Island of Oahu

Here’s a clue: Honolulu is known as the «cement city». This is the least Hawaiian of all the islands and it has the least amount of natural beauty. Yes, there are some beautiful spots, but a LOT less than the other islands.
I lived here a year and hated the traffic, over-​population, skyscrapers, and so many homeless (mainly older and native who can’t afford the high rents). I come from California, so I’m used to high rent, crowded beaches, tourists. The traffic in Honolulu — they don’t care about pedestrians in crosswalks or bicycles, so be careful. The «aloha spirit» seems to really come out when they are trying to sell you stuff. I suppose if you come from the Midwest, Oahu might be paradise to you. I guess it depends on what you are looking for.
Honolulu is like downtown Los Angeles next to a beach. Waikiki is packed with partying tourists. Most of the rest of the island is kinda suburbs, except for North Shore. Oahu imports 92% of its food, so expect to pay a LOT at restaurants and grocery stores. Oh, and if you decide to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center on the North Shore, it’s $ 50 a person — and its owned by the Mormon Church. If you want a cultural experience, go to Chinatown at around 8am. It’s bustling and busy with locals buying their food fresh «off the boat».
If you insist on going to Oahu, there are two places I fell in love with: the town of Waimanalo and Shark’s Cove on the North Shore. Neither are tourist spots aimed at taking your money. They are spots that locals hang out.
Waimanalo has the most actual Hawaiian people. You can tell a Hawaiian’s house — it’s the one with the party and BBQ going on in the carport with all their ohana (extended family). The beaches are less crowded and mostly used by locals. On weekends, there are lots of great roadside stands selling homemade food. At the far end is a hike to a lighthouse and the best views of whales. There are also some ancient sacred areas right next to the beach. Waimanalo is where the Magnum, PI show was filmed and where I hear Obama will be retiring when he’s out of office. One of Obama’s buddies bought the Magnum PI house last year.
Shark’s Cove, up on the North Shore, is the greatest place to snorkel and it’s FREE! Gazillions of brightly colored fish swim right along with you and around you. For about $ 10 you can buy a snorkel and mask at the grocery store across the street. There is even a public restroom next to the parking lot. Parking can be a real pain on weekends, so go mid-​week. After you are exhausted and starving from all day in the water, go eat at one of the food trucks across the street. None of them are what I consider cheap, but all had good food.
Another place of interest: Don Quiote Market (there’s a few of them, but I like the one in Honolulu best). A HUGE store with every kind of Asian food. A whole row with just Spam (giggle) Their deli is awesome and, comparatively, their prices are great. This is the best store to buy any tourist crap you might want.
The other great place to buy tourist crap is the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet. It’s huge and has the best prices — almost half what stores in Waikki charge — for Hawaiian shirts, seashells, flowers for your hair, ukuleles, etc. Don’t be afraid to haggle if you are buying more than one thing from a vendor. It can be VERY hot, so bring a hat and plenty of water to drink.
Well, that’s my review. If you want nature, go to one of the other islands. There was nothing «natural» on Oahu that isn’t on any of the other islands and the others have more.

