Island Adventure: Oahu, Hawaii

The Aloha Stadium Swap Meet is open every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Entrance to the market is $2 per person and definitely worth it. This is the perfect spot to pick out some budget friendly souvenirs while visiting Oahu. During my visit we picked out souvenirs for the entire family with 6 T-Shirts costing only $20 USD. You can also grab lunch or a sweet treat while shopping. We got Shaved Ice during our visit and it was delicious! I recommend arriving to the marketplace early for shopping as the marketplace is outdoors. When we arrived at 8am the entire area was covered in shade from the surrounding trees making it nice to walk around. As the day goes on the shade disappears and you'll be enjoying the sun during your visit.

The Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center is located directly across from the Sheraton Waikiki Beach Resort and The Royal Hawaiian. As it's so close to these hotels, this is a great place to grab a bite to eat! We spent most of our time walking around and grabbing breakfast, lunch or dinner at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center but you can also shop for souvenirs. See the list of shops / cafe's / and restaurants we visited. Cheesecake Factory - The Cheesecake Factory is one of our favourite restaurants for dinner when visiting the USA. You have the option of picking up cheesecake to go or staying for a sit down meal. If you're planning to eat at the Cheesecake Factory make sure you plan ahead and make a reservation as the restaurant fills up fast. Honolulu Cookie Company - The Honolulu Cookie Company sells a variety of shortbread cookies. Before purchasing cookies you have the option of sampling some of the varieties. The bundles of cookies make for a great souvenir or gift to bring back home. Island Vintage Coffee / Island Vintage Wine Bar - During our visit we decided to try Island Vintage Coffee for breakfast. Upon arriving at 8am the line to get in was huge and there is limited seating at the cafe. However, beside the cafe is Island Vintage Wine Bar which is a sit down restaurant serving the same menu as the cafe. Due to the size of the line we decided to have breakfast at Island Vintage Wine Bar, which turned into our favourite breakfast spot during our visit. With no wait, fast service, and delicious food I absolutely recommend coming here for breakfast. The Acai bowls and coffee were amazing, especially the Pineapple Mint Moana Acai Bowl and a Hawaiian Honey Latte. Island Vintage Shave Ice - At Island Vintage Shave Ice you'll have plenty of flavours to choose from and different topping options when selecting your Shave Ice! However, as the flavour is drizzled on top of the Shave Ice, I found that the entire dessert doesn't have enough flavour compared to the other Shave Ice we had on the island. This is a great location to walk to but I recommend visiting a different shop when visiting Waikiki. P.F. Changs - P.F. Changs serves reasonably priced Chinese food with the option to take out or eat in the restaurant. This is a great spot to have dinner and leftovers for the next day. Raising Canes - Raising Canes is a fast food restaurant serving chicken strips and sandwiches. There are plenty of combo sizes which made this is a great spot to grab lunch for yourself or the entire family.

The Pu'u 'Ualaka'a State Wayside Park is open from 7am - 6:45pm. The road leading up to the park will bring you to a picnic area and the Tantalus Lookout. There is limited parking but you are able to walk to the lookout from the picnic area if the parking lot is full. Tantalus Lookout Offers gorgeous views of Honolulu and information about the history of Oahu. This is a great spot to stretch your legs and take in the beauty of the island.

The Diamond Head Luau is located at the Waikiki Aquarium! If you're planning to attend the Diamond Head Luau you will get a ticket for free entrance to the aquarium valid for 1 week after the Luau. So, if you're planning to visit the aquarium during your stay, make sure you use your free entrance after the Luau. Before the Luau begins, you'll have the opportunity to make Lei's and headbands from palm trees while enjoying a Mai Tai. After seating, the buffet will be served which contains a variety of Hawaiian food. There is plenty to eat so you won't leave the Luau feeling hungry! After dinner, a performance is put on by staff which includes a history of the island. This was a lovely experience to learn about the culture while enjoying some delicious food.

Every time we picked up Malasada's from Leonard's Bakery, they were warm and fresh! These doughnuts are the perfect treat to either start your day or bring with you while you explore Oahu. Our favourite were the Original and Cinnamon Malasada's. However, they also have filled doughnuts to enjoy as well.

The Green World Coffee Farm is a great spot to grab breakfast and coffee before starting your day exploring Central Oahu and the North Shore. Inside you'll find a shop where you can purchase coffee and other souvenirs. Outside you'll have the opportunity to walk around the coffee farm. There is also a coffee garden with chairs and tables where you can enjoy your coffee and tour the farm.

At the Dole Plantation, you'll have the opportunity to walk through the Pineapple Variety Garden. During your walk, there are plenty of educational signs to learn about the Dole Plantation as well as multiple varieties of pineapples at different stages of growth to admire. There are also a number of activities that can be enjoyed for an additional fee including the Pineapple Express Train Tour, Plantation Garden Tour, and Pineapple Garden Maze. However, if you're looking to save money, walking through the Pineapple Variety Garden has no additional cost and was a great way to visit and learn the history of the plantation. In addition, visitors will enjoy the Pineapple Demonstration (between 11am - 4pm every hour), shopping at the gift shop, and grabbing a bite to eat at the Plantation Grill. I recommend having the Dole Whip with Pineapple Topping during your visit!

Waimea Bay is located on Oahu's North Shore and is a National Marine Sanctuary. If you're looking for a quiet beach with large waves, this is the spot for you! The massive waves and strong current during our visit meant we stayed close to shore. Make sure to follow direction from the lifeguards and only venture into the waves if you're a strong swimmer.

