The ONLY Oahu Travel Guide You Need | Blue Ocean

If you're looking for the Oahu travel guide to rule them all, well you've come to the right video. We spent eight days on this beautiful island and went to almost every coveted restaurant, hike, experience, and beach you can imagine. I'm going to randomly show you all the different spots we went to, from the best lava cake ever, to a Polynesian luau, to almost getting taken out by a monster wave. Let us begin. We start our journey off at the Banzai Pipeline. It's a beach famous for surfers all around the world. I've honestly never seen such large hollow curls of water in my life. The beach is located on Oahu's north shore. Be careful though, this beach is not for the beginner surfer, let me tell you. The Byodo-in Temple, I'm sure I'm butchering that word, is a beautiful buddhist temple that's actually a replica of a 900 year old temple in Japan. If you want to take a vibey photo for the gram, this is the spot to do it. The drive into the temple is also a great place for a dance video. Can we cue that dance video we made, please? Chart House Waikiki has some fire lava cake a la mode, live music, and it's open late for you midnight snackers. Crispy Grinds is a Brazilian food truck offering sandwiches and comfort snacks, along with fruit drinks and acai bowls. Try the pastel, it's a savory deep fried paque that literally melts in your mouth. Diamond Head Volcano is a saucer-shaped crater that was formed about 300,000 years ago during a single explosive eruption. It's a great 60 to 90 minute hike with unparalleled views of Oahu's shoreline. It's the perfect destination for anyone looking to adventure. For a delicious treat after the long hike, go to Honolulu Pineapple Co. for a fresh pineapple smoothie. Yummy! Downtown Waikiki has a lot of vibey coffee shops and supermarkets. Duke's Restaurant in Waikiki is a popular option known for its beachfront location, surf and turf, tiki vibes, and umbrella drinks. You feel like you're on the set of 50 First Dates or some romantic Hawaiian movie when you walk in. Edible Bakery and Ice Cream is really the spot to go to if you need sugar and it's 9pm at night. I got some cookie sundae looking thingy Haleiwa Farmers Market is an outdoor market with vendors ranging from produce sellers to arts and craft stands plus live music. Grab some food, gadgets, or some savory sea salt. Oh look, I just made up an alliteration. Hanauma Bay is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the island. For many years, Hawaiian royalty used Hanauma Bay for fishing and recreation. However, you will have to reserve your spot in advance. If not, you'll have to wait in line. We waited almost 2 hours. Pack a lunch in case. This is another scenic spot for lots of photos and underwater GoPro videos. Hoa Malahia Botanical Garden is a rainforest garden with plantings from major tropical regions around the world. It boasts over 400 acres of gardens, forests, and hungry mosquitoes. It's open daily without charge. If you're a couple, or even if you're single, bring your camera. There's a lot of photoshoot opportunities. Island Vintage Coffee Waikiki is like a Hawaiian Starbucks. Order the macadamia nut coffee or the massive delicious acai bowl. Kamuanaluau is a unique oceanfront dinner theater with Polynesian dancers and a tropical themed buffet. Honestly, it felt a little overpriced and a bit cheesy. The food was also plated so there was no buffet. I'm not sure I would go here again. Just my two cents. On the other hand, the dancers were super skilled and the views were incredible. For some reason, the lighting hits different here. Bring your camera if you do decide to go here. Kailua Beach Park is located just north of Lanakai Beach and south of Kalama Beach Park. The sand here is powder soft and the waters are typically a turquoise blue in hue. There are bathroom facilities in addition to beach showers and picnic tables. I actually got to fly my drone here which you saw at the opening shot to this video. I love this spot. Cocoa Crater Trail is a steep hike up an abandoned railroad track with dramatic ocean and city views. There's over a thousand steps. It's your stairmaster workout of the day. Just be careful of the bees on the side of the tracks and pack a lot of water. But if you make it, there's a rewarding panoramic view at the top. I mean just look at that view. Isn't it amazing? I wish I knew how to fly my drone before hiking here as there were so many good shot opportunities. I'm not even capping right now. Kono's restaurant had some fire Kailua pig breakfast burrito that was out of this world. I'm a huge burrito fan and this was just one of the best I've ever had. By the way, there's literally chickens everywhere in Hawaii. The Lanakai Pillbox Trail hike is a narrow hiking trail with two military bunkers and a panoramic view of Lanakai Beach. It's a great place to get some panoramic shots, drone footage, and graffiti art photos. Honestly, it was one of the best views we saw on the trip. Okay, if you love donuts or even if you just like donuts or you know what, even if you hate donuts, Leonard's Bakery will not disappoint. Leonard's is a Portuguese bakery in Honolulu known for their malasadas. It's a deep fried pastry slightly crispier and chewier than a donut with no hole. And by the way, you should order at least six per person. I'm serious. Lulu Mahu Falls is an unofficial unmarked trail that leads to a waterfall. A word to the wise, follow the ribbons and don't get lost. It's about a 30 minute hike to the waterfall. I don't know. I think it's kind of worth getting arrested. Just look how pretty the waterfall is. You won't get arrested, but maybe you will. I don't know. All right, super random, but the pastrami sandwich from Mala Market at Hawaii Kai was mouthwatering. It's right next to Sushi Man. If you're a certified scuba diver or you want to cut your teeth