I have heard many say, ‘Don’t bother with Oahu. The other islands are better.” I think they are wrong on many levels. Oahu has a personality and specialness all its own. But part of this discovery was based on avoiding tour buses, shunning the obvious tourist traps, and venturing on our own. Rent a car and get out of the city.
Here is what you must do. Divide and conquer. With the help of some well keened reviews from my Unilocaler friends, a couple of whom graciously became tour guides for a day, it was easy and fun. If only I had more time.
But first of all, a few observations. You need to prepare yourself mentally for some significant «differences», and that goes beyond shaved ice, poke, and spam breakfasts:
So, what is it with the drivers in this state? Unlike Californians with their maniacal, death defying driving styles, Hawaii has some of the most courteous drivers I have ever seen. At one point where two lanes of a freeway on-​ramp merged into one, I witnessed a big guy in an even bigger pick-​up truck and a little woman in a Toyota Corolla, fully on a path to collision, slow down to a complete stop and wave the other on… you go first… no, you go first… no you… no you. I found it comical. Mr B found it annoying, but then he was driving. Further more, they actually drive the speed limit. Unheard of. Is this part of that easy going, Aloha spirit I have been forewarned to embrace?
And when you see someone giving you a hand sign, called «shaka» (your pointer, middle, and ring fingers pointing down to the palm and thumb and pinky up), don’t panic and go for the pepper spray, dear city dwellers. This is a sign of greeting and welcome. If you can’t handle all this niceness, maybe you should travel instead to Beirut.
Furthermore, I am still baffled as to why they prefer backing into perpendicular parking spots. It’s just weird. Everybody does it. I looked it up. Backing up is the greatest cause of collisions in parking lots. Never did see a fender bender, but it sure made me feel uncomfortable.
Honolulu and the surrounding area has to plenty to offer, with the history of Pearl Harbor, to fine dining, museums, high rents and high rises, illogical streets, traffic jams, and unending road construction projected to be completed in Hawaiian time. However, the further you get away from Honolulu/​Waikiki, the better your chances of not being slapped in the face by modern life and corporate chain restaurants and businesses that suck all the uniqueness out of any vacation experience. Even as they invade, however, the mom and pop places are everpresent and steadfast, just look. Don’t bother the concierge, ask the locals and be willing to venture into some of the hidden, older areas.
Heading up the leeward (western) side on Hwy 93 past Ko’Olina, you may realize they talk funny. ‘Pidgin’ English is the norm. Taking a class in Pidgin 101 might help
but you need not exchange American $$ for puka shells and kukui nuts for bartering. I also observed a Seagull School. I wonder if Jonathan Livingston Seagull trained here? Pretty beaches (the famous Makaha comes to mind), golden dry hills, well weathered older homes proving that a middle class life on these islands is difficult to achieve, and unremarkable businesses are a common sight. Very laid back. That’s local style.
If, instead, you follow your nose towards the center of the island, within an hour Hwy H2 brings you to the North Shore where still productive, old plantations flourish. Keep your eyes open and you will see gentle hills and acreage filled with pineapples, coconut palms, banana trees, macadamia bushes, and coffee orchards. This is where papayas, guavas, and mangoes thrive in everyone’s front yard. The North Shore is also the land of food trucks and tiny, makeshift businesses. This is where the ocean is layered with breakers and surfing is king (and very easy on the eyes, I said gushingly). Starting around the historic town of Haleiwa, you can hook up with Hwy 83 which takes you eastward through quaint beach towns and alongside breathtaking, more isolated beaches. Keep following the highway and you have arrived on the windward side.
The windward (eastern) side is the wild side of the island. This is where you find rocky shores, small towns, obviously the rainy side. As you travel south on Hwy 83, the tall, rippled cliffs laden with lush vegetation come dramatically into view. This eventually leads to the legendary Pali, a magnificent cliff which overlooks the peaceful Kailua Bay. By the time you reach Kailua, you are back in civilization and will find yourself rubbing noses with the elite.
You really can’t get lost. And even if you did, if you keep driving, you will end up at the same place in a few hours. Island = round = the many faces of Oahu I happily visited.

My goal is to visit all of the islands in the next few years… and slowly check them off the list. I have family here and it has been a long time coming to visit. I absolutely had the time of my life and Oahu officially has a special place in my heart! The views of the sunrise in the mornings really cannot be beat. Taking pictures just doesn’t even do it any justice. Definitely go on all the hikes, hang with the locals, try some Hawaiian cuisine. The shopping in Waikiki is incredible. I could spend all my paycheck down there in 5 seconds. Do some wine tasting downtown at Island Mana too. Guava wine! So refreshing. Since I know people who live there they drove us all around the island. If you have access to a vehicle take a drive to the North Shore and check out the waves! The drive out there is beautiful too. I cannot say enough about my awesome trip and am excited to go back. Hopefully to run the Honolulu Marathon someday and check out some more amazing hiking views. Mahalo!

