The Oahu Itinerary

It’s been two years since I’ve lived near a beach and it wasn’t until this past winter when I realized how much I have missed it. Don’t get me wrong, I love the mountains BUT I also love the salty blue ocean against my skin.

The Oregon Coast is absolutely beautiful but unless you have a wetsuit there’s no way you would want to swim in the Pacific Ocean. It’s freezing, guys.

Fortunately, I can fly straight across the ocean and hangout with my family on the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii. From Portland you can take a nonstop flight that takes about five to six hours and if you fly with Hawaiian Airlines the island vibes will definitely set in.

I usually visit Hawaii at least once a year and we always try to pack in as much fun things as we can during my week stay there. I felt this trip was a little more relaxed than usual and I loved every minute of it. My main goal was to beach it out for most of this trip and that’s exactly what we did.

Keep reading to find out all the relaxing we did in Oahu and what you can add to your itinerary the next time you visit one of my favorite places.

Sunday & Monday

We went straight into vacation mode with a two night stay at the Hilton Grand Vacations Hotel down in Waikiki. If you you’re looking for a place to stay while you’re here, this is a beautiful property with beach access, a lagoon AND fireworks on Friday nights.

That night, we went over to the Sheraton Waikiki (which is also a beautiful hotel) to a restaurant by day and club by night called RumFire to meet up with family and spent the evening catching up on life. The next day at 9am we made our way down to the beach in front of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel where we spent a few hours enjoying the beautiful warm weather, swimming in the turquoise ocean, and where I burnt my back lol.

*If you’re not used to being under the sun for long periods of time please REAPPLY your sunscreen, even if you’re slightly tipsy on those Mai Tai cocktails!*

We met back up with family for dinner that night at the cutest restaurant called Mahina and Sun’s located at the Surfjack Hotel. It was the first time I’ve been to this restaurant and it’s definitely the most Instagrammable place I’ve ever seen! If you go, get the fried whole fish dinner that tasted amazing! It’s great as a family meal or if your eating with a group of people since it does come with a five or six sides. There wasn’t much about that place that was disappointing.

Mahina and Sun's at the Surfjack Hotel - whole fish dinner

Tuesday

Before we left Waikiki we walked over to The Modern Hotel for a delicious breakfast. This hotel is also very beautiful and perfect for Instagram pictures 😉 . Then, it was just a lazy day and a perfect break for my sunburn lol.

Wednesday

We spent the morning at the beach in Ko’Olina called Secret Beach (featured picture) which is totally not a secret anymore lol. Parking is very limited here so you do have to wait in line for one to open up but fortunately the wait isn’t too long.

On most days there are sea turtles that swim around in the cove with you and if you come on the perfect day you just may see a monk seal sunbathing on the beach! Also, bring your snorkeling gear too and you’ll see some beautiful sea life.

Don’t worry I made sure I loaded up on sunscreen to keep my burn from getting worse.

Afterwards, we had lunch at a restaurant called Monkey Pod which is across the street from the beach. My stepmom and I shared a chicken sandwich and bulgoi pork tacos. They were so delicious my stomach is grumbling just thinking about it.

Thursday

A family friend took my younger brother and I out snorkeling at the North Shore at a place called Sharks Cove. Of the many years I have visited Hawaii I’ve never heard of this place or paid much attention to it but it’s definitely one of the coolest things I’ve done on Oahu. You do have to climb down rocks to get there so mind your feet but once you reach the sand it’s the most beautiful view. The water does get deep pretty quickly so don’t be alarmed if your not the strongest swim. As long as your wearing your goggles and flippers you’ll be good to go! There are places to rent snorkeling gear if you don’t want to buy your own.

The Oahu Itinerary - Oahu, Hawaii - Shark Cove

Friday

Just another lazy day and later that night we had dinner at the D’lish at the Beach cafe in Ewa Beach.

Saturday

Since it was my last day on the island I wanted to spend one last day at the beach and we ended up spending the whole day at the there. The cafe is just steps away from the beach so the endless cocktails and food were in order 🙂 .

As always, it’s a great time in Hawaii and I am forever and ever grateful that I get the opportunity to visit this place and a hangout with my awesome family. Hawaii definitely lives up to it’s name but I will say pictures just don’t do it justice. Once you see this beautiful island in person it will no doubt leave you speechless.

If you have the opportunity, rent a car and take a self guided tour around the island, you’ll get a better feel of Hawaii and you’ll get to make random swim stops and picture stops because you’ll definitely want to.

I hope you enjoy your visit in Hawaii and make awesome memories along the way. I love you all and I’ll see you soon.

Stay Wild.

Bedhead Nomad

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