Aloha!

Destination: Hawaii

Date: August 2019
Accommodation: Ocean view Waikiki (Airbnb) 

Time: 11 days

Highlights: Hikes, location, weather, Lankai beach, relaxed vibe and mopeds

Lowlights: Expensive, criminality after dark, beer and lack of hawaiian cuisine

Day 1. Aloha!

We arrived on Friday at 3pm. After two days of traveling, it was so good to final touch down in Oahu. Btw, you do not get greeted at the airport with a lei, just hot, humid air. We were staying at an Airbnb, situated in Waikiki Beach, so no hotel transfer. The airport gives you free access to Wi-Fi, so download the UBER app,  if you don’t already have it. It cost us $31.17 to get to Waikiki and the 8-mile journey took 1 hour. The traffic in Oahu is like traffic in LA, horrendous.

Approaching the neighbourhood, it wasn’t the Hawaii we had in mind. It looked run down and dodgy.

We chose to stay at Oceanview Waikiki Condo, it was a 5-minute walk to the beach, clean, had a view and offered free parking, which is hard to find in Waikiki.

We’ve arrived in Benidorm! That was our first impression from the balcony, with all the concrete high-rise condos and hotels. We had to take a trip to Safeway to fill up the fridge. There are ABC stores everywhere but can be quite expensive so get a savers card to get your discounts. It was around a 25minute walk from the condo but worth it to get your essentials. That night we just chilled on the balcony with a few Asahis.

Day 2. Wondering around Waikiki

Due to jetlag, I woke up at 4am and it was still dark. Once the sun made an appearance at 6am, we decided to head out to explore Waikiki. What’s great about Honolulu is that everything opens at 6 am. Walking on Kalakaua Ave, it definitely felt like you were in a big city with high street shops, hotels, Starbucks, restaurants and did I mention an ABC store on every block.

ABC stores are great, you can pretty much get anything you need such as alcohol, cigarettes, snacks, souvenirs, Hawaiian shirts, sunscreen but at a hefty price. If you’re on a budget go to the bigger supermarkets.

We headed straight to Waikiki beach to test the Pacific waters for the very first time. Before I arrived I did my extensive research on shark attacks in Oahu, particularly focusing on Waikiki beach. The majority of shark attacks happen in Maui, and when they did happen in Oahu, none were in Waikiki…phew! There is an incident list provided by the Hawaiian state you can check before you go.

At 7am, the beach had a handful of people, we hit Kuhio beach as the waters are calmer and it has a protective wall (I couldn’t let go of the thought of sharks). The water was warm and it may look clear from the pictures, but when testing out our snorkelling gear in the water we had to get very close to see due to the water being murky.  The beaches in Waikiki are very short, there’s not much sand between the water and road, so getting there early is a must. By lunchtime, the beach was getting crowded and we were getting hungry. We walked down Kalakaua Avenue and discovered Barefoot Beach Cafe.

It was away from the hustle of Waikiki beach, served good food and had a wonderful view.

We spent the rest of the day exploring Waikiki, heading down to the Tourist Information Centre to pick up information on buses, tours, and excursions. One of the locals told us we could save money by watching a free hula show at Kuhio Beach Hula Mound on Waikiki beach. We headed down there for 5:30pm and waited for the performance. It did not disappoint! It was magical and the sunset behind us was a bonus. They perform every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday night.

Day 3. Our first hike! Heads up!

Thanks to jetlag being on our side, we were up early again. I was excited as this is what I came to do. The first hike on the list was Diamond Head and the closest to us.

Diamond Head


Cost: $1 per person/$5 per car (Cash only)

Opening hours: 6am-6pm (last entry 4:30pm)

Difficulty: Easy (We are walkers) 

Length:1.5 miles

Location: Kapahulu
Time:2 hours (with snack breaks and Kodak moments)

Toilets and water fountain available at the start of the trail.

760 feet above sea level

FYI- It can heat up during the day and there's hardly any shade.

We took bus 23 at 7:30am from Kuhio Avenue towards Diamond Head and got off at Diamond Head State Monument bus stop. It cost us $2.75 each to get there.  You have to walk up through the crater tunnel to reach the trail. There will be a paying booth waiting for you on the other side. We started the trail around 8:15am and got to the top  9am.

Once we got to the top, we sat down on the bunker and had something to eat and absorbed the spectacular views. With a lot more people coming, you will not be sharing this experience alone. In order to take pictures of Waikiki, you will have to be quick as there is a queue of people waiting to get into that section and that was at 9am. The sun was starting to heat up, so we headed back down the trail. Once at the bottom we grabbed a rainbow favoloured shaved ice from one of the food trucks to cool ourselves down!