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They have a great crew, and their integrity, responsiveness, and commitment to the customer is great!

Oahu! My island. Honolulu is here. Best shopping in Hawaii is on this island. There is a good mix of urban and nature here. I recommend staying on the North Shore or Koolina if you want to relax. If hustle bustle is ok, stay in Waikiki.

Aloha Computer, North Shore
Daniel has fixed my computer problems several times. Prices charged were better than I expected and he usually stopped what he was doing and just fixed it.
It is located in the old Koga Theater building, next to Paalaa Kai Bakery.

Beautiful place but Waikiki area too much like San Francisco for me. Solution… North shore… but it can get a but wavy for water fun. cute area lots of nice shops. or do East shore… there it was more like Kauai… cheap, more local feel and I found hat sunset you see.

My son loves this place great service Bree was very fast and friendly, the u don’t was great and the scallop bowl hit the spot

One of the most exquisite places on earth is the island of Oahu… A taste of paradise to overload all your senses with utmost delight, outstanding beauty almost everywhere you look at especially on the North shore, an eclectic and interesting culture, delicious dishes with exotic fishes, pleasant hikes,…I can’t wait to come back to experience more of Hawaii and visit other islands. This state stole my heart in a flash…

The Hawaiian Islands and the main island of Oahu… the beaches, the mountains, the blue skies, palm trees, lush waterfalls, cool tradewinds… need I say more!

The most beautiful island ever! I love coming here and can’t wait for my next trip to Oahu. Oahu has great food, great scenery and views. This is all you can ask for. I miss you Hawaii!

The best kept secret… Go to the North Shore on the weekdays! Easy access, no traffic, plenty of empty beaches plenty of parking. Avoid holidays and weekends.

There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home…
It’s true what they say about not really appreciating something till it’s gone. For me, I was born and raised here and never thought twice about living in Honolulu. When I left for San Francisco, I started missing Oahu more and more. Often times I would think about the people, short commutes, beautiful scenery and of course the food.
Oahu is a very special place because it’s a melting pot of many different cultures. It also has some of the most amazing foods from Asia. Some of the best in the country in my opinion. Not only does Asian food shine here but so does local and Hawaiian food. There isn’t any place else you can really get the taste and quality you would get here.
Now that I’m back on this rock and as I drive around Oahu, I look at the beauty that this island has to offer. It’s definitely appreciated now and I can see why people dream about coming here. From all the beautiful beaches, mountain ranges to the clear sunny skies. One major factor why I missed Oahu so much is that people here aren’t just friends but family or Ohana. For all these many reasons, I’m very proud to call this place home.

Born and raised here on Oahu, the best island around out of the Hawaiian island chain, in my opinion!
My only gripe of Oahu is that it is TOO overpopulated in recent years, it is a total traffic nightmare like 1 accident on a major freeway, you are in gridlock for HOURS. And that is not an understatement.
I love all the beaches, the best thing to do here is to be in the ocean whether it is snorkeling, swimming, boating, kayaking, sailing, whatever! It is FUN to be in the water!
Another fun nugget, is going hiking, I haven’t been in a while but there are many fun trails to adventure on whether you are a newbie or pro at it, there is a trail waiting for your visit.
We have a TON of shopping areas on the island as well and tourist-​y attractions.
As a local resident, I still haven’t done all those fun tourist trap attractions such as that COOL pirate ship tour or shark cage or swimming with dolphins!
Lots to do on Oahu, google or hey Unilocal some activities, you will find a ton!
Enjoy!

I love this island, but I love all of the Hawaiian islands I’ve been to thus far. Oahu has great snorkeling and surfing at the north shore and plenty of shopping and dining options in Waikiki. There are also beautiful hiking trails and waterfalls to be seen. If you want crowds and a louder atmosphere go to Waikiki. If you want to chill go to north shore. That’s why we do a week at both locations-​the best of both worlds! I highly recommend hiking diamond head. The views are fantastic!

