Overview
** HONOLULU, HAWAII TOURS **
Read travel tips for Honolulu, Hawaii from our amazing community of BLACK AND BROWN TRAVELERS that will help you find some of the best places to visit Honolulu, Hawaii. Our variety of travel tips will definitely help you plan your next trip. Our tips range from best places to visit in Honolulu, Hawaii, affordability, nightlife, local food, where to stay and even what it is like Traveling While Black. Lastly, we are working diligently to create a comprehensive city guide for Honolulu tours, Hawaii. Stay tuned! But in the meantime, scroll down to read tips below!
1) Read City Reviews Left By Our Members – Although we do not have comprehensive guides created for this city quite yet, members of our community can still share their experiences in the form of city reviews. Scroll below to see what they are saying about this city.
2)Leave Your Own City Review – Scroll down to the “Add a Review” section on mobile and “Write a Review” section on the desktop in order to share a meaningful comment/rating linked to one of our travel categories. It would be a great help to our growing travel community. Also, if you know someone who has been to this city, ask them to leave a city review.
3)Personal Travel Map – We offer a free feature to create a digital travel map in your profile. Once you finish, if you would like to share with the community, please send an email to featureme@greenbookglobal.com and we will prioritize your travel map and photo to be featured on our Instagram page.
4)Existing City Guides – Check out the below city guides to inspire your next trip. Some guides require membership so Register today (don’t worry it is free99).
a) Havana, Cuba (Members Only)
b) Venice, Italy
c) Bali, Indonesia (Members Only)
d) Johannesburg, South Africa
e) Sydney, Australia
f) Cartagena,Colombia (Members Only)
g) Dutchess County New York (Beacon/Poughkeepsie)
PS – Drop Us a Line – If you really want the creation of a city guide or maybe we are missing a city that you would like to review, send an email to newcity@greenbookglobal.com and let us know. Also, if there aren’t any reviews for this city yet, go ahead and be the first!!
I went on a solo trip to Honolulu! It was amazing and I did a lot of experiences. I went around the entire island, especially Hollywood sets and Dole pineapple farm. They have these beautiful rainbow trees outside that make a great place for a selfie on the farm. I loved it and I recommend going to the North shore. I really loved my experience and learning about the culture from Hawaiians. I felt very welcome and I respected the land and tried to purchase experiences from locals. I also stayed in a local hotel instead of a chain. The food was amazing and I want to go back one day when I can afford to do more and be respectful of how my tourism effects locals.
Travelling to Hawaii was absolutely amazing. The number of activities available to us was unreal. We opted to stay in the area with locals to avoid the hustle and bustle of the tourist strip, beach and hotels. We had rented a car and the drive into the city was an hour. Completely worth it because we had better access to local breakfast spots. In terms of food places to try we simply went on Instagram and made our list of everything we wanted to try and divided it by days and destinations. Each day was a different activity, beach and or food spot. We of course included chill days where we were at the beach the whole day and then came back to our accommodations to make dinner.
Things we did
Under water scootering with Island water sports
A hike on the Manoa falls trail
Visited the Byodo-in Temple ( The valley of the Temples) – so many catsssss
Picked up deserts at Leonard’s Bakery – Malasadas
Full day at the Polynesian center with a tour guide. Attended the breath of life fire show and feast
Beaches! Just look up beaches and go! We went to 6 in our ten days and one of the prettiest was turtle beach which is attached to a resort with the beach open to the public. While super pretty the beach was crowded and was very rocky but still a good time!
Honestly one of the best trips I’ve ever been on !
There are plenty of activities to do on the Island. The island circle tour, dinner cruise, submarine ride, luau, are just a few of the things we did while on the island. We also had a chance to see where movies like Jurassic Park, Avatar and 50 first dates were filmed. Our time on the island was nothing less than amazing. When budgeting be sure to account for tipping your driver. The excursion drivers are very entertaining and knowledgeable of island history. Highly recommend adding this vacation to your to go list. There are black owned restaurants and shops on the island. You just have to seek them out. Hughley’s Southern Cuisine is a BOR we visited and had an amazing time there! If we had gone a week earlier we would have gone to the Drip Niq festival. Yes, there is an active Black community on the island!
When visiting Oahu a tour of the South Shore is a must. The island has so much natural beauty so make it a point to stray away from Waikiki Beach and take in the rest of Oahu’s stunning views.
This review will largely be about the island of Oahu as a whole, but will also emphasize some amazing things to do in Honolulu specifically.
Honolulu (and the island of Oahu) is generally an outdoor-driven activity location. The island has a myriad of hikes available, ranging from easy to extremely difficult, all of which offer different payoffs. The easy hikes don’t tend to offer much in the way of views, but the moderate and hard hikes given you amazing panoramic views of the island. I recommend downloading the Alltrials app when you get here — this is where you’ll be able to see the rankings of all the different hikes, and the many reviews of the trails, which are usually detailed enough to help you make the right decision of what to take on.
There are also many beautiful waterfalls all around the island, some of which are easy to get to, and others where you have to hike for a pretty long time before you get to them. The scenery is gorgeous throughout so it’s usually worthwhile.
The are many incredible beaches on Oahu. My favorite beaches are on the west side (e.g. Makua beach, Yokes, electric beach) because they are less crowded and they offer amazing sunset views. If you’re a morning person, I recommend going to the East Side– Lanikai, Kailua, Ka’a’wa beach are all really beautiful.
