We lived on O’ahu for three years. Living in Hawai’i isn’t the same as a vacation there. But every single day, there’s a rainbow!
My husband was stationed at Hickam AFB. We lived on base. It was mostly magical. The kids still call it home and we all long to go back.
The thing about living in paradise is that you’re living in paradise. It’s not a vacation every day. Dishes and laundry still have to get done. We homeschooled. Everything is expensive. Gas and food prices are high. Traffic is terrible. You have to watch out for centipedes.
But you can go to the beach whenever you want. There are lots of lovely parks and gardens and hiking opportunities. Those are FREE!
O’ahu is a great place for families!
Be sure to check out:
Hawaii Activities
Non-profit Sustainable Tours
Reef Safe Advocacy
Attractions in Kaneohe
The Windward Coast is a tropical paradise.
- Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden
- Bellows Air Force Station
- Sea Life Park
- Hanauma Bay
- Kualoa Ranch – Lots of movies and shows filmed there like Jurassic Park, Pearl Harbor, Lost, and Hawaii Five-O. There are ATV tours.
- Kane’one Sandbar
North Shore Attractions
The beaches on the North Shore are best for families to visit during summer months. The waves get huge mid-November through March and host the famous Triple Crown of Surfing Championships.
There’s TONS to do on the North Shore of Oahu!
- Matsumoto’s Shave Ice
- Shrimp Trucks
- Ted’s Bakery
- Haleiwa Joe’s
- Uncle Bo’s
- Ray’s Chicken
- Art Galleries
- Surf Shops
- Puu O Mahaka State Monument
- Waimea Beach and Falls
- Turtle Beach
- Sharks Cove
Honolulu Attractions
Honolulu is the Hawaii state capital and of course, there are lots of fun things to do in the big city!
- Honolulu Zoo
- Waikiki Aquarium
- Discovery Center Children’s Museum
- Pearl Harbor
- Pacific Aviation Museum
- Diamond Head
- Ko’olina
- Bishop Museum
- Friday Night Fireworks on Waikiki Beach (FREE)
- Lili’uokalani Botanical Garden (FREE)
We loved living on Oahu for three years, exploring most of what the island had to offer. Some things we didn’t get to see or do since we had very little children. We’d love to go back!
We also traveled to Mau’i, Kaua’i, Ni’ihau, and The Big Island.
This is super helpful as we are planning a trip to Hawaii in the next year or so with our kids. We definitely want to do Pearl Harbor, Turtle Beach, and spend some time relaxing. But we may try to do more than one island…saving this for later!
We also love Maui, Kauai, and Nihau!
Yes, I can imagine living in Oahu is quite different from vacationing there. It’s great that the kids had that experience and its so nice that you are able to go back. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.
We hope to return someday!