Everything Oahu

9:43 PM

Hey you! First off I would like to thank you for tuning into my blog. I don't blog much so it's great to have an audience here and there lol.

Anyways, this post is going to be a guide to some of the most amazing points of interest the island of Oahu has to offer! I will make this as easy for you as possible because lets just say this is going to be one long post. First, I'm going to mention some of the "must go" food places and then we will get to places that you just have to visit. As I am writing out this post I will also italicize things I think are good to consider. I also have a review of the hotel I stayed at here and I will add a couple pictures I took here and there. So lets get started.

One night I was looking on Expedia.com for trips I could take with my mom. I tend to do this often because sometimes you can find inexpensive trips that usually go for a steep price. I decided either between Bora Bora or Hawaii but was still indecisive. However, as time got closer to the departure date it was going to be more expensive so a good affordable trip for me was Hawaii. I bought my package from Expedia and flight, hotel, and car came in the bundle. I do recommend getting a bundle because it is going to be cheaper than going to the brick & motor.

FLIGHT

The flight I took was Delta and although I've only flew Delta once I don't remember the experience like I did this one. Usually when you fly with company they sit you together on the same row. However, my flight was different. I had the opportunity to pick seats online but there were minimal selections so I thought I would wait and have an agent select it for me. Boy was I wrong. They literally don't care who comes with you they won't sit you next to each other. I notice a lot of people on my flight didn't sit next to the person they came with, which for some reason is just awkward to me. My mother sat in the row behind me for both flights. The seat selection online was also minimal but I'm not too sure how their algorithm works so lets just stop the rant here.

CAR

I rented a car through Expedia as well. The website gave several companies and rates. I ended up choosing Enterprise. I suggest reviewing companies online through Yelp before booking. I wanted to book the cheapest one but read reviews on Yelp and it was not worth it. I paid a little more and got myself THE CUTEST Chevy Spark. ( This was such a great and fuel efficient car). I thought it was a two door at first but this is a four door and is actually more spacious than it looks. I used the car for 4 days and only put $20 dollars to fill it up.

WHERE TO EAT

Here's the part I'm most excited about. THAAA FOOD. I had a huge list of food places I wanted to go within my 5 day stay and I'm happy to say that I went to all of them and more. Yes typical fat foodie lol. Okay so the first day I went to North Shore specifically for one thing SHRIMP.

I've seen so many people rave and rave about Giovanni's Shrimp Truck so I wanted to give it a try on my own. Well folks, I personally don't think its worth the hype. But I'm going to put it on this list as an option.

North Shore

Giovanni's Shrimp Truck: They have 4 main dishes on their menu and a couple other sides. I personally don't think its worth the hype because it didn't live up to my expectation. From reading tons and tons of review on it I thought it was going to be this amazing flavorful dish but it really wasn't. I got their most popular dish which is " Scampi" and " Hot & Spicy" It was OK. I didn't think it was too flavorful but maybe it was just the wrong day. I also ordered Hot & Spicy which for some reason it should be recalled Spicy and Lemony because yeah it was hot but it was overly lemony. I mean overall I think everyone should give it a try because everyone has different taste buds but I asked all my local friends and they also agreed there are better places to get shrimp.
Ono Yo: This yogurt place was across Giovanni's and I'm super excited I went to freshen up my taste buds. They have really good yogurt. You can create your own or pick one of the creations they already have. I got a tropical yogurt they had and I also created one. My mom and aunt both agreed the tropical creation ( I forgot the name) was really good. It contained banana, pineapple, and coconut.
Ted's Bakery:When I walked into Ted's Bakery it was kind of confusing because they only had a few items on displayed and I specifically wanted to get some of their pies but it was no where to be found. However, its actually in refrigerators on the left. They also have food to order. I didn't try it but the pictures on the menu looked really good.
Kahuku Farms: There are fresh fruits for sale on the Kamehameha Hwy. You will see it if you drive along the highway and they have several different fruits packaged in plastic bags for sale. I would go just to take pictures of these Instagram worthy fruits but would not buy because the fruits are literally smooshed into the plastic bags. Can they not. But you need to stop by and have some fried bananas. They are $1 each and they are SO SO SO good.

Wahiawa

Dole Plantation: After visiting North Shore you should stop at the Dole Plantation for some Dole Whip. I've had some the first time I was in Hawaii and I must say it feels like it taste different. This time around I feel like it taste a little more chemically like there are some preservatives in it. Maybe it's just the pineapple strand, who knows. But I think it still taste great.
Wow Wow Lemonade: This Instagram famous place lives up to its name. Have you seen the Aloha Mason jars before? Well here's the place to get them. Often times there are food places that have great marketing campaign but totally taste like shit. Let's be real here we all have experience this. But Wow Wow Lemonade is seriously the BEST lemonade I've tasted. It doesn't taste artificial. I can't explain it but it just taste like how real lemonade should taste like. Please give it a try because you will regret it if you don't. You should also buy a jar with the drink I think it was only $5 extra.

