Are you looking for something different while on your trip to Oahu? Are you sick of the same generic tourist attractions that are costly and full of other people? If you’re looking for something more secluded, at little to no cost, and something that feels more like an “experience” than a check off the to-do list, you have come to the right place! In this blog post, we will give you an inside look at the top places to go to for Oahu’s hidden escapes. We HIGHLY recommend these spots to get away from the regular “well known” activities on the island for something more meaningful and memorable on your Hawaiian adventure 🙂
China Walls
A popular spot for Oahu locals, China Walls offers a beautiful view of the ocean where many go for an adrenaline filled cliff jumping experience. We really loved this spot because it was a prime location for a breathtaking sunset, we took the opportunity to come back here many times during our trip to get some really beautiful shots of the sunset. To find out more about how to get to China Walls, and what to expect, you can check out our fully detailed blog post here.
Tantalus Drive
If you call yourself a “road tripper” than this drive is just your style 🙂 A 10 mile scenic loop will leave you in awe as you venture around the famed “Round Top Drive” giving you a spectacular view of the city of Honolulu and a firsthand experience navigating through some serious tropical foliage. There are countless spots to pullover while on the drive for some “off the beaten path” areas. This was probably one of our favorite activities while exploring Oahu, to read more about this drive you can see our blog post here.
Botanical Gardens
One of the most alluring aspects of visiting Hawaii is the lush plant life that grows there organically. Luckily, Oahu has many botanical gardens open to the public. Depending on which one you choose, a fee is due to help with all the up keeping of the grounds and to care for the plant life. We will say this attraction is probably the most trafficked with tourist on this list, but it is definitely something you should check out during your stay! Here we have a post talking about the two gardens we chose to visit and why we loved them so much.
Byodo-In Temple
An experience we stumbled upon while making our way to the North Shore, the Byodo-In Temple is a place to admire the Buddhist culture in a setting like no other. Tucked back in the Ko’olau Mountains, a bright red temple sits for people to gather together and take in the beautiful grounds it has to offer it’s visitors. Checking ahead of time online, you might be able to attend an event or workshop that the temple provides during the day or evening. We took lots of gorgeous pictures here and definitely recommend it if you’re into photography, check out our full write up here.
Mermaid Caves
Our number one recommended hidden escape (and believe me, it’s SUPER hidden..) is going out to Mermaid Caves! Getting to experience this cave was like nothing I’ve experienced before, the jump into the water was a splash of fun. While swimming safely inside the cave there are little amounts of tourists around, so chances are that the cave will not be packed with other people. Laying down on the seashell covered floor really makes you feel like you’re living your best mermaid life. We have an excellent blog post that you MUST read before heading to this spot for safety reasons, so don’t miss out on that here.
We hope you enjoyed this blog post! If you have any questions about the places we talked about feel try to leave us a comment and we will respond 🙂 Thank for checking out the blog and don’t forget to follow to stay up to date with our travels! Peace!
