O’ahu, Hawai’i

Overview

O’ahu is home to Hawaii’s population center, Honolulu. The city has over 400k residents, and O’ahu has 900k residents. If you isolate yourself to Waikiki, you’ll likely be disappointed–it’s a 3mi by 3 block stretch in the middle of a standard, bustling city.

Bustling city. Diamond Head in center, Waikiki buildings on right.

You have to plan your visit around traffic

O’ahu has some of the worst traffic in the US. There’s only a few thoroughfares into a narrow strip of land that packs schools, downtown, and Waikiki. Unlike other Hawaii islands, you need to plan your vacation ahead of time, around traffic, or you’ll spend those days sitting in a car.

Where to stay

There’s Waikiki, which is fun for a few nights to see the street life, the beach at night, and eat good food. Otherwise, it’s not the prettiest beach or area. AirBnBs are probably the best route to go, anywhere on the South shore (Diamond Head to Hawaii Kai). The North Shore has Turtle Bay and a few other hotels that are pricier but quite nice.

Double rainbows are a frequent sight in the winter and spring

Consider the winter

Hawaii never gets that hot or cold, and if you travel between New Year’s and Memorial Day, or Labor Day to Thanksgiving, you can get great airfare deals.

Global warming has a part to play here. The rainy season can be delightful. It usually never rains an entire day; it’ll downpour and then sun will shine through. The summers are often >90deg, so if you’re in an AirBnB without air conditioning (mostly only condos and hotels have AC), it’ll be hot.

Pali Lookout

Makapu’u Trail Lookout

Top Eats

Waiola’s Shave Ice. This is the best shave ice you’ll get, seriously. Forget the rest. Try the adzuki bean bowl. Great flavors: lychee, lilikoi, coconut, li hing.
Gina’s Korean BBQ. You’ll get about 3 people’s worth of food out of one plate, plus all the Korean banchan you can fit.
Koko Head Cafe. It’s a small market with fresh food section. Though it looks like takeout, it’s gourmet, with selections of meat like ahi sandwiches. Perfect to get an early lunch take-out for later to avoid the crowds.

Waiola’s Shave Ice