We arrived back at our Airbnb to make lunch. Honolulu can be very expensive to eat out all of the time, especially if you are on a budget. We alternated from cooking at the condo to eating out to save ourselves a few bob. We decided to go to the Waikiki beach for a late afternoon swim to avoid the big crowds,  no surprise it was still busy with the sun beaming and the warm waters.

Day 4. Hi Hyundai!

Before we arrived, we planned to hire a car for 3 days to explore the rest of the island. We paid £130 for a budget car rental in advance, split between a group of 4 works out £10pp a day and it’s definitely worth it to see the true beauty of the island.  We picked up the car from International Market Place. 

Driving in Oahu is definitely an experience. It’s all one way systems in Waikiki, I would recommend getting a GPS. Traffic can build up during rush hours on the highways, but once you’re out of the city it’s really easy.

Wet’n’ Wild 

Our first destination was Wet ‘n’ Wild. After reading the reviews on Google, I couldn’t wait to have some fun in a water park. 40 minutes later we arrived at the car park which was $13, $49pp to get in and lastly $10 for a locker. It didn’t matter as we were going to have a great time!! Unfortunately, this was probably the worst water park we had ever been to. A lot of rides were closed due to the park being understaffed, the rides that were open had big queues, you had to pay an extra $6 for the adventurous rides and it was dirty. The only rides that were worth queuing up for were Tornando and Volcano Express. After feeling robbed and waiting for over an hour for every ride, we decided to leave and explore the west side of the island.

The west side of the island is remote and less touristy. There are many beaches that are uncrowded, beautiful and are mostly used by the locals.  We drove on the 93 until the end of the road at Ka’ena Point.

Leonards Bakery

On the way back we stopped off at the famous ‘Leonards Bakery’ for a box of malasadas. These are doughnuts without a hole and covered in cinnamon or sugar. It was brought over by the Madeirans and Azoreans. I have tasted plenty in Madeira and wanted to see if they tasted the same. The sizes are very different. In Hawaii, the doughnuts are a lot bigger and it doesn’t seem right being that big without a jam filling!

Day 5. Lighthouses, Botanic Gardens, Lanikai Beach and a North Shore Sunset!

Today was a jam-packed day starting with a morning hike up Makapuu Point Lighthouse trails, at 7am.

Makapuu Point Lighthouse



Admissions: Free

Opening Hours: 7am-6:45pm

Difficulty: Easy

Time: 1.5 hour round trip.

Location: Makapu'u-East 

Transportation: Car

FYI- Limited parking, no shade, paved flooring all the way and no toilets

As parking is limited it’s best to get there first thing in the morning. We arrived at 6:30am and the gates were closed. We drove up to Makapu’u Lookout to take a few photos. You can only park here for a certain amount of time to take photos.

At 6:55am we waited for the gates to open and were the first to park right at the front. It took us 45mins to get to the top, the floor is paved, which made this hike easy.

Hike over, it was time to drive along the scenic route to our next destination, Ho’omaluhia Botanic Gardens.  We would pull over and take pictures of the hotspots, blowholes and beaches.

It was a 25-minute drive from Makapuu. We knew we were heading in the right direction when the mountains and dark clouds were in sight.

Ho’omaluhia Botanic Gardens

Admission: Free

Opening hours: 9am-4pm

Location: 45-680 Luluku Road, Kane'ohe, 96744, HI

Length : 400 acres 

FYI: Bring a picnic, blanket, insect repellent and a waterproof jacket

This was a calm and peaceful way to spend an afternoon. The views were surreal and it felt like we were on a movie set for Jurrasic Park. We parked up and had lunch on the benches provided, then walked down to the man-made lake to see the fishes. The plants are all labeled and from all different countries.

It can get very humid after a couple of hours in the gardens and we couldn’t wait to jump into the sea. We drove to the closest beach from the gardens, which was Kailua/Lanikai beach. We parked in the free car park at Kailua Beach Park and walked 10 minutes to Lanikai beach. Walking on Mokulua Drive is how I imagined Hawaii to look like, bungalows surrounded by palm trees and mountain views on one side and snippets of the blue water in between houses.

Lanikai Beach

It’s only 1/2 mile long and hidden away in a local residential area. The beach is stunning with white soft sand and blue crystal waters. It actually felt like getting into a bath with beautiful views of people hiking the Pillbox Hike. It’s not a beach for snorkeling, again, the further you go in, the murkier the water and no fish.

There are a lot of things to do in Kailua and you could spend a whole day exploring this small beach town. Here are some of the things you can do:

Lanikai Pillbox Hike (Also known as Kaiwa Ridge)

Admission: Free
Location:Lanikai
Difficulty:Intermediate

Length: 3 miles return 

Time:1 hour to 90 minutes return
Transport: 40 minutes by car from
Waikiki

Info:Very popular hike, can be as long or short as you like.
Steep, rocky and not properly paved. 
Parking is on
the street, but is limited. No shade so go early!

