Aloha! If you’re anything like us, when you go on vacation to a new place, you want to explore. We figured we’d make it easy for you to see what some of the best activities in Oahu are. Happy travels!
1. Go on a hike
There’s a hike for everyone on Oahu. We’re not expert hikers by any means. We do love to get out and explore though! If you only have time to get two hikes in, the Pillbox hike in Lanikai is easily one of the most beautiful hikes we’ve ever been on. It’s fairly easy (just make sure you’re wearing good shoes), and should only take about 30 minutes to get to the first pillbox
- Kaiwa Ridge Trail (Pillbox Hike in Lanikai) — I promise you won’t be disappointed with the views.
- Koko Crater Trail — Hike along an abandoned railway track!
- Kaena Point — You can see nesting albatross here! If you’re lucky you might see endangered Hawaiian monk seals too 🙂
- Diamond Head — In the southern part of the island, near Waikiki and Honolulu. Easy accessible and not too difficult.
2. Eat at a local restaurant
There’s no shortage of awesome vegan eats on the Island. Hot tip: use google maps when you’re planning your days to see which restaurant you should eat at based on where you’ll be on the island! To make your life easier, we linked up some of our top recommendations for where to eat in Oahu. You’re welcome 😉
- Arvo — cute spot to grab a coffee and avocado toast
- Downbeat Diner — best. milkshakes. ever…seriously.
- Ai Love Nalo — locally sourced healthy vegan eats. If the smoochy (your read that right… smoochy) is on the menu, try it!
- Sunrise Shack
- Haleiwa Bowls
- Vegan Hills — the brunch menu is stacked. Lilikoi cream pancakes anyone?
- Banan — dig in to a papaya boat
- What It Dough — wood fired vegan pizzas. enough said!
*** If you’re heading over to the Big Island, get some inspiration for your trip on this blog post!
3. Relax on the beach
You’ll find some of the most beautiful beaches in the world in Oahu. Make sure you give yourself some time to relax and enjoy them in between all the exploring!
- Laniakea Beach — It’s usually a good spot to see sea turtles on the beach.
- Waikiki — Close to Honolulu and popular with tourists.
- Electric Beach — A snorkeling hotspot with plenty dolphin spotting stories!
- Hanauma Bay — It can get crowded here real quick. If this is THE beach you want to go to, get there early!
- Halona Beach Cove— The water here is quite rough, but the views are worth it. (A scene in Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed here!)
4. Dole Plantation — One of the best activities in Oahu especially if you love pineapple!
Yes, it’s vegan! Oahu is home to the Dole Plantation, and if you’re into pineapple, it’s a must! The pineapple soft serve is every bit as amazing you’d imagine. You can also explore the grounds and take tours and learn all about pineapples.
- Dole Whip — You can find it outside of the plantation too. Keep and eye out, and pullover for some if you see it!
If you’ve heard or read that Dole Whip contains sodium caseinate, ignore it. That’s old information. Dole Whip is vegan and has been for years now. An employee even let us check the ingredients on the box of the waffle cone, and it also looks to be vegan friendly as far as we could tell!
5. Catch a sunrise (or sunset!)
As good ol’ Luke Bryan would say, “sunrise, sunburn, sunset, repeat“. As far as best activities go, make sure you give yourself some time to catch a sunrise or a sunset in Oahu. The colours that you’ll see are surreal.
I hope you get to enjoy all the best activities in Oahu soon! Aloha.
