Oahu Resorts

On the most popular of the Hawaiian Islands there are many resorts for those that want to make their holiday into a relaxing and comfortable time. The following few are some of the best and have a lot to offer for their visitors.

Turtle Bay Resort is located on the North Shore of Oahu; about 45 minutes drive from Honolulu, the city where most action is going on at the island. Turtle Bay gives you opportunities to relax and get away from this intensity, while still being so close that you can go there for a visit if you want to experience the pulse. The resort has about 5 miles of beaches at its site, with clear blue water and soft sand. There are many activities offered at the resort, such as golf, tennis, horse-back riding, surfing schools, fine dining and shopping. In the area are many trails for hiking experiences in lush nature. On the site are also 2 landscaped pools. This is a great option if you are looking for a place to stay with all you can ask for on site, perfect for a relaxed vacation.

If you want your holiday to be truly luxurious, you might want to make Kahala Hotel & Resort your choice. This is the resort where celebrities, presidents and royalties go on their Oahu holiday, and you will most certainly be treated as a king at your stay here. The resort is situated only 10 minutes away from the popular Waikiki Beach and has a lot to offer. Here you find a spa, fitness center, all sorts of leisure activities and even a private lagoon with its own residential dolphins. This is the perfect place for a very special holiday.

Ihilana Resort and Spa is located on the West Shore of Oahu and is another great resort, well worth to pay a visit. The beachfront location is marvelous with a lagoon that makes the water calm and excellent for swimming. At the site are also beautiful landscaped pools and waterways and here you also find a golf course and tennis courts for your entertainment. The Resort also has a great spa and possibilities to involve you in all sorts of marine and land activities. Dining is of high standard as well as the accommodation which makes this place a perfect resort for a relaxed holiday at this beautiful island.

These are some of the best tips for resorts at the island of Oahu. Enjoy your stay!

Oahu Beaches

Oahu is the third biggest island in Hawaii and has 139 beaches to choose from! It has a great variety of beach types, ranging from more secluded ones to others with lots of people and beach activities.

The most famous beach is Waikiki Beach and it is actually made up of five smaller beaches, forming together a two mile long strip of white sand located on Oahu’s south shore. Along the beach you will find lots of hotels and tourist facilities. It’s perfect for people watching, swimming, surfing, boogie boarding, catamaran and outrigger canoe rides. This is the beach where most tourists go.

If you are looking for something more secluded, there are other beaches that you’ll probably prefer. Kualoa Regional Park is situated on the east coast of Oahu and is perfect if you want a enjoy a relaxing day at the beach. It has a stunning location with the Kualoa Mountains in the background and the water here is calm and warm.

Kalama Beach is situated at the south east coast and this area is renowned to have the most beautiful beaches in the whole United States. The water is pretty calm and relaxed here even though it’s possible to do some beginners surfing and bodysurfing at times. This is a relaxed beach with some service facilities but still not over populated.

If you are looking for good surfing beaches, head north. This is where you have the biggest waves in the winter months. Chuns Reef is a sandy and rocky beach for the experienced surfer with consistently large and powerful waves. In the summer months, when the water is calmer, it’s a great beach for snorkeling and swimming. It’s a secluded beach without service facilities.

If you’re looking for a more built up beach but still want big waves, you might prefer Ehukai Beach Park that’s situated just to the east of Chuns Reef. When the surf is pounding, this beautiful North Shore beach can be the most spectacular and the most dangerous in the world. When the waves are steep and powerful, they break furiously on the shallow reef. In calmer months, usually spring and summer, swimming is good over the sandbar.

Hanuma Bay Nature Park is a protected marine life conservation area and underwater park. It is excellent for snorkelling and scuba diving and has a diverse population of marine life and a beautiful large coral reef. Because it’s a protected cove it’s great for beginner divers. This area also provides beautiful beaches for sunbathing, relaxation and picnics. Since it is a National Park there is a small fee to go there and you are required to watch an educational film about the bay while entering the park.