Because it’s an island, there’s a lot of ocean-based activities that are pretty incredible. Snorkeling, kayaking, whale watching (in the right season), swimming with dolphins, swimming with sharks (on the North Shore) — all of this is possible on your visit to Oahu. There are several tour companies that do this and offer good deals on Groupon. I will make a special shoutout to Hawaii Adventure Diving for the Open Water Shark Swim tour — this experience was unreal and I’d recommend it to everyone. For Kayaking, there are a bunch of different rental companies that offer equipment, but they sell out quick so I’d recommend booking these in advance. Oh, I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell y’all to get a surfing lesson. You’re in Hawaii so you have to do that ish. Hit up @surfwithlouie on Instagram.
Other places I’d recommend visiting on the island are Byodo Temple (East side), Dole Plantation (North adjacent), Macadamia Nut farms, Shark’s Cove (North Shore) , Spitting Caves (South) and China Walls. For an idea of great places to shoot pictures, check out my Instagram (@justintensitysworld). I’ve been on the island for 11 months, and I’ll be leaving in a month, but I’ve amassed a lot of island content.
Food — best food is in Kaka’ako, which is close to the downtown area of Honolulu. Chinatown also has great food places. In my view, Hawaii is a Pan-Asian haven and so various different types of Asian cuisine are top notch.
Final thoughts:
– It’s absolutely necessary to get a car when you visit. You can’t rely on Ubers. Turo is your friend.
-Stay in Waikiki because the best hotels are there, but make sure your itinerary has activities all around the island.
– Visit Bishop Museum to learn about the history of Hawaiian culture.
-The animals in Hawaii are protected species, e.g. turtles, seals, dolphins etc. Please do not touch.
– Hawaii is a great location for black travelers. The culture of the native Hawaiian population is a massive driving force behind the State’s overall culture, and that culture is friendly towards our people. I think a lot of that has to do with a somewhat shared history.
Hope this helps! Have fun on your trip!
Spent 7 days at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort in Honolulu and had a wonderful time! Room was oceanfront, and the views were simply stunning! Hotel was kind of pricey, along with food and drinks, but you’re in Hawaii, so just enjoy it!
Everyone there was extremely nice and accommodating. I stayed in Waikiki, where the resorts are and everything we ever needed was in walking distance. I didn’t experience the nightlife due to COVID but I heard great things about it while I was there. The scenery is breathtaking. I went on a tour that spoke on the royal family of Hawaii. It was amazing to see a statue of someone of color in front of a castle. It was a very romantic trip. The beach brings serenity. You can’t help but relax here!
I traveled to Oahu and Maui for my 28th birthday and Hawaii didn’t disappoint. For starters, I recommend anyone traveling to Hawaii to review Hawaii traveling website for the required on entering the island because they are very strict, especially with COVID-19 testing. If you don’t have a negative COVID test result uploaded on their travel site with 72 hours of your departure from their TRUSTED TESTING PARTNER they will force you to quarantine for 14 days or the duration of your trip( they’ll even call your hotel to let them know). Honolulu, Hawaii was breathtakingly beautiful. In Oahu( Honolulu) I snorkeled with the turtles with Oahu catamarans(Groupon) and I got a great private tour of all Hawaii’s landmarks using toursbylocal. My tour guides name was Kirk and I defined recommend him. The tour was the highlight of my trip, there’s so many beautiful places and beaches(my favorite beach is lanikai) I got to visit with him that I would’ve never found on my own. Definitely stop at Lenards bakery in Honolulu for the malasadas(Portuguese doughnuts), teddys bigger burgers and dukes for the breakfast(the dinner was ok, desert was amazing but I loved the breakfast. Due to COVID-19 the nightlife is nonexistent and you can’t drink past 10 pm in a restaurant or bar. Overall I had an amazing time and would highly recommend especially in the pandemic.
Honolulu, Hawaii, the capital of this amazingly mesmerising island. The fiftieth state of the United States of America. I didn’t know that fact when I was a kid growing up. All I knew was that Hawaii five-0 was my favourite tv cop show with Jack Lord at the helm. (“Book him Danno”) Yeah, do the maths! That’ll give you an idea of how old I actually am. I remember being captivated by the vibrancy of the opening titles and catchy instrumental theme tune of the show. I could hum it from start to finish. Anyway, I didn’t even click that the Five-0, (50) colloquial term for police, ♀️ ♂️ was actually the clue to the fact that it was the fiftieth state. ♂️ I’m afraid I wasn’t a smart kid. So, beside the fact that wifey and I decided that this was going to be the absolute place on this planet that we would say I do to each other, I knew way before then that visiting here was a must for me. Bucket list even!!
Travelling to this exotic destination from London, England, would take sixteen hours and two planes. Only fitting really that it would take an eternity to reach a world of wonder! The feeling of complete isolation from the rest of the world is very much apparent here even though there is a large American influence. The customs, the culture, the people, the language. You may as well be in a completely different country rather than another US state. And this is just the capital. Hawaii is made up of mainly indigenous Polynesian and East Asian cultures, and with its location in the tropics of the Pacific, the cuisine is a fusion of all the countries in that mix and one to behold.
We stayed at the Aston Waikiki Beach hotel on Oahu island with astonishing ocean front views, and it would be one of the most memorable fourteen nights vacation we ever experienced to this day. For us, it was a pinch yourself moment just being here, especially after our mammoth journey which crossed the equator into an eleven hour time zone difference. We were on the other side of the world and it felt magnificent!!
So what do you do on your first morning in paradise? You hit the beach, baby! Waikiki beach will be our go to beach for the majority of our time here. And it’s pretty ok too. It’s a really long beach lined with exotic palm trees swaying in the trade winds that aids to cool the island from the intense heat. Just cross over the promenade at any point and there’s an array of eateries, coffee shops, ice cream parlours, etc. Pretty much like most places around the globe, but this time it’s different, we were in Hawaii!! It just feels different! This is also a surfers paradise, so hiring a surfboard is definitely high on a lot of people’s agenda while they’re here. I’m not a strong enough swimmer for that and somewhat lack the required core strength to participate, I’m afraid! Yeah, that’s right, my fat ass won’t be able to stay upright on one those things.
