Oahu

Before heading home, we stopped in Oahu for a few days. Compared to Maui, Waikiki was busy and bustling! It was almost overwhelming with all the people and city life, but it was also fun to see so many tourists and go shopping.

As loyal SPG customers, we stayed at the Westin Moana Surfider. Compared to our sprawling two bedroom villa in Maui, we had to squeeze into a tiny hotel room with two double beds. Man was it rough. The pool was just a small regular pool, nothing fancy like the resort in Maui. However, it was steps from Waikiki Beach where we spent hours each day.

Waikiki Beach was a lot busier but we loved it. The sand was powdery soft, the water was so warm it was like taking a bath, and it was shallow enough that we could go way far out and still stand up in some places. 

Also the most random thing happened in the middle of Waikiki Beach. We bumped into my school friend Sienna and her family! With dozens of hotels lining the beach and hundreds of tourists, what are the chances that we would run into someone we knew? The timing couldn't have been more perfect, and we got to spend a few hours on the beach together - it was like a vacation play date!

We also took a shuttle bus to Ala Moana Center, this giant outdoor shopping mall. The bus ride itself was fun, since we sat on the upper deck of a double decker.

At the mall there was this kiosk where you can create your own flip flops. You pick the color of the base, the straps, and all the decorations. Total tourist trap, but this kinda thing was right up my alley so of course I had to make a pair.

They advertised flip flops starting at $18, so how did this end up costing $36??

The next day we rented a car and drove around the island, doing all the things that tourists do. Our first stop: the Dole Plantation. We took the tram tour through the pineapple fields, then enjoyed the famous Dole Whip and Dole Whip Float.

I fell for yet another tourist trap - the infamous pearl in the oyster. The clever salespeople inside the gift store handed us keys to try to open a treasure chest. Whoever held the lucky key that unlocked the chest would get some special prize. Everyone else got a coupon for a you-pick pearl. Way to rope us in! Lucky for me, the oyster I picked had two pearls inside!

We also drove to the North Shore of the island, stopping at Turtle Bay Resort to look for sea turtles laying out on the beach. We didn't see any this time and ended up exploring a little bit before moving on.

Finally, we made a stop in Haleiwa for a snack, then to Leonard's to pick up some famous malasadas before heading back to catch our last Hawaiian sunset.

We loved Oahu! Still more on Waikiki food to come!