A FIT GAL'S GUIDE TO 8 THINGS TO DO IN OAHU, HAWAII

I visited Oahu, Hawaii during the month of February and the weather was absolutely perfect! Any rain that passed thru came and went and was followed by incredible rainbows and sunshine. I highly suggest renting a car to get around in Oahu. There are a lot of really cool things to see and explore and you can circle the entire island in one day and I would imagine that could become extremely costly if you are ubering.

CHECK OUT 8 THINGS TO DO IN OAHU BELOW!

AULANI DISNEY CHARACTER BRUNCH

Located at Makahiki - The Bounty of the Islands at Aulani Disney Resort. I believe the brunch cost about $41 a person and had a huge selection of foods to choose from. My brother and I went at an earlier time and got in line right away for a photo with Mickey. Throughout the actual dining experience the staff does an incredible job at making sure any characters you want to take pictures with stop by at your table which I really liked and to me made the experience well worth it! The Aulani Resort is located next to the Four Seasons Resort and offers it’s own private beach essentially that anyone can access even if you aren’t staying there. (Fun Fact!). Make reservations and make sure to make them well in advance HERE.

2. DOLPHIN ENCOUNTER AT DOLPHIN QUEST

Swimming with dolphins had been on my bucket list basically my entire life! A co-worker had sent me in the direction of Dolphin Quest located at the Kahala Hotel and my brother and I signed up to do the dolphin encounter with Maddy as our guide. She led such an awesome experience and the photographer did a phenomenal job catching the entire encounter in photos. Swimming with dolphins is something I probably wouldn’t do again, but I am really glad I did it in Hawaii! It was my favorite experience in Oahu! Check out all they have to offer HERE.

3. KUALOA RANCH (AKA JURASSIC PARK)

Not going to lie. Kualoa Ranch was SOOOOO COOL. This is a MUST in my opinion if you are visiting Oahu! My brother and I were staying at the Four Seasons and this was located on the other side of the island, so again it did require us to drive, however, I did see that the ranch offers transportation to and from some hotel accommodations. The ranch has a little bit of everything from kayaking, horseback riding, ATV’s, to jeep tours, trolley tours, culinary experiences, and movie tours featuring film locations all over the ranch. My brother and I booked the Premier Movie Site Tour (book your tours ahead of time because depending on time of year they also book up and sell out). This tour was so worth it! It came with movie candy, popcorn, refreshments, AND is the only tour that Kualoa offers that takes you to all 3 areas of the ranch. You literally see everything the ranch has to offer! I am a huge movie and tv fan (duh!) so this was right up my alley and so enjoyable! The ranch also offers packaged deals where you can combine a little bit of several different activities but again all the tours book typically 2-3 weeks in advance so keep that in mind! Find out more information HERE.

Props from the movie “Skull Island” FYI these props were made out of styrofoam!

4. LANIKAI PILLBOX HIKE

This hike is also known as the Kaiwa Ridge Trail. The trailhead was located right across the street from the Mid Pacific Country Club. In terms of parking, it is only residential so be sure to check street signs. Personally we arrived early (a 45 minute drive across the island from the Four Seasons). We parked residentially in front of the Lanikai Park and walked about 10 minutes to the trailhead. I do not advise wearing regular gym shoes for this hike. Wear a shoe with a grip, such as a hiking shoe/boot and keep in mind this hike can become extremely dangerous if it does begin to rain. It started to rain while we were on the hike and it became pretty much a mud slide to hike up and down and it is very steep. Pack enough water and a snack. It took us probably about an hour to get to the second pill box. There are two pillboxes, both with pretty similar, incredible views. Truly breathtaking at the top.

5. NORTH SHORE FOOD TRUCKS

The North Shore Food Trucks were located about an hour from our resort, but were on the way back from Kualoa Ranch where we did the movie tour. The North Shore is a 7 mile stretch that is popular for surfing and food trucks! I wish I could say more and give more recommendations on the food, but unfortunately I do not eat seafood and that is the food they are primarily notorious for at these trucks. Many of the trucks have been featured on the Food Network on various shows. If you are passing thru the North Shore pull the car over and get a taste of what these trucks have to offer! Tables are set up everywhere so that you can enjoy your meal and the atmosphere. In this area there is nothing but ocean and food. We stopped around sunset, grabbed a bite to eat, and ran down to one of the beaches to watch the sunset which was so pretty! See photo below!

6. MINA’S FISH HOUSE AT THE FOUR SEASONS

If you are looking for great appetizers, happy hour, and fun, creative, unique cocktails look no further than Mina’s Fish House at The Four Seasons Ko Olina. Mina’s has a daily happy hour from 3PM to 5PM. Mina’s offers great food, yummy appetizers, speciality cocktails including one in particular served in a SPAM can, and spectacular views of the ocean just steps away. I would say it is worth checking out the Four Seasons Property as well as Disney Aulani, which is right next door, regardless if you are staying on the properties or not.

7. DIAMOND HEAD LUAU

It would be unheard of to visit Hawaii and not partake in the infamous luau. My brother and I were torn between the Diamond Head Luau located at the Waikiki Aquarium or the Paradise Cove Luau located right outside of our hotel in the Ko Olina area. A few factors played into why we chose the Diamond Head Luau. First, we found a Groupon that we bought on a weekend Groupon was offering 20-30% off so talk about savings! And second, this would give us the opportunity to spend some time near Waikiki Beach and check out that area. I am not sure what it was for me but I didn’t LOVE the Waikiki area. I think it was because it felt extremely touristy to me. It felt like I was on South Beach during vacation time in Miami. I wasn’t exactly feeling it and I preferred exploring other parts of the island to be honest. The luau itself was a very interesting experience. It was basically live dancing and performing at a cookout. I didn't LOVE the food (seen below), but I am a little picky when it comes to meats and stuff. But it was truly something you should do if you are looking to have a true Hawaiian cultural experience!

8. PEARL HARBOR

Pearl Harbor is located about 10 minutes from the Honolulu Airport. To be completely honest, I have never been much of a history person so on this first trip to Oahu Pearl Harbor was not on the top of my list for places I wanted to visit. It was sort of like if we had time we would go but we ended up not having time this trip. BUT I am visiting Pearl Harbor next year when I am back in Oahu so stay tuned for more information and photos to come!

I cannot wait to share more of Hawaii with you in 2020! I will be exploring all of the islands and will share all the fun activities and insight I have once I cruise around and truly see all Hawaii has to offer. If you have any questions that I didn’t cover leave a comment and I am happy to answer them! And please share any fun experiences and activities you have experienced on any of the islands in Hawaii!