Getting to Know Hawaii: My North Shore Oahu Favorites

Since Mr. L and I have been living on Oahu for three years now and are officially leaving very soon, I figured it's probably high time to share with you some of our favorite spots on island.  For now, we'll keep it to one of the most beautiful parts of Oahu -- the North Shore.

It actually took us a couple of months or so after we moved here to even make our way up to the North Shore, but after we did, we pretty much fell in love.  It is fantastic for getting away from the hustle and bustle of town and makes us "country folk" feel a tiny bit more at home, but at the same time there is still PLENTY to do, see, and eat!  So in no particular order, here is my list of favorite eats and favorite sights on the North Shore!

FAVORITE EATS

Dat Cajun Guy

Location
Website
Open from 10AM to 4PM, closed Sunday and Wednesday

Dat Cajun Guy is probably our favorite food truck on island.  They always have delicious food and wonderfully polite service.  Mr. L's favorite dish is the gumbalaya -- a bowl of jumbalaya with a scoop of gumbo in the middle! -- and my favorite is the fried shrimp po' boy.  We also can't get enough of the fried pickles and the sweet tea -- yum!  Prices are pretty average for Oahu and they do accept credit cards :)

Macky's Shrimp Truck

Location
Website
Open from 9AM to 6:30PM daily

Macky's is my go-to shrimp truck when I'm on the North Shore.  I've tried a lot of other ones and to me, they just do not compare.  Mr. L and I both prefer the garlic butter shrimp (number 1, about $13) -- we can't help that we can't get enough of that sauce!  Keep in mind that they are cash only like many places around these parts.

VJ's North Shore Dogs and Burgers

Location
Website
Open from 11AM to 6PM Sunday-Friday; 11AM to 7PM Saturday

VJ's is another great food stand located in the same area where Dat Cajun Guy likes to park.  They're known for their 100% organic, non-GMO, grass fed beef and other meats.  The bacon-wrapped hot dog is killer and you cannot go wrong with one of their many burger choices on a toasted taro bun -- even the Bambi burger!  (I know, I felt a little bad for trying it but it was delicious!)  They are definitely a bit pricier than the other food trucks in the area, but they do take credit cards at least!

Matsumoto's

Location
Website
Open from 9AM to 6PM daily

If you want shaved ice and you're on the North Shore, this is hands-down where you need to go.  We started out in a love affair with rival Aoki's, but once they were forced to shut down due to construction of a shopping mall (boo!) we migrated to Matsumoto's and honestly have been perfectly happy.  Mr. L goes the one-flavor, plain route with a green apple shave ice and I prefer to make rainbow colors with a scoop of delicious vanilla ice cream in the bottom (usually some combination of grape, pineapple, strawberry, banana, honeydew, or lilikoi, depending on how I'm feeling!).  Make sure to get a holder or your shave ice will be dripping all over the place!  Credit cards are accepted as well.

Kahuku Grill 

Location
Website
Open from 11AM to 9PM Monday-Saturday

This is where we stop for lunch during my DIY Oahu Driving Tour if we packed a few snacks and our stomachs can hold out long enough!  It's farther down the North Shore than the other places I have listed, but it is completely worth visiting.  Kahuku Grill is located at the old Kahuku sugar mill and has ono burgers, shrimp, and fish.  Their teri burger is my favorite on island and their fish plate is to die for.  It's probably some of the best fish I've had here period.  If we find a reason to be in the area, you can bet that we will be stopping at Kahuku Grill for a plate!  And thankfully they do take credit cards.  :)

FAVORITE SPOTS

Ka'ena Point Trail

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I can never get enough of this hike.  I've done it from both the North Shore side and the west side many times and I think it just stunning either way.  I even got the opportunity to go four-wheeling up on the North Shore side and it was a lot of fun!  It just seems like there's so much to check out every time I visit, like secret beaches, tide pools, and, of course, the albatross sanctuary located at the northwestern tip of the island where monk seals also like to hang out.  I will always highly recommend checking out Ka'ena Point to anyone who visits Oahu!

Waimea Bay

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Waimea Bay is a picture perfect slice of heaven on the North Shore.  It took me a while to finally get here thanks to crazy crowds, but it was SO worth it when I finally did.  This is what I always thought of when I thought of a beach in Hawaii.  During the summer, the water is as smooth as glass and very, very inviting.  You can jump from the big rock to the left, snorkel near the far rocks on the right, or simply soak the day away in that wonderful Hawaiian sunshine.  In the winter, the waves are huge as is the surfing competition that's held here as long as the waves are big enough.  The only downside is that you have to get here early (7-9AM, depending on if it's a holiday or not) or risk not being able to park anywhere close by.

