Three years ago, New Yorker Lindsay Louise โ14 traded the North Shore of Long Island for the North Shore of the island of Oahu, and she couldnโt be happier.
A catering manager at the Four Seasons Resort at Ko Olina, Louise has experienced a lot of personal and professional growth in her new home. A big reason for that is Hawaiiโs unique, deep-rooted culture.
โI tell people itโs like living in a different country that just so happens to use the same currency as the United States,โ she says. โThe exposure to all the different ethnicities and all the different food is wonderful. I had no idea there were so many kinds of noodles.โ
Here are the Top 10 things Louise suggests you try on your next Hawaiian adventure to Oahu.
Lindsay Louise
1. Hike Makapuโu Point Lighthouse Trail on the islandโs east side. โThe views of the Pacific Ocean are excellent. You can even see Maui and whales breaching in the winter. The trail is steep but completely paved. Just be sure to wear appropriate shoes and bring water.โ
2. Order a malasada at the original Leonardโs Bakery near Waikiki. โItโs a Portuguese version of a beignet, but itโs filled with guava, lilikoi [passionfruit] cream or haupia [coconut] and topped with a selection of sugars. You just you have to eat them hot. Thatโs super important.โ
3. Visit Iolani Palace in downtown Honolulu. โDating to 1879, itโs the only offical royal building in the United States. The tours give you great insight into the culture of Hawaii and the relationship that Hawaiians built with the United States in becoming a state.โ
4. Snorkel Sharkโs Cove on the North Shore. โIt has great marine life, and the cove is protected, so itโs very calm. Despite the name, Iโve never seen any sharks there.โ
5. Stop by the Kahuku food truck collective on the North Shore, โespecially if you do a โcircle islandโ drive, which I highly recommend. You can find every local dish โ like huli huli chicken, Spam musubi and the infamous Giovanniโs shrimp truck. Make sure to finish off your meal with some mochi ice cream.โ
6. Spend a day at Waimea Beach and Waimea Falls Park on the North Shore. โThere are four beaches on the North Shore that I go to, and they all are fantastic with super-fine sand and really clear water, but the advantage of Waimea is that you can walk across the street to see the waterfall. Just donโt go to the beach in the wintertime when the swells are huge.โ
7. Go to a beer brewery in the Kakaโako area of Honolulu. โThis might not seem very Hawaiian, but the brewery scene is very prominent. Kakaโako is the neighborhood where I live, and there are five breweries in a four-block area that do a great job of incorporating the flavors of the islands into the beer.โ
8. Take an outrigger canoe ride in Waikiki. โItโs so much fun, and it has so much cultural significance.โ
9. Spend a day in the town of Haleiwa on the North Shore. โItโs got a great laid-back vibe with a lot of local boutiques and coffee shops that serve coffee roasted from Hawaiian beans.โ
10. Grab a poke (pronounced po-kay) bowl at any Foodland supermarket. โThey have really good poke, a rice bowl topped with raw, marinated fish, usually tuna, and vegetables. Itโs very Hawaiian to grab a poke bowl and head to the beach with a tent and grill to just hang out all day and have an awesome time. No worries.โ
