Oahuuuuu! What an amazing place. I mean, any part of Hawaii is amazing, but Oahu is such a fun experience. It definitely has a little bit for everyone: city, beautiful beaches, shopping, hiking, surf, great food, did I mention beautiful beaches? I always made it a point to avoid that island because it was the most crowded, but I’m really glad we finally went because it’s easy to get away from the crowds and find a sweet little slice of paradise.
We actually stayed at the Four Seasons in Ko Olina for most of our trip and can I just say… WORTH IT. We chose this spot because (one) you can never go wrong with a Four Seasons hotel and (two) it was right next to the Disney resort Aulani. Maybe I shouldn’t divulge this, but staying at the Four Seasons AWAY from the craziness with all the kiddos, but being right next door and popping in to visit Mickey + Minnie was genius. After about 15 minutes there I couldn’t wait to get back to our more peaceful spot. I know many people love Aulani and rave about it, but I just don’t love doing vacation that way. I will say, we did end up going to their luau though and that was truly amazing! One of the absolute best luau’s I’ve been to, especially if you have kiddos!
A few other perks of the Four Seasons Ko Olina:
-Babysitting on site
-Complimentary yoga, pilates, etc. classes in the AM
-A few separate pools (an adult pool + a kiddo pool)
-Your own private little bay area
-Complimentary paddle boards, snorkels and other pool/beach items
-An amazing kids center (kids 5 and up get to go to their day camps)
All in all, that place is definitely ideal for pure relaxation. It was amazing as a family, and I could imagine it equally as amazing just as a couple or going for a girls trip. You honestly just can’t go wrong there.
Ok, I’ll stop rambling about how much I loved it! Onto the full travel guide…
Where to stay:
Four Seasons Ko Olina (luxury + relaxing + very fam friendly)
Turtle Bay Resort (relaxing + very fam friendly)
The Laylow (for a trendy, fun downtown stay)
Moana Surfrider (fam friendly)
Where to sightsee:
North Shore
Diamond Head
Waimea Bay/Waimea Falls
Nuuanu Pali Lookout
Kaneohe Sandbar
Pearl Harbor
Waikiki
Where to eat:
The Sunrise Shack
Mina’s Fish House for Happy Hour
Seven Brothers Burgers
The Beet Box Cafe
Haleiwa Bowls
The Street Social House
Monkeypod Kitchen
Hideout at Laylow
Where to shop:
Olive&Oliver
Owens & Co.
Guava Shop
Kailua General Store
Patagonia Hawaii
Paiko Hawaii
Where to snap some great photos:
Waimea Bay
The Sunrise Shack
Diamond Head
Kaneohe Sandbar
The Laylow
The Surfjack
Lanikai Beach
The Royal Hawaiian
Haiku Stairs
Kualoa Ranch
Where to get active:
Waimea Bay (snorkling)
North Shore (surfing)
Haiku Stairs
Turtle Bay (kayak, stand up paddle, snorkel)
Ko Olina (stand up paddle)
Just about anywhere (yogaaaa)