Living in Hawaii is like living in paradise. Seriously, you get to live where others dream of vacationing. It is just a dream!
Check out my blog for a growing list of must see places to get you started on your own adventures :)

Best island ever!
If you like the city life like me then oahu I’d the place to be. Waikiki strip had tons to do and the beaches are magical.
The food is also yummy from malasadas to ice shave. Thus island is amazing

Couldn’t ask for more! Simply the best! Great food, awesome sights, lots to do and many places to hang with friends. Take care of our island home!

If you make it to Hawaii once in your life then Oahu is a great Island to visit. I think it’s important to check out the touristy must see attractions that people think about when they hear Hawaii. Those memorable destinations to me include Diamond Head, Waikiki, North Shore, Pearl Harbor and Kualoa Ranch. Oahu is definitely the busiest and most populated island, but that doesn’t take away from the wonderful beaches like Lanikai, Waikiki and Haleiwa and doesn’t make you forget you’re at one of the most beautiful destinations on Earth.
Hawaiian’s are wonderful people and have a magnificent culture to learn about. They take pride in their heritage and are open to sharing their history with visitors. Remember to be respectful of their customs, open to learning about why this beautiful part of the world is so important to them and living the Aloha way!

What can I say, the cost of living is ridiculously high, we have the worst traffic in the nation, our homeless population is growing at an alarming rate, do we really call this paradise?
Yes! Home is where the heart is and Oahu is my heart. It is quite expensive to live here, but where can you walk out of your home and enjoy the most beautiful beaches in the World? Where else will you find drivers letting you cut in and getting a thank you «shaka» or go to a park or beach and be invited to «make a plate» by complete strangers? This hasn’t happened to you yet, don’t worry it will. No other place can compare to the value we place on family, the way we are taught and raised to respect our elders, the aina and each other.
There is a special bond, a camaraderie that we have for people that come from an Island especially an Hawaiian Island. Yes, it is expensive, yes we have the cons as all states do, but paradise isn’t just a place, it’s a feeling, a love for your home and Oahu you are my home!

Beautiful Beaches but some of the locals can be quite rude!
Oahu is a beautiful place to visit but we did notice the difference between locals and people who moved to Hawaii. Our servers who were from Hawaii weren’t as friendly as others. In fact every bad restaurant experience was from a local spot.
Oahu is great for people who love nature and the water. If you enjoy surfing, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming with wild animals, and even sun bathing then this is a perfect vacation spot. The island is fairly small and easy to drive around. I recommend renting a car and heading up to the north shore and to east side of the island over to Lanikai Beach. Be careful as we were warned that rental cars are targeted by the locals near the North Shore, so do not leave anything in the car at all. We were told by our rental car company that about 10 break ins happen a week to their cars. I am not in any rush to head back to Oahu but I really enjoyed my time and the activities that we did.

Aloha :)
Oahu, Hawaii is definitely one of my favorite places in the World! LOVE IT because I have so many Happy Special memories that I’ll never forget… Over the years, I visited the Island 3 times and we always did a variety of different tourist stuff. There is so much to do and it is quite beautiful there. The best part is on my vacations, I felt completely relaxed and stress free, plus add in great weather, great food, great people, great culture, it is amazing!
I don’t know how to swim, but I still managed to go snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, and then I went underwater 100 feet in the Atlantis submarine tour, which was really fun to see under the Sea ;) My most favorite thing was the Helicopter tour of the whole Island, I’ll never forget the views and how beautiful the land and waterfalls are from the sky! I am very thankful I have been to Pearl Harbor twice and I think that is very important place to visit in Hawaii. I enjoyed so many luaus, Sunset dinner cruises, plus I did a group Island tour drive, which was really cool to go around the land and making numerous stops, enjoyed taking tons of pictures, and I got to see the area where they filmed Lost!
There is so much to do, with dining, shopping, going to the beach, tourism, staying in nice hotels or renting a beach house… the list goes on and on and you can’t get bored. As an American, I can’t be thankful enough for all the opportunities I have had and been able to experience in Hawaii, which we are blessed to have as part of the United States!!! I loved all my vacations very much, but it’s also nice to come back home to California and be on the Mainland :) I look forward to my future visits! Mahalo and see you soon :) xoxo!