So, if it is your plan to marry in Hawaii, well it was ours too. We traveled here specifically for that reason after doing tons of research. We chose the services of #aboveheavensgate following a very personal video link consultation with its Buddhist priest, Captain Howie. On the day of our ceremony, we were up in the very early hours to travel up to Waimanalo in preparation for our sunrise nuptials. On arrival, wifey was whisked away to be royally attended to, makeup, hair, even being dressed. What about me? That was ok, I had my best man, my son, to help me out! Wow…With the beautiful bride ready, we were led to the most lushest private beach ever! This must be what it’s truly like to be in heaven!! Silky white sand between our toes as Captain Howie gives three mighty blows on his PU (Conch) to symbolise the beginning of our journey in this eternal moment, an everlasting lifetime of togetherness, the evoking of positive energies, and a wealth of blessings along with an abundance of good health. My wife and I aren’t the most religious people in the world, but we were brought up in the Christian faith. Saying that though, we didn’t fancy the usual traditional blessings of that faith. Instead, we opted to unite as one, barefooted on the waters edge, both in the virginal colour. We were drawn to the sacred Buddhism blessings which are a huge part of the Hawaiian culture. It was truly beautiful and spiritual!!
Apart from the main reason we were on the island, a visit to the Pearl Harbour War Memorial was an absolute must! Just about everyone has seen one version or another of the movies depicting the events that took place on that early December morning back in 1941. Just seventy nine years ago when without warning, those planes suddenly appeared out of the skies and over Pearl Harbour like a blanket unleashing its lead of death and destruction. As we all know through history, this devastating act of merciless killings by the Japanese resulted in America’s equally evil retaliation in Hiroshima. As harrowing as the motion pictures were, they were no more so than being actually here at this memorial having the story recounted for us in fine detail. It was almost as if we were there on that fateful, somber December morning. The grounds are beautifully landscaped and maintained, inviting you to walk around at a slow leisurely pace taking in every emotion. Although the Pearl Harbour experience is tinged with sadness, you leave fully appreciating what it must’ve been truly like for those caught up in the debacle at the time and that you were able to stand before their memorials and say a personal prayer for those souls lost! The same must be said for those on the other side of the Pacific.
There are so many fun things to do here and amazing local restaurants to arouse your taste buds in. We combined the two in one go with a sunset dinner cruise on the #aliikaicatamaran . We set sail from the Aloha Tower pier for our two hour evening cruise Just as the sun was beginning to set. I can honestly say that I have never seen a sunset ☀️✨as spectacular as the one we witnessed on that boat. The rays were absolutely astonishing. To this day, I have never seen anything like it, even in places where you would expect to see that!! The catamaran was pretty big with three floors. Not like any catamaran I was used to. We had one long table stretching from window to aisle and each of us in our party were given a voucher for two free drinks of our choice, so of course, the cocktails were flowing.
The buffet consisting of delicious local cuisine was plentiful. Everyone ate til their heart’s desire as we cruised out to Diamond Head before making our return. There was great music and a fun local Polynesian dance show with audience participation. You really couldn’t fault the entire evening! That sunset tho! Still on my mind even as we disembarked. I need to get out more!
Sitting on Waikiki beach day after day, you can’t help but notice the very impressive views of the volcano Diamond Head, Hawaii’s national state monument, so a trip there for a touristy day out is where I discovered how truly unfit I am!! The funny thing was at the base they were these two older ladies getting ready to ascend together and me with my fast self told them to take their time and be careful. I genuinely had concerns for them.
But halfway up, I found myself swaying and feeling the most nauseating sensation. I felt like I wanted to vomit and very nearly passed out. I was very close to needing mouth to mouth emergency aid from my wife. Those two older ladies from earlier had reached the summit and were halfway back down before I had even made it to the three quarter point. Oh the shame of it all. Anyway, I eventually made it to the top with help from my wife and son. Feeling very humbled!! Fabulous views of the island from the top, I hasten to add.
Hawaii is without doubt a must see destination. We didn’t get the chance to visit any of the other islands as there was just so much to do on Oahu. Shopping Malls, fabulous restaurants, night life, and above all, magical relaxation. You can move as fast or as slow as you wish, and added to that, the feeling that you’re on the other side of the world, adds a certain je ne Sais quoi!!
Top tip:
If you’re travelling here from Europe, your journey time will be enormous with a guaranteed two flights. Some in our party flew Europe to Chicago for eight hours with a ninety minute transit then a further eight hours on to Honolulu.
I recommend an eleven hour Europe to Los Angeles LAX and a shorter second flight of five or so hours on to Honolulu. But remember, either way, the jet lag is going to be a BITCH!!
I travelled to Hawaiian islands in October 2018 on a whim. My first stop for a few days was Honolulu. Because I was travelling on a budget I really wanted to keep the costs super low. I found my accommodation on an app called ‘Couchsurfing’. For those who have never heard of Couchsurf its an app that allow you to stay with locals whilst camping on their couch free off charge. Yes FREE. My host was an easy going bubbly chatty lad who to this day I’m still in contact with. The fact that I couch surfed I really managed to save so much money which then allowed me to spend more on activities, excursions and food. you really need a car on the island to be able to flexibly and cheaply get around. I downloaded a car rental app called ‘Turo’. Turo is like an airbnb for cars. you can browse all the different cars according to your budget as long as you have a drivers licence and able to verify it on the app or with customer support. The car I rented cost me $20 a day and because I was with a friend we split the bill in half. Because of this app my friend and I were able to drive from one end of the island to the other. Without this we would have spent at least 5x more the money on taxis to commute everywhere.
