All of the 27 days was leading up to this point! For Brea’s birthday and for the last two days of our 27 days of adventure, we decided to go to Hawaii. We both have never been before and used this as a great chance to really go somewhere new. Our trip to Hawaii was only 5 days but we made everyday jam-packed and filled with adventures. We visited the island of Oahu and the Big Island of Hawaii.

The Flight There

The flight from Los Angeles to Oahu was about 5 hours total. I thought the seats were more comfortable than most other airlines I’ve gone on.

Hawaiian Airlines also provided us with lunch!

One surprising thing was that we had to fill out a customs form. We’ve only had to fill this out when we travel internationally.

Culture

One of the first things that we noticed was that there were a lot of Japanese tourists in Oahu. One of our tour guides explained that Japanese is almost like the second language here. Hawaii’s main tourist nationality is Japanese so you will find signs with Japanese characters beneath. You will also find many Japanese/Asian markets around Waikiki.

Everyone is generally very happy and friendly in customer service. If you plan to take a tour, our tour guides in every place had been laid-back, friendly and happy. It’s really different from what we are used to so that can be something to look forward to.

Another thing we noticed is that Hawaii is eco friendly. They promote saving wildlife and conservation of nature. When you buy sunblock, make sure it is reef safe if you plan to do any ocean activities.

Things to Know

Driving Around

Oahu is a small island. We didn’t have to fill up our tank until we had to leave for the airport. Our rental car was a Hyundai Elantra SE – it was gas efficient and a comfortable drive.

Law Enforcement

There are a lot of cops around! I’ve never seen so many in a single day – sometimes you’ll see two right next to each other. The police cars can look normal black and white police vehicles or normal cars, but they always have a constant blue light on top of their hood.

People do NOT jay walk here. This is odd for me to point out I’m sure but we can be in a hurry so it’s a good thing to know. Police can give you an easy fine for jay walking.

People do NOT wear a motorcycle helmet while on mopeds and motorcycles. But if you plan to drive one, stay safe and wear a helmet!

Closed Down/Illegal Hikes

Almost every single hike we wanted to do was illegal. The hikes with the best views of Oahu from a high elevation are almost always illegal like Stairway to Heaven and Pali Notches. If you do go on one of the illegal hikes, just make sure to be respectful of the area and the neighbors.

Make sure to buy some bug repellant! We didn’t expect there to be so many mosquitoes so we didn’t buy any until the last day. My leg was filled with bug bites by the end of the trip.

ABC Store

The store that you will see the most is the ABC Store. There was one on almost every corner. You can purchase just about anything from the ABC Store.

What to Do

This lookout is next to Hanauma Bay and located on the Kalanianaole Highway. It was a nice, quick stop for us before going snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. There are some rocks and you can climb down to get a little closer to the water. On the day that we visited, it was kind of windy so be careful!

Hanauma Bay is a nature preserve and one of the most popular tourist attractions especially for snorkeling. Depending on the tides that day, the water might not be so calm. You can still see some fishes and other marine life though! After paying the admission fee and watching a short orientation video, you’re allowed to roam freely – you can go snorkeling, swimming, or just relax on the sand.

Stairway to Heaven/Haiku Stairs

This hike is illegal but that doesn’t mean that people haven’t gone on the hike! There are a couple methods to get to the stairs. Sadly, we were unsuccessful in getting to the hike to Stairway to Heaven but not without trying though. On the day that we wanted to do the hike, we woke up at 1AM and arrived to the area around 2AM. Unfortunately, there was already a cop on the main road to one of the ways to get in. Security has really increased so there are very slim chances for you to get in. On one way, we randomly ran into a neighbor and saw that there’s a big fence with a small hole to go through in the middle. We can’t climb fences, let alone climb it as quietly and quickly as possible in the dark. After a while, we decided to drive back but saw that the cop was parked on the street probably waiting for us or other people to attempt again. We left shortly after that. The next time that we visit Hawaii, we will most likely take the back way with a guide.

This is another illegal hike but the end result is worth it! Since we couldn’t hike the Stairway to Heaven stairs, we decided to do this one. At the very top, you get a beautiful scenic view. We watched the sunrise and spent quite some time taking photos and Brea also flew her drone here.

This is a once in a lifetime experience. It’s not everyday that you can say you swam with sharks! The water that day was pretty calm and so blue – you could see everything in the water clearly. There were about a total of 20 sharks beneath us. Definitely worth the money.

The Dolphins and You tour was a little more laid-back and family friendly compared to the diving with sharks tour. This tour included the bus ride to the boat area, entertainment on the boat, snorkel gear, and a taro-bun hamburger at the end. There were two parts to the tour – the dolphin swim (where you can see dolphins beneath you) and the free-swim snorkeling (where you can see turtles, fishes, and even go on the slide they brought).

Brea and the sea turtle that we saw!

Pali Notches Hike

This is yet another illegal hike that offers amazing views if you are able to get to the top. The Pali Notches’ hike starts at the entrance of the look out. It is VERY windy due to it being a wind tunnel for the mountains as it is the only gap between them. The first part is a steep climb already and there were a lot of visitors, a security guard, and, of course, a random cop. We didn’t want to risk getting a fine since there was a cop right there and it was also pretty windy that day. Our friend that came to Hawaii with us was really looking forward to it and even bought some rope to help pull us up. I guess this is another hike that we will have to revisit the next time we come to Hawaii!

The Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens is open daily and is a tranquil and peaceful way to spend your afternoon. You can walk through the gardens or just drive through (which is what we did). The entrance to the gardens has a great photo opportunity.

We flew to the Big Island of Hawaii for the doors-off helicopter tour. We were the only 3 people in the helicopter so it was pretty much a private tour. The pilot was very knowledgable and friendly. I sat in the back so it was a little bit more cold and much more windy. We were able to get some really cool pictures (our friend took this one of Brea) but be careful because you’re not allowed to stick anything or any body parts outside of the helicopter.

This hike was the only legal hike we did for our whole trip. Not only are there restrooms and food stands but the trail is also paved. We went around sunset so had to walk at a faster pace than usual to make sure we made it there on time. There was one area that was slightly difficult (you’ll know it when you see it). I liked the viewpoint because you can see the city skyline in the background.

This waterfall is one of the more popular waterfalls in Hawaii. There is a small gift shop where you pay for parking and buy bug repellant if you need some. The walk can be slippery especially if it just rained. When you get closer to the waterfall, the pathway will be rocks. We were able to take some nice photos here and since we went for sunset, we were the only ones there at one point. The walk back to our car was more difficult though since it was completely dark and the trail was muddy and slippery.

Waikiki Beach

Our hotel was located on Waikiki Beach so it was only a short 5 minute walk. There are a lot of things you can do at Waikiki Beach – shopping, swimming, surfing, and just walking along the shore. There are also restaurants and bars that are on the beach too.

Walking around Wakiki Beach area

Where to Stay

There are many accommodation options in Oahu from hotels to AirBnbs. For our trip, we decided to stay at the Alohilani Resort because of its luxurious rooms, close proximity to everything including Waikiki Beach, and the infinity pool.

The view of Wakiki Beach from our hotel balcony

The infinity pool at sunrise

The infinity pool at night

There’s an aquarium near the bar

Overall, I had a great time in Hawaii. For the short amount of time we spent there, we did a lot of things! There are some things we didn’t get a chance to do and other things that we would do differently. Stay tuned for an update when we visit Hawaii again!