CHRISTY: Vancouver & Seattle Lifestyle, Travel, Fashion, Beauty, Business, & Food Blogger ❀

For the first time ever, I finally visited Hawaii! It was always on my bucket list but had felt out of reach… until I had to pick a closer location for a mini year-end vacation (since the last time I travelled anywhere was during March and it didn’t feel right).

It was also super cold in the Pacific Northwest, so heading into warmer weather felt so good. Hawaii had also been a potential wedding venue for me since I liked the idea of a scenic backdrop and intimate wedding celebration! But after being a dog mom and not being able to have my big dog join, that option was crossed off.

And so, instead, my husband and I decided to make a short trip to Hawaii, particularly Oahu. We just wanted a place to relax and try some good food. I also find the Japanese culture influence a unique aspect of Hawaii as well.

Some things to bring: swimsuit, hat, flip flops, beach mat, sunscreen, bug spray (though not many mosquitoes during the winter!), a bit of cash (for some places that may require it), wifi, comfortable shoes – lots of walking!

Must-eats (what I had): Hawaiian shaved ice (super colourful and sweet! Some of them have mochi), spam musubi, pok, garlic shrimp (Giovanni’s Shrimp is well-known), ube mochi pancakes, malasadas, loco moco

Quick tips: Staying around Waikiki Beach was super convenient! There was a lot of restaurants and shops in walking distance. Though if you go further, it’s best to take Uber (some are cheaper than buses) or try a tour (we used Viator for our snorkelling experience).

Here’s a brief summary of my itinerary (I stayed near Waikiki, Honolulu):

🗓 DAY 1 – Flight, Shopping, Sushi

Most people go to the iconic skyscrapers or towers for the observation decks overseeing the city.

• Afternoon (Arrive in Hawaii)
  • We checked out the ABC store
  • Lunch: We visited the International Market Place to see if there were any snacks to eat. We came across a big Japanese goods shop that had spam musubi and also various onigiri options! We also visited a small market that had garlic shrimp though it wasn’t the famous one (Giovanni’s Shrimp).
    • There are a lot of shops in IMP if you want to do some shopping!
  • Waikiki Beach: A little bit past the market was the world-famous beach! We had to stop by while the sun was setting. We sat by the rocks near the water and it was just so peaceful with the background sound of the waves.
  • Lawson: If you’ve been to Japan, you know this convenient store brand! I was shocked to see it in Hawaii (I believe that’s their only US location?)

• Evening
  • Dinner: Doraku Sushi – We had a dinner booked a while back for this place, which had a lot of good reviews. When we visited, it didn’t feel completely authentic but had more of a Western influence. We got the inari, sashimi, and grilled miso cod.
  • Sky Bar: One of the things I enjoy doing is having a cocktail (or mocktail) with a nice view. You can reserve this online as well!

🗓 DAY 2 – Diamond Head Hike

When in Hawaii, you definitely should do at least one hike! The Diamond Head hike was probably one of the easier ones that took about 2 hours roundtrip and I’m not much of a hiker. At the outlook, you can see a beautiful panoramic view of the island!

• Morning
  • We ate a small breakfast at our hotel and then took Uber to Diamond Head (was about 30 minutes away)
  • Diamond Head Hike: We first took a tunnel to towards the ticketing booth then started at the bottom. Overall, there weren’t too many stairs and was a smooth uphill for a while. At the top, it was honestly so breathtaking because I could see so much of Oahu and the water! It was so worth it. Going back down was quite smooth as well.

• Afternoon
  • Brunch: Lulu’s – We got pretty hungry after the hike so we went back to one of our favourite places nearby, Lulu’s, and had a loco moco and drinks!
  • After a long hike, we definitely had to jump into the beach nearby. We picked up towels from the hotel and just found a spot at the beach to hop into! The waves were huge but luckily there were some rocks blocking them for people to swim more comfortably in the water closer to the sand.

• Shaved Ice: Island Village Shaved Ice – I needed to cross off something else on my to-do list: eat Hawaiian shaved ice! I’m not a big fan of super sweet shaved ice anymore, but I had to try. Hawaiian shaved ice is known for the colourful and fruity-flavoured ice and some of them come with mochi. The one I had here was super refreshing but definitely on the sweeter side.
• Snack: Musubi Cafe – Another on my to-do list was to eat at the Musubi Cafe. There were a lot of combinations to pick from but for the first try, I wanted to eat the spam musubi. I also loved the merchandise at the store!

• Evening
  • Dinner: Along the streets of Waikiki, there are actually quite a few Japanese restaurants. We wanted to see if the Japanese food here was comparable to back in Vancouver!
  • After dinner, loud music by the beach caught our attention. I was so glad to also get to see a live Hawaiian dance! Everyone was singing and dancing and it was just so warming to be experiencing a joyful moment so far from home.
  • Late Night Snack: We got a bit hungry around 9PM and decided to head downstairs to another Japanese restaurant that was still open. They had different menu items which included a set meal that came with miso cod! It was so good and one of the best we’ve had ever.

🗓 DAY 3 – Snorkelling at Hanauma Bay

One of the activities I was eager to do was snorkelling. I actually don’t know how to swim but this felt like a once in a lifetime experience that I needed to push myself to do in a safe manner. Luckily, the experience I booked on Viator was just wonderful.

Our host was very skilled at swimming and also had so much equipment for us. The session was very beginner friendly.