Kailua Beach


2.5 miles long, peferct waters for swimming, paddle boarding or surfing. 

Kailua Kayak Tours
Rent a Kayak and go to Na Mokulua, known as ‘The Mokes’ or the ‘Twin Islands’
They are only 0.75miles from Lanikai beach. You can choose from a guided tour 
or just hire the kayaks yourself. Prices range from $59-$139. 



After spending a couple hours in paradise, we travelled an hour north to watch the sunset on Sunset Beach. Dinner was takeout from Ted’s Bakery, a cheeseburger with a chocolate haupia cream pie for dessert. Sunset on the north shore was around 7pm and this is a popular spot to watch it. We didn’t have much time to explore north shore, once the sun went down we headed back to Honolulu to get ready for our morning hike.

Day 6. I’m in love with the KOKO

Koko Crater Trail

Admission: Free for parking and no entry fee

Opening hours: 6:30am-11pm Koko Crater Trail Parking Lot

Difficulty: Hard (Thigh burner)

Time: 30-45mins to the top

Location: Honolulu 

Transportation: Car 25-30minutes from Waikiki

FYI: 1,048 steps to the top.

This trail was my favourite. It was different, exhausting and challenging once we got closer to the top as the steps got steeper and boy did it feel rewarding to reach the summit. Going down was a lot harder on the knees. The motivation from people coming down helped us push through, I got speaking to a soldier who passed me twice and told me they had to go up 3 times as part of their training. That shut me up!

Hanauma Bay


Admission: $7.50 to access the beach. $1 to park, $1 for the trolley

Opening hours: 6am-7pm (summer). Closed on Tuesdays 

Location: 7455 Kalanianaole Highway, Honolulu, Hawaii

Transportation: 30 minutes by car or and anhour on bus 22 for $2.75 each way

FYI: Snorkeling gear rental is $20, Lockers-$10. 
You can bring snacks to 
the beach, but no alcohol. 
There are restrooms at the bottom and lifeguards

Hanauma Bay is opposite Koko head and it will become apparent when you see all the cars queuing to get into it. After our hike it, we queued but were denied as it was full. We returned later in the day and there were plenty of spaces.  It’s a $1 to park, make sure you have a $1 as they won’t accept anything else. After you have paid, you get to watch a video about the bay then you can get the trolley down for a $1 or walk. I think by the time we got there the water was dirty, sand had been raised and fishes had cleared off. There were some fish who stayed and took advantage of my underwater camera selfie, but sadly no green sea turtles. Go early to avoid disappointment.

WARNING: Although it looks calm, there are strong currents that can pull you out when snorkelling.

Day 7. Manoa Falls

Sadly, we dropped the car back in the morning and headed to Ala Moana Shopping Centre to catch our bus to Manoa Falls Trail.

Manoa Falls Trail


Admissions: Free/$5 car park

Opening hours:6AM-6PM

Difficulty:Easy-Moderate (Slippery rocks after it rains a lot)

Time: 1-2 hours round trip (Includes taking pics, chilling at the waterfall)

Location:Honolulu
Length:1.6 miles

Transportation: bus 5 to last stop from Ala Moana Shopping

INFO:This trail is a nice walk through the rainforest, 
rather than a big, 
sweaty hike. It is slippery on most parts and its not 
advised to swim in 
the pool at the end.

Anyone can do this hike, it’s good for families and also something to enjoy after a killer thigh workout from yesterday’s hike. It was so humid and green, the waterfall was small, but still nice to see.

Before catching the bus we walked around the  area to see how they lived in this part of town. Great change from looking at hotels and condos.

We caught the bus back to Ala  Moana Centre to grab something to eat in the food hall. If you are a big fan of asian food, then you have come to the best place. Most of the food in Hawaii has an Asian twist. Great place to eat, shop or cool down from the humidity outside.

Day 8. Pearl Harbour

We planned to visit Pearl Habour. We took the 42 bus from Waikiki to Ewa beach and got a day bus pass for $5.50.

Pearl Habour Arizona Memorial

Admission: Free- 1,300 tickets are given out everyday- 
Parking: Free

Opening hours: 7am-5pm Mon-Sun

Location:1 Arizona Memorial Place Honolulu, HI 96818

Transport: Bus 20 or 42 from Waikiki. 

Free Programmes to USS Arizona Memorial run about 1 hour and 15 mins. 

This includes a 23 minute documentary film, a boat ride to the memorial, 
15
minutes at the memorial and a boat ride back to the centre.

