Oahu, Hawaii is quite simply paradise. Every time we visit I think why did we wait so long to come back. Many people will recommend the other islands, but they are all good and Oahu is awesome.

Here’s a packing list just for visiting Hawaii.

Things to do in Oahu

11 Things to do in Oahu with kids– I previously wrote up a list of things to do with kids in Oahu, so I am not including these here. You can check out the list for more ideas including the zoo, aquarium, and lots more.

Paddle board the Anahula River – Spend one day on North Shore paddle boarding up the Anahula River looking for sea turtles. Eden and I spotted at least 5 sea turtles. (You can rent paddle boards at nearby Surfnsea in Haleiwa for $20 an hour. They offer a military discount.)

Kayak Lanikai Beach – Rent kayaks at Lanikai Beach and paddle out to Mok Nui Island. Once you are on the island you can climb around it and depending on the water condition cliff jump. If it is windy this can quickly become an intense kayak trip out and back.

Fun Fact: Lanikai Beach is the 10th most Instagrammed beach in the world. Even on a cloudy day you can see why, just look at that turquoise water pictured below.

Parasailing – Take your kids parasailing with X-treme sail. I have tried another company, but I liked this one better. My youngest was 10 when we went and he was super scared, but they convinced him to give it a go and then dunked us during it.

Snorkel at Hanauma Bay – This is an amazing state park with an underwater park. You can see all kinds of fish here. There are a few extremely shallow sections. They are closed on Tuesdays.

Go Hiking

There are so many great hikes you can take on the island. So, if you are into hiking you must do at least one good one.

Diamond Head – Diamond Head is a must during any Oahu vacation! It’s a bit intense going up all the stairs, but there is a different way up with less stairs. 

Maunawili Falls – This is a beautiful hike, but be sure to read my post before you go. You do not want to end up lost, like we did. 

Pearl Harbor – Visit the site of the attack on Pearl Harbor. You can purchase a ticket at the site or take a tour of Pearl Harbor.

Polynesian Cultural Center – Learn all about the Polynesian people here. They also do a good luau here.

Experience a Luau – There are lots of places that offer a luau experience, including the Polynesian Cultural Center, Hale Koa resort, Aulani Disney Resort, Hilton Waikiki, and more. The cheapest one of military personnel is probably the one at the Hale Koa. We’ve only experienced the one at Aulani and it was phenomenal.

Go Shopping

Oahu has loads of shopping. You can find almost any store you are looking for somewhere on the island. Instead of mentioning the obvious places I am just going to list some of my favorite ones that are unique to Oahu.

• Honalua Surf Co. – Near the Hawaii Fire shop is a bathing suit shop that has more bathing suits than anyone could ever possibly need. We got Eden the cutest swimsuit here.
• Surfnsea – in Haleiwa on North Shore is a little shop jammed packed with Billabong, Roxy, Hurley, O’Neill, and more. I scored some amazing deals on clearance here.

Best Places for Shaved Ice in Oahu

Matsumoto – Up on the North Shore is one of the most popular places to get shaved ice on the island. Expect a line, because it’s really well known.

Located at: 66-111 KAMEHAMEHA HWY SUITE #605, HALEIWA, HI 96712.

Shimazu Shaved Ice – This is the perfect place to grab a shaved ice after hiking Diamond Head. The shaved ice here is gigantic. Eden is holding a small!

Located at: 3111 Castle St, Honolulu, HI 96815.

Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha – Located in the Aina Haina Shopping Center, this is the perfect place to pick up a shaved ice in Waikiki. It’s served with fruit and ice cream.

Located at: 820 W Hind Dr #116, Honolulu, HI 96821

Where to Eat in Oahu

There are so many fantastic places to eat in Oahu. Having some Hawaiian food is obviously a must while you are here!

The Food Company – They have amazing Hawaiian food over in Kailua at The Food Company.

AMA Ama – AMA Ama is a restaurant over inside Aulani that is fantastic for lunch. The lobster roll and the steak sandwich were both excellent.

Cheese Burger in Paradise – They have multiple locations around Waikiki.

Cinnamon’s  – Hands down the best breakfast on the island. They have two locations, one in Kailua and one in Waikiki.

Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck – Their shrimp is worth standing in line for an hour for. Giovanni’s Shrimp truck easily lived up to all the hype. We stood in line forever and it was totally worth it. I had the shrimp scampi covered in lemon butter and garlic. It was so messy and so delicious.

The North Shore location is at 66-472 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712.

Greek Marina – This is a fairly cheap place to eat and they have really good gyros. I suggest stopping in and getting some gyros to go and taking them with you to Hanauma Bay.

Kalapawai Cafe & Deli – They have two locations, one in Kailua and one in Kapolei. They use locally sourced and natural ingredients whenever possible.

Dukes

Dukes is super popular for a reason. Great food, good service, reasonable prices, and live music.

Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin

If you love Japanese, you will love Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin so much. The crispy pork cutlet was next-level.

Family Friendly Hotels in Oahu

Aulani by Disney

This is by far our favorite place to stay, because of all the activities that are included during your stay. If you can afford it definitely spring for a stay here. There are some ways to make staying at Aulani more affordable.

Marriott Waikiki 

Marriott Waikiki is not cheap, but the rooms are nice and the rooftop pool is fantastic. Try to get a rate that includes breakfast. One of the nights they had live music at the pool bar, which was super enjoyable. This hotel is on the far side of Waikiki, so closer to Diamond Head.

Sheraton Waikiki

Jonah and I stayed at this hotel the last time we were in Oahu and we had the best time. The location is phenomenal. It’s within walking distance of so many things that you don’t need a car if you are staying here. We loved the adults only infinity pool and the multiple hot tubs. I think all the rooms have an incredible view. We could see Diamond Head from our room. It had a few onsite restaurants which was also so convienant.

Military Lodging on Oahu

With so many bases in Hawaii there are tons of places for military members, veterans, and their family members to stay at. So far we have stayed at four of them.

Bellows AFB Cabins – These are so nice if you can score one.

Hale Koa  – Depending on your rank this might be a little overpriced.

Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam

Hickam TLF – We stayed in one of these before they remodeled the housing, so it’s hard to say exactly what it’s like now, but at the time it was 2 or 3 bedrooms for $55 a night.

How to Save Money in Hawaii

Oahu is not cheap. I know total shocker! But like any destination that are various ways to try and save some money. Here are a few.

Bring Your Own Snorkel

There are a handful of easy ways to save a few bucks in Hawaii and it mostly comes down to packing certain items like snorkel gear. If you have to rent snorkel gear each time you want to snorkel you can quickly end up spending quite a bit of money. Instead of spending $10 or $20 here and there buy yourself a set and take it with you anytime you are headed somewhere you might use it.

Eat a Cheap Breakfast in your Hotel Room

Another quick and easy way to save money is by bringing something to eat for breakfast. Anything you are going to buy in Hawaii is going to cost you double. Throwing in one or two boxes of pop tarts into your suitcase can end up saving you tons of money. Think about it. Every time a family of four needs to have breakfast in Hawaii it’s going to be at least $50. That box of pop tarts only costs $3 bucks! That’s a massive savings.

Watch for Deals

Groupon’s Daily Deals are available all around the island. I got a good deal on parasailing and a catamaran cruise through this.

Watch various websites for the best hotel deal. Use which ever site you need to. I use Expedia.com the most.

Have you been to Oahu? What was your favorite thing? I would love to hear any tips or advice you may have to share in the comments below.

Other Hawaiian Islands

• 5 Family Things to Do in Maui, Hawaii
• Kauai, Hawaii

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Bellows Beach Cabins

One of the many military lodgings available in Oahu, Hawaii is Bellows Air Force Base cabins on Bellows Beach. The cabins are not a five-star military resort like the Hale Koa over in Waikiki, but they do have their very own 3-mile long private beach!

Bellows AFB has 109 beach-side cabins, eight air-conditioned condo units, 55 family campsites, 10 cedar camper cabins, and two recreational vehicle sites on Waimanalo bay just north of Waimanalo Beach. 

The main draw for us staying here was the private beach for the military only. The beach that runs along Bellows AFB is not open to the public. To stay on a beach with turquoise water, in Hawaii, for super cheap, and avoid the typical crowd. 

