Let me start off this post by saying Oahu’s North Shore was by far my favorite spot on the island. If you didn’t catch my where we stayed blog review, our resort was located on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. That area is the opposite of the North Shore when it comes to the hustle, bustle, and crowds. What I loved about the North Shore were the low key vibes. The beaches were less crowded, the food was amazing, and I could see myself moving there, starting a açaí bowl stand, and living in a shack on the beach. Okay who am I kidding, with the home prices on the island it would be a shack made of pineapple leaves maybe a few miles from the beach.
We went to Oahu in late March and many of the locals said the last few weeks had been the busiest since before the Pandemic started. I think this is attributed to spring break and the CDC easing up on travel restrictions. With that in mind, car rentals were charging out the wazoo so we only had a car for 3 days of our trip. During those three days, we made sure to explore as much as we could around the island. If we had a rental our entire trip while staying in Waikiki Beach, we would have definitely headed over to the North Shore another day or so. Paul and I may have googled day of car rentals the last few days of vacation to see if we could snag one for another trip to the North Shore… surprise surprise there were literally 0 cars available.
Turtle/Laniakea Beach
My favorite beach in all of Oahu was by far Turtle Beach. It is a popular destination because sea turtles swim up on the sand and take a nap while tourists stare and take pictures. The very beginning of the beach and where a majority of people congregate, is this infamous turtle napping area. My tip is to enter from the road and check out any napping turtles before heading down the beach to find yourself a beautiful and secluded spot. We walked 5 minutes at most away from the napping turtle spot and were the only beachgoers nearby. Coming over from Waikiki Beach, having your own space feels like you just won the lottery. Quick tip: get there early to make sure you can get a parking spot along Kamehameha Hwy and find yourself a nice spot on the beach.
Public Restrooms: No
Ehaukai Beach Park – Hawaii Banzai Pipeline
We stopped by Ehaukai Beach Park, which is home of the famous Hawaii Banzai Pipeline. The waves are no joke. Lifeguards are on duty and caution flags are waving in the wind as it is recommended to avoid swimming. With that being said, my dad and Paul were body surfing before the waves got a little too exhausting. The tide was rising quickly and every 10 minutes or so we needed to move our towels back as bigger and bigger waves began encroaching on us.
Public Restrooms: Yes
Sunset Beach
This was our final beach stop for the day before we made the trek back to the resort. As I am sure you can tell by the name, it is the best place to watch the sunset. Even around 3:00pm, it was easy to find a parking spot and walked right down to the beach to find a good amount of space to lay out.
Public Restrooms: Yes
Food in the North Shore
I had 2 food goals in mind when coming to Hawaii: I need Poke and I need an açaí bowl. Thankfully I reached both of those goals while in the North Shore for the day. In between beach trips, we headed to Haleiwa to explore the different food trucks and eateries. I got a Poke bowl, Paul and my dad ordered from Big Wave Shrimp truck, and my mom and sister each got an açaí bowl. After I ate my poke, I ended up walking down the road to a different açaí truck and picked one up for me and Paul to share. SO GOOD!
Ted’s bakery is another infamous spot to try out if you like pie. I think they have other options as well, but they are definitely known for their pies. Paul and I also wanted an afternoon pick me up in the form of iced coffee before heading back to the resort. My mom and sister ended up picking out a coconut and chocolate cream pie, which was divine and served as dessert back at the condo a few evenings of the trip.
My mom organized our Hawaii vacation and planned our daily adventures to beaches around the island as well as other activities. She also helped us navigate the Hawaii State requirements. If you’re thinking about booking a vacation in 2021, reach out to Lisa with Lisa’s Dream Destinations. Working with a Professional Travel Agent can save you both time and money and in turn, reduce stress that comes along with travel planning.
Lisa: Destinationsbylisa@gmail.com
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xoxo Olivia
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