Shark's Cove

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Shark's Cove is a beautiful rocky, reefy area on the North Shore that is absolutely perfect for snorkeling, diving, and frolicking in the summertime.  There are two sections -- a deeper area for diving and snorkeling to the left and a shallower, rockier area to the right that's great for kids (and adults too!) since the rock wall helps keep the wave action to a minimum.  During the winter though, the waves will definitely crash beyond this rock wall, and the water in the deeper section becomes a bit too rough for snorkeling.  There aren't really any big, sandy areas here, so it's not much of a "laying out" beach.  And reef shoes are an absolute MUST -- trust me!


Pu'u O Mahaku Heiau State Park

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This heiau (Hawaiian temple) is the largest on Oahu and is a sight to behold.  I enjoy it so much that it eventually made its way onto my DIY Driving Tour after getting a post of its own.  The views are stunning along the trails that go around the stone walls and the heiau itself is very humbling.  This particular temple is estimated to have been built sometime in the 1600s and was used to communicate with another heiau on the island of Kauai with signal fires among other things.  Since this is a sacred site for Hawaiians, please be respectful and do not enter the heiau or touch any of the rocks.


Papa'iloa Beach

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This beach was a recent find, but is honestly such a gem and just so happens to be the beach in my title picture :)  Mr. L and I randomly decided to go check it out after seeing it on Yelp and we fell in love.  There was only one other person the first time we went, and when we went back on a weekend, there were probably only a dozen or so people scattered around.  We loved the relative seclusion!  And it just so happens that it's a GREAT place to watch for honu since there's tons of algae around the shoreline.  We hope to be making it back here a couple more times before we finally say aloha to Oahu!

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Other posts in my Oahu Favorites mini-series:
My Windward Oahu Favorites
My Honolulu and South Oahu Favorites
My Central and Leeward Oahu Favorites

Getting to Know Hawaii: Waimea Bay Beach Park

The Need to Knows: 

• Waimea Bay Beach Park is located at 61-031 Kamehameha Highway, Haleiwa, HI 96712.  The exact location of the park entrance can be found here:

• I'm not sure if the park closes after dark, but there is a gate at the entrance to the parking lot so that very well could happen.  If you want to visit the beach at night, I would park outside of the gate so you don't risk getting locked in.
• It is free to park in the beach parking lot.  However, it is small and fills up very quickly.  Waimea Valley across the road does have parking available, but it costs (I think) $5 per car.
• Restrooms are available (bring your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer just in case) as well as outdoor showers, trash cans, and picnic tables.
• Like the rest of the beaches on the North Shore, Waimea Bay has two distinct seasons: summer and winter.  Summer means calm, placid waters with great swimming, snorkeling, and rock jumping.  Winter means intense, huge waves, surfing competitions, and definitely no swimming.

Getting to Know Hawaii: Pu’u O Mahuka Heiau State Monument

The Need to Knows:

• The Pu'u O Mahuka Heiau State Monument is located at the end of Pu'u O Mahuka Road in Pupukea, HI.  It's exact location is here:

• The Pu'u O Mahuka Heiau is open during daylight hours.
• There is no entrance fee and parking is free.
• This monument is the largest heiau (Hawaiian temple) on Oahu as well as a National Historic Landmark and very sacred.  Please be respectful and do not disturb the heiau in any way or climb over or into the structure.
• The area around the heiau is not shaded, so if you plan on spending a bit of time here I'd suggest sunscreen or a hat to keep you protected from the sun.
• Out of respect for practitioners of Hawaiian religion and spirituality, it is suggested that you refrain from leaving your own offerings along the temple walls unless you yourself are a practitioner.
• The road is relatively well-maintained and although there are switchbacks, we've easily been able to make it to the parking lot in a 4 door sedan on multiple occasions.

Getting to Know Hawaii: Waimea Valley

The Need to Knows:

• Waimea Valley is located at 59-864 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712.  Here's it's location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

• The hours are 9 AM to 5 PM, seven days a week (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day).
• The cost of admission for adults is $15, children (4-12) is $7.50, and seniors (60+) is $7.50.  The kama'aina/military rates are adults - $10, children - $5, and seniors $5.
• The paved pathway is stroller friendly and is about 3/4 mile long one way.
• You might want to consider bug spray, especially if you want to explore along the streambed.  However, we didn't really see any kind of bugs around the main pathway (around 10 or so in the morning).
• There are changing rooms and restrooms located near the waterfall if you want to change into or out of your bathing suits (and restrooms at the entrance).
• There's also a restaurant called the Waimea Valley Grill at the entrance if you're feeling hungry!
• For more information, you can check out Waimea Valley's website here.

