I live on the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii. Although it is many people’s dreams to come to Hawaii, there are more reasons to coming than it’s title of ‘Most Desired Place To Go On Vacation’.
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The first place to go after dropping off your bags is to the North Shore where the surf is legendary and the scenary is magnificent. However, the regular touristy spots like Turtle Beach, and Pipeline are of course filled with tourist ever single day. I would take you hiking through Kahana Valley where I would tell you of all the things my ancestors did to cultivate the land. Or I would take you the long way around the island and show you where famous battle happened, where the Hawaiians greeted Ali`I (the cheifs).
After that you have to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center a place to teach tourist and locals alike what the different cultures of the Pacific are. The beautiful thing about the Polynesian Cultural Center is that you can stay there the whole day without getting bored or becoming broke. The workers will dress up in the cultural wear of their ancestors. Each of the workers are students from different parts of the Polynesian Triangle.
Make sure you have a local to show you around the island so you can learn not only about the cultural, but also about the people, the history, and why Hawaii is so much more than a perfect vaction spot.
Once you have visited the North Shore take a drive around the island and visit Bishop museum in downtown, due to the small size of the island it should only take you an hourish. At the museum depending what time you go you can see large bugs, body parts, or dinosaurs because of the main event. If you go to the Hawaiian exhibit you can see the history of the island, lava turn into volcanic glass, and an actor reenact the overthrow of the Hawaiian people.
Hawaii is full of amazing places, but it also has great foods you can try because of the diverse community. A local platter can include lomi salmon, long rice, kalbi, and sushi just because of how many different races there are intergrated into this island. It doesn’t matter if you have tried the foods before because hawaiians always add a bit of their own twist to everything so each taste is unique. Try foods you already know and others that you don’t know. Try some poi which is made out of pounded taro, it was the main staple of the hawaiian people a few hundred years ago.
If you go to the West side you can find the Ko`olina Hotel, it’s basically it’s own village where they have a Disney hotel (make sure to find all the menehunes!), Pacific Cove (more touristy version of Polynesian Cultural Center), and a regular hotel full of island related things you can do (swim with dolphins)
Going to the beach in Hawaii is one of the best experiences you can ever have if you are here during Feburary and March because the whales and dolphins come to give birth to their babies. You can see the mothers teaching their children to breach and jump around. If you are pregnant I think the dolphins can sense it becaues they tend to come up and give you a nudge, maybe because they are mothers too?
Oahu is a truly beautiful place with and without the tourist spots, and if you come here you will not regret it.
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