Ohau Hawaii 10 Best
Sunset at Turtle Bay Resort North Shore Oahu
After coming to Hawaii for a few years now, I’ve come up with my Top 10 list for the island of Oahu that I would definitely recommend to maximize your arts & culture, food & drinks and adventure experiences on this truly amazing island. Here are my top 5 Honolulu and top 5 North Shore Oahu things to see and do!
Honolulu Top 5!
#1 World History - Pearl Harbor Memorial
The Pearl Harbor National Memorial is a powerful and solemn commemoration of the December 7, 1941, attack that ushered the US into WWII. Within the complex of The USS Arizona, sunken and leaking oil, the USS Bowfin submarine and the USS Missouri, the site of the unconditional surrender that ended WWII globally, you see the very beginning and the end of the war. Even if you’re not a world history buff, I highly recommend visiting the site - and shout out to ‘cousin Pe’ at Pearl Harbor Tours for being such a personable and knowledgeable tour guide. There were no Pearl Harbor veterans who attended the most recent commemoration, so we must honor their service and sacrifice to keep their memory alive in the future.
#2 Food & Drinks - Lewers Lounge, Halekulani Hotel Waikiki
Tucked inside the ‘money is no object’ Halekulani hotel is Waikiki’s newest speakeasy/jazz club/cocktail spot - Lewers Lounge. Honolulu has a reputation for sweet and sugary drinks like the Mai Tai (I must admit I only drink them in Hawaii), the Lewers Lounge is more Manhattan nightclub than a tiki bar. While the House without a Key is a classic spot at the Halekulani for drinks and hula shows under the stars, the Lewers Lounge features a jazz trio - with some drop-ins from local musician friends - and a prohibition-era cocktail menu. Here’s a clip of the jazz trio doing a personal favorite, Route 66.
#3 - Art & Culture - Shangri-La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture and Design
Shangri-La is the Hawaii home of Doris Duke, aka ‘the richest girl in the world’, who lived on Oahu from the 1930s until her death in the 1990s. For over 60 years, Doris Duke used her massive checkbook and keen eye for art and design to assemble one of the world's finest private collections of Islamic art. The house and grounds are now a museum and research center devoted to Islamic art and culture. In some ways, Shangri-La feels so unexpected - Islamic art on a Polynesian island - that its impact is only heightened by the contrast to the surroundings. In other ways, the focus on craft, color, pattern and environment aligns with the culture of the islands. In any case, the few hours spent here is a masterclass in Islamic artistic skill, with some of the finest examples that exist anywhere. The signature piece is the 13th-century mihrab that is one of only 6 in the world. Doris Duke outbid the Met in NYC and paid $140,000 for it. Her house and grounds cost $100,000 in the 1930s by comparison. The lusterware technique was extremely rare and hard to create at the time. Her house included hand-crafted replicas or original works from Persia, India, North Africa and beyond. Tours are very limited, which adds to the exclusivity and private feel of the museum, so book early and enjoy this one-of-a-kind experience.
#4 - Food & Drinks - Leonard’s Bakery
Yes…two Food & Drink entries on this list…but Leonard’s is one of those places that transcends snack foods to become an institution. A rite of passage for anyone who comes to Hawaii. I mean, did you really come all the way to Waikiki and didn’t have Lenoard’s?? The bakery sits on a busy street in what looks like a strip mall. But brave the traffic and the lines (better yet order ahead!) and buy 6, or more, and find out what makes this place a true classic. The menu is basically Malasadas - Portuguese donuts without a hole. Instead, they’re filled with chocolate, coconut, custard and, my favorite, guava. Founded 70 years ago way back in 1953, Leonard’s is a must-do because who doesn’t like fried dough?
#5 - Beaches - Lanikai Beach
Consistently ranked as one of the ‘best beaches in the world,’ Lanikai is the only beach that would make my top 10 list. Truly, I don’t spend much time on the beaches in Hawaii - there’s so much else to see and do - but it’s not hard to see why this place is so loved. The pro tip here is - parking is a nightmare, so unless you go first thing in the morning, the access to this beach becomes really challenging. Set in the residential neighborhood of Kailua on the windward coast, Lanikai is protected by an offshore reef, so the waves are gentle or non-existent and the sand is impossibly white. The pillbox hike adjacent to the beach is moderate and gives some killer views of the coastline and the two small volcanic islands less than a mile offshore called the Mokes.
