I recently spent the week in Oahu, and I absolutely loved it. I sadly became really sick with a sinus infection, but I did not let that ruin my week. I live in the Sacramento area and drove to Oakland to fly to Hawaii. The flight took about six hours, which caused me to have really bad sinus pressure. However, when we landed, I was able to get an appointment at Aloha Urgent Care and was given antibiotics and steroid treatment that helped me get through the week pretty much pain-free. While urgent care is probably not on your desired itinerary, it is comforting to know that there is easy, accessible healthcare available in case of an emergency like this. I went to bed that night and woke up feeling better and better each day. Fun in the sun and a nice ocean breeze also helped a lot.
I had the pleasure of staying at the Wyndham for the week. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here and have no complaints. It’s close to the beach, shopping, and good restaurants, and in my opinion, that’s all you really need for the perfect vacation. Wyndham has great service and a kind staff. They gave me so many tissue boxes throughout the week to help me out. Our hotel room had a bedroom, a pullout couch, a bathroom, and a kitchen. The hotel also had a pool and hot tub. I think it is perfect for any family or couple staying in Hawaii. There are so many other nice hotels in this area as well. I visited the Sheraton some of the days since it was by the beach and got a good look at their infinity pool that overlooks the sunset. The Sheraton also has another pool, a water slide, and two hot tubs, so this hotel is very kid-friendly, but still leaves plenty of space for the adults to enjoy too. Hilton is also always a good option to stay at. I can always rely on their hotels to have good service and quality. Depending on price range, your party of people, and desired location, your hotel preference could be different. What’s convenient is there are so many exceptional hotels for those with all different budgets and family members, so we can find and research the perfect fit hotel for you!
While I did have to spend some time at the doctor’s, I also got to do a lot of other fun activities during this trip. Oahu is cool because there is so much to do, but you can still choose to have a relaxing day at the tropical beaches too. It’s essentially a city on the beach, so you’re truly getting the best of both worlds. I personally enjoyed shopping and swimming the most. I went into all kinds of stores. I do not think there is a single surf shop I did not go into, and Oahu has a large variety like Volcom, Billabong, Rozy, etc. There was some really cute boutiques that I also couldn’t miss. My favorite boutique I found there was called Soho. It was right across from where I was staying, and here I bought an adorable charm necklace, sunglasses, and a black dress. If you walk about another block from our hotel, you will find Duke’s Lane. These are outdoor, market-style shops. I bought a hoodie here and love it, as well as a few pieces of jewelry. Be careful what jewelry you buy here though because some of it can tarnish really badly. There’s also a huge mall called the Ala Moana with tons of popular stores, about ten minutes of a ten-minute drive from where we stayed. This was one of the biggest malls I have ever been to. As an 18-year-old girl, I was truly in my element here. I wish I had spent more time here, but I had spent the day swimming and came three hours before it closed. I did however have plenty of time to stop in Levi’s, Brandy Melville, Pacsun, and Hollister. There were also smaller malls within walking distance to our hotel that we spent some time in. I sniffed out my favorite store, Free People, in one of these malls and got the cutest denim romper and striped pants.