FYI: It's strictly a no bag policy or $5 to store it.

If you manage to get a free ticket, the programme was really informative. Due to high winds we weren’t allowed on the memorial, but close enough to take photos. It’s well maintained and a brilliant place to spend the morning learning about the history and paying your respects to all who lost their lives.

Friday night fireworks at the Hilton

Every Friday at 7:45pm,  the Hilton Hawaiian Village puts on a free firework display on Waikiki Beach. It only runs for about 15minutes, but who doesn’t like free stuff. Grab a space, watch the sunset and the wait for the show.

Day 9. Cruising Hawaiian Style

Today was an exciting day, we rented out a Moped from Hawaiian Style Rentals and Sales,  to get to the Wiliwilinui Ridge Trail. We went with a Standard Genuine Buddy 50, $40 for 24 hours. All you need to ride a standard moped is to be over 18 and have a driving license. Once we finished our safety video and test drove our peds around the block, twice,  it was go time. A helmet, lock and map comes with the mopeds.

The map shows you where you can and can’t ride your mopeds, basically everywhere, except for H-1, H-2, H-3, and they tell you not go to on the west side as the insurance doesnt cover you there due to high number of moped thefts.

You can get there quicker, but we chose to ride the scenic route, around Diamond head. It took us 20mins to get there, we couldnt go all the way up to the beginning of the trail as there were barriers with a guard stopping the traffic into the private neighbourhood. If are traveling by car you can get a pass to park at the top.

It was annoying we had to add another mile and a half to our hike, but it wasn’t a bad walk and by the look of these houses, it was pretty obvious why we weren’t allowed to ride our hairdryers all the way to the top! Follow the road up until it stops to start the trail.

Wiliwilinui Hiking Trail


Admission: Free

Opening Hours: 24 hours 

Difficulty: Moderate to Hard

Location: 2390 Okao Street, 96821

Length : 4.5 miles 

Time: 3.5 hours round trip

Info: If it rains it becomes very slippery and harder to climb. 
Take plenty
of water and a jacket as the weather changes at the top.  

With our warm up completed, it was time to start the trail. This felt like a Hawaii hike, started off nice enough on the paved road, straightforward as we went through the woodlands, with some inclines on the dirt road, then got brutal at the top. It had steep steps towards the end, and the rain didn’t help the climb up, especially using the rope to get you up. It was a tough but exhilarating climb with the best views. I enjoyed the fact it was quiet at the top, you couldn’t hear anything. No people, no cars, nothing and what a great feeling that was!

From the top you can see Kanehoe, Kailua, Waimanalo, Hawaii Kai, Diamond Head and Honolulu.

Be careful at the top, especially with kids, as the path becomes narrower and it’s a fearful drop (as you can see from the pictures below). Once we reached the top it became cloudy and we couldn’t see anything on the other side. It was still a great hike.

It was good to finally reach our mopeds and stop using our legs. We drove back to Waikiki to freshen up for dinner. We ate at OMG- Oahu Mexican Grill, this was our second visit as the burritos were amazing and what we needed after a hardcore workout.

Day 10. Surfs up, but I’m not!

It was a quick ride around Waikiki on the peds before handing them back and off for some surf lessons. I finally plucked up the courage to get in the water with no protective wall. We rented the boards from Dive Oahu on Kuhio Beach. It cost $20 for 2 hours, I’m sure you can find surf boards cheaper to rent but this was convenient and as beginners 2 hours was plenty of time to keep falling off the board . To book a group surf lesson (4-5people) will cost $99pp.

Day 11. Happy Birthday to me!

It was good to know that in the UK, I was still 31. However, in Hawaii I had turned 32.  It was our last day in Hawaii and I was planning to relax. After all the hikes, surfing, swimming, and walking. I booked myself a spa treatment at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort. You can get really good deals on Groupon, just book in advance.

On the way back,  I got my last cup of Hawaiian Joe! If you like hazelnut in your coffee then you will love Honolulu coffee.

Dinner reservations were made at Uncle Bo’s Pupu Bar & Grill . This place was recommended by the bus driver on the way to Diamond Head,  who told us where to get some proper Hawaiian food and it did not disappoint.

Our time on the island was up. First impressions were a bit sceptical, driving into Waikiki it looked run down and melancholy. The evenings were at times scary around certain parts as we experienced, and I felt you had to have your wits about you.  As the holiday progressed, we started to see Hawaii for its inner beauty instead of its touristic perceptions.  Staying in Waikiki was good as it was a central point for everything. I wish we would have stayed a couple of night on the north shore. There are plenty of ways to get around the island, you don’t need to hire a car for the whole duration, but it helps with some of the hikes that are not accessible by bus.

It has been a pleasure, Malaho Oahu!