Well, I finally made it to Oahu. I have now visited each of the four major Hawaiian islands, Maui, Big Island, Kauai, and, at last, Oahu. Since the flight to any of the islands is roughly a mere five hours from the Bay Area, Hawaii is quite convenient, and to be in the grind of Silicon Valley life to having your toes in the sand with a Mai Tai in hand in less than a full day’s work, how can you say no?

Although I’ve had the opportunity to travel to Hawaii several times over the years, Oahu was never my first choice. From my friends who love Oahu and who return regularly year after year, they describe Oahu as having the perfect blend of beaches and city life. And from my friends who favored the other islands, I heard the same thing: Oahu is a blend of beaches and city life – but the city life is what they were trying to escape – too much traffic, too many crowds, too much of an urban vibe for their liking. And I can understand both perspectives. 

First things first, when we landed in Honolulu, we rented a car from Economy Rental Car. DO NOT rent your car from Economy Rental Car. It’s not located at the airport so you will have to wait 30 minutes for a shuttle that will drive you to what looks like a used car lot/junk yard. Then, we waited almost two hours for a rental car. It seems that we made a reservation for the car, but there wasn’t a car on the lot that was actually reserved. Have you seen the rental car episode of Seinfeld (Season 3, Episode 11)? Pro tip: I recommend Budget Car Rental. Sign up for the Budget Fastbreak program. It’s free and it allows you to skip the long lines and pick up and drop off your car lickety split. Lesson learned: do not let your husband make reservations so you can save an extra $12 for a rental car. We took a 7:15 AM flight from San Jose and arrived in Honolulu at 9:39 AM – so even though we finally drove away from the car lot/junk yard at 11:30, we still had the whole day ahead of us. 

The most important thing to do after a five-hour flight and a two-hour wait for a car is to eat. We stopped at Monarch Poke located at the Pearl Kai Shopping Center in Aiea. This is a cute spot with cheerful service offering poke as well as rice plates with garlic chicken, miso braised pork belly, and tamarind glazed pork ribs. I ordered the day’s poke special: Ahi Poke & Kimchi Nachos: ahi tuna and kimchi served on top of shrimp chips. The fish was fresh and the kimchi added a spicy kick but the shrimp chips rapidly turned mushy. The husband ordered the Spicy Ahi Poke, a traditional poke with a spicy ponzu sauce – a solid choice.

After lunch, we made our way to our hotel. This was our first encounter with crowds and traffic. The hotel is located in the heart of Waikiki Beach and the area is bustling with tourists in cars and on foot. We sat in traffic for about 15 minutes just a mere block away from our hotel – so close and yet so far away. Ah, city life. 

We would be staying at Ka La’i Waikiki Beach, part of Hilton’s  LXR Hotels & Resorts collection. LXR Hotel & Resorts is Hilton’s luxury brand, and Ka La’i Waikiki Beach is the brand’s first luxury property in Oahu.  The hotel is located in the heart of Waikiki Beach on a quiet street just a block from the beach and a short walk from several high-end shops and restaurants, including the mammoth Royal Hawaiian Center which houses even more high-end shops and plenty of excellent eateries and restaurants. 

The first thing to note about Ka La’i Waikiki Beach is the service. From the valet to the reception to the bell staff to housekeeping, the service was incredible. Every single person we met on staff was so welcoming, polite, and so friendly and approachable. We arrived a little before check-in and they did their best to get us into our room early. In the meantime, we were made comfortable in the breezy open-air lobby where we set up our laptops and perused our email. 

Soon enough, we made it to our spacious ocean-view room. While the hotel is not directly on the beach, we had a nice view of a park, the beach, and the skyline. The room was large with a well-appointed kitchenette, a comfortable sitting room, and a small balcony from which to admire the view. The bathroom was a masterpiece. A huge soaking tub, a marble shower, double sinks, and a bidet. I predicted a bubble bath with a glass of bubbly in my near future. 

For dinner on our first night, we went to our favorite restaurant, MonkeyPod, located right across the street from Ka La’i Waikiki Beach. The restaurant sits right at the edge of the water and you’re literally dining in the ocean. The food at MonkeyPod is divine and we’ve never missed an opportunity to eat there when we’ve stayed in Maui, so we were so glad we had the chance to dine at MonkeyPod in Oahu. Their award-winning Mai Tais are a must and a good reason to dine there – the lilikoi foam is like eating clouds. You can’t go wrong with any of the pizzas – our favorite is the mushroom with truffle oil. And don’t miss out on the dessert pies – all of them are scrumptious – I’m always torn between the banana and coconut, I say order both; life is short. 

