Oahu

There’s still nice beaches here. © The Real Destinations 2022

When I say the Hawaiian Islands are wildly different from each other, Oahu is a major part of why that is. Most people think of it by its dominant city, Honolulu. As I said, this is not the Hawaii you picture. It’s a real, LA-in-miniature city of nearly a million people in and around the high rises running along the ocean. If the Big Island has more land than all other islands combined, Oahu has more people than all the others combined.

Many people come to Hawaii and only see Oahu, which is unfortunate. But there are advantages that come with having lots of people and visitors, just ones that involve, well, people. And as I said, most visitors are really just looking for a vacation anyway. The food scene here easily rivals any big city among the various cuisines of the Asia Pacific. Cultural centers, performances, world famous surfing, you’ll find it all here.

Grab a car, explore the North Shore, and you’ll see some nice scenery too. The landscape just isn’t as high or sharp as the other islands, but it’s still Hawaii.

United, American, Southwest, and Delta: All fly direct to the Big Island from select US mainland cities. Everyone else will have to connect through Honolulu or one of the US cities that fly direct. Personally, if you’re going to connect, I’d break up the long flight in the middle rather than at the end in Honolulu.

In the winter months (what better time to visit a tropical island?) watch pro surfers catch some ‘major gnar'!’ on the North Shore’s waves. © The Real Destinations 2022

The Good:

People stuff! The food scene, fancy shopping, big historic resorts, performances, surfing and chilling out by the pool. The vast inventory of hotel and dining means it’s cheaper here too, despite the number of tourists.
Drive out of the city to see a less developed, more green side of the island. Huge waves and cool tidal pools populate the north shore. The west and eastern shores have secluded beaches used by locals.
You’ll probably pass through Oahu anyway, most flights to and from the mainland will go through here. Might as well stay a day or two.

The Bad:

Not the remote island getaway you were thinking about, especially along the iconic Waikiki Beach area where almost all the hotels are concentrated in, although it is still pretty nice and walkable in a fancy, adult theme park sense.
Traffic, bet you didn’t think that was a thing in Hawaii? Even with 8-10 lane highways that in/out of the city.
Most hotels are concentrated in downtown Honolulu, but the scenery is on the opposite side of the island on the North Shore.

the Summary:

The most touristy and developed island, by far, Oahu is still big enough to offer great beaches and some pretty cool scenery if you get out of the city. But large #s of people does bring its own advantages: The food and cultural attractions in the city are worth checking out.

Honolulu has some interesting spots to check out after landing or on your last few days before returning back to the mainland.

Waikiki Beach, you can’t miss this one because your hotel is probably here. It’s not just the beach though, which is notable in how sandy and shallow the ocean is. You can walk out in waist deep water for a while before it drops off, most beaches in Hawaii are not like that. It’s also the food/shopping scene here: like a big, very fancy, outdoor tropical mall.
Japanese food, the most you’ll likely find outside of Japan, SF, LA
Pearl Harbor, including the iconic monument over the water where the battleship sunk.
Historic Chinatown, where you’ll find the equivalent of the local farmers market every day of the week
Royal Hawaiian: On the beach, the iconic pink hotel of Hawaii before there even was passenger air travel out here. Interesting to talk through for a certain historical, tropical feel.