Oahu Attractions

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Windward Oahu
In Hawaii, windward refers to the eastern side of an island and leeward the western side. The prevailing winds in Hawaii blow east to west as opposed to the mainland where winds tend to blow west to east.

Windward Oahu is the part of Oahu north of Makapuu Point all the way to Kahana Bay. The Kalanianaole Highway and Kamehameha Highway are the main roads that will take you close to all of the attractions on Windward Oahu.

As you drive north on the Kalanianaole Highway past Makapuu Beach Park on your right and Rabbit and Turtle Islands off the shore, you will first come to Sea Life Park on your left. Much more commercialized than the Waikiki Aquarium, Sea Life Park is, nevertheless, a great place for a family outing. It's 300,000 gallon Hawaiian Reef Tank is filled with more than 2,000 species of fish. Other exhibits feature penguins, sea birds, sea lions, and the Whaler's Cove which is home to the park's dolphins and whales. With ongoing shows throughout the day, Sea Life Park remains one of Oahu's most popular attractions.

As you wind your way north, and eventually onto the Kamehameha Highway watch for the Kahekili Highway. The Kahekili Highway parallels the Kamehameha Highway but a bit inland. If you take this road you will come to the Valley of Temples and the Byodo-In Temple. This temple is a precise replica in concrete of a 900 year old temple in Uji, Japan. The grounds of the temple are lovely. Chances are you'll see a wedding either going on or about to begin.

After you rejoin the Kamehameha Highway you'll come to the intersection of Pulama Road. Up the road to the left you'll find the plantation and gardens of Senator Hiram Fong. Born in China and immigrated to Hawaii, Senator Fong became a successful lawyer, businessman, and U.S. Senator for seventeen years. After 35 years of planning and planting his property was opened to the public in 1988 and still may be seen only from a tram with a tour guide who does, however, make frequent stops.

Proceeding north on the Kamehameha Highway you will pass Mokolii Island, more popularly known as Chinaman's Hat, for obvious reasons. Before you reach the town of Laie and the North Shore of Oahu, you'll come to Kualoa Ranch. Most famous for the scene in Jurassic Park where actor Sam Neill runs for his life to escape a stampede of dinosaurs, Kualoa Ranch is not well known to most visitors. The ranch offers over 15 outdoor activities including ATVs, target shooting, helicopter rides and a ranch and movie set tour. Many choose just to relax at Secret Island, the ranch's secluded beach.

North Shore
Apart from the amazing beaches where some of the world's largest surfing competitions are held annually, the area from Laie to Haleiwa - the North Shore, is best known for two major attractions, the Polynesian Cultural Center and Waimea Valley Adventure Park.

In Laie you will find the Polynesian Cultural Center, Hawaii's most popular privately owned attraction. Here you will find re-created villages of seven Polynesian cultures, Fiji, the Marquesas, New Zealand, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga and Hawaii. Representatives of these island cultures share their culture, their art and their dance. The islanders are actually all students at the nearby Brigham Young University Hawaii campus. The students work in exchange for tuition, room and board. 

Activities abound at the Polynesian Cultural Center. The afternoon canoe pageant is a popular attraction as is the evening luau and show.

If a drive to Laie is too far for you, there are many tour companies offering round trip bus transportation and admission from your hotel in Waikiki.

After rounding the northern tip of Oahu, the Kamehameha Highway eventually makes its way to the town of Waimea, home to Waimea Valley Adventure Park. Owned the same company that runs Sea Life Park, Waimea Valley Adventure Park offers displays of cliff diving, hula, Hawaiian music as well as a nature center and adventure center including paintball and mountain biking. 

Central Oahu to Pearl Harbor
The drive through central Oahu from the north shore town of Haleiwa will take you past much of Oahu's history. You will pass through areas which once were planted with sugar as far as the eye could see, until the sugar industry died on Oahu. Many of these fields are now full of a newer crop, coffee. 

You'll pass through many fields still planted with pineapple for the Del Monte and Dole Corporations. Along the way you can stop at the Dole Plantation Visitor Center where you can sample many pineapple treats, purchase lots of souvenirs and even try to make your way through the world's largest maze. 

The road south takes you past much of Hawaii's military history including Schofield Barracks, considered by many to be the most beautiful military base in the world. 

As you reach the end of H2 you will find yourself near Pearl Harbor. A visit to Pearl Harbor requires at least a half day and more if you intend to visit all of the sites. 

Pearl Harbor is home to the U.S.S. Arizona Visitors Center and the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial as well as the U.S.S. Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park and the recently opened U.S.S. Battleship Missouri Memorial. We have detailed articles on these attractions for your information: Pearl Harbor and the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial and Mighty Mo.

We've now made our way around a big circle and arrived back in Honolulu. You certainly can't see all of these attractions in one day or even one trip. That's one of the reasons that so many tourists come back to Hawaii again and again.

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