Living Like a Local - Top 10 Things to do in Honolulu
Even before I moved to Hawaii, O’ahu was my favorite island. O’ahu is known as the gathering place. It’s a good descriptor with Honolulu, the biggest city in the state, located here. O’ahu has excellent access to the water - there are amazing surf breaks around the entire island, great beaches, tourist boats running swim, snorkel and sail excursions out of several harbors and smaller channels where you can paddle out on a canoe or stand up paddle board. If you like being in or on the water, this island is pure paradise.
O’ahu is an amazing melting pot of cultures. There are of course Native Hawaiians and Polynesians, but a larger percentage of the population that date back to sugar cane plantations are people from Japan, China, Korea, Philippines and Portugal and they have been here for generations. More recently there has been an influx of Micronesians to Hawaii. This melting pot has created an amazing and unique food scene in Honolulu that is unlike anywhere else in the world with unique dishes, top chefs and lots and lots of locally grown tropical products.
There is also a rich history in Hawaii that is very different from the rest of the United States. There was a royal family here until almost the turn of the 20th century. The palace where the royal family lived is in Honolulu and is a great place to visit. There are several ancient and sacred Heiau sites around the island; some are over 400 years old. There is hula, Hawaiian music, Hawaiian language and something called the Aloha spirit that is alive and well.
Living on an island is a very different lifestyle, it’s like coming to a foreign country. And it’s good to travel in Hawaii like you are visiting a foreign country. Always remember to be a good guest with lots of Aloha and that will take you far in Hawaii. With that, here are my top recommendations if you want to live like a local while you visit Hawaii.
SURF - if you are a surfer, you know O’ahu is the best. If you haven’t surfed before, O’ahu is also the best. If you can swim, don’t miss the opportunity to take a surf lesson. I surfed for the first time at 42 and it changed my life forever. @hawaiisurfguru and @island_fiel_surf are both excellent surf instructors in Waikiki. Take a chance to do something different and wonderful.
PADDLE - paddling in a 6-man canoe is a strong tradition here. You will see paddlers carrying large 6-man canoes into the water every day after sunrise and before sunset wherever there is a channel into the ocean. It’s a great opportunity to go out on an outrigger canoe and surf. Catching a wave in a canoe is exhilarating and thrilling. Try it out with companies that offers tours such as @faithsurfschoolhawaii and @alohabeachservices.
EAT - There are so many amazing places to eat in Honolulu that I’ll need to do a separate post, but one of the great reasons to come to Honolulu is that there is amazing food here and food you won’t find anywhere else in the world. Try out poi, kalo, Kalua pork, lau lau, luau, poke with furikake, huli huli chicken, spam musubis, mochiko chicken, malasadas, saimin, butter mochi, hurricane popcorn, kimchee fried rice and Kalbi to name a few. And of course there is Hawaiian coffee, chocolate and all sorts of fun tropical fruits such as dragon fruit, lilikoi, soursop, mountain apples. If you have your own kitchen and can plan ahead a day or so, you can support local growers by ordering a box to be delivered to your location from Farm Link Hawaii or Kahumana Organic Farm.
CULTURE - There is a large and thriving Chinatown in downtown Honolulu. It’s a great place to walk the market or go to a restaurant. Go in the morning when all the vendors are there and just walk around and enjoy the scene. Stop by Maguro Brothers Hawaii and pick up a poke bowl.
LEARN - Visit Iolani Palace and learn about the Hawaiian Monarcy and some of the history of native hawaii. It’s a beautiful palace and rich history that’s not to be missed. I go again and again and can’t get enough.
BEACH - We go to the beach here to surf, spend time with friends and family, to relax, to fish, to eat. Go pick up a poke bowl at Foodland and take it to Ala Moana Beach Park. It’s a beautiful and serene beach. When the surf gets big in Waikiki in the summer, Ala Moana Beach Park is nice and protected and is pointed in the right direction for an excellent sunset.
HIKE - We have amazing hikes right in Honolulu. If you come and visit and don’t have a car, no worries. The Bus will take you to most of the trailheads around the island. One of my favorite walking trails right in town is Lyon Arboretum. It’s a stunning place to visit and is very chill. Most everyone else will be going to Manoa Falls. Pass the crowds and check out the arboretum instead.
BIKE - Pick up a Biki and try going from A to B on a bike. It’s a lovely way to get around town.
YOGA - Try yoga in Kapiolani or Ala Moana Beach Park. There are classes being offered many times a day every day of the week.
FARMERS MARKET - Visit one of the farmers Markets around the island. My favorite is the Saturday Kaka’ako market. There is great local produce, food vendors, food producers and crafts. It’s a fabulous market to check out.