The next morning we had plans to drive to the Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens and to explore the east side of Oahu. The Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens is absolutely spectacular (and admission is free!). As you drive through the gates, the voice in your head will say: “Welcome to Jurassic Park”. The lush tropical landscape set against the Koolau Mountains is stunning. We stayed at the park for about an hour driving from point to point and stopping at one or two points of interest. This is a must for nature lovers. 

As we drove along the east side of the island, we stopped at Kualoa Regional Park to walk along the pretty beach before stopping for a snack at 7-11. I am a big fan of 7-11 in Japan, and since there’s a definite Japanese vibe in Oahu, I wanted to see what 7-11 in Oahu offered. And, low and behold, I found Spam misubi, salmon and tofu rice bowls, chow fun, and a surprising variety of sushi. I came away with some Spam misubi and a bag of  Sun Chips for insurance; the misubi was pretty good so the chips were a bonus. I wish the 7-11 stores on the mainland offered such goodies. 

Other stops included Hukilau Marketplace where I browsed the shops. We took a beach break at Waimea Bay Beach Park where my husband snorkeled and I sunned and watched kids jump off a rock into the water. Our next stop was for shaved ice and we heard the best was at Matsumoto Shave Ice. I ordered passion fruit and coconut with mochi and sat down with the chickens (they run wild in Hawaii) to taste my very first shaved ice. It was very sweet. I guess I’m not really a shave ice girl, but I’m glad I tried it. That was our last official stop since we had dinner reservations at Wai’Olu Ocean Cuisine back at Ka La’i Waikiki Beach. 

The kitchen at Wai’Olu Ocean Cuisine specializes in dishes prepared in the Japanese style, including sushi and a mouth watering selection of fish & seafood and high-end cuts of meat. We started with cocktails and the chef’s selection of sashimi, along with a Tiger Roll, Alaskan crab, shrimp tempura and salmon topped with kabayaki sauce – a delicious mouthful of seafood goodness. The Omakase was a gorgeous platter of the freshest fish. We shared the braised short ribs,  a generous portion of tender ribs with a savory-sweet sesame soy glaze – with the luxurious mashed potatoes, it was the perfect bite. We ended with the lilikoi bread pudding as fireworks lit up the sky. Even if you’re not a guest at Ka La’i Waikiki Beach, a meal at Wai’Olu Ocean Cuisine is a must for a delicious Japanese meal. 

Bright and early the following day I had an appointment for a massage at Spa Ka La’i. The spa at  Ka La’i Waikiki Beach is small but the space is serene and my massage therapist did a great job working out the kinks in my neck and shoulders. It was a great way to start the day. 

We had another full day planned. I wanted to check out the Oceanic Red exhibit at the Bishop Museum. Established in 1889, the museum houses millions of artifacts which chronicle the culture and history of the Pacific. Hawaiian Hall is not only beautiful but filled with fascinating artifacts. You could easily spend hours exploring the museum.   

We wanted to explore the west side of the island today to find a quiet beach where we could snorkel. We drove all the way to the end of the island just for the views and then doubled back and pulled over at a random beach spot where there were just a handful of people. This beach was heaven – tranquil and beautiful. The water was warm and the snorkeling was amazing – lots of fish and even turtles! We worked up an appetite and stopped for a late lunch at Aloha Poke. They have a nice selection of Poke, but I found mine to be salty. We drove through Kapolei, the fancy part of Oahu where the Four Seasons and Disney Aulani hotels are. It was beautiful but a bit sterile, reminiscent of Wailea in Maui. I honestly preferred our spot in Waikiki. 

We got back late and decided on a late dinner at Tsuru Ton Tan for udon at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center just around the corner. Tsuru Ton Tan is one of my favorite spots to eat in Japan, so I was so happy to stumble upon it in Oahu! It was clear that many of the businesses here cater to a large population of Japanese tourists. It was just like being in Japan, down to the wait staff who spoke only Japanese to the bidets in the restroom. We ordered some sushi and the crab udon and it was almost as good as what we’ve had in Japan. Next we stopped at Suntory for a glass of Japanese whisky – an ode to one of my favorite movies, Lost in Translation  (“…for relaxing times, make it Suntory time”). For dessert, we went to the food court and picked up malasadas at Penny’s Malasadas. They’re served fresh, and the creamy filling encased in soft sugary fried dough is delectable. Penny’s beats the famous Leonard’s Bakery in my opinion. 

If you ask me how much I liked Oahu, I would tell you I loved it, in spite of the traffic, the crowds, and some of the ugly parts of urban blight. I definitely want to go back to explore more of Oahu’s natural wonders – we didn’t see Diamond Head or any waterfalls.  I would definitely go back and spend at least a week. . 

Ka La’i Waikiki Beach

223 Saratoga Road 

Honolulu, HI 96815

hilton.com/en/hotels/hnlwiol-ka-lai-waikiki-beach