Our Trip to Oahu, Hawaii

Honestly, this post is LONG and mostly for our families haha. This trip was truly just for vacation - no photoshoots, no work, no stress - just Stephen and I in the land of adventure! We had an incredible time, hiked anything we could find, ate as much poke and shave ice as we could and soaked up ALL THE SUN.


The following list is an outline of the images below (and also a great list of place to see if you're going to Oahu!)

Pillbox hike - SUCH a great hike! Pretty easy, great views, LOVED IT!

Wiliwilinui Ridge Hike - So we hiked this after running 7 miles and hiking Pillbox (yeah, we got a little carried away). I really, really loved it but probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been so tired. But it was amazing - and a pretty tough hike. Honestly, most of the hikes on Oahu are tough!

Sunrise at Kailua Beach - We stayed in Kailua, so this was a no brainer. It was gorgeous, but a lot of people were out (and we were there in the off season).

Crouching Lion Hike - We kind of got a little lost on this one and didn't do the iconic "Crouching Lion hike" but our views were incredible and we were significantly higher than Crouching Lion. It was terrifying, thrilling, super tough and one of my favorite hikes we did!

Lunch at Arvo - YUM, don't miss this place!

Second hike to Pillbox! (for sunrise!) - Sunrise was TOTALLY worth it!

Kokohead - Kind of touristy, but still a great hike! 

Halona Beach Cove - Definitely go here! Halona blowhole is right next to it, which is fun to watch! It wasn't super crowded when we were there. But it's a REALLY small beach, so go early if you're worried about crowds.

Waiola - This place!!! My friends Hanna and Steven Nakano recommended it and it's THE BEST. Matsumoto is good too (Just SUPER crowded. We waited in line for 30 minutes). According to Steven Nakano, green tea with condensed milk is the only way to go - and I completely agree! Moral of the story? Eat shave ice always.

Pearl Harbor - Absolutely incredible experience. Do yourself a favor and do not miss this.

Kuliouou Ridge Trail - We were at Kokohead and Stephen started talking to this local lady about how we really wanted to find some "off the beaten path" hikes. She recommended this hike because it's not touristy and still kind of a well kept secret with the locals. Honestly, this might have been my favorite hike. So awesome. HIGHLY recommend.

Manoa Falls - Do yourself a favor and pass on this one. Super touristy, least favorite thing we did. And this is going to sound SO stuck up, but the waterfall isn't that amazing. (Definitely not worth the crowds). If you want to see amazing waterfalls go to Iceland. SO many better things to do on Oahu. 

Kakaako Street Art - On the last day, our flight left at 8PM so we had time to do something low key... I didn't want to get all muddy or sweaty because we had already checked out of our VRBO. I highly recommend this if you've got some time to kill! Super cool spot and great for photos!

+ some bonus random iPhone pics at the end


Just a side note - places I DO NOT recommend seeing (seriously, don't waste your time) 

Diamond head - We drove up to Diamond head and literally turned around immediately. If you're OK with LOADS of tour buses, go right ahead. But I had anxiety just from being in the parking lot. 

Manoa Falls - already mentioned this, but yeah... 

We got some advice to not stay in Honolulu and I'm really glad we didn't. Kailua was amazing! Definitely go into the city, but we didn't spend a lot of time there.


First hike to Pillbox

Wiliwilinui Ridge Hike

Sunrise at Kailua Beach

Crouching Lion Hike

Lunch at Arvo

Second hike to Pillbox (this time, for sunrise)

Kokohead

Halona Cove

Waiola (BEST shave ice)

Pearl Harbor

Kuliouou (One of my favorites!!)

Manoa Falls

Kakaako Street Art

Some random iPhone shots in no particular order!