in open water diving, Manny's Scuba Diving is an inexpensive diving adventure. We saw a few turtles and even an octopus. I think we literally met the octopus from my octopus teacher. I'm just kidding, but you never know. We did feel rushed when we got there though. We had to hop on a boat and get into our gear quickly. There wasn't much of a debrief either. This can be stressful for a first time diver. We're here at Marugame Udon Noodles in the Waikiki. Marugame Udon Waikiki had over 10,000 reviews on Yelp, so naturally I wanted to go there. I'm a huge foodie if you can't tell. It's a casual Japanese restaurant that serves udon noodles. You know those thick ones made from wheat flour? I mean, yeah, it was a cool experience with lots of deep fried goodies, but I didn't think it was that good to write home about. I would give it a solid 8 out of 10. Next, let's talk about Mermaid Cave. First and foremost, I want you to know something. This is an extremely dangerous area. Apparently, it's near a shady part of town, but that's not what makes it dangerous. If you venture over there, you'll see lots of tombstones. Countless people have died here. I can only venture a guess. We went to take some photos in the cave, making sure to go at low tide. Even though the tide was low, the current was super strong in the cave. If you're not careful, the waves will carry you out. I personally don't think it's worth taking a photo in this cave. Even more so, we went on the rock. P.S. Wear water shoes. A huge wave came and knocked us over and could have taken us for good. I was lucky to catch myself, but I did nick my leg quite well and now I have a permanent scar. Without getting any more gory than that, please tread lightly and maybe consider going somewhere else. Honestly, it's really dangerous. We knew this going in, but didn't realize the magnitude until we actually got there. Okay, let's move on. Morning Brew Coffee Kailua had some of the most delectable desserts I've seen on this island. They serve freshly roasted Hawaiian coffee beans, breakfast, and sandwiches all in a colorful cafe and shop. Trust me when I say this, get the melt away bar. No idea what it is, but it's to die for. Speaking of another cafe, Nalu Health Bar and Cafe in Kailua is a local eatery for one of the If you're curious about the history of the macadamia nut, North Shore Macadamia Nut Company is where you want to go. It's a family run nut farm with a wide selection of nuts at a fair price. It's also a great souvenir shop and I had a chance to learn some fun facts about macadamia. I want to break it all. I just want to get it open. So I'm here with Katie. So I want to know more about this tree. So it takes seven years. Yeah. You guys want to show the tree? Yeah. They produce every year, once a year, the tree will go off and do about 65, 50 to 65 pounds. Doing some market research here. Macadamia nuts, honey butter, and chocolate honey butter. Stir fry curries and noodles. Oh my. If you want a super vibey plant-filled patio experience at one of the best reviewed Thai restaurants on Yelp, go to Olay's Thai Lao Cuisine. Just trust me on this one. Just go here. We ordered Thai iced tea, a sampler plate and some yummy pad thai. We didn't get to see much of Pearl Harbor because we were super tired, but it's obviously a wonderful tourist destination with lots of history. Sandy beach. More commonly known as breakneck beach. Yeah. I was seriously scared to even dip my toe in the water. Just watch how gnarly these waves are. Other than the deadly waves, maybe some of the most dangerous in the world, the views are pretty rad. Shark's Cove is a large set of tide pools located at Papukea Beach Park on the North Shore. Word to the wise, bring your water shoes. You cannot walk without them. I'm serious. It's one of the most famous snorkel and dive beaches on the North Shore. You have to be careful when walking. The tide here can be quite strong. I would say this location is for the intermediate snorkeler. It's not as easy as we thought to swim here. There wasn't much beach area either. You kind of just have to walk around in your water shoes. I have three words for you. Butter. Moki. Cake. Get one at Sing Chong Young Bakery in the Chinatown area of Oahu. It's sweet. It's hearty. It's delicious. The texture is unforgettable too. Sushi man. Hawaii Kai is a sushi bar that gives you those cute picturesque trays of sushi. They look super delicious and all, but when you buy it, they look small and not very appetizing. I would give it a 6 out of 10. Not really worth the price. I would do all you can eat instead. We were starving for poke, so we gave the Hibachi Kailua a shot. It's a mini grocery market selling meats, fish, and marinated specialties prepped to cook at home, plus wine and beer. The poke we ordered was spicy but appetizing. We were referred to Uncle Bo's restaurant by our dive instructor. He swore by the six little piggies, which are pork bellies drizzled with a drizzled garnish. Did I just say drizzled twice? Drizzle drizzle. I wasn't a fan, but we had to give it a fair trial. We stayed at the Waikiki Banyan Condos, which is a condo hotel within five minutes of Waikiki Beach. The Airbnb price was quite affordable and maybe even a steal at 100 a night. We had a semi-ocean view. We also hung out in the community hot tub at night. Last but not least, I mean how can you not get chicken katsu and mac salad? We had Zippy's Kappa Hulu restaurant and although it was fast food, I thought it was quite decent. The dish we got was massive and left us a little lethargic. I mean, I love mac salad. Well there you have it folks. I tried to make the only guide you need for the island of Oahu. We went through over 314 video clips to make this and I would sincerely appreciate a blue thumbs up and a subscribe button if you're so inclined. Let me know what you thought in the comments. See you later!