If you need more tips, don’t hesitate to drop me a message. xx
Oahu Hawaii was amazing!! I love everything from the food the lau lau is delicious! I also found the vibe to be extremely relaxing .. i loved to wake up and go to Waikiki beach early in the am, watch the surfers and just relax before the crowd joined! There’s many great places to eat and drink right on the beach! This is a must for all travelers!
I truly do travel for relaxation & good food.
Visited Waikiki with a girl friend of mine & fell in love with the beauty of this place. The lush green landscapes next to the ocean is something to truly take in….
Island bus tour we took where we visited the location of the Jurassic Park film, Hanauma Bay, dole plantation & the coast. My fav place was Hanauma Bay which we returned to spend an entire 2nd day with snorkeling & sun soaking. Had the chance to see large turtles which was a true sight to see. Club life near the Waikiki Parc Hotel where we stayed was right near the beach with plenty of shopping & restaurants within walking distance.
By far, one of my favorite destinations.
So many hikes to do here. do them ! Diamond Head, Koto Crater are the ones i did. Tiring but so worth it. Waikiki Beach and all the shopping and restaurants and bars will keep you occupied. Pearl Harbor was cool. Also…see a Hula dance show ! Take a picture with Duke statue.
Lots of nice shops to get the flowers for your hair and Nut jewelry they wear too at the ABC stores.
Hawaii Honolulu island is very dope!! I’ve went their twice to rejuvenate for a couple days then return home. I would recommend renting a vehicle. I rented off Southwest.com for about $25 a day (not bad for Hawaii). The island is pretty expensive, but the adventures are nice. I attempted to go hiking at Monao Falls, but it was closed at the time, so I went to another fall attached by it. If you know someone in military I would recommend going to beach on AF Base at Bellows (it’s the nicest scenery and beach). I wanted to travel the entire island of the outskirts, but the highland does not have a roadway that goes around the entire island, but you can go to any side of the island for a nice beach or hike. The people are really nice. There’s a bar across from the Balenciaga’s store on the mall strip that’s on the beach and has a nice happy hour (but I cannot remember the name of the spot).
I cannot get enough of Hawaii! So far I’ve visited two of the islands and i keep going back to Honolulu over and over! First thing to note if u want to be in a city Honolulu is your place. The night life is pretty amazing and during the day you can go on a tour of the island which is beautiful especially the north shore. The beaches are amazing the people are so welcoming and kind. If u want to be a lil adventurous you can go on a submarine tour it’s actually a must do. I stayed at the ritz carlton one trip and for my other trips i think i stayed at the hyatt which is along waikiki beach. Hawaii is on the pricey side but it’s def worth seeing it’s a state but not really a state because it def feels like you are far away from the US. Be sure to go to a luau just to get a feel of their culture and food.
I visited Honolulu Hawaii for a week in June with my family and had the best time! During the day I spent time doing the excursions and at the beaches. And the evening came I was well rested ready for a night on the town. I walked to the Ala Mona Mall from my hotel which I went to Mai Bar, and Lucky Strikes. The both had free entry and good music and entertainment. At the Mai Tai Bar there was a live band the performed Reggae music after the DJ played hip hop/ pop.
First of all, don’t fool your self into thinking a week is a long enough stay! There is so much to do in Honolulu (and the entire island of Oahu). We found that you definitely want to hire a car to get around, the island is pretty big and Ubering all over the place will rip a hole in your pocket. You will be spoilt for choice when it comes to dining options, from small family owned establishments to amazing beachfront restaurants and of then you also have the option of the large food chains as well. There is also a huge firework display that happens once a week on the beach in the main hotel area. We can’t rem exactly which day it happens, but all of the locals will know exactly what you’re talking if you just ask one of them (they’re super friendly too). If you’re looking for a less crowded part of the island, this is where the car rental comes in, you will want to make your way to the North Shore…way less people there and there are some amazing beaches where you can either just relax or take a surf lesson. Around the island there are also a bunch of hiking trails that vary from “this is not so bad” to “I regret this and it’s only been 5 minutes”. The pay off, however, is priceless, from stunning waterfalls to mountain top views.
Well, 2 weeks on the islands of Hawaii. Who could ask for anything more! Well to be honest I just had the best time of my life!!!
Hawaii is full of amazing things to see and to do but many don’t realize that a lot of those things are actually free. Sure, a vacation to Hawaii isn’t going to be cheap but you can certainly reduce your costs by watching what you spend on activities. Get up close and personal with the Hawaiian flora and become one with nature at one of Oahu’s free botanical gardens. I really like Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens and Wahiawa Botanical Garden.
I fell in love with Hawaii. It’s so beautiful!! My husband and I went in March during spring break and it was super busy but that didn’t stop us from having a great time. We stayed at the Hokulani Waikiki by Hilton Grand Vacations and it’s right in the middle of everything from shopping, dining and the beach. The beach was about a 5-minute walk from our hotel. We went on two hikes, parasailing and went to a luau. The first hike we went on was the one at Diamond Head. There were a ton of people there but we still had a good time and got some great pics. It was about a 30-40 minute hike but definitely, include more time to take pics. We parked onsite and it costs about $20 bucks from what I remember. We also had to wait in a line for about 15 minutes until we could park but it wasn’t so bad and overall was worth it. The second was the Pillbox hike. That was a bit scary because of all the incline and rocks. There was rope at times to hang on to and to pull yourself up but it was still a bit scary for me. There is no parking there so we parked at the beach (for free) and walked through the neighborhood to the trail which took an additional 10 or so minutes which wasn’t so bad. For the parasailing and the luau, we bought the tickets on Groupon. It was definitely worth it! The Groupon we bought for parasailing was through Paradise Water Sports. I believe there was metered parking in a lot. Check in was easy and the experience was awesome. The only downfall was if you get motion sickness because being on that boat was no joke. My stomach was in knots but it helped to sit closer to the engine. The Luau we went to was the Ka Moana Luau. The tickets on Groupon were only $88 and that included a buffet, 1 drink, classic seating (technically in the back but we still had a great view) and free admission to Sea Life Park to use within 7 days. The food was great, there were interactive activities, the whole experience was great! Oh and I can’t forget about the beautiful sunsets on the beach and there are also fireworks every Friday at Waikiki Beach.