Born and raised here, I lived here all my life except for two years that I spent traveling. Hawaii is a nice place and Oahu is the busiest! There are so many people here.
What I love about this place is the large number of beautiful beaches and amazing hiking trails. What I don’t like is that it’s so hot during the day except for a few months out of the year. Occasional tsunami and hurricane warnings produce scares that cause people to buy out toilet paper, bottled water, and gas.
Traffic can be killer during rush hour. If you’re driving outside of rush hour, it is pleasant. You can take trips to the North Shore. There are a lot of food trucks up there and sights to see.
My favorite activities include going to Ice Palace (indoor ice skating ring), going to the 50^th State Fair (lots of rides and fun activities for adults and kids), and lifting weights and doing cardio at the gym.
Another thing I really like about this place is the large ethnic diversity. It’s really neat interacting with and making friends with people from all over the world and from many different ethnic backgrounds. There’s so much variety and delicious food too.

Today 10/​26/​2014 I chose to give zippys another try. A few days ago 8 was sadly disappointed with my food being served cold.
Today I order the spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread. Well my garlic bread appeared as if it had been burnt and someone pinched the burned parts off.
Zippy’s won’t be my first stop any longer.

Relaxing beaches, great food, diverse atmosphere and fast paced city keeps me on Oahu.
From the opera to backyard barbecue, Oahu offers city life and country life while you can visit the only palace in the US.
Highlights are whale watching, hiking, beaches, Iolani Palace, Doris Duke’s Shangrila, loi, fish ponds, fish preserve, peaceful turtles, monk seal sightings, high fashion shopping, diverse cultures and oh the food!

Because I checked in here, I was asked to write a review.
Born on the Island of Hawai’i, Kona to be exact, I thought the Big Island was the best Island. (FBI: From Big Island) I ended up moving to O’ahu when I was 7 years old, so I must say I was RAISED here.
Big Island is really mellow, no buses, traffic isnt bad, apartments are cheap. Really different from O’ahu.
Schools:
I went to Kealakehe Elementary, in second grade, math class, we were learning 2 and 3 digit addition and subtraction. When I came to O’ahu I attended Ma’ema’e School, one of the highest in the state. When I went to start 2^nd grade there, we were already learning cross multiplication. Luckily, Im smart and caught on quickly. My little sister however, had to stay back one year. I dont blame her, the subjects were pretty advanced. Thats 1 reason why I like O’ahu.
Roads:
I think O’ahus roads are too narrow. In the big island, I remember the roads being wider and making more sense? lol. Maybe it was just because I was smaller then. But i NEVER remembered traffic being close to O’ahus traffic.
Beaches:
My favorite beach in Kona was black sand beach, I thought no other beach could compare. Then, I came to O’ahu. Ala Moana, Lanikai, Waimea, Waimanalo, Sandys, Makapu’u. Thats not even half of the beaches that I adore.
Tourists:
Big Island wins. Hands down. O’ahu has a good 10 times more tourists a day than the Big Island. Yes. we dont like swimming in sunscreen.
O’ahu is more of a city, bigger malls, more attractions, lots of buildings. But I enjoy everyday of it. #BlessedtoliveHI #LuckweliveHI

