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
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
Waimea Bay (snorkling)
North Shore (surfing)
Haiku Stairs
Turtle Bay (kayak, stand up paddle, snorkel)
Ko Olina (stand up paddle)
Just about anywhere (yogaaaa)