Honolulu

-Leonard's Bakery: We have malasadas in the states too but basically they're just called " donuts." lol. Leonard's is a great place to have these pastries but I do suggest eating them when they are made right then and there. I was so stupid and tried to take some back to the states and boy was it HORRRRIBLE. Things like this are meant to be eaten right away. Sadly I ate only half a malasada and it was just soooooo good.

-Mana Musubi: If you are a spam musubi lover like me I think this place is worth a try. I personally didn't have time to try this place but my friend said it was super authentic and delicious. Plus they always sell out before 11 so I say give it a try. I can't tell you if it's good or not but if they always sell out that says alot!

-Liliha Bakery: I feel like Hawaiians are known for their awesome bakeries. Because this one is another bakery on the list. One word, or two, CREAMPUFFS, yes, go for their cream puffs because they are so delicious. I can't explain the goodness this dessert is. I personally didn't like the coco puff flavor but the matcha flavor was amazing! Their donut croissant was equally as delicious! Highly recommend.

-Sura K.B.B.Q: If you've ever been to Kang Ho-dong Baekjeong in Koreatown in La this is like their sister location. I was craving some KBBQ and wanted to go to this location to see if it was just as good. There are some differences but I mean for some reason it wasn't as good as the one in LA. Nothing can replace that store. TOOOOO BOMB, But if you want to give it a try I say go for it. Their menu is kinda of limited and their side dishes are different.

-ABC Store: Although this is a convenient store it's still a good place to have some spam musubi or packaged lunch. Their musubi isn't all that great but their packaged lunch is quite flavorful and they give good portions for only $7.

-Waiola Shaved Ice: The shaved ice here is unlike any other shaved ice I've been to. I mean I know it's just freaken SHAVED ICE but the texture is super refreshing and just melts in your mouth. Their mochi is also really good.

PLACES TO GO

There are so many places you have to visit when you go to island of Oahu. I recommend stopping at every scenic point you can stop at because each view is different. Here are some of the destinations that stood out to me.

- Lanikai Beach: The crystal clear water here is simply amazing. I didn't know that there was such beautiful waters so close to the states. The water here reminds me of something you would see in Bora Bora or Maldives. Literally crystal clear water. The beach is very shallow so its good for swimming. Parking is a little hard to find but I recommend going towards the end of the beach. It's def and instagram worthy beach, also I would like to note that each beach entrance is different. Some have brick walls some have flowers lining the pathway. Go to all of them because you won't see the same thing. They are all unique in some way.

Ko Olina: Not many people go on the west side of the island therefore Ko Olina is a nice and peaceful place to get away. I believe the disney hotel is located in Ko Olina. It's like a mini Waikiki on the west side but minus the hustle and bustle. Great place to take a walk and just enjoy relaxing views.
Kalakaua Street: Waikiki has different spots and where I stayed was near Ala Moana, which is a good outdoor shopping mall. But theres also more shopping on this street with a larger selection. It's like a las vegas strip for shopping, all types of store ranging from local designers to high end. This is where the night life is.
Tantalus Lookout: This is an under hype destination so keep it on the low low lol jk. If you don't want to hike some of the amazing hiking trails Honolulu has to offer drive up to this lookout and you'll see the entire city. I prefer going at night time because the city lights are just so stunning to look at. You will not regret it. Sometimes its a little hard to find parking but just try to squeeze your way in!
Hanauma Bay: I wasn't too sure if I wanted to add this to the list but its like a must for all tourist. The water was much clearer years ago but its a great place to snorkel. Although you wont see much because it looks muggy. They have snorkel gear for rent which cost $12. Going early is better so you can rent the snorkel gear all day. Another tip I recommend is buying those underwater shoes, not too sure what its called but stepping on the coral aka hard ass rocks, can hurt your feet a lot.
Makapu'u Beach: As I was driving to Lanikai I stopped at this area to take pictures. You can see the peek of a lighthouse and stunning views of the ocean. Theres also two mini islands that you can see. Just a great place to take in the view, see the rocks and the ocean come together. Really beautiful.
Blue Hawaiian: This is not a place but its a helicopter company. I'm a little bit iffy mentioning this one as well but I wanted to throw it in as an option and cover everything in detail. If you've already visited everything on the list that I mention this is not really going to be worth it. They offer a 45 minute tour of the island from a helicopter which cost about $241. Was it worth it? Yes and no. I feel like if I did the helicopter ride the first day of my trip it would be amazing but since I already went around the entire island I felt like I saw it all already. It still provides you with breathtaking views and a really cool water fall that is close off to the public but I still do recommend going on the first day rather than mid trip or last day.

I hope I covered everything and if theres anything you want to know let me know in the comment sections so I can answer! Here's some more picture of my trip. TTYL