Oahu, Hawaii

We visited Oahu in March 2026 for my husband’s big birthday celebrations.

Our trip was split into two islands, Kauai and Oahu. We stayed in Waikiki, about a 10 minute was from the main strip of hotels in Waikiki. A much cheaper option that the skyscraper hotels that line Waikiki beach.

We spent 6 nights in Oahu and sampled everything Waikiki has to offer, including the iconic beach, where my husband took an obligatory surf lesson.

The beach was busy, but totally iconic with the Duke statue proudly standing at the entrance to the beach.

Diamond head stands proudly in the distance. One morning we did an early morning hike to see the sunrise on Diamond Head. The hike was manageable, the steps up not being too steep. And the views of Waiki from up there were 360 degrees.

Peral Harbour is a must when you are in Waikiki, a short journey takes you to the resting place of the soldiers who died in the infamous Pearl Harbour attack. You can still smell the leaking oil on the monument that still seeps from the sunken vessel below. It is eery and very moving but a must see.

We spent a day touring the North Shore of the Island and visited Haleiwa, a quaint old norther town, filled with artisan shops and food trucks. Along with the Dole Plantation, which is a maze of pineapples, and sampling the famous Dole Whip is a must. It is delicious. And a trip to Leonard’s food truck is a must to try the Malasata donut

We visited Byodo-In-Temple , a true replica of a Japanese Temple and Waimea Falls, set in a tropical forest, filled with wildlife and colourful flowers and plants.

We also sampled a traditional Mauka Warriers Luau, where we got to try traditional activities and sample traditional Hawaiian food before watching the show.

Every Friday evening the Hilton Hawaiian Village puts on a firework display for all to see. Grab your food from the food trucks and settle down to watch the fireworks on the beach. It really is a cool experience.

True Hawaii.

Just north of Waikiki is Hanauma Bay, which is a protected bay, and visitors are restricted. In fact, the bay is closed to visitors twice a week to protect the Coral and the marine life. The snorkelling her is amazing. We saw some fish only living in Hawaii, which was incredibly cool.

Oahu is much busier and cosmopolitan that some Hawaii Islands but there is so much to see and do if you are visiting for the first time, you really should include this one in your itinerary, twinned with a more laid-back island.

A truly unforgettable trip of a lifetime