Mike and I just returned from the BEST, most relaxing trip to Oahu. It was our first real trip without Coston and we DEFINITELY took advantage of the time away by RESTING by the pool, reading actual books, eating with BOTH hands, and doing whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. I don’t think I realized how much Coston’s schedule was running our lives until we were able to spend 5 days on our own time. Multiple times throughout the trip we just lost track of time. That NEVER happens at home and it felt so, so nice. My mom and sister are LITERAL saints and flew in from Dallas to watch him while we were gone and it made our trip even MORE amazing because we didn’t worry about him AT. ALL. I swear, having stress-free childcare can make or break a vacation, especially for me who tends to stress about everything.
Anyway, we did do a FEW things besides bake by the pool all day and I figured I would share in case you have a trip to Oahu in your future! I divided my recs up by area since it takes about an hour to 45 minutes to get across the island, so it’s best to pick an area and plan to spend at least half the day there.
STAY
We stayed at Four Seasons in Ko Olina on the west side of the island. Mike and I had both been to Oahu before (like 10-20 years ago so it’s been AWHILE) so we knew we didn’t want to stay in Waikiki or Honolulu because it’s busier than what we wanted. BUT Oahu is SO easy to get to and relatively inexpensive from LAX, so that’s where we landed. We really wanted to unwind this trip and the west side was PERFECT for that. It’s a beautiful and SLOW place with gorgeous beaches and warm water. The adult pool fills up quickly so it’s best to head down by 10am to grab a spot. The pool water is like bathwater, the temperature is PERFECT. The resort itself was gorgeous and when they found out we were celebrating a babymoon they really went all out to make our stay amazing! HIGHLY recommend. Only downside of staying at a nice resort is that eating at any of the restaurants on the property is pretty pricey and while it’s good food, it’s not really TRUE local cuisine.
WEST SIDE (KO OLINA & KAPOLEI)
EGGS ‘N THINGS: There aren’t a ton of options when it comes to eating in Ko Olina (aside from the resorts of course), but we ended up trying this place for breakfast on our first morning there and it was taaaaasty. It’s diner style and pretty casual when it came to service, but the menu featured good, classic breakfast favorites.
SUSHI BAY: This local conveyer belt sushi spot came recommended by locals who worked at our resort and has almost 1,500 reviews on Yelp. We aren’t normally conveyor belt sushi people (nothing against it, we just like the experience of sitting at a sushi bar better), but MOST of the local sushi spots on the west side are that format so we figured we’d try it out. The wait was INSANE (even by 6:30pm), so we ended up NOT eating here, but I’m sharing because I feel like it’s worth a mention.
MY CAFE: Amaaaaazing pancakes! This local spot was recommended to us by a friend of ours who grew up on Oahu so we knew it was going to be good. It’s not fancy by any means, you order and pay at the counter and then you’re seated, but they make a mean pancake. They are known for their “flight of pancakes” (pictured below) and Mike loved it. I ordered just the classic buttermilk and they did NOT disappoint. Highly recommend this spot if you’re on the west side.
LAVERNE’S HAWAIIAN FOOD TRUCK: We stopped here on our way from the airport to our hotel because we wanted a fast and easy plate lunch and this food truck was perfect for that! We got the kalua pig plate that comes with pulled pork, rice, and mac salad and it hit the spot.
LEONARD’S BAKERY & FOOD TRUCK: We tried their famous fresh malasadas (pictured below) and they were BOMB. We ordered the classic custard-filled ones and they come out hot and creamy.
MINA’S FISH HOUSE: This is one of the restaurants at the Four Seasons and the setting is beautiful. It looks over the cove (pictured above) and is a really great place for dinner at sunset. The food was good, but pricey. We ordered the beet and burrata salad, duck fat fries (BOMB), butterflied Hawaiian fish and yuzu cheesecake.
HONOLULU
MUD HEN WATER: Found this spot featured on Condé Nast when I went hunting for a local spot for a nice dinner and it was SPECIAL. It’s tapas style, featuring local Hawaiian ingredients with a modern and super creative twist. We ordered the Miso Clams, Beet Poke, Szechwan Lotus Root, and Short Rib entré. The food was insane and the vibe felt like a low-key cool LA spot.
SALT at OUR KAKAAKO: Modern market collective with cute shops and a few great local restaurants, bars, and a trendy outdoor coffee shop. Milo, Paiko, The Treehouse, and Here. were our favorite shops. They all felt very LA and carried a lot of LA and local brands.
POW WOW HAWAII: If you haven’t heard of Pow Wow, it’s an annual art festival that takes place in Oahu and a bunch of artists (both big and emerging names) compete against each other painting murals around the city. Pow Wow has a little general store where you can buy art prints or pick up a local guide map that leads you to all the murals and participating local pop-up shops.
HOUSE OF PURE ALOHA: Great shave ice spot that’s famous on the island. My favorite thing to add to my shave ice is Li Hing powder sprinkled on top. If you like sour candy then you’ll love it!
NORTH SHORE
MATSUMOTO SHAVE ICE: If you’re not living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of Matsumoto’s Shave Ice on the North Shore. Last time I was there was about 10 years ago and they’ve definitely improved upon their system since then. The line to order moved FAST (so don’t be put off by a line out the door) and we got our order almost immediately after placing it. Super delicious FLUFFY and flavorful shave ice (pictured above). And their shop has tons of fun and well-designed souvenirs.
GIOVANNI’S SHRIMP TRUCK: BEST shrimp I’ve ever had. There are only a few options on their menu, basically you choose from 3 different sauces for your shrimp and it’s served with rice and a lemon wedge (pictured below). It’s served out of a truck and cash only. The line looks daunting, but it moves pretty quick so don’t let that deter you. It’s worth it.
NORTH SHORE MARKETPLACE: Old school shopping center with a bunch of little shops that’s worth a stop. Our favorites were Tini Manini, SoHo, and the little flower shop (I can’t remember the name) that had the most beautiful local flowers and gorgeous modern handmade pottery by local artists.
PIPELINE: We didn’t go during this trip, but this beach is an awesome spot to stop and watch the huge waves and surfers when the water’s good!
One final tip I’ll share is an app I use any time we are planning a trip. It’s called Pinbox and it’s so amazing for planning where to eat, shop, explore, and stay. For example, I made an Oahu map and then dropped pins and color coded them by category. On my Oahu map our hotel was yellow, restaurants and food were purple, shopping was green, and beaches and hikes were blue. I'd highly recommend this app if you’re a visual person like me. If you’re on one side of the island doing a hike and then want to have lunch afterward, you can just open your map in Pinbox and see what restaurants you’ve pinned near the hike. It’s genius.
