The North Shore

Haleiwa to Waimea

These areas are closest to the wedding venue. There are restaurants, art galleries, shopping, shave ice, a marina and supermarkets in Haleiwa Town & Waimea. Other nearby attractions include the Waimea Botanical Gardens and famous Ted's Bakery. Haleiwa Joe's Seafood Grill next to the marina showcases local music and art on Third Fridays. There are also many food trucks and roadside vendors where even the locals stop for a kiawe chicken, chilled coconut or fresh sliced pineapple. There are plenty of options for those wanting to try something new and old staples like pizza, burgers and burritos. 

This area is also home to the most famous surf spots: Pipeline, Waimea Bay and Sunset Beach to name a few. If the surf is up, it's a great place to have a picnic and watch some of the world's best surfers perform. Chances are, a surf contest will be held around the same time as your visit. Surf lessons and stand up paddling are easy to come by too, if the swell is down. If it is flat then Shark's Cove is one of the best spots to snorkel or dive. 

Haliewa Harbor is a great spot to find a fishing charter, shark tour, snorkel/scuba dive boat or a sunset sailboat to adventure out to sea on. There are dozens of beaches as well on the North Shore and you are never too far from the ocean. Please be safe around the ocean and shore as some locations can be different to what you are used to with large swells, shore breaks and current.

Our favorite spots for a bite: 
Kono's (breakfast) - their breakfast bombers are amazing.
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​Matsumoto's Shave Ice - a local institution. Get it with azuki beans and sweetened condensed milk.

Kua `Aina (sandos/burgers) - great lunch spot and put avo on it

Banzai Sushi (lunch/dinner) - sushi and brown bottle

VJs North Shore Dogs & Burgers - food truck near all the shrimp trucks in Haleiwa and the butcher shop is next door if you want to pick up organic local meat (including Molokai deer) for the grill at your vacation house!  www.vjsnorthshoredogs.com

Haleiwa Joe's has lunch, dinner (and late night from 10pm-12am on Fri & Sat). Also host of Third Fridays involving local artists - check website for details. 

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Haleiwa Town

Banzai Pipeline

North Shore grinds and shopping

Haleiwa Boat Harbor & Haleiwa Joe's

Surf spots along the North Shore "7 mile miracle" from Waialua to Kahuku.

Kailua & Windward Oahu

Kailua and Lanikai Beach are beautiful areas well worth a day trip or even a few nights in a vacation rental. Perfect for R&R. This area is about an hour from the North Shore and 30 minutes from downtown Honolulu. 

Lanikai Beach is probably the prettiest beach on the entire island. Kayak trips go from the beach to the Moks (tiny islands offshore) for half-day trips and there is a short hike around the island. We have a kayak too, and can help with some local knowledge if you want to do this one day. The Pillbox hike is a great hill climb with a stunning view of the windward side. There is also a fairly easy (not hilly) jungle hike to Maunawili Falls just outside of town (2-3 hour round trip). 

Kailua is a busy little suburban town with plenty of shopping and restaurants. Our favorites are Kalapawai Cafe, which has great lunch options and an amazing dinner menu that changes seasonally, as well as Cactus for tapas and great cocktails. They also now serve a new local beer (Lanikai Brewery). Surprisingly, the bar inside Whole Foods is a great spot for a pau hana (happy hour) beer and slice of the day special. There's also a great Thursday night farmer's market in Kailua. Hit up Lanikai Juice for a smoothie or acai bowl. 

About 30 minutes west from Kailua you will pass through several small towns such as Kaaawa, where you can tour Kualoa Ranch (various film locations, including Jurassic Park and Hunger Games as well as zip lining, 4x4 tours, horseback riding). Stop at the nearby macadamia nut stand for free samples and coffee, souvenirs, and picnic/swim at various beach parks off the roadside as you drive towards the North Shore. 

Alternatively, if you leave Kailua and head east, you will reach Waimanalo (hit up Ai Love Nalo for local produce amazingness), and then SeaLife Park, Makapu'u Beach (great bodysurfing), some of the prettiest roadside scenery on the island, and can walk up a path (1-2 miles) to the Makapu'u lighthouse on the far eastern corner of Oahu. 

Looking out over the Mokes and Lanikai from the Pillbox Trail

Maunawili Falls (accessible from Kailua)

Makapu'u lookout

Waikiki & Honolulu (Leeward Oahu)

Waikiki is the heart of tourism on Oahu. It is jam-packed with restaurants for every taste, high-end shopping, souvenir stores, gentle waves for beginners and full of tourists. Waikiki has plenty of options for beginner surfing and SUP (though much of this can also be done on the North Shore closer to the wedding/lodging). The Waikiki Aquarium and Honolulu Zoo are also nearby. There are lots of lodging options here:  condos, hotels and resorts. Waikiki is about 30 minutes from Pearl Harbor and 1-1.5 hours from the North Shore and the wedding venue. Kevin and Shell live at the foot of Diamondhead Crater (the pointy mountain in the backdrop above), and can recommend spots in Honolulu and Waikiki that you shouldn't miss when you're in "Town." 

Also in Honolulu are some notable pieces of history. You can go to Pearl Harbor to view the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Bowfin (submarine), USS Missouri (battleship), and take a shuttle to the Pacific Aviation Museum on nearby Ford Island. All are in the same general vicinity. We recommend planing a day or so in advance for the Arizona to reserve your preferred entry time here. Otherwise, walk-in tickets are available, but go quickly (so you better be there before 7am to get in line).  Pearl Harbor is 20-30 min. from Waikiki, depending on traffic. 

There are some outdoor recreation activities in Town as well. For a jungle hike, head to Mt. Tantalus (trailhead starts at the Hawaii Nature Center) - you can hike 2 miles or 20, but it is anything but flat. Go see Manoa Falls (~1 mile hike to falls). Head out to Hawaii Kai for snorkeling at Haunama Bay Preserve (note: get there by 8am; closed Tuesdays). You can hike to the top of Diamondhead Crater or just take a mellow stroll up Diamondhead Rd. and have a picnic overlooking the ocean and surfers below. Kapiolani Park is the biggest green space in Honolulu, just beyond Waikiki - it is a great spot for a walk, picnic, game of tennis, people-watching, etc. Ask us if you want more options - there are several more hikes, etc.!

Be mindful that traffic is very congested here, especially during rush hour on weekdays. Parking is charged at locations in Waikiki as well (especially hotels), but just talk to us and we'll try to help point you in the best direction!

Our picks for grinds in Town: 
Side Street Inn on Da Strip (Hawaiian-Asian-American fusion, beer and great place to watch sports)
Bangkok Chef (best inexpensive Thai food at several locations. This is our go-to fast food)
Bogart's Cafe (breakfast/lunch. We recommend their acai bowls and Bo's quesadilla)
Lucky Belly (Chinatown saimin and drinks. Get the Belly Bowl)
California Beach Rock n Sushi (our favorite for sushi with fantastic specialty rolls)
Kona Brewing Company (20 min. from Waikiki in Hawaii Kai)