This is a small sample of some of the most beautiful beaches on the Oahu Island. With the great variety this Island offers it’s possible to find whatever type of beach you are looking for.

Waikiki - Honolulu Hawaii

Waikiki is perhaps the most famous (and busiest) spot in the Hawaiian Islands. It’s a beach that you find on the Island Oahu in the city of Honolulu and its host to lots of different tourist facilities and activities. 

If you’re looking for a vacation with some action, fun and nightlife, and you don’t mind staying at a beach that’s filled with loads of other sunbathing tourists, Waikiki is definitely the place for you.

It’s a great place to have as a base if you want to rent a car and drive around the island to see more secluded areas, or you might just get so caught up in the fun here that you don’t want to leave even for a few hours.

The beach here is about 2 miles long and has fine, white sand. It’s the pefect place to learn surfing! You can rent a board and get a lesson for quite cheap and the waves are perfect for beginners. I was able to get up on my third try (styrofoam boards are way easier than fiberglass to learn on). It’s a bit crowded but you get perfect little waves for a good part of the day.

It’s also the perfect beach for people-watching and socializing and there are many stylish bars and restaurants nearby.

All the way along the beach you can find hotels and tourist facilities. If you’re going here in the tourist season e.g. the summer months, you might want to book ahead to make sure you get a nice room. The hotels here are in general a bit more pricy but it’s possible to find something for all budgets if you’re doing some research.

You might want to spend the days on the beach and then do a bit of shopping at Ala Moana Center, which is a large open air market.  A great place to get your souvenirs.

Waikiki also offers some cultural aspects to your holiday. You can visit the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium at the beach, close to Kapiolani Park. It’s a 20-foot-tall memorial archway and is topped by four stone eagles. It was built in 1927 as a reminder of those that was killed in World War I.

You can also visit Saint Augustine Church, built in 1854. A magnificent building that really stands out among the modern buildings in Waikiki.

If you’re visiting Waikiki with kids, or if you simply love animals, you definitely want to go to Waikiki Aquarium. It’s located close to the beach and you find over 400 different species here. The coral reef exhibit offers opportunities to get close to sharks, jellyfishes and sea turtles.

At night, Waikiki turns into a huge scene for nightlife, it’s a great place to watch the sunset and then you can find bars and nightclubs all around the area  with live music, cultural performances and all sorts of entertainment that you can wish for, seven days a week.

This, and so much more adds up to make Waikiki the most sought after spot of Hawaii. A paradise playground just waiting for you.

 

Diamond Head Crater

At Oahu you’ll find one of the most famous landmarks in the whole state of Hawaii. This is Diamond Head Crater which is an extinct volcano. It’s situated near Honolulu and offers a great view of Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. It’s definitely a must see attraction and something you will remember long after you’ve visited it.
It’s easy to get there and you can do the hike to the top either on your own or with a guided tour. It does require some effort since it’s a hike that’s pretty steep here and there, but it’s well worth it. You walk for about half an hour to your first stop. At the half-way stop you get an amazing view of the west side of Oahu. Then you continue upward…
Finally you enter a tunnel that brings you into the mountainside. It’s a bit more than 200 feet of stairs and steep at moments. Your next set of stairs is outside the mountains and takes you all the way up to the top of the Crater. At the top you have a stunning view to look at!
From this point you can watch a great part of the island in all directions. Stay here for a while and refresh yourself with some drinks and a snack. And take loads of pictures of course.
The hike to the top takes all together about an hour and the hike down are about 40 minutes. The Diamond Head Park is open from 6am to 6pm so make sure you have time to arrive to the gates before they close. It’s popular for tourists and if you wish to avoid the biggest tour groups it’s a good idea to either go in the morning or late afternoon.
If you’re in Oahu this is definitely one of the places you don’t want to miss. Prepare yourself with a lot of sunscreen and comfortable hiking shoes and some refreshments and you’re up for an amazing experience.