Getting to Know Hawaii: Ka'ena Point Trail Mokule'ia Side

The Need to Knows:

• The Mokule'ia Side Ka'ena Point Trail leads to the exact same albatross sanctuary as the Waianae side Ka'ena Point Trail, but with different scenery along the way.  It's located on the very western end of the North Shore in Mokule'ia, Hawaii.  Here is the exact location for the beginning of the trail:

View Larger Map

• If I recall correctly, the trail is about 2 to 2.5 miles long each way.
• This trail consists of following a dirt road all the way to the albatross sanctuary.  It can get pretty muddy, especially if it's been raining, and lots of 4WD vehicles come out to go mudding here as a result.  Just make sure to stay alert so you don't get run over!  ;)
• Just like with any activity here that involves you leaving your car behind, don't leave any valuables behind to tempt thieves into breaking into your car.
• There is no shade or cover here.  I highly suggest a hat, and water and sunscreen are absolute musts.  It's probably also best to wear proper shoes instead of flip flops.
• Because of the albatross sanctuary, I'm fairly certain dogs aren't allowed on this trail.  I say "fairly certain" because you may be able to bring them as far as to the sanctuary gate, but I personally chose not to risk it.
• It's a pretty flat hike (probably better described as a walk, like the Waianae side), so it'd be good for kids and folks who don't do very well with elevation changes.

Getting to Know Hawaii: DIY Oahu Driving Tour

Hello and welcome to my blog!  If you like this guide, feel free to click on my my Travel page and check out all of the cool places I've traveled to in Hawaii and elsewhere, or you could hop over to my Recipes page to see some yummy food I've been cooking up lately.  And don't forget to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!  Thanks for looking!  :)

***Since Mr. L and I no longer live on Oahu, I can no longer guarantee the accuracy of some of the information in this post.  However, the majority of information should stay the same (stop locations, etc.) and if I hear of any changes, I'll be sure to update them ASAP!***

LAST UPDATED:

June 9, 2014 - Added JUMP WARNINGS to the Spitting Caves, Laie Point, and Waimea Bay stops

May 12, 2014 - Revamped the Google Maps map, added two new stops (Spitting Caves and Pu'u O Mahuku Heiau State Monument), and updated the Printable Guide

April 29, 2014 - added new picture for Waimea Bay Beach Park

April 1, 2014 - added new picture for Hanauma Bay; added new picture for Sunset Beach

February 27, 2014 - changed link to Laie Point to direct to new blog post

January 22, 2014 - added picture for 'Ehukai Beach Park

January 17, 2014 - added new info on Laniakea Beach and updated Laie Point's description and picture

UPDATE:  I've now updated this post and added the above "Printable Guide" button so you can print out the guide to take with you on the road!  I removed the pictures and reformatted a little bit to shrink the size down to 8 printed pages.  I hope this makes it easier on you in case you don't want to use a cell phone or tablet the whole time.  Just click the button to go to the print page!

When Mr. L and I first moved here, we heard about doing a driving tour around the perimeter of Oahu ourselves, but we really didn't have more to go on than "Just drive all the way around Kam Highway!"  So in order to be prepared for the arrivals of friends and family when they came out to visit us, I decided to come up with my own guide, complete with directions, pictures, tips, and even restaurant locations/suggestions!

This guide is about sampling a bit of what Oahu has to offer.  It doesn't include everything because it shouldn't, but it lets you get a taste of some things you might not otherwise see.  The guide is 100% interchangeable to suit your needs and preferences.  Don’t like one of the stops I have listed or want to add another?  Change it!  You decided to spend a whole day at the North Shore and don’t want to do any stops there yet?  Skip them!  Do what bests fits your schedule and what you find the most fun.  You probably won't get to every single one of these stops in one trip, and that's okay.  Skip stops if you're running low on time -- I normally do!

Keep in mind that if you don't like something you see on the restaurant lists I've suggested, search out Yelp and other resources to find something that better suits your tastes.  They are merely suggestions that I've personally been to or have been suggested to me.  I hope you get some good use out of this and are able to enjoy this beautiful island with your loved ones!  Aloha!

*All pictures my own unless otherwise noted.