapple. Pineapple in Hawaii just taste
better. Surfing Oahu has some of the best surfing in the world on the north shore you'll find
where they host the annual surfing competitions you can book lessons in Waikiki and learn how to
take part in this traditional Hawaiian pastime. Waimea Valley Nature Preserve Located on the north
side of the island you'll find the Waimea Valley Nature Preserve. Not only is this a beautiful
place to explore waterfalls in Hawaiian landscape but it's also home to the toa luau which we cannot
recommend enough if you're looking for a luau to attend while on your trip. Visit the state capitol
building we can't visit a capital city without swinging by the capitol building. Honolulu state
house is one of the most modern we've seen which makes sense considering it was the most recent
one built in the United States. Eat Great Food We had so many amazing meals while on Oahu.
Some favorites include Helena's Hawaiian food, Marukami Udon and Giovanni's Shrimp Truck among
many others. We'll put a link to our Oahu food tour in the description below.
Where to Stay We
have an entire video discussing where to stay on our channel which we'll put a link to in the
description below but here's the short version Waikiki Waikiki Beach is where you'll find the
most hotels and resorts on Oahu Prince Waikiki, The Modern Honolulu, The Westin and the Hilton are
all great options in this area. The North Shore the famous Turtle Bay Resort is where you'll want
to stay if you're looking at the north shore. It's a beautiful area and one that we would love
to experience in the future ko'olina resorts this is where you're going to find the Four Seasons and
the Disney Aulani resort. You'll enjoy beautiful beaches and plenty of opportunities for golfing
and nightlife. As I mentioned at the start of the video we'll now discuss our own trip to Oahu. What
was your favorite thing you did while visiting Oahu? For me my favorite part of Oahu was Hanauma
Bay. It's really a premium experience.
The bay is absolutely beautiful and the snorkeling was really
some of the best we did in any Hawaiian island we visited and I like the fact that they limit the
number of individuals who can actually visit because it keeps crowds at a minimum so you do
really get to explore the bay and it's also a really nice beach, so even if you're not big
into snorkeling it's a great beach to go lay at and beaches can be a bit more crowded in Oahu
because there's more people. So it works for a lot of different reasons and it was just really
a terrific experience the day we were there. I would have to say my favorite thing was Kualoa
Ranch. I absolutely loved feeling like I stepped into Jurassic Park and seeing that incredible
landscape that we've seen in so many movies before and we did just do the bus tour which was great
we got to see everything but but on the way out we saw people driving in on atvs and that looked like
a lot of fun so I think if we went back uh i would definitely want to do an atv tour or maybe even
like a horseback riding tour through Kualoa Ranch but that had to be my favorite part.
If you
want to see more from our adventures in Oahu click right here. Don't forget to subscribe
and we'll catch you on the next one. things to do oahu
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