Waimanalo Beach

Waimanalo Beach and Lost

Filming on the hit TV Show, LOST was done at Waimanalo Beach, which can see in the image below. Some popular scenes include:

Kaena Point in on the most western tip of Oahu. It’s on the northwestern side of the island and will be a bit of a drive to get to. If you’re coming from Honolulu expect to drive for at least 45 minutes.

The great thing about Kaena point is that it never seems to get super busy.

What to do here:
There are two major highlights of Kaena Point, which include the massive waves (best during winter) and the Monk Seals. You can’t get close to them (legally), but you may find Monk Seals sunning themselves on the beach. There are cool tidal bays.

However, to get to Kaena point you’ll have to do a bit of hiking (mostly flat walking) to get there.

Best time to visit would be during the winter season as the waves will be bigger here.

Images from mutrock, snackfight, and puuikibeach.

Kailua Beach Park

Lanakai Beach

Waimea Bay

If you’re only on Oahu for a week or even a few days and you want to hit some of the beaches, you’re only going to want the best Oahu beaches, right? To save you time and get you the best photo ops I’ll let you in on what beaches are the best, and why. There’s also a convenient map so you can make decide if you want to hit them up as a trip for the day or while you’re enjoying other activities around Oahu.

Since Oahu is a relatively small island you’ll never be too far away from the ocean, or a beach, so if you’re not too picky you’ll be in beach heaven.

Waimea Bay

Waimea Bay

Image source flickr

Waikiki Beach

Lanakai Beach

Lanakai Beach

Kailua Beach Park

Kailua Beach Park

Kaena Point

Kaena Point

Waimanalo Beach

Waimanalo Beach

Pipeline

flickr

Sandy Beach

Goat Island

Kualoa Beach Park

The north shore of Oahu may quite possibly be one of the most gorgeous places in the world.  Bold statement, I know, but if you haven’t been there yet, you’re in for quite a suprise.

Sleepy surf towns, world class resorts, and waves that surfers dream about are what you’ll find along the north shore. An hours drive north from the crowded metropolis of Honolulu, the north shore is a getaway for vacationers and residents alike. That means that the best time to go, is during the week, while most residents are working, and you get to play since you’re on vacation! Yay!

What’s there to do on the North Shore

North Shore Driving Tour

Places to Eat on the North Shore

Where to stay on the North Shore
-North Shore Rentals

-North Shore Real Estate

Don’t forget that the waves are the highest during the winter, so if your goal is to see some massive waves aim

Hawaii is always a great place to visit, but if you want to hit the best climate or avoid the busy season when should you go?

The busy tourist season is in winter, from December to March. During that time expect to find the most tourists and the highest prices on hotels and other attractions. If that’s the only time you can make it, it’ll still be an enjoyable vacation, but Waikiki and Oahu will be the busiest at that time.

The weather is fairly consistent in Hawaii throughout the year. However summer does get noticeably warmer from June to August. Even though the climate does get warmer the trade winds help to cool the island.

If you’ve got your pick of when you can come to Hawaii you should consider Fall or Spring as the seasons to visit. During these times you’ll find the lowest cost for accommodations and activities. You’ll also feel a bit less crowded, especially in the dense area of Waikiki.

Everyone comes to Oahu and Waikiki for their own reason, but most commonly they come for the beautiful weather and beaches. Even so each trip, vacation, and extended stay involved a bit different plan.

So to give you an idea of what you can do on your vacation we’ve come up with a few scenarios that you

Sample Itineraries

-For the Family

-For the Young Couple

-For the Backpacker

-For the Frugal Traveler

Want to swim with the fishes, but aren’t quite comfortable with scuba diving? Snorkeling is a great way to get up close and personal with some Waikiki underwater wildlife. You may see dolphins, tropical fish, turtles, and even some sharks!

Although most of the best snorkeling on the Island of Oahu isn’t on Waikiki Beach (since there are so many surfers and tourists) you can still catch some great action.

Where to snorkel in Waikiki
My personal favorite spot is right behind the Waikiki Aquarium. This is a preserve area and there really isn’t much for swimmers or traffic.

Where is the aquarium? We’ll it’s on the east end of Waikiki beach, just before you hit the base of Diamond Head. If you follow the beachwalk you’ll eventually run into it after kapiolani park.

Want to stretch more into the other areas of the island?

I don’t blame ya, since there’s a lot more to see.

Check out our page on Oahu Snorkeling to discover more popular areas to meet the underwater critters of Oahu.

Where to find snorkel gear

There are a plethora of places selling snorkel gear around Waikiki and Oahu.

Purchasing

-Before you can perhaps purchase it and send it to where you’re staying by using Amazon.com or another online retailer.
-If you’re interested in purchasing gear you can get really cheap stuff at wal-mart of Oahu, but like the price, the quality won’t be great.
-You can visit any of the local dive shops and pick up some high quality stuff.
-Check out craigslist if you’re here for a while and you’re sure to come up with some snorkel gear someone wants to get rid of.

Renting

Snorkel Bobs is a local favorite for snorkel gear at a decent rate.
Aqua Zone is a local scuba shop that also has snorkel packages.

Image from flickr