Kula Shave Ice is located on Oahu's North Shore and serves delicious homemade flavours. We tried the Lime Syrup and added Coconut Condensed Milk and it was truly amazing! This shop proudly serves all homemade organic Shave Ice.

Shark's Cove is a great place to snorkel on Oahu's North Shore. This cove is surrounded by rock making the water mostly calm. At times, the waves will come into the cove and during our visit this only happened a handful of times. While snorkelling, we were lucky to see various fish and lots of Sea Urchins. There is also a beach if you're looking to stay longer. We were lucky to find parking when we arrived in the afternoon. If this is a location you don't want to miss, then I recommend getting there early to ensure a parking spot is available.

The Aloha Tower Marketplace has plenty of restaurants and shops to visit prior to attending your Whale Watching Tour located next to Aloha Tower!

During our vacation in Honolulu, we sailed on the Whale Watching Tour by Atlantis Adventures. This tour departed at 11:30am and we spent 2.5 hours on the water. I recommend arriving early to walk around the boat before departing for Whale Watching! Majestic is a beautiful ship with lots to offer across 3 decks. You can use this time to order some food and/or drinks, walk around the ship, and read the educational posters to learn about the animals you may spot during the cruise including Humpback Whale behaviours. On our cruise we were lucky to spot a Humback Whale. We cruised alongside the whale a good portion of the trip witnessing multiple "Fluke Up Dives" performed by the whale.

Waikiki Beach is a great spot to lay in the sand, swim in the ocean, and admire views of Diamond Head. The beach is very crowded so make sure you get there early to secure your spot by the water.

Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is a protected marine life conservation park that offers visitors the opportunity to snorkel with local wildlife! In order to get into the park you can either book a reservation 2 days in advance or walk-in. We attempted to secure a time slot however, they sold out within a few minutes of being available. Instead we arrived to the park around 6:40am and were able to get a walk-in ticket. While walk-in tickets are limited we had no problems getting a 7:30am time slot. Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is the perfect spot for beginner snorkelers. During our visit we saw plenty of wildlife including Sea Urchins, an Octopus, Hawaiian Monk Seals and too many fish to count! This was definitely our favourite place to snorkel and is worth the early arrival time to get in.

After spending the day snorkeling we decided to hike the Makapu'u Point Lighthouse Trail. Upon our arrival, the Trail was completely exposed to the hot sun in the afternoon so we only made it to the first 2 lookouts. Although we didn't make it to the lighthouse, we did spot multiple pods of Humpback Whales and Sea Turtles just off the shore!

The Ho'omaluhia Botanical Gardens are located on Oahu's Windward Coast and offers stunning views of the surrounding mountain range. Entrance to the Gardens is free and there are multiple trails and gardens to explore! I recommend driving through the entire park as the last stop will provide unobstructed views of the mountain range and is the perfect place for photos.

Kualoa Ranch offers visitors many activities to choose from. During our visit, we booked the 2 Hour UTV Raptor Tour. Our tour brought us through the park and we stopped at multiple locations to learn about the movie filming that has taken place at Kualoa Ranch as well as the history of the area. This was one of the highlights of our trip! Make sure you bring face wipes and wear old clothes during the UTV Tour as we were covered head to toe in dust by the end.

If you're looking for delicious food that's budget friendly then Sweet E's Cafe is the perfect spot to grab breakfast. We tried the Kalua Pork Eggs Benedict and Breakfast Burrito and both were fabulous. The Pork was delicious and we had leftovers to spare. To top it off the staff are extremely friendly and welcoming.

During our visit we booked the 8am Whale Watching Tour with Pink Sails. This is a 2 hour boat tour taking you along the coast of Waikiki and Diamond Head. During our first tour we were lucky to spot a Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle and Spinner Dolphins. After venturing past Diamond Head we unfortunately didn't see any whales. Luckily, Pink Sails offers a whale sighting guarantee and we were able to book another whale watching tour at no cost. During the second tour we got extremely lucky! We were able to see more Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles and Spinner Dolphins along with plenty of Hawaiian Humpback Whales. About 10 minutes after leaving the dock we saw a mom and calf Humpback. At the time they were nursing and stayed at the top of the water for longer then they normally would. After following the mom and calf we saw a second pod of Humpback Whales Breaching and performing Pec Slaps. This was an incredible experience thanks to Pink Sail's Whale sighting guarantee.

While staying at the Sheraton Waikiki you'll be minutes away from Kalakaua Avenue. I recommend taking some time to walk along Kalakaua Avenue and explore the nearby shops and restaurants.

-Pools- The Infinity Pool is an adults only pool, however there is an outdoor pool that welcomes children and families a short walk away. Loungers can be reserved in advance for a fee but there were plenty of unreserved chairs available as well! If you don't have a reservation, make sure to arrive early to secure a lounger for your day at the pool! -Restaurants- Honolulu Coffee is a great spot to grab a coffee and/or breakfast sandwich before heading out for the day. However, make sure to get there with plenty of time as the lines can be long. Expect to spend around 30 minutes at the coffee shop. Alternatively, there is a second location at the entrance of the hotel. This location is often quieter however they only serve pastries and drinks. I tried the Hawaiian Latte and Breakfast Sandwich and would recommend both! The Kai Market is a great place to grab breakfast in the hotel. Although prices were on the higher side, it is convenient and fairly quick. While spending the day at the hotel pools, Edge of Waikiki is a bar located steps away from the Infinity Pool. This is a great spot to grab lunch and drinks. They also have servers that walk around the pools to take your orders. They will bring both drinks and food to you at the loungers.