As for swimming, I went to the same beach almost every day. Waikiki Beach was only a 5-10 minute walk from where I stayed. It has tiny, private beaches along it as well as a bigger beach in front of the Sheraton. I also stopped by the Hilton Village Beach on the first day. These beaches are no different from each other as far as water and sand go. They are all the same warm temperature, the water is the same perfect blueish-teal color, and they are all sandy. Some areas of these beaches are more or less crowded; you just have to walk and find a spot that works for you. I didn’t find any of the beaches to be too overly populated though. The only other place I swam was a waterfall called Waimea Falls. We did this activity since it was part of our bus tour. It was our big stop of the day. It’s a half-hour hike from where you park, but you have the option to catch a golf cart or rent a motorized wheelchair (I recommend the wheelchair because you can go at your speed or simply walk). When you get to the waterfall, there are changing rooms so you don’t have to wear your bathing suit under your clothes or anything. Then you can borrow a life vest and dive in the water. The water was so refreshing, and the experience of getting to swim up to the waterfall was amazing. Our bus tour had other stops along the way too, as it was an 8-hour tour of the island. We stopped at fruit stands for local Hawaiian fruit. I recommend the pineapple and/or mangos, they’re a 10/10. We also stopped at several scenic areas for pictures, one of which was China Hat. I was in awe of the views, they will take your breath away. We made other little stops at The Coffee Shack, a souvenir store, and Dole Whip on the way back as our final stop. For lunch, we stopped at a local Hawaiian restaurant. I only recommend the bus tour if you haven’t seen much of the island but want to explore and don’t know where to start. However, if you feel confident enough you can get around, maybe just Uber up or rent a car for the day to go to the waterfall yourself. You just have to plug in Waimea Falls on Google Maps. If you’re looking for another hiking activity to do, I would recommend Diamond Head. It’s challenging but very great exercise, plus the view makes it so rewarding. The hike is very green and beautiful and overlooks the ocean. I didn’t get to go on this last trip I made to Oahu because I was so sick, but I went to Oahu when I was younger with my family too and remember loving it.
And, when you’re sore after hiking and swimming, you have an excuse to head down to the Massage Palace in the Ala Moana. It was my first time getting a massage and they did a great job. It was so relaxing, especially since I had just finished my senior basketball season. Another chill activity is watching the sunset or the sunrise. All Hawaii sunsets are unreal. I have never seen one that I don’t like. They’re also very Instagram worthy, so bring your camera and be ready to take lots of pictures! (digital camera recommendations linked in our Amazon storefront) Lastly, there are fireworks over the Fort Derussy Beach every Friday night. The show isn’t too long, no more than ten minutes, but it’s worth going if you have the opportunity to see them. They’re very pretty and it was a good memory running along the beach to get to see them in time.
Oahu has lots of yummy restaurants to choose from. There were three restaurants we went to that stood out to me. First is Yard House. Yard House had an excellent burger and a yummy cheesy dip with vegetables. Second was Blue Water Shrimp and Seafood. It’s next to a lot of surf shops. This place serves shrimp, ribs, etc. And third was a sports bar named Giovanni’s. Giovanni’s was special because of its fun vibes. They had live music and the energy in the bar was uplifting to be around. And, of course, there were TVs with sports games playing everywhere. Out of all the restaurants we went to, Giovanni’s was probably my favorite because they had so many appealing meal options for me. I ended up ordering a fettuccine alfredo and a caesar salad. Both were delicious. We also were able to cook a lot in our hotel room since it had a kitchen, and Oahu now has a Target, so we could conveniently grocery shop.
Transportation-wise, we did not feel the need to rent a car for the week. Everything we needed on a day-to-day basis was within walking distance from where we stayed. We used an Uber to get to Ala Moana and called a Taxi to get to the airport. The bus tour was our only other mode of transportation, but if you decide not to do the bus tour, you would need a car to get to Diamond Head, China Hat, Waimea Falls, and some of the fruit markets, coffee shops, and stores. You could easily Uber to any of these places, or maybe you could rent a car for just a day or two. That way you can save money but still have the chance to explore the island and see Oahu’s natural beauty outside the main city area. While walking was our main mode of transportation, we also rented one of the city scooters for an hour one night and had so much fun riding around the beach town. They’re super simple to navigate; all you do is scan the barcode and pay through the app, and you are set to go. We really wanted to, and almost did, rent one of the pink mopeds, but I feared I wouldn’t be any good at driving it. However, when I got home I talked with my grandparents and they said they’re super easy to drive, so next time renting a bright pink moped is definitely going to be on my itinerary.
Oahu is the perfect balance of city and beach. I was stuck under unfortunate circumstances, but I had a total blast my entire stay regardless. I’m so thankful I was able to get an appointment at Urgent Care so close to my hotel. It allowed me to enjoy the rest of my vacation. I had so much fun throughout every activity and adored the food, culture, and lifestyle here. Oahu should be at the top of your list to visit, especially if you’re looking for a relaxing vacation that allows you to get out and have some fun as well. Contact us to get started planning your trip!