All the Top Spots in Oahu!

Not sure if you all saw, but last month Harper and I went on an incredible trip to Hawaii!! Alaskan Airlines reached out to us and asked if we wanted to go to Honolulu for their annual Pride parade (The easiest decision we’ve ever made in our lives). Alaska Airlines is a partner for many of the pride parades across the country, and they even offer discounts if you are traveling to any of them. Definitely keep that in mind as you are making your travel plans next year!

We both fell in love with Oahu and wanted to give some tips for the 

Best Spots to Explore in Oahu!

#1. Lanikai Beach

Our favorite beach, hands down, was Lanikai Beach. If we had another day we would have easily spent it relaxing and reading at Lanikai. It was about a 30 min drive from Waikiki, but totally worth it to get away from all the tourists and crowds. Its white sands were super soft and the water was the most incredible turquoise blue color. Off in the distance were two picturesque islands that were begging to be explored. Next time we’re renting kayaks and heading out there :)

#2. The Resorts Of Waikiki

We usually try and avoid being touristy, but this trip we fully embraced our true Waikiki touristy selves. Hawaiian shirts all day everyday! It was super fun to just walk down the beach and pretend to be hotel guests at all the different resorts. They were all so unique and fun!

Here were some of our favorites!

The Surfjack Hotel  

We didn’t stay at the Surfjack Hotel, but if we were to do it again we would’ve. Just check out this awesome pool! We initially came for the pool Instagram shot, but kept coming back for their cute coffee shop and delicious brunch (we ate there two mornings in row).  Its just a short walk from the beach and definitely worth it if you’re craving a good latte.

Their coffee shop is called Olive and Oliver. Great coffee and their cups have cute little pineapples all over them!

Also, this super goovy decor is everything!

The Modern Hotel

We also really enjoyed hanging out at the Modern Hotel. They probably had our favorite poolside cocktails out of all the resorts. Not too sweet like a lot of the other spots. We spent a whole afternoon hanging out at the adults only lagoon area. It was soooooo peaceful and relaxing! 

Just look at this amazing peaceful little lagoon 😍 It’s a shallow water pool surrounded by soft white sand.

The Royal Hawaiian  

The Royal Hawaiian was another fun resort, mostly because everything is all pink!! We didn’t hang out too much around their pool, but right outside was probably our favorite beach area to lay out and enjoy. Lots of sand and the water was shallow and warm. 

The Moana Surfrider

We ate a delicious brunch on the outdoor Veranda of the Moana Surfrider. There was a courtyard in the middle with a beautiful massive banyan tree that spreads out to cover the whole space. Pretty incredible. There was a man performing under the tree while we were there, and our waiter told us it was Bruno Mars’ father, haha no joke. I guess he performs at the hotel often. 

Ice cream on the beach. Truly living out my paradise. 

The view from our hotel room at the Aston Waikiki 😍 

We also stumbled upon this cute little coffee shop called the Hawaiian Aroma Cafe. Loved the all rose gold and pineapple aesthetic.

Channeling her inner Moana

#3. North Shore

Everyone kept telling us we needed to get out of Honolulu and visit the North Shore. We took their advice and went to the other end of the island to check out their beaches. They definitely have a different vibe, and you could tell there were a lot more locals and surfers. The day we went the waves super crazy (at least for us, I’m sure the surfers loved them). We checked out Waimea, Sunset and Turtle Bay Cove. Out of those three I think Sunset Beach was our favorite. Definitely also check out Ted’s Bakery across the street. We tried their chocolate haupia cream pie’s and they were incredibly delicious. Highly recommend! There were some swimming warnings at the time we went, and so we just sat on the shore and watched the surfers catch all the crazy waves. 

Oh hey palm tree

#4. Downtown Honolulu

We definitely found some great food while exploring the downtown areas of Honolulu. One of our favorite brunch spots was called Egghead Cafe.

Mmmm mmm. Lots of bacon and egg goodness. And those waffle fries!! Its a cute little spot in a warehouse district, located next to some fun murals as well. 

Harper made some buddies

Down the block in that same area is a coffee shop/ plant shop called Arvo. I would definitely check it out as well, especially if you're into the minimalist aesthetic. We also went to a place called Livestock Tavern, which was a great spot for a nice dinner. I had the pork chop, and it was super tender and delicious. 

We honestly had the best time in Oahu and feel so lucky to have been a part of the experience. So grateful for Alaska Airlines huge generosity and support. If we go again we would definitely use them as our airline of choice. Hope you enjoyed this post and got some travel ideas! Did I miss any good spots?