Hey everyone, it's Madalyn and this video is all about what to expect when traveling to the
island of Oahu in Hawaii. Oahu is an incredible vacation destination and we think there are a
few things you should know before heading out on your trip. If you find this video helpful be sure
to give it a like and if you want to see more videos like this hit that subscribe button. Our
subscribers help shape our future adventures. If you stick around until the end of the video we'll
discuss our favorite things about our own trip to Oahu. Let's get started. Know before you go.
Oahu is also referred to as the gathering place because it's the most populated of the Hawaiian
islands and attracts millions of tourists each year. Honolulu is the capital city of
Hawaii and was once home to the Hawaiian monarchy which you can learn more about by visiting the
Iolani palace. Big wave surfing originated on Oahu with the father of modern surfing
Duke Kahanamoku. Each winter several popular surfing competitions are held on the north shore.
By law all beaches are public beaches in Hawaii, even high-end resorts have to provide public
parking for beach access. Things to do. Hanauma Bay Hanauma Bay State Park is one of the most
accessible and most popular spots to snorkel on Oahu. You do need to reserve a time slot
ahead of time and they will have you watch a short video about reef safety before entering the water.
Entry into the park is $25 with a three dollar parking fee. You'll walk down into the bay and
snorkel in beautiful blue water. You can bring your own snorkel gear or rent some to
use while at the park. Be sure to have reef safe sunscreen whenever you go snorkeling.
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is a must do if you are on Oahu.
We all learn about the history of what happened at Pearl Harbor and how that prompted the US to
enter World War II but it doesn't prepare you for what it's like to visit the memorial itself.
You reserve a time slot and a ferry boat takes you out to the USS Arizona Memorial where you can take
in the wreckage of the ship below. Tickets to the memorial are free but advanced reservations
are recommended. Iolani Palace The Iolani Palace is the only royal palace in the United States.
We love visiting this grand estate and learning about the history of the monarchy in Hawaii.
You'll walk the palace halls and learn about King Kalakaua
and his sister Liliokalani the last king and queen of Hawaii. Kualoa Ranch Oahu
is an incredibly popular filming location for some of the most memorable movies of all time.
If you head over to Kualoa Ranch you'll be able to see the valley where they film movies such
as Jurassic Park and Jumanji. You can take atv tours horseback ride or zipline through the park
we simply took the bus tour and loved seeing famous sites that felt so familiar.
Makapuu Lighthouse this paved two-mile round-trip hike will take you up to incredible views of the
island and the ocean below the hike does gain 500 feet in elevation and does not offer much shade
but the views are well worth the hike up you may come across people fishing in this area
and it's best to leave that to the experienced locals. Makapuu lighthouse
is a perfect spot for whale watching in the winter months. Ko'alina Resort lagoons
on the west side of Oahu you can find the very popular Ko'alina resort area this is where you'll
find the Four Seasons and the Disney Auluani resort the four man-made lagoons are a great
place to lounge with the entire thing. They're calm and you don't have to worry about any rough
surf as you snorkel and enjoy fun in the sun. Waikiki Beach quite possibly the most famous
beach in all of Hawaii this popular city beach area stretches the south shore of Oahu. If you're
staying in this area you'll find this beautiful beach is just steps from your hotel here you can
also explore downtown Honolulu and enjoy shopping and nightlife. Diamond Head state monument diamond
head is one of the most recognizable formations in all of Hawaii. The Diamond Head trail allows you
the opportunity to hike around the rim of the long dormant volcano at the top you enjoy beautiful
views of the Pacific Ocean in Honolulu below. The hike of Diamond Head is just over a mile
and a half round trip. Coco Crater Coco Crater is one of the most popular spots for hiking in Oahu
the cone rises up 1208 feet and to reach it you have to hike up 1048 railroad tie stairs. We did
not hike up on this trip but we enjoyed taking it in from the ground below. The Dole Plantation
Pineapples have long been a staple of Hawaiian agriculture
and a trip to the Dole Plantation will show you precisely where they come from.
You can ride the train out into the plantation, wander through the pineapple maze
and admire native Hawaiian flowers in the gardens. We stopped in for a dole whip and
some pineapple. Pineapple in Hawaii just taste better. Surfing Oahu has some of the best surfing
in the world on the north shore you'll find where they host the annual surfing competitions
you can book lessons in Waikiki and learn how to take part in this traditional Hawaiian pastime.
Waimea Valley Nature Preserve Located on the north side of the island you'll find the Waimea Valley
Nature Preserve. Not only is this a beautiful place to explore waterfalls in Hawaiian landscape
but it's also home to the toa luau which we cannot recommend enough if you're looking for a luau to
attend while on your trip. Visit the state capitol building we can't visit a capital city without
swinging by the capitol building. Honolulu state house is one of the most modern we've seen which
makes sense considering it was the most recent one built in the United States. Eat Great Food
We had so many amazing meals while on Oahu. Some favorites include Helena's Hawaiian food,
Marukami Udon and Giovanni's Shrimp Truck among many others. We'll put a link to our Oahu food
tour in the description below. Where to Stay We have an entire video discussing where to stay
on our channel which we'll put a link to in the description below but here's the short version
Waikiki Waikiki Beach is where you'll find the most hotels and resorts on Oahu Prince Waikiki,
The Modern Honolulu, The Westin and the Hilton are all great options in this area. The North Shore
the famous Turtle Bay Resort is where you'll want to stay if you're looking at the north shore.
It's a beautiful area and one that we would love to experience in the future ko'olina resorts this
is where you're going to find the Four Seasons and the Disney Aulani resort. You'll enjoy beautiful
beaches and plenty of opportunities for golfing and nightlife. As I mentioned at the start of the
video we'll now discuss our own trip to Oahu. What was your favorite thing you did while visiting
Oahu? For me my favorite part of Oahu was Hanauma Bay. It's really a premium experience. The bay is
absolutely beautiful and the snorkeling was really some of the best we did in any Hawaiian island we
visited and I like the fact that they limit the number of individuals who can actually visit
because it keeps crowds at a minimum so you do really get to explore the bay and it's also a
really nice beach, so even if you're not big into snorkeling it's a great beach to go lay
at and beaches can be a bit more crowded in Oahu because there's more people. So it works for a
lot of different reasons and it was just really a terrific experience the day we were there.
I would have to say my favorite thing was Kualoa Ranch. I absolutely loved feeling like I stepped
into Jurassic Park and seeing that incredible landscape that we've seen in so many movies before
and we did just do the bus tour which was great we got to see everything but but on the way out we
saw people driving in on atvs and that looked like a lot of fun so I think if we went back uh i would
definitely want to do an atv tour or maybe even like a horseback riding tour through Kualoa Ranch
but that had to be my favorite part. If you want to see more from our adventures in Oahu
click right here. Don't forget to subscribe and we'll catch you on the next one.
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