Oahu
with Kids

Pearl Harbor was first on the list. We’d forgotten to book the USS Arizona tickets in advance — rookie mistake — but luckily got walk-on tickets with only a limited wait. Book these ahead if you can, especially during busy periods. We spent about 3–4 hours going through the memorial and the free exhibits. It’s genuinely moving, and more engaging for older kids than you might expect. In the evening we walked around Waikiki, grabbed dinner, and took it easy — saving energy for the big days ahead.

Up early with the Guide Along app running — same app that carried us through the Road to Hana on Maui and the North Shore drive on Kauai, and just as indispensable here. The app narrates as you drive and alerts you to every stop worth making. We hit them all. Dole Plantation for the dole whip — absolutely required. Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck, the original location on the North Shore near Kahuku: we waited in the line and it was completely worth it, the garlic scampi is as good as advertised. Waimea Bay to watch the surfers work those legendary waves. The Laie Sea Arch. And Byodo-In Temple was unexpectedly one of the highlights — the kids were obsessed with feeding the koi fish in the reflecting pond and we ended up spending way longer there than planned.

Early morning: Dad and Raynuv did the Pillbox Hike (Lanikai Pillbox Trail). Slightly rough in places but Raynuv absolutely loved it — fantastic 360° views the whole way up. Highly recommended if you have older kids with some hiking legs. Then we had a 1pm booking for the Jungle Expedition tour at Kualoa Ranch. On the way we stopped at the Pali Lookout — a must-stop photo moment with dramatic valley views that genuinely took our breath away. The Kualoa tour itself was a lot of fun. We drove through the jungle, spotted the various movie filming locations (Jurassic Park, Jumanji, and more), and the kids picked black plums right off the trees along the trail. I hadn’t seen those since childhood in India — we used to climb trees for them, tongues turning black for the rest of the day. Thirty years later, same feeling. In the evening we headed to Waikiki Beach with swim clothes for the kids. They played in the waves while we sat at one of the beachfront bars and watched the sun go down. A pretty perfect Oahu evening.

Early start for Diamond Head — permits required and booked a few days in advance. It’s an easy hike, well-maintained trail, and the views of Waikiki and the ocean from the crater rim are spectacular. Great way to close out Oahu. Back at the hotel, we packed up, checked out, and caught our short inter-island flight to Kauai. Thirty minutes in the air and a completely different Hawaii was waiting for us.