I visited Hawaii in November 2018. The weather around this time was great. It was sunny and hot majority of the time, with only a few hours of lite drizzle. This was a group trip so I honestly don’t know exactly how much everything costed individually, but I’ll still share my experiences. We stayed at ‘Alohilani Resort. This hotel is fairly new and offers a lot of amenities. It located directly across the street from Wakiki Beach. The lobby has a massive aqauirium. Each day there are scheduled events for hotel guest such as hula and yoga classes, luau making with fresh flowers, aquarium feedings, etc. At the bottom of the hotel is a ABC store, which is like CVS there, where you can purchase just about anything you need. The location of the hotel is walking distance from the beach and major shopping. Other fun things to do in Honolulu is visiting the Dole factory, Monoa Falls, Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden, Diamond head state monumebt/ look-out, and water yoga on a paddle board!!
Hawaii is such a beautiful island. I stayed at the beautiful Disney Aulani Resort while in Honolulu, Hawaii. I ended up getting a suite which included a kitchen, 2 bathrooms, 3 beds, and a pull out sofa bed. The staff was extremely friendly. Our first night in Hawaii we ate at the hotel restaurant and the food was delicious. The meals were amazing at the resort I have no complaints. For my birthday we ended doing a 2 hour catamaran ride with Makani Catamaran company with just our group of 8 for $100 per person. We were able to connect to our playlist with their speakers and had the time of our lives. Beverages were provided. The ride lasted about 2 hours. The beach by the resort was clean with beautiful waters to watch the most amazing sunsets. I would definitely recommend asking the locals where to go for food. We found out the food trucks had the best food, and waited in line for 45 minutes for some garlic lemon rice with shrimp. Best meal of the whole trip!! My only excursions were the Catamaran ride, and swimming with the dolphins with Oahu Swim(unfortunately it rained pretty bad the other days of my trip)!! I got to kiss a dolphin for the first time. The staff was friendly, patient, and kind. They treated the dolphins with food rewards for good behavior. Pictures with the dolphins were $20 a piece after your dolphin experience. I also attended a Luau which was a $120. Most resorts will do a luau but I recommend going off the resort for more magical and larger luau experience. This needs to be booked in advance because this experience will sell out quickly. The ticket for the luau was $120 per person. While traveling in Hawaii I didn’t experience any discrimation or stares. I appreciated the beautiful beaches, mountains, and food. CONS: Uber isn’t a big thing in Honolulu. You’ll most likely be taking a taxi or renting a car during your stay. Flights and hotels are expensive in general in hawaii. PROS: The food was always fresh and colorful. The beaches and sunsets totally make you fall in love with Hawaii.
Hawaii was amazing!! I stayed at the Hilton Waikiki and the resort was breathtaking. There was a night lua, as well as pools, and amazing restaurants on the property. Do yourself a favor and walk around the hotel to see some of the most colorful birds, and beautiful koi fish ponds. You can walk right to the beach from the hotel and bask in the sun, or take part in some adventure like swimming with dolphins, or kayaking. The hotel was affordable and super clean. I would recommend staying here to everyone.
Hawaii has to be one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever gone to. You have to go to a Luau if you visit Hawaii. The Luau at the Royal Hawaiian resort was just under $200 for one person. The food and drinks were pretty good. Experience singing, dancing, pig roast, and FIRE. Great Experience!!!! I am still dreaming about how good the pineapples were in Hawaii. Know matter where I got pineapples from, they were ALWAYS fresh, sweet, and juicy. You can get them from just about anywhere on the island. Hope if you visit, you have a great time as I did.
If you visit Honolulu, one thing that you must do is visit the Polynesian Culture Center. It’s surprisingly entertaining while also providing the history and culture of many of the Polynesian islands. We didn’t do the luau there because we had booked with the Ko Moana company instead, but I hear that it does offer the best luau experience. It will take a full day (half day if you don’t do luau) to explore the place. Please note that it is outdoors so be prepared to be out in the sun. I highly recommend this as a must do while visiting there.
As I mentioned for our luau experience, we booked with the Ko Moana company which we found tickets for on Groupon to save some money. It was a very good show and the food was great. The luau’s cost around $150-$200 and we got our tickets for $108. You will see dancing, costumes, fire dances, and get a little comedy in there as well.
We also hiked Diamond Head. I recommend getting there before the sun comes up to beat the heat. The view at the top is worth the mile hike up though. Many say it’s overrated, but I say it’s an experience and you should go at least once.
honolulu was amazing i flew from miami and stay at hilton resort in waikiki which was about $300 a night i did the diamond head hike which had incredible views and went shark diving which was a pretty dope experience
Honolulu was incredible! Koko head was an incredible hike . Once you get to the top it was so beautiful. Kamehame ridge has the most breathtaking views ever . Playbar at night had dope music and good vibes! It’s An awesome club ! Ono’s had great authentic Hawaiian food . I can’t wait to get back.
