For anyone planning to spend some extra time in Hawaii, ASPN members Reya Mokiao and Daryl Okamura have graciously shared their expert recommendations for places to visit and hike, and delicious things to eat, on Oahu and beyond:
Oahu
FOOD
Local Food
- Sweet-E’s Cafe (Kapahulu near Waikiki) My favorite local brunch spot. They have amazing benedicts, fried rice, french toast. It can get busy though so go on a weekday if possible
- Zippy’s So many locations on Oahu. It’s a local favorite. Some of the stand-out items are their famous Zippy’s chili and Korean fried chicken. Their apples are also amazing. Mike likes the apple, I like the coconut.
- Highway Inn (Waipahu) True, traditional Hawaiian food. Kalua pig, squid luau, laulau (fish, chicken and pork wrapped in ti leaves), chicken long rice, pipikaula (dried beef), haupia (traditional hawaiian coconut dessert)
- Waiahole Poi Factory (Waiahole)- my favorite traditional Hawaiian food. Get the sweet lady of Waiahole dessert. Take your food and drive 10 minutes north to eat your food at Kualoa Regional Park right next to Chinaman’s hat.
- Guieb (Pearl City) delicious Filipino food. Perfect for brunch and anytime really
- Chun Wah Kam (multiple locations) We like the steamed and baked char siu manapua. The other food is also good.
- Soon’s (Salt Lake) delicious Korean food plate lunches. We love the meat jun.
- Haleiwa Joe’s (Kaneohe) delicious upscale local food with a beautiful view. This place is pricey.
Seafood
- Foodland (grocery store with many locations). Get the poke (raw fish with various toppings/ sauces) bowl which is your choice of poke on a bed of warm white rice.
- Sushi Bay– (Kapolei on the west side). It’s a sushi place with the rotating belt. Always a long line and wait, but often worth it but only if you find yourself out in that area.
- Kuru Kuru (multiple locations) great tasting sushi at a great price
- Tanioka’s (Waipahu) a local delicatessen with a lot of local food favorites including poke bowls, spam musubis, chicken musubis, sushi. They have a dessert which is a sweet potato-haupia bar that is my favorite. I go to Tanioka’s just to get that every time I go to Hawaii.
- Uncle’s (Pearlridge) delicious, cooked seafood dishes
Dessert
- Leonard’s Malasadas (Kapahulu +trucks) It’s a Portuguese deep-fried pastry that is so light and airy in the inside. So good. My fave is cinnamon sugar without any filling
- Matsumoto’s Shave Ice (North Shore) good, but super long line like always and somewhat overrated, but it’s quintessential Hawaiian shave ice. North shore is a far drive from Town/Waikiki
- Shimazu Store (Kalihi) Also amazing shave ice, but you should call before going to double check that they’re open. It’s a small mom and pop shop that opens and closes whenever they want lol
- Island Vintage Coffee (Waikiki) good coffee and shave ice
- Liliha Bakery (multiple locations) the coco puffs are iconic. The food is local style and just ok.
NOTABLE BEACHES
- Lanikai (Kailua) rated as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Negative: No restrooms.
- Sandy’s (Hawaii Kai) DO NOT ENTER THE WATER. It’s just to watch the brave one’s body surf and boogie board on the waves. Very strong current and shore break.
- Ko Olina (west side) is great for kids. Really relaxing and calm waters.
- Kaneohe Sandbar– if the conditions are right, you can use a boat to get out to the sandbar for a pretty unique experience
- Word of caution: If it’s been raining, DO NOT GO IN THE WATER because of the runoff from the land and sewers. DO NOT GO IN BROWN WATER. The water in Hawaii should be blue and beautiful.
ACTIVITIES
- Bishop Museum (Kalihi) is a great place to learn about Hawaiian and Pacific Islander history. Lots of artifacts.
- Iolani Palace (Honolulu) you can learn about Hawaii’s monarchs and true history.
- Hiking: Lanikai pill boxes (Kailua; easy), Koko head (Hawaii Kai; literally a stair master as it’s an old train track up the mountain), Diamond head (easy), Waimea Bay (you hike to go to a beautiful swimming hole with a waterfall and can jump off from the top. Super fun)
- Luau: My favorite (but also the most expensive) is Polynesian Cultural Center which is in the North Shore. You can spend the whole day there learning about the various Polynesian islands and cultures, then at night there is an amazing traditional Hawaiian dinner and luau with all kinds of amazing Polynesian dancers. Totally worth the price. Germaine’s luau– It’s a luau traditional Hawaiian meal with a show, but PCC is better and educational.
- Hanauma Bay (Hawaii Kai) beautiful bay where you can snorkel and see a lot of different tropical fish. Tourist favorite.
- Blow hole (Hawaii Kai). OBSERVE FROM A DISTANCE Many tourists have died because they want a closer look, so stay behind the barricade!
- Driving around the island along the coastline to the North Shore. Beautiful scenery, a lot of beaches to stop along the way to swim or watch surfers, shrimp stands, and fruit stands on the side of the road. Locals and tourists alike enjoy the trip
- Tide pools on the east side
OTHER THINGS
- I would recommend staying near Waikiki or near Hawaii Kai because traffic in Hawaii is terrible, and you don’t want to waste your vacation in traffic. There are a lot of things to do in Waikiki and that general area. Then when you guys want to do more exploring around the island, rent a car as needed. But try to time your activities around rush hour. Basically, the entire island travels to work which is in downtown Honolulu so there’s traffic 6a-9a everywhere that is headed toward Honolulu, then at the end of the workday 3p-6p headed away from Honolulu. You especially do not want to drive west bound between 3p-6p on a weekday. Oahu traffic is comparable to LA and NY unfortunately
Sorry, but I really don’t know much about the other islands, but here are some ideas:
I would strongly recommend Kauai even though I’ve never been there. I hear it’s beautiful and literally everyone that’s visited there says it’s their favorite island. It’s quintessential tropical, lush, green, beautiful, rural. There are a lot of outdoor activities and options there.
Big Island
- Active volcanos. This is the only island with active volcanos
- Black sand beaches
- Kona Coffee farms
- Two Ladies Kitchen (Hilo) has amazing mochi desserts
Maui
- Maui is great for relaxing on the beaches, resort-type life
- The Road to Hana-winding Road that can be a little treacherous. Might be good to do a with an organized tourist service vs driving yourself.
- Haleakala- The highest mountain top (inactive volcano) on Maui where there’s often snow. A lot of people like to watch the sunrise from the top, then bike down the mountain
Authors: Reya Mokiao and Daryl Okamura.
