This morning we woke up before sunrise to meet up with a local friend and catch some waves near our hotel in Waikiki. Note: If you visit Oahu during the summer months, some of the most consistent waves are actually found on the South Shore of Oahu (the famed North Shore breaks of Pipeline, Waimea and Sunset Beach only really pick up in the winter months). We’re actually staying in Waikiki, and one of the best breaks was right in back of our hotel! The Ala Moana Bowls (not to be confused with the nearby Ala Moana Beach Park, which is flat and great for fishing and paddleboarding) were some of the most consistent breaks we have ever experienced!
After a nice surf session, we walked back to our hotel and sat down for local breakfast at a restaurant called Cinnamon’s. The food here has so many cultural influences, from the native Hawaiian flavors to Japanese, Filipino, and other Micronesian essences. After we got some sustenance, we headed out for the famed North Shore of Oahu, specifically Shark’s Cove for some snorkeling! Shark Cove was an easily accessible tide pool where you can see endless tropical fish of the Pacific, ranging from beautiful tang to cute little puffers (don’t worry, the name of this cove comes from the sharks that historically inhabited these waters…the consistent human presence has since driven them away unfortunately).
After a long snorkeling adventure, we built up quite an appetite. The North Shore of Oahu is famous for its pristine beaches and famed surf swell, but it’s also famous for its numerous garlic shrimp food trucks! The most well known and popular is probably Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck just south of Haleiwa in the North Shore. Note that we said the most well know and popular, not the best spot or the local spot. We decided on Big Wave Shrimp Truck, which was nearby but a bit more quiet. The garlic shrimp was AMAZING! They even added loads of sautéed garlic for the rice as well, #win. While we waited for our food, we walked across the street for some local Liliko’i (passion fruit) lemonade from Wow Wow Hawaiian Lemonade.
After a full day of surfing, snorkeling, and adventuring from the South to the North Shore of Oahu, we were ready to get some quality rest and relaxation. Luckily, we’re staying at Disney’s Aulani resort on the western side of Oahu for the night! Disney really is such a magical place and every moment seems to be a special one here.
We ended up losing track of time after enjoying Aulani so much, but that’s one of the best things about adventure, time can be irrelevant! It was around 8pm and the sun was beginning to set by the time we dried off, so we decided to stay nearby and just have some pūpū platters. We chose this awesome restaurant call Monkeypod, which has a few locations throughout the Hawaiian Islands, ranging from restaurants to cute boutiques, but the Ko Olina location was both unique and delicious!
Tomorrow, we plan to enjoy a bit more of Aulani before heading back to the southeast side of Oahu for our last full day on this awesome island. Our plan is to explore the Diamond Head Crater area as well as Makapu‘u for some light hiking and sightseeing, so make sure you stay posted!