This was my second time in Honolulu Hawaii and it was still just as beautiful. The first time I went in 2014 was for my cousins 30th birthday mixed with my college graduation celebration. She and I are also like best friends and she was already going with her son and wanted me to come too. The first time we stayed at Disney Aulani, and it was very beautiful. The sky is as blue as the water in mid July. I kept saying it was so pretty, it looked fake like on the Truman Show movie. Anyways, we booked all of our adventures through the resort which became pretty expensive, especially since the room is already about $500 a night. We went hiking in the rainforest with a guided tour, for about $150. We had snorkeling on the resort, in a pretty decent manmade tank resembling the ocean. The most exciting adventure was going shark cage diving. It was her idea, but we agreed to do that if she’d go skydiving with me(which she didn’t). It was about $2-250. I was nervous at first, but there was another group who went before us, so we got to see what it was like. The sharks do come close to the cage, but only in a curious none aggressive manner. You can take pictures under water and they record the experience and offer you to purchase at the end, which we did. Still one of the best excursions to date. We went to Waikiki about 45 minutes away and went to the club in a hotel that had cages to dance in. It was fun, and they played hip hop. Overall that trip was nice and relaxing but expensive. My most recent trip was just this past week for a family wedding. I found tickets on Hawaiian airlines for $425, but later found a better deal for my other family on priceline for only $350. Then since it was a few of us not staying at the hotels, I booked an Airbnb for 5 days under 1,000 dollars, which only ended up being about $140 a piece for the entire stay. Most hotels go about $200 or more a night, so that was a great steal. Our place was in the oahu area and had a pool, was super clean. The neighborhood outside looked a little dry, but our place was nice. Since it was a larger group this time, we went bar hopping in downtown Waikiki, and there was a lot of people outside. We went beach bumming a few days, going from north shore to kapolei, which is closer to the aulani hotel but a public beach. North shore is where a lot of the boat excursions take place like shark cage diving. The wedding took place at Sheerwood beach, which is very beautiful. Has a lot if trees as well as a good view. On one of our Kay days a group of us did the catamaran trade wins cruise which we found on groupon and it was $25 a person for 90 minutes. It was fun and they serve drinks for $5, or just bring your own bottle. I definitely recommend a Hawaii visit, especially now knowing more cost effective ways to book adventures, and having airbnb to help with the price. Even though we are out some days, cooking meals inside is a great way to save. One thing I still haven’t discovered about Hawaii is great local food. We went to the Luau at Paradise Cove both times, which is a great experience but even the food there wasn’t anything special. Overall I’d recommend going to Hawaii, it’s beautiful. But there are definitely places you can spend less money and see beautiful views. The first time we didn’t have a rental and cabs are pricey there, the second time we did which saved more money. Going the first time prepared me to save money the second time around. Both were good experiences.
Hawaii is the ultimate place for adventure, especially if you love nature. My round trip ticket from Florida cost me about $650 and I stayed in a high rise hotel on Bishop Street in Honolulu. To drive around the entire island of Oahu takes only a few hours and there is something to see at every corner, if you head to Laniakea beach in the morning, you might be able to spot the sea turtles just chilling but if not, you’ll see surfers out there. There are unlimited water falls and hikes to go on, my favorite waterfall was Manoa falls. It was nice little hike to the falls, and when you get there, just WOW, the fall was about 150 ft and flowing into a natural pool. There are signs around the pool warning people to not go but who’s gonna give up that opportunity?
One thing I did realize about Is that on Oahu, a lot of hikes were restricted but nobody really cared, people were still hiking them. A very dangerous, “restricted” and fun hike is the Pali Puka hike, 90% of the hike is literal on the edge of a clif, (go at your own risk). At the end of the hike, you’ll have an amazing view and there is a giant hole in the mountain that is good for pictures. You get to it from the Pali lookout, when you get there, there is a broken wall in the side of the parking lot designated for buses, go through that broken wall for the hike. While in Hawaii 2 things you have to try, shaved ice from Anahulu’s and garlic shrimp from Giovani’s Shrimp Truck, it’s a must, oh and an Açaí bowl from this place called da Cove Health Bar and Cafe, you won’t regret it.
Visit Diamond Head State Monument if our want to get that iconic downtown Hawaii photo and the Byodi-In Temple for some peace and prayer ??
Husband and I came for our honeymoon to Outrigger Reef Hawaii. Beautiful hotel, clean, modern. Pool is nice to visit in the morning time, can get busy in the mid afternoon. Restaurant at the pool has great food and the drinks are superb! Try the chunky monkey! The reef restaurant has great views, good service, calamari is very good. If you can, try to stay in rooms that have access to Voyager 47 club, you get breakfast and snacks/light dinner every day and its a very nice setup. The staff are very attentive and helpful throughout the entire hotel and in the club. Rooms are nice, comfortable, spacious. Even the toiletries smell good! Hotel is right on the beach, easy access from back of hotel. Towels provided for guests, many fun activities located right on the back of the hotel. Beach chairs, cabans, umbrellas available for rent too. Only downside, no room service. Thankfully you can pick up from from downstairs from either one of the restaurants. Overall, would strongly recommend and would stay here again.
Hawaii is paradise… and has so many hidden spots and should be enjoyed as a romantic getaway. I’m a foodie and one of the best restaurants (for ambiance and food) has to be Duke’s in waikiki. As soon as you walk into the restaurant the view takes your breath away. The food is fresh, the drinks are cold, and I highly suggest you go before sunset.
Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places. Green Beach is one of the most gorgeous beaches you will see. The trail leading is also very nice but it also very long hike. I took the local “taxi” driver
which was one of the trip highlights as well.
It about 40 min drive , stayed at the beach for 1-2 hours and took the ride back.
Aloha! There are so many fun things to do in Honolulu. Waikiki is the main tourist area so there are tons of places to eat, shop and enjoy the beaches. There’s a good mix of chain to mom and pop spots.
