The Hawaiian Islands are as close to paradise as you’ll ever encounter in the United States, and perhaps the world. There’s much debate during the planning process regarding which island to visit and whether or not to island hop. I traveled to Oahu, Hawaii over New Year’s in 2022. The memories I made while there still stick with me every single day over the years. Visiting Hawaii is genuinely one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had, and I’m forever grateful of the adventures I got to do while there. This trip was jam-packed full of memories, so buckle up while I tell you all about what Oahu has to offer.
We stayed in Ko Olina, which is home to many famous resorts, such as Disney’s Aulani, The Four Seasons, and Beach Villas. Our Villa overlooked one of the Ko Olina Lagoons, which was perfect for swimming, snorkeling, and paddle-boarding. If you’re like me and may not love swimming in the ocean with all the sea creatures circling nearby, you will like to hear that almost no fish live in the Lagoons. There were a few schools of smaller fish that stick more to the rocky area near the edge of the lagoon. There is a sidewalk that weaves around the lagoons and leads to each of the resorts on the coast. There was one day where we went for a walk and ended up at another lagoon full of crabs and even a seal! Our resort also offered fun activities like paddle-boarding, and even shot a fabulous firework show off a barge in the ocean on New Year’s Eve.
As you can probably imagine, Hawaii has some of the BEST views in the entire world! The Manoa Falls Trail near Honolulu is an almost must-do if you find yourself on Oahu. The trail up to the waterfall weaves through a vast thick rainforest that opens up into a beautiful waterfall. Kualoa Ranch is a popular destination for Hollywood films. Featured in movies and TV shows like Kong: Skull Island, Jurassic Park Franchise, Jumanji, LOST, Hawaii Five-O, Magnum, P.I., and many more! Some of Hollywood’s biggest actors worked right in this exact area. Kualoa Ranch truly felt like a dream. You explore the area by driving buggys with the rest of your tour group.
We visited several other beaches beside our own Ko Olina Lagoons. Laniakea Beach is known for its bright sand and black rocks, and is even nicknamed “Turtle Beach” for its turtle population… not to be confused with Turtle Bay. If you’re looking for an easy time snorkeling, Turtle Bay is the perfect place to go. The rocks at the opening of the bay absorb most of the waves, so the water within the bay is relatively calm. I am not a huge fan of the ocean, but snorkeling in this bay took away all my fears. I highly recommend wearing some sort of shoes if snorkeling here because there were sea urchins everywhere, lining every rock and hidden within any alcoves. I also swam deeper and got to see some bright coral with little schools of fish! The North Shore is also extremely popular, especially amongst surfers. Of all the beaches we visited, Waikiki Beach was by far the busiest, but that’s to be expected in the heart of Honolulu.
In terms of other activities to do on the island, we had the amazing opportunity to take a helicopter tour over Oahu, a whale-watching tour, exploring the memorials and museums for Pearl Harbor, and even visiting the sweetest roadside smoothie stand called the “Sunrise Shack”. The helicopter tour is the coolest experience I have ever been part of. We got to fly over most of the island, including Honolulu and Waikiki Beach! Flying over the reefs was amazing, and I even saw a shark swimming down below. We also went the whale-watching tour right off Waikiki Beach. Several Humpback whales jumped around our boat, and it was so interesting to see just how big they actually are in person.
Words can not come close to describing the natural beauty that exists in Hawaii. The warm, crystal clear waters were worth the trip alone. I witnessed some of the most gorgeous sunsets I have ever seen in my entire life on the beaches of Hawaii. One sunset even featured an awesome double rainbow! Each of the Hawaiian Islands offers something slightly different, but each is distinct for its natural beauty.