Aloha Oahu (Part 1)

Because this is one of the first posts about actually travelling, I thought we’d start with one of my favorite places to send clients: Hawaii. I lived on the islands for five years and did a lot of travelling around the area so I’ve gotten to know the place well enough to be a “Certified Expert” on the islands (the certificate is above my desk in the office.

Hawaii has four major islands:

Oahu: The Gathering Island
Maui: The Valley Isle
Kaua: The Garden Isle
Hawaii: The Big Island

So for the next four weeks, Mondays (and sometimes Tuesday mornings) are going to be all about Hawaii. This week, we’ll start with Oahu. When planning a trip to Oahu, especially if it’s your first time going to the islands, these are the places you should definitely head towards.

Waikiki Beach (pictured at top of post)

It’s a beautiful beach that is protected by a reef. If you’re looking for a place with calm waters for snorkeling and surf lessons, this is a beach your kind of beach. With the reef, you’ll see beautiful ocean life that is unlike anywhere else. Because this is one of Hawaii’s best known beaches, it can get pretty busy, but the crowds definitely have it right when picking this beautiful 2 mile stretch.
Waikiki also has great shopping and a huge nightlife. If you’re looking to go out and have some fun after a day of relaxing, you’ll find many cool options.
The beach also has great waterfront hotels that range from moderately priced to five star luxury accommodations. We can usually fit people into these hotels no matter the price point, but if it’s not workable there are less expensive hotels that are a couple of blocks back from the beach with easy access to the beach and shops and nightlife.

North Shore:

This is a much more laid back area of the island. There are still some tourists in the area, but there are less hotels and resorts in the area. Turtle Bay is one of those few resorts and is a beautiful luxury resort.
This part of the island is known for its huge waves and is home to “The Pipeline” where the surfing contest are held. From December to March it is a surfer’s dream with waves that average around 9 feet but certainly do get bigger.
Haleiwa is a small surfer town on the North Shore. It has a lot of local based restaurants and shops (no Planet Hollywoods here). My favorite/the best place to get Shaved Ice on the island is at Motosmotos in this town.

Ko Olina:

This area is newer but still has beautiful resorts and golf courses (to be honest here, it’s going to be hard to find a place that isn’t beautiful on Oahu. The new Disney Aulani Resort is located here along with the five star JW Marriott Ihilani Ko Olina Resort and Spa.
The beach here is manmade, but that doesn’t detract from the beauty and luxury of the area.

Tomorrow morning, I’ll post about fun things to do on the island besides lay out, relax, have a fruity drink, and tan (an appropriate amount so that you don’t get burned).

-Bea