During my trip, we did a few things:
– Fireworks show at Hilton Hawaiian Village (free 99 unless you want to sit closer and get a free drink, I believe it’s $35)
– Aloha Circle Island Tour — I highly recommend this because you not only explore Honolulu but the ENTIRE island of Oahu. We checked out Diamond Head lookout, Dole Pineapple Plantation, Macadamia Nut Tropical Farm, Halona Blowhole, etc. Oh and this was on groupon so only $66!!
– Paradise Cove Luau — can’t go to Hawaii without going to a luau. We absolutely loved this one because they had tons of activities when we first arrived including hula lessons, kayaking, flowers, and more. After that the sun was setting so we ate at an all you can eat buffet with Hawaiian cuisine and then enjoyed the show.
– There are also tons of hiking options. We went to Manoa Falls, Diamond Head and Waimea Valley…breathtaking views of the city and waterfalls. Also, scenes from Jurassic Park were filmed at Manoa Falls and Waimea Valley.
– As I mentioned a lot of food options. We loved Top of Waikiki Restaurant, which is Hawaii’s only revolving restaurant.
Again, there are sooo many things to do whether you want to just chill at the beach or be adventurous. I definitely recommend doing a tour or renting a car to explore the entire island. Don’t just stay in Honolulu, you won’t regret it!
Honolulu is paradise. Can be quite costly but if you’re out there you just have to pay. Seems as if time slows down out there. Stayed in an AirBNB and that added to the experience. There are plenty hikes ranging in your experience level which I liked.
Island food is pretty good and you get a great amount for the price you pay. Saying that, my favorite place to eat was Popeyes :).
Manoa Falls is one of my favorite hikes in the world. It’s like walking through Jurassic Park and there’s this beautiful little waterfall at the end. Diamond Head is a bit of hard hike with crazy dope views. Waikiki beach is flooded with tourists but it’s beautiful. Go to Hanauma Bay and snorkel, you won’t regret it! If you want to see more turtles go to the northern side of the island. Have fun!
Adventure:
I had the BEST time in Oahu. Hawaii itself is a bit expensive, but you there’s plenty of hiking/adventuring that’s completely free. We rented a car and Airbnb to save a bit on accommodations and to take the island tour on our own. We started out early morning and drove the shoreline on HI-72. The views are breathtaking and there are stops labeled “scenic point” along the way, making it very easy to do on your own.
Excursions:
The excursions in Oahu are also endless, but of course, not free:
Parasailing 5/5, $35 – exceptional views of diamond, we even saw a whale! Awesome guides.
B.O.B underwater scooters 5/5, $89 – Sooo much fun. We’re even able to snorkel while waiting for your turn on the scooter.
Kualoa Ranch ATV Tour 3/5, $85 – The ranch was beautiful, but as far as the ATV’n, I didn’t like that we could only move as fast as the slowest person in the group ☹
The Hawaiian island of Oahu is amazing and there are so many things to do. Call me crazy but, 2 out of the 8 days I was there, I stayed up all day because I wanted to do everything! Here’s what I loved the most during my trip:
Luau
I went to a Luau at the Hilton Hawaiian Village hotel. It was on a rooftop and as soon as you enter, you can take a picture with two of the performers. A complimentary drink is given before being seated at a table. There was a buffet style dinner of different Hawaiian foods. The show was great and the dances were from Hawaii, Polynesia and the Pacific. There was a lot of audience participation including a conch shell blowing challenge, fashion show, and dance lessons. I was even pulled on stage to learn a dance!
Diamond Head
Hiking Diamond Head, an extinct volcano, at sunrise is unreal!!! The views from the top definitely make the journey to get there worth it. You can get there by car, a tour or the local bus. I recommend the bus because it’s quick and easy. Just be prepared to walk from the bus stop basically in pitch black, unless you bring a flashlight (the one on my phone didn’t help at all). The hike to the top is pretty rough but not difficult. There are a lot of rocks, potholes, and stairs along the way. You’ll forget about all of that though once you see the views.
Hanauma Bay
Hanauma Bay is absolutely breathtaking! It is a nature preserve that is formed in a volcanic cone. I decided to go here at the last minute and every tour was booked. I managed to find a great last minute one with Ike’s Hanauma Bay Tour. It was $25 for 1/2 the day, he picked me up from my hotel and provided snorkeling gear. I only had to pay a $7.50 entrance fee for the preserve. The bay is mainly for snorkeling or just relaxing.
Manoa Trails and Falls
Manoa Trails is a hike that leads to a beautiful waterfall. The trail is surrounded by a rainforest where scenes for Jurassic Park and Lost were filmed. The hike is said to be for beginners but is rocky and can become muddy/slippery. Depending on the recent rainfall, the size of the falls can change. There are signs around the falls that say not to go in because of bacteria but some people still do. I chose to take a group tour there but the local bus or car work well too.
Honolulu is heaven on earth. Its expensive but worth it.
Hawai’i is by far my FAVOURITE destination. I have been there over 20 times (started going when I was 2 years old), and I can honestly say its one of the best places I’ve been, and I’ve been around the world. There are so many things to do/see in Hawai’i, and one week is not enough to do it all! So the island of Hawai’i is made up of roughly 137 islands total, with 8 being the main islands that make up the picturesque chain. O’ahu is the most popular island, this is the one you will see pictures of when Hawai’i is being shown. This island is relatively small, and extremely easy to navigate. “The Bus” is the islands public transportation and they have routes that go through and around the entire island, which are easy to navigate.
Like I said above, there is simply too much to do in Hawai’i to cover it all in a short trip so I’ll just explain how I bring my friends and family around the island when I go.
