After much debate on which of the islands should we visit in Hawaii, we zeroed in on Oahu and it was a great choice indeed. Not that the other islands are not worth a trip, but I strongly believe that selecting an island to visit is almost like finding a match. It depends on the kind of people you are and how you define a vacation to be. Each island has something unique to offer and so did Oahu.
I was looking for some place that was a balance between vibrant, touristy and natural, soothing. I hit jackpot with Oahu. With the pulsating strip of the Waikiki beach and the rustic feel of the North shore, dramatic sunsets, blue skies, blue waters, happy people and great weather, this place made me fall in love.
Once in Oahu, I wanted to make sure I could make the most of my trip, so the following read may seem really hectic but that’s how I like it I guess.
After a really long flight to the capital city of Hawaii, Honululu, I took the evening easy. Explored the hotel, got an early dinner and parked myself on a beach chair to experience the Friday evening fireworks at the Hitlon Hawaiian village. It was a balmy evening and the ambience ideal for a great shower of fireworks. What a good beginning!
The first day of the trip began with an early morning hike to the Diamond Head crater for some magnificent views of the Waiki beach. This followed with a visit to the International Market place. Although this place is called “international” it seemed to be packed with local paraphernalia, colorful beads, cane hats, floral printed scarves and sarongs, shells and the works. I closed the day with a relaxing swim in the pool.
Day 2 began with excitement. I was going snorkeling for the first time! Yippee :)!!
A pickup from my hotel to Hanuma Bay (world famous as a great snorkeling site), the snorkeling gear and a ride back was part of the 15$ package. Snorkeling is a must do activity for all water lovers. For those few hours you can cut yourself from the rest of the earth and go be a guest at sea. The gorgeous corals and variety of sea life that you experience viewing left me wanting for more. It’s tiring but a very engaging experience. It’s one of those activities which you can do on your own and even if you don’t know how to swim, you could stand and duck your head into the water to take a peek in.
One water activity lead to another and jetski it was! Sitting on that water machine and zooming into infinity, with the waves giving you a good bump now and then and with the cool sea breeze spraying water lightly on your face was an experience worth re-living.
After a much eventful day, gorged on some delicious thai lettuce wraps and a walk by the waiki beach.
I had day three to pay my visits to the historical Pearl Habor site in Pearl city after which a long bus ride to Dole Plantation. Due to some film shooting section of the Pearl Habour museum were shut so I escaped the huge crowds and wound up pretty early from there. The dole Plantation is famous for its world known maze and its pineapple plantation. My food escape for the day was continuing my bus journey in search of the famous Giovani’s shrimp truck. They are known for their shrimp scampi, fresh prawns tossed in lots of butter and garlic and served over 2 mounts of rice. Simple yet delectable J
My last day at Oahu was spent at the Polynesian cultural center. A must visit. It is a center runs by the students of Hawaii in effort to collect money for further education. They put up a wonderful show entertaining the crowds all day. They had mini shows that educated tourists about the culture, food, history, dances and people of Polynesia. In the evening I attended an authentic Luau which was part of the package. A Luau traditionally was all about the “Feast” where the pig (Kalua I believe) would be roasted in an earthen pit called imuu for hours before the feast began. The feast is accompanied with some traditional hula dance performances. The more commercial Luau’s have fire dancers too. My trip to the PCC and to Oahu was marked by the spectacular show in an open Arena called Ha- The breath of life.
Although I tried to cover a lot into my short trip, there were plenty of things still there to do. One can spend the entire time just doing water activities or pretty much just lazing on the beaches across North Shore soaking in the sun and nature’s beauty and still feel overwhelmed.
Overall it was a great trip and I took back wonderful memories hoping to come back for more.