Hawaii Road Trips – Top places in Oahu!featured
If you only have a few days in Oahu and shopping or strenuous hiking is not your thing, then the next best way to see the island is Hawaii Road Trips. Here are a couple of suggested itineraries to explore this beautiful place. After you have ticked off Pearl Harbor and climbing of Diamond Head Crater off your bucket list.
Hawaii Road Trips: Waikiki to Kualoa Ranch via Pali Hwy – The Green Day!
Stop 1: Lulumahu Falls Trail
Lulumahu Falls Trail
This is one of the best quick short hikes in Oahu. It is about 2.3 miles return but allow a couple of hours for the trip. From a small off-road car park on Pali Hwy walk through a bamboo forest that opens up to the magnificent valley view and the surrounding mountains. Then walk past an old bridge, some abandoned looking concrete structures and finally across numerous streams in the forest. Some sections might be challenging for a novice hiker as you will need to scramble over giant rocks holding on to slippery tree roots. You will get dirty and sweaty but it is all worth. Once you reach Oahu’s fifty-foot-tall Lulumahu Falls and take a swim.
This trail is apparently located on private government property owned by the Honolulu Board of Water Supply. Going there without a permit is considered trespassing. The trail isn’t really marked or maintained. None of these appears to stop plenty of people exploring the area with kids and pets.
Stop 2: Nu’uanu Pali Lookout
Nuʻuanu Pali lookout gives you the amazing panoramic views of the Windward side of the Oahu island overlooking the 985-foot cliffs of the Koolau Mountain Range. (“Pali” actually means “cliffs.”). It is only a short drive from downtown Honolulu and it is steeped in legend and ghostly tales. The battle that united all of the islands of Hawaii in 1795 took place here. Hushed reports are still circulated of phantom warriors or Nightmarchers haunting the surrounding Nuuanu Valley. Pali Lookout is also known for its strong and howling winds but we managed to get up there on the day when there was no wind at all! In fact, it was so hot that some wind would have been a blessing!
Stop 3: Kualoa Ranch
This would be your ultimate destination for the day where you can spend several hours. Located on the East coast of Oahu and only 40 minutes drive from Waikiki this is not a place to be missed. It is a famous tourist destination and gets quite busy. I would recommend getting there for the last tour of the day when the crowds are gone, the light is fabulous and you can enjoy this place all to yourself for a bit longer. Jurassic Jungle Expedition Tour will take you around the park through Hawaiian rainforest along the jungle trails for a couple of hours. You will see some Hollywood filming locations where the sets are still preserved such as Jurassic World and Kong: Skull Island. You can also go horse riding or drive an ATV around, which I highly recommend exploring the park.
Kualoa Ranch was established in the 1850s and it is a 4000-acre private nature reserve owned by a seventh generation family that preserves this beautiful land. It is actually also a working cattle farm so you will encounter some cows here and there! The valley was sacred to ancient Hawaiians from the 13th to the 18th century and you will visit several places of cultural significance. There is also an 800-year-old Moli’i fishpond to admire.
Itinerary for Trip 2: Waikiki to Makapu’u Point via Kalanianaole Hwy – The Blue Day!
Stop 1: Lanai Lookout
On the Southern Coast of Oahu, about 20 minutes drive from Waikiki take a quick turn off into the car park of Kalanianaole Hwy and go explore the rocks and waves, you might get wet as the sea spray happens fast and high! The lookout is simply gorgeous and the bright blue water looks almost surreal.
Stop 2: Halona Blowhole Lookout
Your next stop is only 2 minutes down the road. Watch the water spray out from the Halona Blowhole and then go for a swim at the beautiful sandy beach of Halona Cove. The blowhole would be best of course after some rain. Otherwise, it will look more like a mist but it is still very beautiful!
Stop 3: Makapu’u Lookout
After a swim at Halona Cove, drive 6 minutes further southeast on Kalanianaole Hwy until you reach Makapu’u Lookout. It is the easternmost point of Oahu and the panoramic views of the coast are breathtaking. I think paragliding over the Makapu’u beach you will see lots of red wings in the air. Admire the scenery including the tiny Manana (Rabbit) and Kaohikaipu Islands or go on a Lighthouse Trail.
It is a 2-mile return walk. The road is paved and there are plenty of people with kids and strollers doing it. You gain a bit of elevation on the way there so allow a couple of hours for the trip. From the trail, you can’t get to the Lighthouse itself and the best view of it is actually from the Makapu’u Beach car park around the corner from the main lookout.
Trip 4: Quick snack at Ono Steaks and Shrimp Shack and return to Waikiki to catch the sunset!
And your last stop of the day would be a mandatory shrimp shack! Ono is just another 3 miles further east at Waimanalo Beach. Get some garlic shrimp with salad takeaway and sit by the water admiring the view before returning to the hustle and bustle of Waikiki to watch some incredible sunset! You surely don’t wanna miss this.