The price is based on rank. I believe we paid around $80 a night for this cabin. They did have cheaper, smaller cabins available. Update 2019: These cabins now cost $105 per night, which is still an extremely good price.

Turtle Cove Recreation Center

The cabin was right on the beach of Turtle Cove. The Turtle Cove Recreation Center has everything you need to have a good trip. Here you can rent boogie boards, kayaks, snorkels, bicycles, basketballs, volleyballs, or other equipment.

The boogie boarding on this beach was quite good. Granted, it was extremely windy the days we stayed there, which meant the boogie boarding was excellent. We stayed in November.

Pictures of Bellows AFB Beach Cabins

Bellows Air Station has a weekly activity program with a kayaking tour, history tours, and yoga on the beach. They offer lessons too, like ukelele, lei making, and hula lessons.

Also on base are tennis courts, basketball courts, miniature golfing, and a driving range. 

Bellows Beach FAQs

Where can I make a reservation?

https://bellowsafs.com/policies/

What time is check-in?

Check-in: 3 pm/Check-out: 11 am

Can I pick out which cabin I stay in?

No.

Can non-military visit Bellows Beach?

Bellows beach is open to civilians on Saturday and Sunday only. 

Can you drink alcohol on Bellows Beach?

Not really. Alcoholic beverages may NOT be consumed past the tree line on any portion of Bellows Beach. Pavilion/campsite/cabin guests may bring their own alcohol to be consumed in their rented space. So if you are staying in one of the cabins you can drink at your cabin. 

Read Next:

Military Lodging at Joint Base Pearl Harbor &  Hickam

How to Take a Military Hop aka Military Flight and Fly for Free

Shades of Green – Disney’s Military Resort

Oahu Travel Guide

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Kalapawai Cafe & Deli (Photo credit: hawaii)

Kalapawai Cafe & Deli (Photo credit: hawaii)

Kalapawai Cafe and Deli is a restaurant in Kailua a city in Oahu. They are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you don’t have time to dine in, you can get food to go from their deli. In the evening, it’s a quiet place perfect for a romantic dinner. They have a small wine bar and coffee bar.

We only made it over there for dinner. I had the lemon risotto, which was good and expensive. I think most of the dinner menu is pricey. It’s much cheaper for lunch. I would only go back for lunch, because of the cost.

We finished our dinner off with a delicious piece of white macadamia nut pie with ice cream. It’s a lot like pecan pie (my most favorite pie). Their version was made with macadamia nuts instead of pecans and it was GOOD.

50 Kailua Road
Kailua, Hawaii, 96734

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The Food Company is open for lunch and dinner. We had dinner there and if we had been there sooner we would have eaten there several times.

They are not open on Sunday evenings.

Next door is there other upscale restaurant. It is more on the high end and has a different menu. It would be better for a date.

They are known for their delicious Kailua plate lunches and dinners. This was one of the cheapest places we ate the entire time we were in Hawaii.

My husband ordered some kind of fish roll. I can’t remember what it was called. He said he didn’t like it, but he ate the whole thing!

I ordered the NY Strip and it was fantastic and it came with large fried shrimp. Both were seasoned so good and it only cost about $12.

This place should definitely be on your list of places to eat in Kailua.

The Food Company
1020 Keolu Dr 
Kailua, HI 96734

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Cinnamon’s Restaurant on the island of Oahu is one of the best breakfast restaurants I’ve ever been to. It’s located in Kailua and I think it’s worth the drive up there!

We started our meal with a cup of coffee. Cinnamon’s has their own special coffee blend made from Hawaiian coffee farms; 25% Kona and 25% Kaua’i. They also have coconut syrup! I’ll admit I poured some of that coconut syrup in my coffee and it was delicious.

Their Crab Cake eggs Benedict with spinach and tomato were beyond good.

Their red velvet pancakes are so good, you have to order them. Even if you are eating something else, get them on the side.

The Guava pancakes are just as good as the red velvet. I would not be able to make a choice between the two. Next time we go I think we will be eating nothing but pancakes.

Cinnamon’s is located in Kailua Square, in the Northeast corner of the city’s municipal parking lot, off Kuulei Rd and Aulike St.

315 Uluniu StreetKailua, Hawaii 96734

Cinnamon’s Waikiki

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