Chris & Jenna
Things To Do
Haleiwa / North Shore
Quoted as the "cutest town on Oahu" - this quaint area will give you all the boutique shopping and great food. It has quiet vibes and great beaches. There are notable turtle beaches nearby, great snorkeling and surfing.
Waimea Valley
Houses the best waterfall on Oahu! And, great beaches and snorkeling nearby. This area has limited parking and can be a little busy so recommend going earlier in the day. Across from the entrance to the Waimea Valley is Waimea Bay Beach Park - a big sandy beach popular for swimming and snorkeling during the summer months.
Kualoa Ranch Tours
Our wedding venue hosted many movie/television filmings - including Jurassic Park, 50 First Dates, Hawaii Five-O, and Jumanji, among others. They offer many beautiful tours, including ATV rides throughout the park and specific Jurassic Park tours.
Makapu‘u
The lighthouse trail is an easier uphill hike and great for sunrise views. There are other beaches nearby that do not require hiking but offer the same.
Lanikai Beach
Noted as the most beautiful beach on Oahu, and often ranked as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. This is a popular spot to watch the sunrise and is great for swimming. An off-shore reef keeps the waters very calm and is a good place for the kiddos to swim. Just south of Lanikai Beach is Sherwood and Bellows.
Sherwood Beach
Officially known as Waimanalo Bay Beach Park, but the locals call it Sherwood. This is the longest sandy beach on the east side at 3 miles wide. At the north end of Sherwood is Bellows Field Beach Park - only available to active/retired military and DoD personnel. This is a go-to spot for many of our friends.
Pearl Harbor National Memorial
Pearl Harbor is a National Park and the site of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the start of World War II. You can visit the USS Arizona Memorial and tour Battleship Missouri. Tours and tickets must be booked far in advance.
Diamond Head State Monument
Hike 1.5 miles to the top of a volcanic tuff for fantastic views of the ocean and downtown Honolulu. Reservations for both hiking and parking are required.
Ko'olina / Lagoons
Outside the Disney Resort and Four Season Hotel area are 4 Lagoons that offer great beach life, easy swimming and snorkeling. Limited parking is available but we usually sneak into a hotel parking ramp or the marina at the end of the road.
Sharks Cove
One of the most famous snorkel and dive beaches on the North Shore and rated by Scuba Diving Magazine as one of the “Top Twelve Shore Dives in the World”. Sharks Cove is a popular spot with a small parking lot so be sure to get there early in the day. And don't worry - there are no sharks!!
Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden
Open daily and FREE! We have never been, but it's a popular spot for tourists. This is also near the wedding venue and Kualoa Ranch activities that offer similar scenery.
The Byodo-In Temple
This is a non-practicing Buddhist temple that was built to commemorate the first Japanese immigrants to Hawaii. The grounds around the temple are full of ponds, gardens and meditation spots. You can purchase tickets and tours through their website. Heads up - you have to take your shoes off before entering the temple.
Snorkel Manu Kai Catamaran
This Catamran starts right on Waikiki beach outside the Outrigger. They offer snorkel tours during the day out to Turtle Cove where you see lots of tropical fish and sea turtles. They have other sails too, including fireworks tours on Friday nights (fireworks are widely popular in Hawaii), cocktail hour and sunset sails. Typically, Mai Tais and select drinks are included with your tour!
Banzai Sushi Bar
Literally, a hidden gem. Banzai Sushi Bar is off the main drag in Haleiwa / North Shore and is hardly visible until you're right in front of it. It's open air, and similar to traditional Japanese buildings. You can sit at the sushi bar, table and chair seating, or traditional Japanese style - with cushions on the floor with your shoes off. Voted the best Sushi on Oahu! Which says a lot - there is sushi everywhere here.
Kickin Kajun Honolulu
For those of you non-southerners who don't find seafood boils often, Kickin Kajun is an incredibly fun (and messy) experience. They have 2 main locations on Oahu: Honolulu and Kapolei, which near our house and close(er) to the Aulani Disney Resort. You pick your combo of seafood, sides, sauces and spices and they deliver you a giant steaming bag of seafood. You wear a bib and gloves and eat on paper table cloths. You peel your own shrimp and crack your own crab...all right out of the bag. The meal can be a long one, but a fun one. Make sure to make reservations!
Herringbone Waikiki
More Seafood! We love this restaurant not only for their food but the atmosphere is so cool. We usually head down here when we are missing Seattle and deprived of fresh Pacific oysters. We will warn...it's a bit spendy so we recommend going for happy hour (must sit in the bar area) or for the weekend brunch! Splurge on one of their seafood towers, they are enough for a few people to share and you get a little of everything. This is right around the corner from the Outrigger at the International Market Place.