Starting in Waikiki, every friday night at the Hilton Hawaiian Village there is a beautiful fireworks display, this hotel is open to the public to during the day and evening as they have restaurants, bars, and shopping. Take a trolly ride through Waikiki to Downtown Honolulu (if you go during a holiday, there is often beautiful holiday displays/lights). Downtown you will find the Iolani Palace (the only royal palace in North America), and other significant government builidings dating back to before the colonization of Hawaii. Popular beaches in the Waikiki/Honolulu area are of course Waikiki beach (most crowded), here you need to eat at Duke’s barefoot bar, named after a famous surfer. This restaurant is right on the beach, and you can eat there in your bathing suit, or eat on the dining side where you have to be clothed. Every Sunday, a popular Hawaiian singer performs there and the vibes are great. Kuhio beach (where you will find a statue of the famous Duke Kahanmoku, the famous surfer), is further down from Waikiki and has more calm water if you’re travelling with kids. Fort Derussey beach, is the calmest beach on that side of the island, it is between Waikiki beach and the Hilton Hawaiian lagoon.
Okay enough about beaches, now on to the adventurous stuff. I like to rent a scooter and a car at least once when going to Hawai’i. Renting a scooter is no more than $50 for 24hrs and they’re like $2 USD to fill up lol. I take the beach roads toward Diamond Head state park, this is where you can climb diamond head crater, an extinct volcano. After Diamond head, you’ll pass the diamond head light house, and a few look out points. Hanauma bay is a conservation park, where you can bring or rent snorkels and swim over a beautiful coral reef. Koko head crater is across from Hanauma Bay, and that is a more difficult climb than Diamond Head, but totally worth it! After that, we drive to Lana’i look out, an ocean eroded cliffside with smooth rock walls and crashing waves, it great for pictures! You can continue on with the mopeds, but I usually save the rest for the day we rent the car.
Drive around the island, it takes a full day to drive around the island making as many stops as possible lol. Some key stops we make are, the Valley of the Temples, it is a massive cemetery set in the mountains, with many different faiths represented. There you’ll find a beautiful Japanese temple called the Byodo-In temple, which you can enter the grounds for a small donation. The Macadamia Nut Factory, where you can tour and taste fresh roasted nuts, and learn the history of Hawaiian farming and agriculture. Kaneohe Bay, a beautiful beach on the Windward side of the island with views of China Man’s hat, an island that looks like its name lol. You can rent a kayak and paddle out to it, or during low tide you can actually walk, but you have to be careful with that. Kualoa Ranch, is a popular place to go, as its home to many movie sets (jurassic park, Lost, etc), atv’s and horse back riding. The North Shore in its entirety is full of great spots to stop. It is most known for its huge surf, and garlic shrimp trucks. Giovanni’s is one of the more popular ones, but there are many others that taste just the same, if not better, and with less of a wait time. Turtle Bay & Sharks Bay are popular beaches as well, Turtle bay has HUGE sea turtles that come ashore. And Shark’s bay is like a calm pool walled in by sharp coral, and when the waves hit, they create small waterfalls throughout the area. Haleiwa is a picturesque surfing town with colourful shops and restaurants (try their ice cream). There is a family owned art studio in this area called the Ron Artis Studio, it is a black owned studio, ran by a family with like 11 of the most talented children you will ever meet. They all sing and play like 5 instruments and will jam out at the drop of a dime. The house itself is colourful and crazy, but so aesthetically pleasing, and the front yard is a surfboard art gallery! Lastly, the Dole plantation, this place is so where you can learn all about pineapples, and how they became so iconic in Hawaii. Here you can try pineapple flavoured everything, and even buy pineapple scented and dyed clothing.
Lastly the Polynesian Cultural Centre. If you are into history and learning about colonization, this is the place to go. It highlights 6 of the polynesian islands (Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, New Zealand, and Tonga) and all the employees working there are from each island, and work at the centre in exchange for an education at Bringham Young University. All money the centre makes goes towards their education, room, and meals. So, there you spend a whole day visiting the different villages, watching each of their cultural presentations, and then get a chance to interact with the entertainers and learn skills, or games that were played before they were colonized. My favourite was learning how to make Coconut Oil/Milk at the Fiji Village. The packages sold differ between small meals, buffets, or the grand luau. There is also a show at the end called the Breath of Life, I highly recommend watching it, its a great production.
These are just a few of the many things to do in Hawaii, if you would like to know more just message me on instagram, same name as here.
There are so many things to do in Honolulu, Hawaii. I would highly recommend going to the Polynesian culture center to learn about their culture! I enjoyed my experience!
During my trip to Honolulu, Hawaii I had stayed at the Hyatt Centric Waikiki. It was awesome because it was in the downtown area. The shops and restaurants was walking distance.
Honolulu was amazing! Make sure you go to the Diamond Head State park early in the morning to see the sunrise, it absolutely beautiful. Every Friday the Hilton Resort has firework night. Rent a car and drive around the island yourself. Make sure you visit the polynésien cultural center, Pearl Harbor, and WAIKIKI BEACH. Check out my video blog for more details :) https://youtu.be/exxxuJcpncs
I lived in a hawaii for 3 years so I am a bit biased but Hawaii is probably my favorite destination. There is so much to do every time you visit. There is a mix of both city-life as well as local living. The most beautiful beaches I have truly ever seen. There is ALWAYS something to do and if you get tired of one island, there are 4 more islands to visit & enjoy. I truly recommend every one visiting Hawaii at least once in their lifetime!
I stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Beach Resort and I was in love with this resort! There was soo much to do, as there was a good night life, tons of resturants and the beach was private!!! This was a truly a romantic experience, as I also had a surprise bday dinner on Wakiki beach from my boyfriend!!