Oahu, Hawaii
Since I was a little girl, I can remember thinking about the day I would take my husband to Hawaii. When I was attending school at BYU-Hawaii the thought came back to me that someday I would bring my future spouse back to my old stomping grounds. Ever since Robby and I got married I’ve talked about how badly I want to take him to meet family there, see where my mom grew up, where I went to college, and where I made countless memories with my family on vacations. The fact that Robby had never been to Hawaii made this trip that much more special. Here is a full breakdown of what our trip itinerary looked like:
Day 1 - Travel Day
This was a stressful travel day, to say the least. We spent the day anxiously waiting for our Covid-19 test results, packing, and traveling to Hawaii. We originally booked a non-stop flight to leave later in the morning and arrive before the sun would set on Oahu. Our plans changed to a later layover flight that didn’t leave until the afternoon. We got our Covid-19 test results in the nick of time and ended up getting a flight from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles, and then from Los Angeles to Honolulu. After our arrival in Honolulu that night, we did the mandatory COVID-19 check-in and picked up our rental car for the week. We drove into Kailua where our Airbnb was and settled in.
Here is a link to the mandatory app/website Travel Safe Hawaii you’ll need to register through if you’re planning on traveling to Hawaii.
Here is a link to the participating travel partners where you can get a valid Covid-19 test done.
Here is a link to the Walgreens Covid-19 testing portal that Robby and I used. These Diagnostic Lab Test (PCR) tests took about 28 hours for us to get back.
Day 2 - North Shore
Our first full day on Oahu was a golf day. We woke up early to eat some McDonald’s breakfast, then headed up to the North Shore to catch our tee-time at Turtle Bay Resort. Robby golfed 18 beautiful holes. It was a course and round of golf we’ll remember for years to come. The course had recommended booking earlier in the day to experience that morning mist and nostalgia, and we would both highly recommended an early tee-time as well. The weather was great and the views were amazing!
After golf, we headed to Haleiwa for a famous Matsumoto’s Shave Ice, then stopped at Sunset Beach where my parents got engaged. We drove back along Kamehameha Highway taking in all the amazing views of the North Shore. We ate garlic shrimp (my favorite) lunch at Fumi’s Shrimp Truck, located just outside of Kahuku. I’ve craved that garlic shrimp for years so it was nice to finally satisfy that craving!
We spent the afternoon back in Kailua, visiting my family and stocking up on food for the week before eating dinner at Oneawa: a hole-in-the-wall liquor store in Kailua that has the best plate lunch my family has ever had. The exterior—and interior—looks a little sketchy, but it’s so so good!! A hidden gem on Oahu, for sure!
~ Tip #1 ~
If you’re staying for longer than 4 days, do some grocery shopping; grab some snacks and essentials for the beach. The prices may look scary at the store, but you’ll end up saving more in the end.
Day 3 - Waikiki
We spent the morning enjoying Kailua Beach, a 4-minute walk from our beach house. We watched the kite-surfers and waves come in as the wind picked up for the day. We had lunch at Maui Tacos in Kailua when the rain started to come in.
After our morning at the beach, we decided to escape the rain and head to the other side of the island to check out Waikiki. We stopped and saw the classic Duke Paoa Kahanamoku statue and ate the best shave ice at Vintage Shave Ice. My sister-in-law recommended this place and it’s unreal. It’s made with more natural fruits and toppings, rather than just sugar-water. It’s authentic and the presentation is beautiful. Worth a stop if you’re in Waikiki. We love the Heavenly Lilikoi! We shopped around and ended up getting fun henna tattoos as well! Robby’s turned out so good!
Day 4 - North Shore
We woke up to a full-on DOWNPOUR this day. I originally had surprised Robby with another round of golf, but by 8am that was canceled. We improvised and decided to do some shopping in Honolulu at Ala Moana Shopping Center. On the way into town, we made a quick pit-stop at Pali Lookout to see one of my favorite views of Kailua and the rest of the windward side of the island.
Ala Moana is insane. It’s a 4-story mega-mall that has SO MANY SHOPS. You could easily spend an entire day there. It’s a great option for a rainy day.
We took Kamehameha highway and looped around the island to see the famous Dole Plantation and eat the original Dole Whip. If you’re going to make the trip to that area, it’s worth the stop. They’ve got a maze to walk through, a train ride that takes you all around the plantation, and some goodies and treats inside. It’s a great activity with kids!
We drove along Kamehameha Highway which took us back up to the North Shore. We managed to wade through some serious flooding in Laie to see Laie Point, the Laie Temple, my old stomping grounds of BYU-Hawaii, and a few beaches I would go to when I was at school there. One beach we stopped at was Temple Beach, just down the road from the Laie Temple. It’s the beach where my mom was baptized, which was cool to show Robby. Seeing the BYU-Hawaii campus was surreal. So much has changed since I was going to school and playing basketball there in 2013-2014. I showed Robby my old dorm and the gym that we played our games in. We snuck in a kiss on campus which was my first kiss on campus! LOL.
We headed back down Kamehameha Highway towards Kailua and stopped at North Shore Tacos for dinner. This spot is a must if you’re in the area. It’s a Cafe Rio/Costa Vida vibe if you’re into that!
We got some dessert back in Kailua at Frost Kailua, a frozen yogurt joint that is really cute!
Day 5 - Waikiki
Our day in town was a walking day. We woke up early to drive to Aloha Stadium for the Swap Meet. We walked around and got to look at so many different handmade jewelry stands, t-shirt tents, yummy food, and beautiful artwork. We snagged some goodies for our little baby boy as well as some souvenirs for ourselves. It was a nice sunny day which made for a humid and hot morning!
