UPDATED MAR 2020. Congratulations! You have decided to visit Hawaii, or paradise as I like to call it. Everything is booked, annual leave is confirmed, and you’ve packed what you need. You’ve also been reading my blog so you have some adventures planned. You’re almost ready. All you need now is to find out what not to do. This will ensure your time here is the best it can be. Today I’m going to help you with that with my list of the things to avoid on Oahu.
Things To Avoid On Oahu – Don’t Make These Hawaii Travel Mistakes
Disclaimer
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1. Spend the whole time in Waikiki
Waikiki is amazing. It really is. There’s always something going on, it’s well set up for tourists, and it has such cool energy to it.
I want you to keep in mind though that Oahu has a lot more to offer than just Waikiki. Please don’t be afraid to put your Mai Tai down, get out of the beach chair, and venture out to explore other beautiful areas of the island.
If you’re not sure where to go, that’s what my blog is for!
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
2. Stick to your usual foods
Don’t get me wrong, a traditional burger and fries are good.
But one of the things to avoid on Oahu is eating the same old stuff. Why stick to foods you can get everywhere else when there is a range of unique things to try that have an island flair to them.
From the variety of Poke flavors, food trucks on the side of the road, Spam Musubi, Malasadas, Acai Bowls with fresh, tropical fruits, Luau feasts or even shave ice, there is a lot to try here.
Approach eating with an open mind and try as much as you can. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Here’s my guide to the best shave ice on Oahu too.
3. Think you’ll magically tan without sunscreen
Seriously, you don’t want to be walking around red-faced with the white glasses patch or have a beautiful, strapless maxi dress with beet red shoulders.
Just use some dang sunscreen.
If you do want to work on your tan, the Maui Babe Browning Lotion
is my favorite to use.
Just remember to take breaks from the sun and use sunscreen as well.
4. Skip the cultural lessons
One of the best parts about living on or visiting the islands is the rich culture and long-standing traditions.
Knowing more about the traditions and culture is not only interesting but it helps to strike a balance so that you can be respectful as you share the island.
The Polynesian Cultural Center is a great place to start if you are interested in learning about island culture. There are many other cultural lessons around the island as well including hula and ukelele lessons.
5. Take things from the land/ocean (unless its trash)
This includes lava rock, sand, coral and shells.
Yes, I said shells and I know that’s unpopular because so many people collect them but they belong to the ocean. They provide homes for animals. Taking from the land is considered disrespectful and in some cases bad luck.
If you want to collect something, go to the beach and pick up sea glass. It is technically trash that doesn’t belong there in the first place. In addition to sea glass, collect a little trash each time you go to the beach.
It goes a long way and serves as a means of keeping the areas we share clean.
Taking shells or sand is definitely one of the things to avoid on Oahu.
6. Visit the aquariums or anywhere large marine mammals are kept in a bathtub
This doesn’t mean you can’t see dolphins, whales, or sharks. You’ll be on an island surrounded by their home.
The best place to see them is in their home where they are free to roam and not stuck in a tank, forced to do tricks for us. A simple snorkeling session can bring you up close with an array of fish, turtles, eels, starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers or even an octopus.
If you are not a confident swimmer then you can still see wildlife as part of any number of ocean snorkel or boat tours.
Here are some boat tour ideas:
7. Harass the animals
Now if you do see some cool marine wildlife, the one thing to remember is to respect their space.
Touching animals like turtles or dolphins is a big no-no. Getting a little too up close with them is not only rude but it can also have you slapped with a fine.
It can be hard because it is so exciting to be in the water with them, but remember to restrain yourself. Take a couple of pictures without touching, chasing or blocking their path to swim.
8. Rush around
This has to be one of the most important things to avoid on Oahu. Slow down – you’re on island time now!
Remember to slow down, enjoy your time in paradise and be present in the moment. No need to be darting from here to there in a hasty rush because then you will not be able to fully soak in and appreciate all that the island has to offer.
The same goes for viewing it through a screen, whether it is your phone or camera.
I am guilty of doing this a lot to capture the beauty of the island for the blog. I have to admit though, that I do enjoy and get so much more out of the days where my battery dies and I am just enjoying the adventure for the sake of it.
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Where to stay on Oahu
I recommend using Waikiki as your base for your visit to Oahu. I have stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and can highly recommend it. Make sure you plan your stay with a Friday in it if you can because the Hilton puts on an awesome fireworks show.
If you’d prefer another hotel, I recommend searching on Booking.com. I use this to book accommodation when I am traveling and can always find a good deal on their site.
I hope this list of things to avoid on Oahu has been able to help you plan your visit. At the end of the day though, make it your own and I hope you enjoy the island as much as I do.
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Love this post! I agree with these common mistakes (esp tourists who just spend whole time in Waikiki). I went to the aquarium once (wondered what it would be like) and was so disappointed, would definitely echo your thoughts here 😄
Thank you! I went to Sea Life Park too when I first moved here, so I’m guilty as well. Hoping people can learn from my mistakes!
I couldn’t agree more with island time. The first time I went to Oahu we planned everything and stayed at a condo in a resort area. I honestly went home not really a fan. This last time we rented a condo in a tiny local town, didn’t have a single plan just a rental car to get around. We drove around the island and spent lots of time randomly finding stuff to check out wherever we were which led to watching some random surfing competitions, random amazing hikes, great eats and just doing things at our own pace. It was so enjoyable. We went to Waikiki one day for lunch and to walk around just so my boyfriend could see what it was about as he had never been there.
I’m so glad you went back to give it a second chance and even more glad that it was a great experience! Your holiday sounds like a dream!
Any recommendations of where to stay?! We are planning a girl’s trip in march!
So many options depends on if you will have a car and what you most want to see. Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore was my favorite place to stay before I moved. If that’s too far away, anywhere in Waikiki will be central to nice beaches and pretty views but very touristy. There’s also a lot of cool Airbnb rentals on the North Shore, Kailua and Waimanalo which would be really cool and probably less expensive. Sorry that’s a lot of options but depends what you like.
Where was that cover picture taken? It’s beautiful!
The one on the bench? I believe it’s been taken down now but it was in Portlock
Great blog! Time to update the sunscreen pictures though. Put some reef safe sunscreens on there instead!
Thanks! I’m not updating the pics but that’s a good tip to use reef safe sunscreen
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