For my 90^th review, I wanted to write about something relatively significant, so I chose my birthplace!
I have travelled all over the world (Europe, Asia, the Holy Land, the Continental US, the neighbor islands, etc.) — each trip makes me appreciate America and Hawaii even more.
I lived on «the mainland» for a couple of years as a college student, but I missed Hawaii and my friends & family so much that I withdrew from the University where I worked part-​time, on-​campus in the cafeteria. I saved up enough money for a plane trip home; and surprised my family by calling from the airport and telling them I was transferring to the University of Hawaii! It was the BEST Thanksgiving ever!
Oahu is the BEST Hawaiian Island because it has everything — from the mountains to the oceans; deserts, forests, rainbows, waterfalls, awesome sunsets & sunrises; bamboo, orchids, coconut trees, anthuriums; famous places such as Waikiki Beach, Hanauma Bay, the Arizona Memorial, the Bishop Museum, Diamond Head, the Aloha Stadium; Downtown Financial District; the Honolulu International Airport… Its diversity is amazing! The weather is great — no snow to shovel! No Winter clothing to buy and store! No ice to scrape! Go hiking, do some snorkeling, golf, go fishing or sight-​seeing; shop, eat and relax!
When friends come to visit, we go to places like Punchbowl, Pali Lookout, Iolani Palace, the Kam Swap Meet, Ala Moana Beach, Valley of the Temples, the North Shore, Chinatown, and the Waikele Outlets. We eat all kinds of Ethnic Foods — Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian, Korean, Filipino, Vietnamese & Thai to name a few! We have shaved ice, malasadas, crepes, look funn, ramen, pansit, tacos, sushi, dim sum, and much, much more!
I will never get tired of Oahu — my HSH (Home Sweet Home)! No ka oi!

«Go! Go! Go! Ultraman!»
Fan boy alert!
Since March 2014 and till about Sept of 2014 there has been a special tourism campaign to broaden Hawaii’s appeal to Japanese visitors. Because of Ultraman’s popularity in Japan the theme of the campaign is the Ultraman family coming to Hawaii for a vacation with advertising pics showing them around the islands.
Ultraman is one of the first live action super hero shows in Japan and was created by the guy who created Godzilla in the 50s.
Here on Oahu they have placed four different 2.5 meter statues at popular visitor areas. It makes a fun Ultraman «rally» to go to around Oahu to visit areas many of us locals might not have seen in a while. They are located in areas that are accessible for free– see the map pic (note: at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, let them know you only intend to see the statue and they will let you into the shopping area for free.)
Da boss and I went on the weekend for the Honolulu locations and the other two on Memorial Day. All four can easily be accessed on a day trip. The Japan visitors get to stamp a special card to win prizes but unfortunately others do not qualify (rats) but seeing those figures are still great fun for the rest of us.
A great way to see the iconic Super Hero of Japan and enjoy some local grinds along the way.

You can review an island? Apparently so! We visited a few years ago, but I’m sure not much has changed on this laid back state so here goes…
I’m not really a beach girl nor a sun worshipper. This is why I never imagined myself vacationing anywhere in Hawaii, but the hub wanted to go so off we went. We went during the first week of June and the weather was perfect! I had thought it would be hot, but it was pleasantly mild and nicely breezy. We did an island tour, went snorkeling, hiking, had dinner on an island cruise, ate tons of good food and just relaxed. We visited the dole plantation and even a shooting range! There was so much to see and do. I never knew there was so much to this little island.
The people were very warm and welcoming… I can’t wait to go back! Maybe we’ll even end up retiring here. That sounds heavenly: D

This review was in the works and meant to be my Review # 500 in 500 words or less.
Oahu: The gathering place or so it has been nicknamed. My residence since I entered the age of majority. An island, while limited in space has nearly a million residents. We live in high rises, low rises, homes on 3000 square feet of ground or on land or maybe an estate of acres.
Oahu is:
Home to many corporate conglomerations from Hawaii and afar; we have jobs for all walks of life. A retailing mega of commodity from one end of the spectrum to the other.
Home to many snowbirds who spend half their residency in Hawaii in the winter.
Home to many who stopped on by for the great north shore surf and never left.
Home to many college students who came to study and never left, finding employment, spouses and eventually making Oahu their home
As the Beamer’s song goes, Honolulu City Lights always bring me home
Oahu in Unilocal World had great eateries, so much that a Hawaii restaurant as rated by Unilocal is #1 best in the nation
Our Oahu Unilocal community IMHO is the best in the west
That said, I now conclude my review