~ Tip # 2 ~
Pack a souvenir bag. What does that mean? Simply bring a duffle bag inside of your suitcase when you travel to Hawaii. You’ll thank yourself later when you’re trying to figure out how to fit all your souvenirs in your suitcase for the return flight home. You can carry the duffle as a carry-on home.
After the Swap Meet, we headed over to the Pearl Harbor Memorial, practically across the street. We were unable to snag tickets to the USS Arizona Memorial, but we did get to do the tour of the Battleship Missouri. If you’re hoping to experience Pearl Harbor, buy your tickets ahead of time online, you’ll need to reserve a time slot to ensure that you’ll see and experience everything you want.
We made a pit stop at Iolani Palace before we headed over to Waikiki Beach. We arrived at Iolani Palace too late in the day to do a tour, so if you’re wanting to see where ancient Hawaiian royalty lived, you’ll need to buy tickets early and online. We walked downtown Waikiki and enjoyed the views and people-watching. We had late lunch/early dinner at Duke’s Waikiki, right on the beach. After our dinner, we spent an hour or two swimming in the rain at Waikiki Beach, which was a fun memory!
~ Tip # 3 ~
The sun sets on the leeward side of the island. That being said, there is no such thing as a bad sunset in Hawaii. If you’re wanting to get the best view of one, the leeward side (Honolulu or Waianae) is your best option.
Day 6 - North Shore
We went on a morning drive down to Makapu’u to watch the surfers and boogie boarders do their thing before heading to Lanikai Beach. This was our best beach day. We sat out for an hour or two and just enjoyed the beach, the water, and the sun. We decided to hike Pillbox in the middle of the day, which was super humid but I’m proud of myself and my pregnant little bump for trekking up to the top! The views of Lanikai and Kailua were worth it! If you’re planning on hiking Pillbox, plan on getting dirty/muddy. We ate L&L plate lunch on the go in the car on our way to the North Shore that afternoon.
We spent the afternoon at the Polynesian Culture Center. They are in the process of a phased opening so the villages were not fully up and running. We at least got to take a canoe ride around the center, learn some hula, and see a show put on by the island of Samoa. We ended the night enjoying the Hale Aloha Luau and the Ha: Breath of Life night show then had to stop at Seven Brothers for chocolate shakes.
~ Tip # ~
If you’re going to go to the Polynesian Culture Center, then buy the Exclusive Alii Luau package tickets. This gives you access to all the villages, activities throughout the day, the Hale Aloha Luau, and the Ha: Breath of Life night show. It is well worth it! I promise!
Day 7 - South Shore
We woke up early for our last full day on the island. We got to Hanauma Bay just in time for it to open and snorkeled for 4 hours on and off. We got to see some crazy fish and spotted plenty of Humuhumunukunukuapua’a. Hanauma Bay doesn’t offer any food options with Covid right now, so we packed a lunch and enjoyed that on the beach there.
~ Tip # ~
The parking lot at Hanauma Bay fills up quickly. If you’re planning on going, get there early, rent snorkel equipment before, and pack a lunch/snacks. It can be an all-day activity.
After snorkeling, we ate lunch at Chronic Tacos and did a quick maternity photoshoot with Haileyann Photography at Portlock Beach. The photos turned out so beautiful! You can see a full post on it here. We had to eat the Heavenly Lilikoi at Vintage Shave Ice one last time so we drove into downtown Waikiki before heading back to our Airbnb.
Day 8 - Travel Day
We woke up really early to check out of our Airbnb, then made the 30-minute drive back into Honolulu to the airport to drop off the rental car. We caught our flight out of Honolulu and headed to Los Angeles. We had a short layover in Los Angeles before arriving back home in Salt Lake that evening with enough time to drive home.
Our trip was so fun! The weather was a little crazy at times and wasn’t ideal but it never seemed to bother us or ruin any major plans. We were able to do everything we wanted to do, and more! It was a relaxing, yet adventure-filled trip that allowed us to make lots of memories! I’m so glad that I got to take Robby to a place that means so much to me and my family. It’s where my heritage is from, where my mom grew up, where I played college basketball, and where some of my family still lives. Hawaii is a place so near and dear to my heart and I’m so grateful that we got to spend our baby-moon enjoying it together. Until next time.
Where We Stayed:
This place was PERFECT. It had such great reviews on Airbnb and looked amazing. It was the ideal spot for our stay: located in a quiet neighborhood and just a short walk from Kailua Beach.
Kailua Palm Studio Airbnb
Places To Eat:
These are a few of the spots we stopped at during our trip, as well as some go-to’s that my family enjoys eating at whenever we visit.
Leeward-Side/Waikiki
Duke’s Waikiki
Dole Plantation
Chronic Tacos
Island Vintage Shave Ice
Things To Do:
Here are a few of the things we experienced during our baby-moon and many that we didn’t do this trip. There are so many endless things to do and see while on Oahu.
Leeward-Side/ Waikiki
Ala Moana Shopping Center
Dole Plantation
Swap Meet at Aloha Stadium
Pearl Harbor
Iolani Palace
Honolulu Zoo
Diamond Head Crater Hike
Beaches:
Here few beaches that I’ve gone to countless times and love. We visited a few of these beaches during our trip.
Wayward-Side
Kailua Beach
Lanikai Beach (kid-friendly)
Makapu’u Beach
North Shore
Clissold’s Beach (kid-friendly)
Sunset Beach
Temple Beach
Leeward-Side/ Waikiki
Waikiki Beach (kid-friendly)
Portlock Beach
Hanauma Bay
Where have you stayed when you’ve traveled to Oahu? What activities did you experience while visiting? Leave a comment below of any “must-eats” or “must-dos” that I’m missing.