Lanikiai Beach, Oahu
Top 5 North Shore Oahu!
#1 Resort - Turtle Bay
I’m a big fan of Turtle Bay and this is my second trip to this terrific resort on Oahu’s North Shore. The property has a lot of pluses - not the least of which is a recent $200 M renovation to the rooms, public spaces and club lounge. The big upgrade for me this trip was getting a suite with the club access - a beautiful private dining room with lanai overlookign the pool and surf break and they had breakfast, lunch and happy hour included…so no reason to leave. One cool thing I did this time was the Paniolo, or Hawaiian cowboy, luau at their stables. Incorporating elements of the Wild West cowboy culture with a Hawaiian twist, they performed Paniolo music and dancing to a traditional roast pig luau. The resort has two pools (thankfully an adult only one), golf, spa, gym, a couple of restaurants and a swimming beach and a surf break beach.
#2 - Adventure Travel - North Shore Shark Adventure
One of the adrenaline-pumping activities on the North Shore is to go out with the great people at North Shore Shark Adventure to swim with the sharks. They describe it as a ‘human zoo’ - where the people are in the cage and the curious inhabitants, mostly Galapagos sharks, come by to check you out. Located right at the harbor of Haleiwa town, the trip is only three miles off the coast and you jump into a cage that’s right at the waterline. Snorkel and mask are the only equipment you need as you watch these terrifying/amazing creatures glide by for a closer look. There no diving or real swimming, so this was fun for the whole family! I took the first boat out at 8am and was back by 9:30am - so you could have a great adventure and still have the rest of the day to grab lunch, hit one of the great beaches along the north shore or explore Haleiwa town. Cue the Jaws themesong….dun dun dun dun!
#3 - Adventure Travel - Climbworks
Another extreme sports activity on the North Shore is ziplining at the awesome Climbworks at Kaena Farms. I can't say enough about how great the staff was at Climbworks - we had three guides for our small group of about seven people, and the equipment, the towers, bridges and cables were really safe and professional. I got over my fear of heights on the first run of seven and had a blast! The longest run is 1/2 mile, and the highest run is 150' off the ground. You go over working farmland of vegetables, herbs and preserved land. You first take an ATV up to the top of a mountain and zip from tower to tower over 2 1/2 hours - it's the perfect half-day! We left at 7 am and were back poolside for a late lunch. The views of the mountains and the coastline are unforgettable - and there’s no better view than zipping along above the trees and lush greenery of Oahu. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
#4 - Arts & Culture - Polynesian Cultural Center
The Polynesian Cultural Center is awesome. I know, I know...it's super touristy, BUT I love resorts like Disneyland and PCC manages to integrate learning about the six different island nations that make up Polynesia in a fun, informative and entertaining way. Each 'island' has cultural presentations - dance, drums, singing - that highlight the indigenous arts of that area, as well as some great hands-on crafts. My inside tip on PCC is to go directly to the canoes at the main entrance and take them the farthest point in the center - the Islands of Hawaii - and then work backward to the entrance. It just seems the smart way to avoid crowds by seeing the resort 'in reverse.' I really loved Fiji - for the performance, music, architecture and all-around vibe. Rather than show you pics of everything to see at PCC, I'll highlight this one island here along with some other pics of the Cultural Center. I'd also love to know which island you prefer! My pro tip here is to get a room at the adjacent Courtyard by Marriott - it’s right next door to the park and since you’ll be spending most of the day and night at PCC, it’s nice to have a clean bed next-door. This is a great transition from the south side of the island to the North Shore - simply drive up the winward (eastern) coastline and stop at Lanikai beach on the way. You’ll take most of the day to explore the islands and don’t sleep on the buffet dinner. It’s mindblowing and really good. Stay for the show, Ha the breath of life, but it was nice to run back to the hotel for a drink and to freshen up after a long travel and sightseeing day.