• Early Morning
  • Brunch: Lulu’s – We went to Lulu’s again to try the ube mochi pancake this time. It was very thick but delicious with a strong ube flavour.

• We caught our ride to Hanauma Bay which took about 30 minutes as well to get there. When we got there, we went through an orientation along with many other people. There was a maximum number of people that could enter at a time and you had to get tickets beforehand. Our tour included the tickets.
• We changed into our snorkelling gear and wetsuits and began heading into the water as a group! (Our belongings were kept in a box locked up by a tree). Our host even helped us take photos and videos with our phones and also on her GoPro.
• I am so grateful I got to catch a glimpse of the infamous sea turtles! I also tried my best to dip my head into the water to immerse in the underwater wild life. The view was so different and I even got to to see schools of fish swimming around. At one point I did get a bit exhausted after about an hour of swimming around.

• Afternoon
  • 4PM: Got back around this time You might be hungry like we were. I wanted to grab an early dinner at a restaurant by the beach and watch the sunset there. Unfortunately, many restaurants were booked up already, but we did manage to find one that had an open table. It wasn’t the closest to the beach but we did get to watch the sunset and eat some interesting food such as swordfish.

• Evening
  • Late Night Food: What else makes more sense to eat as a small meal in Hawaii than poke? There was a shop near our hotel along Waikiki and we decided to try poke there. I used to make poke myself and also had it a few times in Vancouver, but I was definitely curious about how it tastes locally. I got one with salmon and tuna and seaweed.

🗓 DAY 4 – Viral Food Day!

The hotel that we stayed in was actually very close to a long street filled with a lot of trendy restaurants! On the last full day here, I really wanted to hit up as many spots as I could.

• Afternoon
  • Lunch 1/2: ONO Seafood – This was a top place to try for poke in Oahu. They’re very popular especially on Yelp and I can tell why. The selection is just so unique – you can pick from multiple topping options! We got the spicy ahi and miso ahi mixes. The miso was on the salty side but still very unique and the fish was very fresh. The miso sauce was thick and flavourful! It also came with a free canned drink of your choice.

• Lunch 2/2: Kono’s – This place is known for their Bombers which are breakfast burritos filled with a 12-hour slow-roasted Kalua pig meat, scrambled eggs, and hash browns. The flavour of the pork was smokey and tender! Though eating a whole half piece did feel quite heavy for me and I definitely needed more stomach space for this.

• Late Afternoon
  • Shaved Ice: Ululani’s – After a long walk during a hot day, grabbing a shaved ice is a must. This spot wasn’t exactly where I wanted to go (I wanted to go Matsumoto’s but that was too far) but it was a popular chain in Hawaii. I got the matcha ube shaved ice that came with peanut powder on top. It was tasty as expected, though it does lean more towards the sweeter side.

• Snack: Leonard’s – If you’ve seen people carrying bright pink bags, it’s likely from Leonard’s. They’re super famous for their masaladas, which are Portugese yeast donuts. I had no idea what to expect but it was actually much chewier than I had thought. It reminded me of filled donuts but the texture felt different. I got the macadamia flavour which seemed popular but apparently it tastes good without filling too!
• Coffee: Kai Coffee – I wanted to know what Hawaiian coffee tasted like and macadamia coffee definitely caught my attention. I passed by a small Kai Coffee to-go and picked one up on the way back to the hotel. This is a big chain in Hawaii as well.
• Food aside, I loved seeing the wild chickens and roosters roaming around the streets, schools, and parks! Now that our stomachs were satisfied, we packed and got ready to head towards the airport for an evening flight.

• Evening
  • We were honestly just wandering around but made a stop at Whole Foods. I found a chance to stop by a second location of Giovanni’s Shrimp which was located in a food court above H-Mart. I managed to get a half order that came with about 8 pieces of butter and garlic shrimp and rice. The flavours were strong but I wondered if it was much tastier at the original food truck that most people go to further away.
  • Shopping: Ala Moana – This mall is a high-end shopping mall and many say shopping in Hawaii is great because you save on taxes and some of the prices of goods are lower than normal. I was happy to say I snatched up a bag I had wanted for a while…
  • Dinner: Tanaka Ramen – There weren’t many desirable food options here besides the food court, so we grabbed ramen before heading to the airport.
  • Took an Uber to the airport!

My first time in Hawaii was better than I had expected. Before my trip, it felt like an island so far away that I would never get to experience. I’m not much of a swimmer or beach person, yet I had so much fun there since the weather was just perfect and the beach access was so convenient. I honestly spent a lot of time in between activities just relaxing by the beach and listening to the sound of the waves.

I’m not sure when I’ll be back next but I have Maui on my list. I want to visit Haleakala for the sunrise and clouds. It would be a less big-city experience than Oahu, Honolulu, so it will be interesting for me. Until next time!

Other Places To Go:

• Jurassic Valley Tour
• Pearl Harbour
• Botanical Garden
• Magic Island
• Hilton Lagoon for paddle boarding
• Scuba Diving
• Spitting Caves
• Halona Blowhole Lookout
• Lanikai Beach
• Pillbox 2 Hike
• Foodlands Poke
• Matsumoto Shaved Ice
• Sandy Beach

Other Links:

• 🍴 Check out my foodie account @christyenjoys for more! Check out my other blogs on Bangkok, Hiroshima/ Miyajima, Toronto, NYC, and San Francisco.