Last Thursday (October 30, 2014), I returned from a vacation to the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The trip was fun, but I wouldn’t call Oahu an island paradise. No paradise should be as crowded as Oahu, despite the more laid-back North Shore. Oahu is more like an island playground, which is not a bad thing.
Over the course of my week-long trip, I hiked, surfed, kayaked, drove around the entire island (except for a 10-mile stretch west of Hale’iwa), and visited many of the major sights. I stayed busy.
My only complaint about Oahu is in regards to the hiking. Oahu’s hiking was not as good as Kauai’s. For example, the longest hike I did on Oahu was a portion of the Maunawili Trail. The trail did have a few excellent front-row views of the Ko’olau Range’s steep cliffs, but, overall, it didn’t compare favorably to the trails on Kauai. It’s all relative, though. The hike was still enjoyable.
Oahu does, however, seem to have more accessible water activities compared to Kauai. Waikiki is a perfect spot to learn how to surf. Kaneohe Bay is a calm bay great for a kayaking novice like myself. Hanauma Bay is a very inviting snorkeling area, although I do regret that, after stopping there early in my trip to sightsee, I never made it back for snorkeling.
Overall, this trip to Oahu went well and I have few regrets. I’ve now visited two of the six main Hawaiian Islands. I look forward to visiting the rest of the islands someday.
